Chapter 2

Courtney jabbed the straw into the chocolate milk carton.

Life is hard for a ten-year-old. Especially one in Mrs Grungle’s class. Having to learn division every day. It was tough being a kid.

Three days had passed since Mrs Grungle took charge of Miss Whittle’s class, and it was already clear that she was nothing like their previous laid-back teacher. She was strict. Mean. A monster.

Courtney took a big gulp of the chocolate milk.

If only parents knew how hard it was for them, maybe then they wouldn’t force them to do homework and just let them watch cartoons.

Courtney put her empty milk carton aside and picked up her Vegemite sandwich, taking a big bite. At least parents knew how to make tasty food.

Her eyes shifted to the analogue clock ticking above the whiteboard.

Any minute.

Any minute now.

The bell rang.

Courtney’s eyes lit up. The bell signalled the beginning of lunchtime. Which meant one thing.

Freedom.

The kids scrambled to the classroom door. Each of them wanted to escape. To maximise playtime.

Courtney ran towards the door, but a shadow enveloped her figure, and she felt an icy-cold, firm grip on her shoulder.

“Miss Courtney!” The authoritative voice of Mrs Grungle called out. A shiver went down her spine. She tilted her head back to the looming figure towering above. The piercing eyes, like a beast about to devour its prey. “Where do you think you are going?”

Courtney’s mouth quivered, trying to find words that simply wouldn’t form. That was the power Mrs Grungle held over her.

“Sorry, am I going deaf?” Mrs Grungle asked, putting her hand to her ear.

“I am going out to play,” Courtney mumbled, shifting her gaze to the ground.

She pointed a bony finger at Courtney.

“Going out like that?”

Courtney didn’t know what she’d done wrong. She wanted to cry, but she knew if she did, Mrs Grungle would win, so she responded with a meek nod.

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” Mrs Grungle asked, her tone was soft. Well, soft for Mrs Grungle anyway.

Courtney was too scared to respond adequately, instead resorting to a simple reply. “I forgot.”

Mrs Grungle got down to her level. Her piercing eyes stared daggers into Courtney, causing her to turn pale. Such was the fear that came from being so close to the monster known as Mrs Grungle.

“Indeed. You forgot your hat.”

Courtney reached up to her head. She patted it several times, unable to form coherent thoughts.

“I have no hat,” Courtney parroted.

Mrs Grungle stood back up. Her towering figure was now even more commanding than before.

“That’s right, you have no hat. Now go put it on before you go out to play,” she ordered, pointing towards the bag rack.

Leah and Sarah glanced at Courtney, concern on their faces. Courtney gave them a thumbs up, as if to say, ‘You go on ahead, I’ll join you shortly,’ before turning around and making her way to the bag hook. She pushed her bag aside, expecting to see her blue, wide-rimmed hat. But it was gone.

Why?

Why was it not here?

It was always there. She put it there herself. So why wasn’t it there?

She did put it there, right?

Courtney felt her heart rate slowly increase. Sweat began to form on her forehead. Her teeth began to clatter.

She needed the hat; without it, she’d not be able to play with her friends. She checked behind all the other bags, just in case she accidentally hung it on the wrong hook.

Nothing.

Courtney began to shake as she crept toward the metal lost-property locker.

She was desperate to find a hat. It didn’t even matter if it wasn’t her own. As long as she found one hat here, she’d be able to borrow it and go out to play.

She scanned the shelves. Jackets, basketballs, and even an action figure.

But no hat.

She felt tears begin to form, quickly wiping them before she was seen.

She needed to escape.

Quickly.

Before Mrs Grungle could catch her.

She glanced through the open classroom door. Mrs Grungle had her back turned and was walking towards her desk. Now was her chance to escape. If she could just pass the boundary of the doorway. She’d be free. Mrs Grungle would never know.

She bolted towards the door.

“Courtney!” An angry voice screamed.

She froze. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up.

How?

Her back was turned. She’d made sure of it.

So how did she catch her?

“Where… Is… Your… Hat?” Mrs Grungle asked, beginning to pace towards Courtney.

“I-I-I…” Courtney struggled to respond. Her whole body was shaking from the fear of being caught. What would she do to her? Detention? Suspension? Expulsion? Or something worse that only a monster could do?

“You wouldn’t be trying to go out without a hat, would you?” Her voice was laced with malice.

Courtney couldn’t lie. She was already scared enough as it was. So she shifted her gaze to the ground and nodded.

“Sorry.”

“If you have no hat, then you know what that means. There is no play time!” she barked, pointing her crooked finger back at the otherwise empty classroom.

Anything but that.

“It’s not that sunny today,” Courtney tried her best to reason.

Mrs Grungle didn’t say anything, but her lips curled into a frown. Her slightly yellowed teeth looked like a snarling beast. All the while, her finger never stopped pointing towards the classroom.

Courtney knew there was no point trying to reason with her. She lowered her head and shuffled her legs towards the classroom. Each step was a struggle, almost as if boulders were tied to them.

She pulled up her seat, looking out over the basketball court. Sitting all alone in the classroom. Alone with Mrs Grungle. Watching all the other kids run around and play. All of them were having fun whilst she was trapped inside.

Courtney wanted to cry, but she feared what Mrs Grungle would say if she did. She was already angry. She didn’t want to cause another scene.

So she remained silent.

Thinking.

Over and over again.

About how much she wanted to be out there playing with the other kids.

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End of Chapter 2