Highcliffe Academy

Chapter 4

I gulped as I stood waiting for my first lesson of Physical Education. I tugged at my skirt, who's idea was it to design a skirt and polo shirt for a lesson that involved jumping, running and climbing. A few girls seemed disappointed we wern't in black turtle necks but I think they were forgetting that if we go around dressed like your average movie spy, then some terrorist organisation could blow up the next generation of spies easy peasy lemon squezy.

"Right, today we are testing your stamina and endurance." The teacher said. She was short and had blond hair and a scar on her left cheek. I did not like the sound of this lesson, I was always more of a 'read it out a textbook' kind of person, and I never enjoyed PE, always last to picked for any of the teams.

"Right, first we do a lap of the school grounds to warm up..." She scowled as the whole class groaned "Believe me, if you pick field work, you'll face worse then a lap of the grounds. And then I have a little obstacle course planned. First person back get's a cookie. Now, Go!" I started jogging along with the rest of the girls, there were a few wandering along at the back talking about the grossness of the uniform and how dumb it was that there were no boys. Then there were those sort of jogging along in the middle trying to keep at the same pace, and then those right at the front showing off. I wasn't surprised to see Jess was one of them, talking to a few other girls. How Jess got into Highcliffe I have no idea, she didn't seem to take anything seriously, almost falling in the long jump pit as she tried to run backwards. I could see Alice panting along at the back, she also didn't seem that into sports.

It took 2 hours for the last person to complete the lap, I was glad it wasn't me. Jess had completed first and was disappointed in her lack of cookie but otherwise couldn't wait to tell everyone just how great she was. Nice to know that modesty was just another one of her fantastic traits. I was just leaning over, out of breath and with an awful stitch then I saw the obstacle course. My mouth gaped at the sight of it. This course did not belong in a school, it belonged in hell! It had a net we needed to climb under, a wall to climb, a rope swing over a big pit of mud and then another wall, this time with no helpful rock handles. Just behind that I could see a tunnel that went UNDER GROUND, if there was one thing I didn't do, it was underground. I hated the tight cramped spaces and the dark and the fear of it collapsing on me.

"Right, I'll send you out in groups of 3. You have to go under the net, climb the wall, swing over the mud or have to wash your lovely new sports kit, as a team work together to get other the next wall. At the end of the half term you'll need to do that by yourself, but as it's your first day we'll let you off." She said with a smile "And finally navigate your way through the maze. If your going to be a spy you'll need to get used to the dark and small spaces so those of you who are uncomfortable with that, tough. The sooner you make your way through, the sooner you can get out and get changed. Right are we ready? Into groups then!" There was a mad rush as everyone ran to be with their new friends, all except me. There was a group of 2 but the looks on their faces made it clear they didn't want me in their group. Seemed I was just as much an outcast here as in primary. I do like my own company lot's of the time, but I really hate it when people make it so obvious that they would rather be with anyone except you. That hurts.

"Right, is everyone in groups?" Good let's.." Then she noticed me, chewing my nails at the back and trying hard not to exist.

"You at the back, why arn't you in a group? No one's going to bite you!" She said with a laugh. The two girls by themselves flicked their hair back.

"She can't be with us."  One of them said and she scowled at me

"And why not?"

"She's a social reject, Jess told us. She doesn't talk to anyone and she then acts like she's 'oh so much better' then everyone simply because she sucks up to teachers."