Read Online The Case of the Wayward Professor by Gareth P. Jones - Free Book Online

Holly simply.
    The class laughed. Petal stared angrily at Holly as if willing her to drop dead.
    â€˜The author is a girl,’ said Miss Whittaker patiently.
    â€˜Oh, I’m sorry,’ said Holly, ‘I thought you meant Bob,the man she had write it for her.’
    Before Miss Whittaker could say a word, Holly picked up her bag and headed off for her daily visit to the principal’s office.
    The principal’s secretary, who today had her hair tied back and wore green nail varnish, told Holly that Principal Palmer was away all morning at a shareholders’ meeting, so she returned to the class for the next lesson, which was games.
    The class gathered on the field and Mr Brooker, a scruffy-looking man with a large, matted beard, announced that they would be practising cross-country running around the perimeters of the school grounds.
    The class groaned. The blue sky had clouded over and a light drizzle hung in the air. It was a miserable day for a long run.
    â€˜Don’t be soft. It’ll put hairs on your chest,’ said Mr Brooker. ‘It’ll put toad in your hole.’ He jogged on the spot, then added, ‘It’ll put pay-as-you-go minutes in your mobile. Come on.’
    â€˜Excuse me, sir.’ Petal Moses, dressed immaculately in her white designer gym kit, raised her hand.
    â€˜Yes, Petal,’ said Mr Brooker.
    â€˜Fabio says he doesn’t want me going on any long runs because of my weak ankle.’
    â€˜Is Fabio a doctor and did he write you a note?’
    â€˜No, sir, he’s my personal trainer, but he’s worked with some of the biggest names in Hollywood.’
    â€˜I’m sorry, Petal,’ said Mr Brooker, the corners of his mouth curling into a smile. ‘No note, no excuse. Let’s go, my people.’
    He ran round and herded the reluctant class like a sheepdog, guiding them along the side of the football pitch to the perimeter fence, where he explained that the run would take about forty-five minutes to an hour. ‘If you run too slowly,’ he added, ‘you’ll be late for lunch. There’s your motivation.’
    He blew a whistle and they set off, some of the class running full pelt, others jogging at a more sensible pace. Inevitably the class soon became spread out, naturally splitting into pairs or threes.
    Not having any friends, Holly ran alone.
    She saw Petal running ahead of her with two girls. She was pleased that Petal had been forced to do the run. It was miserable. The sky was dark and the raindrops were getting larger every minute, soaking their clothes. The ground softened and soon Holly could feel mud beneath her trainers.
    She decided to overtake Petal, speeding up to run between her and the fence. As she approached shecould hear her saying, ‘Fabio says running without a running machine is like wearing boot-cut jeans to a launch party. No one does it any more … A-choo.’ She sneezed. ‘That’s it. I’m catching a cold. As soon as I get back I’m calling my lawyer. I’m going to sue the school.’
    Holly drew level with Petal, who looked round and said, ‘Oh, hi, Holly. How’s your boyfriend, Crackers Callum?’
    â€˜He’s not my boyfriend,’ replied Holly.
    She sped up, but Petal kept level, saying, ‘Holly loves crazy Callum, the Prime Minister’s son.’
    The other girls giggled.
    â€˜I do not,’ yelled Holly.
    She ran faster, but Petal and her friends kept up.
    â€˜Stands to reason,’ said Petal. ‘They’re both freaks.’
    â€˜At least I’m not a …’ started Holly, but her retort was cut short as she felt something collide with her shin. She stumbled and fell, losing her balance and landing face down in the mud.
    The three girls laughed and Petal shouted, ‘Enjoy your trip?’
    A pair of boys ran past her without stopping to check that she was all right. Holly felt miserable. She was wet. She