BBC Ghosts: Teatime Club

Tree

"H-Hello?"

Mrs Cooper looked up from her desk. "Oh, hi Pat! How're you doing?"

"Um, okay thank you... Just left lesson to go to the loo, but I wanted to talk to you for a second." he anxiously rubbed his hands together behind his back. "I just wanted... to apologize."

His teacher lowered her pen. "Apologize for what?"

"Um, well, the whole fire in the cooking room event yesterday. It's all my fault. I should've been concentrating on looking after the others but I got distracted by my own work."

Mrs Cooper smiled. "Pat. You don't have to apologize on behalf of the others. It wasn't your fault, and the damage was pretty superficial for what it's worth. Everything turned out okay."

"I just..." he bowed his head. "Feel I could've done something more. It was my responsibility. Maybe I'm not cut out for being in a leadership role..."

"Pat!" her eyes went wide. "You're a great leader! I'm know this because you've done a great job with your little club. I'm currently marking one of Kitty's English essays and the improvement she's made since you've been helping her out is immense!"

Pat shyly looked at her. "R-Really?"

Mrs Cooper nodded. "Really. You've done some fantastic work with them, Pat. You should be really proud of yourself."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. Try believing in yourself, Pat."

The shorter boy smiled brightly. "Oh! Well, um, thank you. I guess I better be off to lesson then. T-Thanks again, Mrs Cooper."

"You're most welcome, Pat."

The teenager straightened his tie and bowed his head in thanks before padding off down the corridor.

~~~~~

"Julian! Get off of me!"

Pat's face fell. He turned away from his complex mathematical equation on the chalkboard to see Julian attached to Fanny, arms circled around her neck, giving her an unwanted hug.

"Julian..."

"It's called personal space, you cretin!" Fanny screeched. "Do something, Patrick! Get this oaf off of me!"

Pat sighed. "Julian, get off Fanny, please."

Julian released his hold on her and stuck his tongue out at Thomas who was glaring at him from across the room.

Pat turned back to the board. "Now, as I was saying-"

"Where did Robin get to, anyway?" Kitty interrupted. "I haven't seen him since yesterday, when he burnt down the cooking room."

"Well, he didn't burn it down, Kitty, but he did get after school detention. That's why he's not here at the moment."

"Doesn't explain why Mary's not here either..." Humphrey noted, rubbing his chin quizzically.

"Or maybe it does..." Thomas mused, mimicking Humphrey's pose.

"Never mind that guys! Come on, we have to get on with this problem!" Pat enthused, turning back to the equation.

"And we are!" Fanny spoke. "I for one do think they like each other."

"Who?"

"Robin and Mary!"

"Well of course they like each other, Fanny." Cap put in.

"I mean like like."

"...Like twice as much?"

Fanny turned to Cap and found herself giggling at his innocence.

"Just come out and say it! They clearly LOVE each other!" Julian grinned. "Mary and Robin sitting in a tree, doing something they shouldn't be!"

Thomas looked appalled at Julian's words, "How could you ruin such an innocent rhyme like that?"

"Easy. Stop being such a prune, Tom."

"It's prude, you moron, and it's THOMAS!"

"Thomas the prude?" laughed Kitty.

Julian laughed. "Prudey Tom the poet sitting in a tree, perving on Miss Cooper when he shouldn't be!"

"Shut up Julian!" Thomas flounced to his feet. "I do not 'perv' on Mrs Cooper!"

Humphrey sniffed and Fanny gave him a wry look.

"I don't!"

"Sit down, Thomas." Pat ordered.

"Not until this heathen apologizes to me!" the poet seethed.

"I'm sorry you're such a pervert."

"I am not a pervert!"

"Little Tommy pervert, sitting in a tree, perving on Miss Cooper-"

"That's it!" Thomas interrupted him, crossing the room in an instant and tackling Julian, the two falling to the floor in a scuffle.

"Oh not again!" Pat whined, jumping over to the fighting boys. "Guys, please!"

"Stop touching me, you pervert!"

"Stop calling me a pervert!"

"Alright, perv!"

"That too!"

Cap and Humphrey pulled the two fighting teens apart. A frustrated Pat held his hands on his hips as he stared at them both, disappointment glinting in his eyes. "Guys, I'm ashamed of you! Why do you always have to resort to fighting?"

"He shouldn't be such a big OAF!" Thomas accused, wiping a slither of blood away from his lip. "And now he's ruined my face!"

"Like that ruined it." Julian cockily smirked. Cap shoved Julian back into his seat.

Pat exhaled and seeing that the situation was in hand, turned back to his chalkboard. "Okay, shall we try this again?"

"Try what again?" Kitty asked. "Figure out if Robin and Mary are in love? I personally think that they are. I saw Robin kiss her cheek!"

Everyone gasped and turned to her.

"Did you really?" Fanny asked, always one to enjoy gossip.

Kitty paused. "Oh, actually, I think that was Mr and Mrs Cooper."

Her classmates let out a collective sigh.