Inside the Worm by Robert Swindells Page B

worm rushes you, raise your sword as if you’re going to slash at its neck. Gary.’ The worm paused, seeming to glare at the director with its mad eyes. ‘You shoot out your arms to grab her like you did with Joanne, but as soon as your hand brushes the dress you back off, looking submissive. Can you do that?’ The worm made no reply, but turnedand loped off towards the banking. When it was out of sight, Sarah-Jane nodded to the narrator, who began to speak. Fliss swallowed hard and set off for the middle of the field.
    â€˜â€œâ€”armed only with a short sword and her faith, stood directly in its path.” ’ Andrew stopped speaking. The worm topped the rise to the cheers of the spectators and came trotting towards Fliss, its great head swaying from side to side. Fliss swallowed again, gripped her sword tightly and lifted it above her head.
    That’s when it all went wrong. Gary’s arms appeared, but he didn’t brush the dress. Instead, he grabbed her on the run and turned, and Fliss found herself being carried swiftly back the way the worm had come. She kicked and shouted and laid about her with the sword but it was no use. Gary’s hold was like the hug of a bear. Ignoring Sarah-Jane’s cries, he carried Fliss to the top of the slope, hissed, ‘Tattletale!’ through the eye-holes and flung her down. Helpless, she half rolled, half skidded down the banking and into the moat. The crowd, believing this to be part of the show, cheered themselves hoarse as she lay winded, feeling the spread of clammy wetness which would turn the white dress brown.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
    THE SHOW HAD to go on, and the Vikings were making their first raid as Fliss picked herself up and ran sobbing to the girls’ changing-room. She pulled off the sodden dress and held it up. It was so obviously ruined that she flung it to the floor and flopped down on a bench, weeping. Her first thought was, Right – that’s it. I’m out. As soon as I get cleaned up, I’m off to Hepworth to tell him I’m not doing it. She stripped for the shower, and as she stood under the warm torrent it occurred to her that Gary and the others might actually be trying to get rid of her. They want me to quit, she told herself. That’s why Gary does rotten things to me while Lisa and the others ignore me. They want me out and Samantha in.
    She didn’t know how she knew this but it felt right, and it brought about a change of mind – a fierce determination. No, she thought, turning off the shower and rubbing herself with a scratchy towel, they’re not going to force me out if that’s their little game, because I won’t go. I’ll hang on. I won’t even mention this rotten trick to Mr Hepworth or Mrs Evans. I won’t tell Mum either. I’ll say it was an accident. I slipped and fell down the banking. Mum’ll know a way to save my dress. Next rehearsal, Gary Bazzard and his friends are going to find me there as if nothing’s happened. And the one after that, and the one after that – right up to the great day itself. And if they don’t like it, they can go take a running jump.
    While Fliss was undergoing her change of mind in the shower, Gary, Trot, Lisa and Ellie-May were stowing the dismantled worm in the Year Eight stockroom. Their mood was subdued as they awaited the consequence of their leader’s vicious act. ‘You’re an idiot, Gary,’ said Ellie-May. ‘I bet she’s in with old Hepworth right now, laying it on. We’ll all be out, you see if we’re not.’
    Gary shrugged. ‘She asked for it, and anyway, I couldn’t help it. Something came over me.’
    Lisa shot him a venomous glance. ‘Something came over you? We’re gonna lose the best kickany of us ever had, and all you can say is something came over you?’
    â€˜I don’t think she’ll tell,’ said Trot.
    Gary sneered.