(This is a quote I have borrowed from Byron, which is one of the Best Bits in English.)
So we’ve come to the part where Cindy and her sidekicks gave me the ‘Special Present’ at breakfast. And I was confused about what to do, as they seemed to expect me to open it at once, with everybody looking, but I felt embarrassed, and besides I wanted to save it till later when there wasn’t so much to be happy about.
I did feel happy that Saturday breakfast. It was just because they’d taken trouble. Someone had really thought about me, though Mum had vanished across the Atlantic and Dad was working at the North Pole (this isn’t a joke, he’s a climate scientist, quite famous actually, Edward Kaye).
You could see from the envelope that they’d taken trouble with my name, written in beautiful lettering, probably by Cindy, who is artistic, though the art teacher hasn’t noticed it. So I thought that what was inside could only get better, and I always save the best till last.
So I just got up and said ‘Thanks a lot, I’ll open it after morning lessons,’ and they looked disappointed, but that seemed normal.
But actually I couldn’t wait. Only Cindy was in my set for English and she stared at me through the whole lesson. I thought it was a look of adoration, and I kept on waving and smiling at her (I am a Dimwit. I AM A DIMWIT! WRITE THAT OUT FIVE THOUSAND TIMES).
But I’m not a Dimwit, remember. They are.
Because when I finally got to my room after lunch, I couldn’t bear to wait till bedtime, and besides I wanted to tell them I liked it, because that would make them happy too.
So I carefully tore the pretty envelope open, without damaging the lettering. I thought I would stick it on my cork-board, which hadn’t got enough things on it yet. Then other people would be curious and I would say ‘Oh my friends did it for me,’ and they would know that I had good friends.
I couldn’t take in what I saw at first.
Mummy, this is a Cliffehanger.