After Mr Carter, Dionna and Ryan had left Oakcroft, nothing happened for a bit. They thought that maybe Mrs Valentine-Fine OBE had decided not to pick up the challenge.

But then a message came through to the school by email.

This was it:

To: HeadTeacher@BracketWoodSchool.com

From: MrsValentineFineOBE@Oakcroft.edu

Dear Mr Carter,

It was very kind of you to come to my office yesterday and challenge our school to a debate. We have considered it and our answer is yes. Our only stipulation is that the motion should be:

This House Believes that Bracket Wood School is Rubbish.

Our school will be proposing the motion and you will be opposing it. I hope this is suitable for your purposes.

Yours truly,

Mrs Valentine-Fine OBE

After he read this, Mr Carter thought about writing back a very rude message indeed. (It occurred to him that since he was now, as far as most people knew, a grown-up, he could use some very grown-up swear words without anyone telling him off.) However, he talked it over with Dionna, who said, “Yeah, you’re right, they’re just taking the mickey – even more reason to wipe the floor with them!”

So, with her looking over his shoulder, he wrote back, saying:

To: MrsValentineFineOBE@Oakcroft.edu

From: HeadTeacher@BracketWoodSchool.com

Dear Mrs Valentine-Fine OBE,

Thanks for your email. Yeah. OK. That motion is fine. More than fine. Brilliant.

Yours sincerely,

Mr Carter

PS  BUM­BUM­BUM­BUM­BUM­BUM­BUM­BUM­BUM­BUM­BUM­BUM­BUM­BUM­BUM­BUM­BUM­BUM­BUM­BUM­BUM­BUM­BUM­BUM­BUM­BUM­.

PPS Sorry, I think my computer has been hacked.

By your mum.

Dionna did think about saying to him Might be better if you cut the PS and the PPS, but then thought, Naaah.

They laughed a lot, and carried on laughing right up until they realised that they would have to stage some auditions to find a second member of the Debating Team apart from Dionna.