𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗼 Shorts

♔ BSK - D x OC - 1

Part Two in the The Follies of Baby-Face Finlayson series.

Bash Street School have been looking for well-behaved children like Cuthbert ever since class IIB arrived, in the hopes that the newcomers would have a positive influence. At first, there were some people who sent their children there sincerely, but quickly changed schools due to the mischievous nature of the nine permanent Bash Street Kids of class IIB. Later on, parents sent their kids there temporarily to encourage reformation, making them realise that their old schools weren't so bad after all - like Wayne, who spent a record year at Bash Street School before transferring back to Beanotown high.

I'm not sure when it started, but a few years ago - three or four years, maybe? - a trend began in the girls at my school. They were being fed the bad-boy image by the media, and since Dennis showed no interest, Billy simply ran away, and Roger started seriously dating someone, the girls turned their attentions elsewhere; where better but Bash Street?

There was a mass exodus from school as soon as the bell rang every day. The boys would go home one way, and the girls went the other - to descend upon Bash Street School like a plague of locusts.

I never got involved, or tagged along, but I heard rumours and titbits as I listened and observed my peers in class.

"Danny's so gorgeous," they would whisper. "Did you see that jawline?"

"You know, Fatty's slimmed down so much since he met that girl! I heard-"

"But did you hear Wilfred's voice! It's so deep!"

And so on and so forth. Apparently, puberty had done them all a favour, and they were practically pop-stars amongst the girls of Beanotown High.

Of course, heartthrobs coexisted with heartbreak. Just last year, a girl was dating Sidney, and it seemed to be going well until she came to school with a black eye because Toots had socked her and told her to tell all the other girls to keep their noses out of Bash Street. Not that it stopped them, though.

I kept all of this information in mind as I bravely stood in front of Bash Street School. What had possessed me, you ask? Good grades, that's what: an unconditional A in maths (my weakest subject) if I stayed on at Bash Street School for a month.

Doesn't sound too hard...

I heard a crash and a cat screeched. Winston the cat launched himself out of the ground floor window, pursued by a paper ball and a rubber.

The cat noticed me and approached carefully, and I leaned down to stroke him. He purred and leaped into my arms for a cuddle. He was soft and warm and exactly the kind of assurance that I needed - at least someone cared enough in this school.

"Oi!" Someone yelled. "What're you doing?"

I startled and Winston jumped out of my arms, allowing me to straighten up. A tall, round faced boy with a ridiculously long tie was holding the window up and looking me up and down.

"If you're here for me you've come to the right place," he drawled, using his free hand to beckon me over.

I shook my head in disgust and continued towards the front doors.

I heard a faint: "Spotty! Just what do you think you're doing?"

"There's a girl at the front door, Teach, I think she wants in!"

"I'll deal with it," a feminine voice said. "OI! YOU! Piss off!"

I went back in view of the window, where a girl with black hair and a blue and black striped jumped was scowling at me. Teacher was peering curiously over one of her shoulders, with Spotty smirking over the other, and Toots looked ready to kill.