Read Online Bill Rules by Elizabeth Fensham - Free Book Online Page B

nodded.
    â€˜Have I ever!’ said Shane
    â€˜What does she do?’ asked Johnny Chan.
    â€˜Runs the show,’ said Bill.
    â€˜And how does she rate?’ asked Andrew Cann.
    â€˜Hot,’ said Shane.
    â€˜Can we all come with you next Monday night, Bill?’ joked Johnny.
    â€˜No way,’ laughed Bill, ‘She’s all mine.’
    After this, the boys played cricket and not much more was said.
    Isabelle Farquay-Jones, on the other hand, was determined to make Bill suffer. The year before, she had thought that letting the whole school know about Bill’s father being a jailbird might have kept Bill under control. But there was something about the way Bill didn’t try to lie his way out of his embarrassment that seemed to win him even more friends. This time, with the Guide business, she couldn’t believe Bill had got off so lightly from the boys. As far as Isabelle was concerned, Bill was a spineless wimp to let Matilda Grub lead him into such a ridiculous experiment. If those two dared to show up at Guides again, she’d show them.
    Mat and Bill did dare to attend Guides the next Monday. Like everyone else in the community, the Scout Mistress, Marguerite Bell, had read the news article ‘Local Boy Mis-Guided’; she obviously didn’t want to become part of a front-page story by refusing to let Bill into the Hall.
    â€˜You can be our “special guest” tonight, Bill,’ said Marguerite smiling her warm, sweet smile that captivated all the young men in Dewey Creek. ‘Then we’ll have a little chat at the end of the night and sort something out.’
    â€˜Special guest is fine with me,’said Bill. ‘Don’t worry about sorting anything.’
    Because the Girl Guides would soon be going on a camp, the activity for this night was emergency first-aid with a special emphasis on CPR and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Isabelle Farquay-Jones drew attention to herself by squealing with mock disgust, ‘I refuse to do that with Bill O’Connell and Grubby Mat.’
    There was a tittering of girlish laughter. Mat’s shoulders slumped and she tucked her chin close to her chest.
    â€˜What did you say about Mat, Isabelle?’ asked Marguerite, truly shocked.
    â€˜Nothing,’ said Isabelle tossing her golden hair about her shoulders.
    â€˜Guides and Scouts are expected to be honest and loyal,’ said Marguerite frowning. ‘Rosemary Tyler, you were standing near Isabelle, what did she say?’
    â€˜She called her Grubby Mat,’ said Rosemary, ‘but it was a joke, miss.’
    â€˜If both parties think it’s funny, then it might be a joke,’ said Marguerite Bell, ‘but if only the joker thinks it’s funny, I call that bullying. Isabelle, over here, please.’
    Isabelle wouldn’t budge. Bill knew her better than anyone in that hall. No adult had ever caught out Isabelle in her cunning sort of nastiness. This mild telling off would be a first for Isabelle. She crossed her arms, narrowed her shark-cold blue eyes, and tightened her lips so they were small and turned down at the corners, ‘It’s called a pun, miss. Verbal humour? Grub, grubby? Get it?’ Isabelle rolled her eyes as if frustrated with the Guide mistress’s ignorance.
    Marguerite said gently and quietly, ‘Isabelle,everyone here knows that it’s not just what we say, but how we say it that makes the difference between kind and cruel. Now, please come here.’
    The whole room watched as Isabelle sauntered across as slowly as she dared to the Guide mistress. Bill noticed that Isabelle’s uniform had an enormous number of badges sewn on the front and down the sleeves. She was queen of badges. It was only because Bill was quite near that he heard what Marguerite next said in a low voice. ‘Your Citizenship badge, Isabelle. I think you need a little longer to learn about being welcoming and inclusive