Free Teacher Screecher by Peter Bently Page B

miss—” Bella tried to explain.
    â€œSILENCE!”
    â€œIt wasn’t her fault, miss,” said Billy.
    â€œSILENCE!” cried Miss Fitt. “I can see you’re a pair of regular troublemakers. You will both stay after school and write out ‘The square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides’ two hundred times! Mrs. Garlick will inform your parents of your misbehavior!”
    Bella and Billy looked aghast.
    â€œBut, miss, it was an accident!” cried Lee.
    â€œSILENCE!” shrieked Miss Fitt. “Since you’re so fond of your delinquent friends, you can join them in detention!”
    Lee, Billy, and Bella came out of detention an hour after school had ended.

    â€œOh brother,” said Bella. “It’s starting to rain.”
    â€œAnd we missed Ollie,” grumbled Lee.
    â€œNo, we didn’t,” cried Billy suddenly. “There he is!”
    Ollie was just walking past the school. It wasn’t a full moon that night, so he looked just like an ordinary boy, apart from his hairy hands.
    â€œOf course,” said Lee. “I forgot he had casketball practice tonight.” Casketball was a game a bit like basketball.

    â€œHey Ollie!” called Lee.
    Ollie came over.
    â€œHi Lee!” he said. “Hi Billy and Bella! What are you doing at school so late?”
    â€œDetention,” explained Bella. “Miss Gargoyle’s off with bat flu. Until she comes back, we’ve got a horrible new teacher.”
    â€œWe were going to ask you about her,” said Lee. “Her name’s Miss Fitt.”
    â€œWhat?” said Ollie. “Miss Fitt gave you detention? As in Miss Fitt of Styne and Company?”
    â€œThat’s her,” said Lee.
    â€œWow!” said Ollie, amazed. “We had Miss Fitt for a month when our teacher broke his hind leg. She was brilliant. She gave us tons of sweets and never got angry!”

    This time it was Lee, Bella, and Billy who gasped in amazement.
    â€œBut do you know the best thing about her?” Ollie went on. “We did hardly any math. She said it was boring! How cool is that?” He glanced at his watch. “Yikes! I’ll be late for dinner. See you!”

    As Ollie hurried off, the three vampires just stood there and gawked. Suddenly, the main school doors opened, and out popped the gloomy, greenish face of Mr. Gore.
    He looked at the sky and stuck a grubby hand into the rain, which was falling more heavily now.

    â€œIt is startink!” he muttered to himself. “Good! Hrurgh! Hrurgh!” Then he spotted Lee, Bella, and Billy. “Hey! Vot are you doing, you nosy vampire kids? School is closed! Clear off!”

    Mr. Gore slammed the door, and the three vampires heard the loud sliding of bolts and the rattling of keys in the lock.
    â€œCome on,” said Lee. “I’ve had enough of school for one night.”
    â€œMe too,” said Bella. With a POP! POP! POP! they all turned into bats.
    They were about to head for home when they heard a horribly familiar noise. It was coming from somewhere behind the school doors:

    STOMP! STOMP!
    STOMP! STOMP!
    â€œYikes, it’s her!” squeaked Billy. “I’m off!”
    â€œHang on,” said Lee. “Didn’t old Gore just lock up?”
    â€œYes,” said Billy. “Why?”
    â€œThink about it,” said Lee. “If the school is locked for the night, why is Miss Fitt still in the building?”

Chapter 5
    The Attic

    Lee, Billy, and Bella flew up to the school doors and listened.
    â€œIt sounds like she’s going upstairs,” said Lee. “Come on!”
    They reached the first floor windows just as Miss Fitt lumbered onto the landing. But she didn’t stop there. Trailed by the three vampire bats, she climbed the stairs all the way to the top floor. There were no classrooms on this floor, only storerooms. It was a part of