The London Case

Chapter 1 - You Never Really Say Goodbye

May 12th 2012

It was dark, the screen next to me said it was 23:47. I look out at the road in front of me, it was raining, it was the type of rain that doesn't look as if it would wet you at all but after 10 minutes or so your drenched. Mums sat next to me, we were on our way back in to London after visiting some of her friends in Burley, a small town in the new forest. One of the head lights on the car was broken and we couldn't see one part of the road as well at the other and the small, but heavy, shower of rain coated the windshield every few seconds. We were both quiet as it was late, I had no idea how I hadn't fallen asleep yet but I managed to keep my eyes open on the road ahead.
That's when it happened.
We were driving on a back road where there were a few isolated farm houses and canopies of trees. We were alone and it was nice... but it didn't last for much longer after that.

April 28th 2018

"Do it! Do it!"
"Okay! Okay... it's not easy being 4 foot 11." I whispered peering down.
I stood on my tip toes on a chair, reaching up to the roof panels with a lighter in my hand and bottles of permanent ink. It was half way through third period and we had snook out of lesson to pull the biggest, the most amazing, prank this generation would see.
Will was stood holding the chair, he was a tiny lad with curly, light brown hair and freckles. He was the same age as me and one of my friend in our gang.
"I got it!" Came a shout as Biscuit pounced into the room.
"I got the camera."
"Aww! Yes! Your the best." I said crouching down and grabbing the camera from them.
Biscuit was also in our gang, they were also tiny and the same age as me. They had shoulder length, brown hair always tied half up and half down. Biscuit was only a nickname obviously there real name was phoebe but we called them biscuit because they always had a secret stash of Oreo's or bourbons in a basket under there bed.
I flicked on the camera on and placed on the roof panel in front of me and screwed the ink bottles into the pipes.
"Okay! That is all good!" I said jumping down from the chair, "are we ready for this?"
"Hell yeah!" The two of them said.
"Is Natty there?"
"Yeah! Yeah, we're ready!"
I smiled and ran out into the hall with the camera in one hand and a lighter in the other. Natty was down the hall watching the class we were supposed to be sat in.
Natty was a tall girl with unbelievable curly hair and round glasses (similar to mine) she was cool and really kind. Also my best friend since we shared dorm rooms.
I handed the camera to Will and he turned it towards us and started to document one of the best, most genius, brilliantly planed prank ever.
"Yo people! So we are currently running down the corridor of our school, and well..." he pause for a breath, " ah... well... you'll see!"
I smiled when he turned the camera to me and Natty and I continue to leap on to a chair up towards to the sprinklers. I took the lighter and I held it up to the sprinkle and ignited it...
Immediately the fire alarm screeched in my ears, normally this would cause me to freak out (I hate loud noises) but I was way to exited on pulling this prank.
The second our teacher, Mr. B, walked out into the hall, he was greeted with four, twelve year olds all stood smiling at him. There was a small delay between the fire alarm setting off and the sprinkler system being activated but in that split second Mr B could tell we were responsible for it just by the looks on our faces. He didn't even have long enough to confront us before what was supposed to be normal coloured (ink free) water blasted out onto his head and white shirt. White shirt?? Oooo... big mistake pal. The water was actually contaminated with various bottles of strong ink (which, by the way, I'm fairly sure won't wash out any time soon.)
All four of us gave him a kind, proud smile and turned down the corridor making a hasty escape.
"You hooligans!!! You're going to be expelled this time!! I swear to god!!!" He bellowed down the halls.
Obviously we didn't care or even listen in fact, we were far to busy laughing our heads off. Will videoed the whole thing on my camera.

Fast forward a few hours...
We are sat in the hall out side the heads office, each one of us was called in separately. We had said that there isn't a good lie we could use so we just told the truth. I would be easier and get it over with quickly. Finally, it was my turn to fight the beast. Natty came out as I walked in,
"Good luck pal" they whispered.
I took a deep breath and walked in.
As I stepped in, the head (Miss. Gordon) was stood 2 feet taller than me. She was over 6 foot tall and always wore a suit that was way to tight round the waist. She also had thick, slim glasses sat on the tip of her noes that she would often tilt her head and look down at you like an old librarian.
"Sit." She said gesturing to an empty chair next to her desk.
"One word sentences? Oh I am in trouble."
"Don't take that tone with me young lady!"
I straight up and sat down... quietly.
"Ok, lest start of simply shall we? Did you put ink into the sprinkler system?" She said in a calm, steady voice.
"Yes" I said.
"Ok, did you set off the sprinkler system with a light?"
"Yes"
"Elizabeth you are not allowed ligh-"
I pulled it out by pocket and placed it on the desk. She took it and slid in into her draw.
"Thank you-"
"You're welcome"
I smiled sweetly just to annoy her.
"Shh... did you film the event?"
"No"
"That's a lie isn't it miss jones"
"Yes"
I was constantly fighting the urge to burst out laughing.
"Stop smiling!" She shouted.
"Sorry"
I was wheezing, I covered my mouth to hide it though. It didn't work, obviously.
"I really should expel you jones."
I didn't reply.
"But... you are one of the smartest students in the whole academy."
"So you not going to punishing me... because I have good grades?"
"Oh... oh no. You will be punished for your actions! As will Nathanial, Phoebe and William."
"Oh... oh... oki" I said smiling
"Why are you happy about that?"
"Errrrr... no reason!" I gave her another cheery smile.
I felt so relieved I really, really didn't want to go home, I never do. My dad makes life hard, and hard is good sometimes, but not when you have been away all year studying and just want your own bed.
"4 weeks detention,"
"That's fair."
"Mop up all the hallways."
"Understandable."
"Apologies to Mr. Burns,"
"Cool!"
"And... hand in your camera."
"What!!!"
"Yes, you have used it irresponsible and you can not be trusted with it any more."
"No! No... Miss please... I- I need it... f-for my photography classes. Please mam."
"It will remain in my cabinet till further notice and once you have fur filled the tasks assigned to the 4 of you, we shall reconsider it."
I sighed, "what about my classes"
"You may use it in photography class, here is a pass," she handed me a slip of paper. "You may leave you class 5 minutes early before photographing to retrieve you camera and then return it again, after your lesson. Yes?"
"Yeah, okay."
I took the slip and walked out.
"Thank you mam."
"We both know you don't mean that."
I scoffed and stepped out. Natty was sat in the chair in front of me.
"Well?" She asked.
"We are gonna steal some shit."