Mary Poppins: Practically Perfect

Chapter Seven: Danger and a Disappearance

Over the next week, I got a taste for all the different lessons I would be having during my time at school and developed a sense of which ones I liked... and which ones I didn't. Personally, along with Grace and Graciousness - in which Ms Besque often praised for my "natural flair in this subject" - I had been enjoying Literature and Linguistics quite a bit. Our teacher, Miss Sisipi, regularly left new books outside my dorm room, much to the distain of Belinda, who fell over them every morning. It helped that the Linguistics Laboratories was on the same floor as the first year dormitories, as Miss Sisipi often spoke to me as she sipped her morning tea!

One subject which I hadn't taken a liking to, however, was Medicines and Masonry. It was tedious work examining stones for their various healing properties and our professor, Dr Flint, didn't like me from Day 1, considering the conversation he overheard, during which I loudly proclaimed that stones had never done much for me! Why do teachers have a funny way of sneaking up behind you in the most awkward moments?

Although we didn't quite see eye-to-eye, overall my first week at the Royal Academy for Practically Perfect Young Ladies was, well, practically perfect! In fact, I was having so much fun, I almost completely forgot about our adventures on the first night. Almost, that is, until the twins, Tilly and Tina, approached Belinda and I at the end of a PHYSICS lesson (Personal Hygiene and Youthful, Social ImpressionistICS). Belinda and I were happily chatting away about the pointlessness of PHYSICS - because really, who needs a thirty minute-long lecture about the "Importance of General Health and Wellbeing in Social Situations" anyway? It's full of useless tips like, "Regular skincare aids rosy cheeks" and "Practicing posture can boost your social status." PHYSICS is all about enhancing who you are, in order to create lasting impressions on others... or so my texbook said!

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw them approach together, arm-in-arm, looking somehow weirdly joined, as if they were one being. Already, my Impressionistics alarm bells were ringing.

"Hey girls," they said in unison.
"Want to hang out with us this lunch?" Tina said, slowly.
"It's sunny outside - let's sit by the stream."
"Seems silly to waste such a spectacular day!" Both girls finished each others sentences in an almost rehearsed manor.

Before I even had a chance to consider the mayhem that could be caused by spending another second with the twins, Belinda had already agreed and was in the process of scraping all of her books carelessly into her rucksack. It was an old-looking bag, though I knew it was new as Belinda had bought it from the school shop just a few days ago, after breaking her first one.
I gathered my books into a neat pile and slid them down into the depths of my carpet bag, before following Belinda and the twins out of the door.

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If I'm being honest, the school grounds are beautiful. When I first came to this place, I was determined not to like anything. But, somehow nature has a way of changing your mind. Almost like the world is a painting; you just want to jump right into it.

So, as the four of us, Tilly, Tina, Belinda and I, found a quiet spot to eat our lunches, I pulled out my books from the Art Appreciation lesson we'd had before PHYSICS and doodled what I could see. I must say, art is not exactly my forte, so the finished result was not quite as practically perfect as I'd intended. But, the observation of the world for that one moment soothed me. It's like Mrs Bristle had said, "It is not how one aspires, in art. But how one inspires, desires and ultimately admires art." That's one motto I was sure I could stick by!

"So, Mary," Tina said from behind me... at least, I think it was Tina - I could never be entirely sure. "We were just talking, Belinda, Tilly and I."

Assumption correct.

"Thinking about that first night."

Uh, oh. I thought. This can only end badly.

"Well, the three of us are so curious about those two people. The ones who locked us in the Old Library. Wouldn't you like to know more? Isn't there a little bit of... suspiciousness inside you that wants to discover the secret?" Tina sneered.

I was about to answer with a complete and utter "NO", but Tilly jumped in, before I could even wrinkle my nose.

"Come on, Mary. Don't be so stubborn."

***********************************

Damnit. I said to myself. Why did I agree to this? I let my own pride get in the way of common sense and look where it's landed me! Back on sub-level two!

"Hurry up, Mary!" called Belinda, who was a least ten stairs in front of me, in our descent to the Old Library.

Reluctantly, I ran to the base of the stairs, carelessly knocking into Belinda, who had stopped dead in front of the door. The open door. The four of us froze, making no sound and all of us just staring at the open archway where a heavy stone statue used to be.

After what could have been minutes of silence, Tilly raised a finger to her lips and began to walk inside the library. Immediately, I grabbed her arm and whispered anxiously, "Are you out of your mind? There could be teachers in there!"

"Yeah, teachers who want to steal the treasure." Tina stepped forward, her green eyes aglow with deviousness.

"Or robbers!" Belinda whispered excitedly, stepping through the archway herself.

Stepping into the room, I sighed. "If we get caught we could be expelled! And I'll be blaming y-"

CRASH!

The four of us whipped around to see the stone statue slide into place, and just in front of it, a tall, angry-looking old man, with a broom in his right hand. He stared at us, aghast, waving his broom angrily at us but not saying a word.

"RUN!!" One of the twins yelled and I didn't need telling twice. The four of us sprinted as fast as we could towards the secret passage, the man's voice echoing after us, forceful and stern like his appearance:

"Students in the sub-levels! I'll be reporting you - each and every one of you. Stop!"

But not one of us was stopping for a second. We ran through the aisles, knocking over stacks of books, piled high to the ceilings, which came thundering down behind us. But we never once stopped, not until we reached the old, wooden door at the end of the passageway.

Out of breath, I looked around as the twins fumbled with the lock.

Oh no.

"Where's Belinda?"

The twins stopped dead in their tracks as we realised we'd become a party of three. A sinking feeling of dread and fear gurgled in my stomach as I pictured her captured by the crazy old man with the broomstick.

But suddenly, we heard the stern man's voice call again. "I'll find you! Pesky first-years, the lot of you. Come out, come out!"

So the old man hadn't found Belinda. That was a relief. But then, if not with him... where had Belinda gone?