I wriggle in the handcuffs desperately. "Does anyone know how to get these off?!" Leah asks. "They're ruining my nails!" "I took an advanced class in picking locks during the holidays." Jayce says brightly. "Do you think opening handcuffs is like that?" "Maybe - if they were a lock!" I say desperately. "Wait, maybe you're right. It feels like a key would go in here..." "Can you get them off, Jayce?!" Leah whines pitifully. "Plleeeassee!" After a few moments, he falls back against his chair. "it's no use. It won't budge." "Please, allow me..." Jayce expertly struggles for a second, leaning back and fiddling with his handcuffs. In about 20 seconds we hear a click, and his clatter to the floor. We all stare at him while he stands up. "Now to find who is responsible for this... and I'll need some helpers."                                                                

*---The Next Generation---*

 This is what I really hate about new school years - the fact that everybody I know always moves away. This year feels like I'm starting again with nobody I know. My 2 best friends were sent to another school. I wave half-heartedly to my parents as they drop me off, dumping 2 massive bags at my feet.

"BYE!" I shout above the noisy racket, waving frantically. 

"Have fun!" They wave through the window, speeding off in a cloud of dust. I sigh, picking up the bags and taking them through to the deputy principal.

"Ah! Amber Thorn. Welcome to St. Hope's boarding school." A man says. He looks flustered as he pushes his hair back. "I'll get one of our previous students to show you around. AH!" He spots one and motions him in. "Amber, meet Jayce. He's been with us for a year now."

"Hey." I put my hand out to shake his, but he ignores it and picks up the two bags.

"I'll show you to the girl's dorms."

***

"So..." I hurry to keep up with his quick steps. "What's it like here?"

"Fine. So long as you remember to mind your p's and q's around the other students. You can get away with murder with Flatley."

"Thanks, I'll remember that." I say drly as we head past the kitchen. "Good food here?"

"You're worried about the food?" He laughs softly, brushing past another student. "Let's just say if you're used to eating gourmet meals you won't be adjusting easily to your new diet."

"Gym. Auditorium, tennis courts are outside, and all the classrooms line the walls over here. Boys are up the hall, girls turn left here."

He says this all in one breath, demonstrating with a wave of the suitcase, then parks them in front of the door. "There. Cheerio."

"Hang on!" I grab him as he starts to walk off. "Can I unpack now? Do we have free time first? When's first class?! Do I have a schedule? Where do we go to change and... where's everybody else?"

"Yes to the first, no to the second, first class is when the bell sounds in about an hour - your schedule's on the door and your bathrooms are near the dorm. And everybody's in there."

***

I push open the door hesitantly, there's a babble of chatter that greets me. I steel myself, and go in. Creeping along the dorm past crowds of girls, I find mine and push open the stall. I'm startled to see a girl sitting on my bed, polishing her nails.

"Excuse me?" I smile hesitantly. "I think this is my rom?"

"Mm." She makes some sort of noise and doesn't move.

"I mean... it says right here on my register - ..."

"Whatever." She interrupts, throwing down her nail file. "Don't think you won't have half the school by it, though. Everyone wants the bed by the window."

"Oh." I smile. "Well maybe if we were to swap? I mean I don't really need..."

"You're new, then?" The girl asks, and I detect a hint of sneering in her voice.

"Um, yes." I say.

" What's your name?"

"Amber Thorn. And... yours?"

"Hm." She gives a flick of her auburn hair and disappears out of my stall. "Completely not my type." I over-hear her say loudly to her group of friends. Sighing again, I start unpacking.

***

"We were - that is, I am sorry to be throwing this on you so soon, especially those of you who are new, but head teacher Mrs. Dean put together the schedule for this year and she..."

"I believe," Mrs. Dean interrupts Flatley. "That education is most important. I wanted to get this little non educational activity out of the way. In the holidays, we had a man come up to us and practically beg us to let him run a little 'activity.' I hope it won't take too long so we can go and have tea and be briefed about our new year at St. Hope's. Here he is, Mr. Tom Williams." We all clap as a man comes to the stage, shuffling papers.

"Thank you, thank you children. I was hoping to have my speech prepared, but these papers seem to not be in order."

Mrs. Dean purses her lips as he continues. "However, I don't really need them after all. Follow me to the gym, everybody! I plan to hold a little competition. The winners will receive prizes of course. I was hoping that these series of challenges might invigorate and ready you for the new school year. Please follow me!"

We all get up and follow him to the school gym, which has been decked out with everything imaginable. "The first challenge is one of endurance. As you can see, I've set up high beams. The person that can hang off them the longest will win. Take your places!"

"What kind of a stupid competition is this?" Snobby girl I met earlier asks. "Sir," she goes over to him. "I have a doctor's note. I can't hang upside down for more than an hour."

"Shouldn't be a problem, darling, you only need a few people to drop out before you." He flashes her a smile.

***

We go through round after round of weird and wacky contests, each as awful as the first. After hanging upside down off the bar, we're asked to run around the school, complete complicated maths equasions under pressure and then we have to dress up in our best camoflourge and disguise. Big surprise, snobby wins that competition. I have to hand out cred it though, where it's due, and she did a pretty awesome job of making herself look like a tree, and for her disguise, she even made her voice different. Impressive.