𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝

- 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗻𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲 -

The escape of the Brazilian boa constrictor earned Lucia her longest ever punishment. By the time she was allowed out of her cupboard again, the summer holidays had started and Ryan had already broken his new cine camera, crashed his remote control aeroplane, and first time on his racing bike, knocked down old Mrs Figg as she crossed Magnolia Crescent on her crutches.

Lucia was glad school was over, but there was no escaping Ryan's gang, who visited the house every single day. Piers, Dennis, Malcolm and Gordon were all big and stupid, but as Ryan was the biggest and stupidest of the lot, he was the leader. The rest of them were all quite happy to join in Ryan's favourite sport: Lucia hunting.

This was why Lucia spent as much time as possible out of the house, wandering around and thinking about the end of the holidays, where she could see a tiny ray of hope. When September came she would be going off to secondary school and, for the first time in her life, she wouldn't be with Ryan. Ryan had a place at Uncle Jack's old school, Smeltings. Piers Polkiss was going there, too. Lucia, on the other hand, was going to Stonewall High, the local comprehensive. Ryan thought this was very funny.

"They stuff people's heads down the toilet first day at Stonewall", he told Lucia. "Want to come upstairs and practise?".

"No, thanks", said Lucia. "The poor toilet's never had anything as horrible as your head down it — it might be sick". Then she ran, before Ryan could work out what she'd said.

One day in July, Aunt Emily took Ryan to London to buy his Smeltings uniform, leaving Lucia at Mrs Figg's. Mrs Figg wasn't as bad as usual. It turned out she'd broken her leg tripping over one of her cats and she didn't seem quite as fond of them as before. She left Lucia watch television and gave her a bit of cake that tasted as though she'd had it for several years.

That evening, Ryan paraded around the living room for the family in his brand new uniform. Smeltings boys wore maroon tailcoats, orange knickerbockers and flat straw hats called boaters. They also carried knobbly sticks, used for hitting each other while the teachers weren't looking. This was supposed to be good training for later life.

As he looked at Ryan in his new knickerbockers, Uncle Jack said gruffly that it was the proudest moment of his life. Aunt Emily burst into tears and she couldn't believe it was her Ickle RyRy, he looked so handsome and grown up. Lucia didn't trust herself to speak. She thought two of her ribs might already have cracked from trying not to laugh.

There was a horrible smell in the kitchen next morning when Lucia went in for breakfast. It seemed to be coming from a large metal tub in the sink. She went to have a look. The tub was full of what looked like dirty rags swimming in grey water.

"What's this?", she asked Aunt Emily. Her lips tightened as they always did if she dared to ask a question.

"Your new school uniform", she said.

Lucia looked in the bowl again.

"Oh", she said. "I didn't realise it had to be so wet".

"Don't be stupid", snapped Aunt Emily. "I'm dyeing some of Ryan's old things grey for you. It'll look just like everyone else's when I've finished".

Lucia seriously doubted this, but thought it best not to argue. She sat down at the table and tried not to think about how she was going to look on her first day at Stonewall High — like she was wearing bits of old elephant skin, probably.

Ryan and Uncle Jack came in, both with wrinkled noses because of the smell from Lucia's new uniform. Uncle Jack opened his newspaper as usual and Ryan banged his Smeltings stick, which he carried everywhere, on the table. They heard the click of the letter box and flop of letters on the doormat.