CALLUM STANFORD

Shocked

The meeting ended abruptly. Gronk and Munter sloped out of the school office in shock. Standing in the corridor, Gronk looked at the squeaky lino flooring. It was all going wrong and he did not know what to do. If he halted the campaign against the Nobodys, they will have won. And that could not happen. He decided to stay on the present track and continue getting at the Nobodys. That had to be the way ahead. Bludgeon on regardless and, if Miss Whippet was a casualty along the way, so be it.

Heated

“I’m glad we have this opportunity to discuss matters…” Gronk began.

Intervention

The headmistress was forced to call Gronk and Munter into school. They sat outside Miss Whippet’s office looking pleased with themselves. This was a prime opportunity to hammer the Nobodys down a bit lower. They were looking forward to it. Miss Whippet frowned in her office as the execution of another bright idea was being delayed. She had dreamed up ‘Cash For Nothing Day’ where parents, carers and children had the opportunity to put money into a box and receive nothing in return. Miss Whippet would then be able to treat herself to a golden toilet seat. That was the mark of an ultimate Poshey. And the two idiots outside her office were jeopardising her scheme to extort more money out of the rich folk of the Snook. She exhaled heavily and beckoned them into her lair.

A Word

Steve and Michelle had had enough and made an appointment to see Miss Whippet at the school. They waited on a bench outside the opulent office. Once beckoned inside, they talked about the name-calling, Griselina’s cheating and Gideon’s bullying. Miss Whippet looked unsurprised as she peered over her glasses. At first, she attempted to deflect the antics as harmless, but Steve went into lawyer mode and asked about the school’s anti-bullying policy. He discussed the duty of care the school owed their children and offered to discuss the breach of policy with the board of governors and local authority. He mentioned going to the police and Miss Whippet looked at him with saucer eyes. It was a brief meeting, but she did not need the authorities poking into her school. Especially as she was considering purchasing a second safe for her home as the one in her office was full. She promised to look into what was going on.

Family Strength

Life continued much as before and tensions rose following the Nobodys’ return to the Snook. The Woodland Spirit was placed in their hallway and seemed to watch each time one of them left the house. Back at school, Griselina kept on teasing and getting Lucy into trouble with the teachers. And Gideon stepped-up his name-calling and thuggery. In the Snook, Munter spread her lies while Gronk led from the back and directed his family to execute the plan. Their sustained efforts were designed to break the Nobodys. The happiness discovered on holiday in the forest soon evaporated as they tried to cope.

Woodland Spirit

In the distance, there was a small fire and a man sat on a tree trunk. Chinks of light cascaded downwards, revealing his cloth cloak and sandals. As they approached, a twig snapped. The old man turned and beckoned them forward. He had a leathery face and smiled. He had been carving something, but put his piece of wood and whittling tool aside. Steve had a strong déjà vu feeling and held back. Tugging at his hand, Michelle drew Steve toward the fire’s edge. Plumes of smoke rose to a gap in the trees and met the sunlight in a haze.

Bloody Nose

The cottage garden had a wooden gateway to the forest, covered by an overgrown arch of holly, beech saplings and blackberry vines with tiny pink blossom. One sunny afternoon, they decided to walk in the woods and set off, ducking under the foliage into the open forest. Lucy and Jack ran ahead between the trees. Steve and Michelle walked hand-in-hand. Wild mustard flowers grew in clumps on open patches of grass. But the weather soon turned. There was a dampness in the air. They looked upward as big drops of rain fell from darkened clouds.

Holiday

Things were not looking good for the Nobodys. They had to stand up for themselves, but it was no easy task. Pressure was taking its tole. A better way through this troubled time was needed, but they did not know what to do. The family were overdue a break from everything, so they rented a cottage in an ancient forest as a sanctuary from the microcosm of the Snook.

Training

One morning, Steve and Jack went to their garage, which was set up as a makeshift gym. There were weights and foam mats on the floor. Standing on the matting, under a stark light bulb, they looked at the boxing gloves and a punchbag hanging from steel chains. It was time. At first, Steve showed Jack a boxing stance and then how to move forwards, backwards and sideways in a fluid motion. Punches and kicks were added and Jack began to put combinations together. They trained several times a week and Jack learned about the importance of distance and timing. Michelle and Lucy often heard Jack pounding the punchbag.

Kickboxing

In order to keep fit, Steve went kickboxing. He had trained in this martial art for years at a dojo in SmogCity. After grading through the junior belts, he upped the training in the intermediate stage. Every time he trained, Steve sparred and learned how to put punches and kicks into combinations against an opponent. But, almost as soon as he entered the senior ranks, there was a problem. The atmosphere in the dojo had been growing hostile and Steve noticed the black belts picking on some of the middle ranking belts. On more than one occasion, students got knocked out in sparring.