Chapter Four Runner Up - Caroline Moratti

Chapter Four

by Caroline Moratti (Balmacewen Intermediate School, Year 7, Dunedin)

"Great." Muttered Remy under his breath.

School. He'd completely forgotten! What could he do?? His first lesson was about to start in five minutes, and he'd missed the bus!

Oh. And then Remy remembered.

He had two giant, space alien GORILLAS in his bedroom.

So far the day wasn't going that great.

"Okay, ummm...can you guys get out of the house for the rest of the day, or something? You could grab yourselves a bite to eat at a restraunt, and search for that...ahhh...ruby, you want." Remy said, turning back to face Miranda and Giles. He just hoped they wouldn't be able to find their way back to his house.

"I don't know..." Said Miranda slowly, thinking. " I'd need some clothes or something..".

"No!" Remy lied. " You look perfect! In fact, anymore clothes and you'd look overdressed! Lot's of gorill-I mean humans are nudists!".

Giles looked doubtful. "You're wearing clothes" He noted, stubbornly.

Remy sighed. He did so not want to have a conversation right now, about why wasn't he naked. "Look, I have to go to school, can you just go somewhere for a few hours and lay low?" He asked.

"Great idea, old chap! We'll go with you to school!" Giles declared.

No, no, no, no... Remy thought. This was not happening!

"Remy!" Called his Mum from the next room. "Where are you?"

"Here, Mum, coming! Just a few seconds!" He shouted back, then hurriedly began to collect up his school stuff. "Look." Remy said, turning back to Giles and Miranda. "I've really got to go, but please, please just stay here!".

Remy didn't wait for an answer, but rushed out of the room, to an awaiting Mum downstairs.

"Remy, why aren't you in school?? Look, I'll drive you, but it's the last time!". She looked hassled and Remy quietly followed in-tow behind her to the car.

Mum dropped him off at school to a quite playground; everyone was in class already. Remy hurried across the courtyard and into the school building. He managed to locate his locker and rushed off to class.

"Sorry, Mr Harrison" Remy muttered, red faced as he slid into his seat.

"So, class, as I was saying before we were rudely interrupted, today is our class field trip to the Museum of Natural History,as you all know. Please gather your bags and line up quietly. Remember, you are representing the school, so on your best behaviour." Mr Harrison stated.

Remy lined up next to Lewis. "Where were you?" Lewis hissed. "I'll explain later." Remy replied.

But as they left the classroom, Remy saw a tuft of black fur out of the corner of his eye. The thought put shivers up his spine, but he put it out of his mind.

The Museum Of Natural History was nothing like the one Remy had saw in Auckland last year, but there was some interesting pictures of the New Zealand Gold Rush, and Remy liked looking at the all the cool history of his country.

But in the middle of the Museum, was something that made Remy's jaw drop.

A very impressive, two-foot-tall, giant ruby.

"Wow." Remy breathed, awestruck by the jewel. The a thought started to whirl in his mind. Could this be the ruby Giles and Miranda were looking for? If so, he had to get it-somehow.

His puny hands reached out towards the glowing red, but then suddenly a voice barked from behind-
"Don't touch that!".

Remy whipped around, guilt written all over his face. A mean-looking security guard was towering over him, sneering.

"It's not for little no-good punks like you to wipe their filthy hands all over it! Clear off!" The guard remarked, pushing Remy off into another room.

The trip seemed like it had ended now, so Remy followed his class back into the school bus, but he was calculating. What if he could sneak into the museum at night?

Then he might just have a plan.