Free The Trouble with Polly Brown by Tricia Bennett Page A

slimy balls of flesh-covered matter. Polly could hear the neverendingly slow tick tock of the clock on the wall, something of an unusual occurrence in Mrs. McGillicuddy’s normally chaotic lessons. Then, would you believe it? Just fifteen minutes before the end-of-lesson bell was due to ring, oversensitive Laura Jackson chose rather inconveniently to drop to the floor in a very alarming fainting fit. A shocked Mrs. McGillicuddy wasted no time as she raced over to where Laura lay flat as an ironing board on the classroom floor with Denise Bunter overdramatically slapping her exercise book in the poor girl’s deathly white face in a desperate effort to bring her ’round.
    All the class quickly left their desks and began to crowd ’round in the hope of getting the best view possible. “Cor, she really ’as gone pale! Like the blood’s been sucked right out of ’er,” Druzilla Bostock observed, as along with the other pupils she attempted to inch nearer Laura’s limp body, which still lay stretched out like a corpse on the classroom floor.
    â€œOuch! You’ve just stamped on me little finger,” Denise yelled up at the circle of concerned faces that were eagerly crowding in. “’Ere move back a bit. Give me a breather, for there’s not enough room to swing a cat with you lot hovering over her like she’s a goner,” she continued to shout.
    â€œâ€™Ere, miss, I think seein’ all that disgustin’ fluid squirtin out the eyeballs was just too much for her to cope with, for she’s always been terribly squeamish, I’ll have you know.” Amy Kershaw went on to helpfully inform Mrs. McGillicuddy, “Just five minutes ago she told both me and Denise that she was on the verge of throwing up everywhere. Go on, tell her, Denise. Isn’t that what Laura told us?” She gave Denise an almighty nudge.
    â€œYes, it’s true. That’s exactly what she said,” Denise rather huffily confirmed, looking very annoyed that Amy had gotten in first when she alone wanted to be the chosen one when it came to relaying the full extent of the gory facts.
    â€œSo, miss, shall we call for an ambulance?” Denise excitedly asked.
    â€œAmbulance? I sincerely hope that will not be necessary. After all, she’s only fainted, so you can quickly dispel that thought from your mind, Denise dear,” Mrs. McGillicuddy snorted as she finally managed to force her way through the crowd of overexcited pupils to take a closer look at the poor girl and hopefully take her pulse.
    Denise, who was still wildly flapping her textbook in poor Laura’s ashen face, was clearly in no mood to listen to her teacher. To Polly it seemed she had long made up her mind that this unexpected crisis was going to turn into a very exciting adventure for her. “Well, miss, I can’t get as much as a faint pulse, and her breathing sounds mighty peculiar to me. So, don’t you think she might need her heart shocked back to life with those paddles that doctors use? I’ve seen it done on Emergency Ward 10 . Do you ever watch that program? It comes on straight after Coronation Street , and my mum and I think it’s almost as good as Coronation Street , ’cos it’s very gory, as well as incredibly exciting. So please, miss, please tell me that I can go with her in the ambulance.”
    â€œEnough, Denise! Here, now do as I say, and place these smelling salts directly under her nose. Hopefully this in itself will be enough to revive her,” Mrs. McGillicuddy instructed as she then began taking some deep breaths in a bid to stop herself from shaking like a leaf. Denise reluctantly grabbed the smelling salts from her teacher and began to wave them under her friend’s nose. Much to Denise’s obvious utter disappointment, Laura instantly began to moan, and then this was followed up with a series of loud coughs and splutters.
    Seconds later found