Amelia Fang and the Barbaric Ball. Laura Ellen Anderson

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      After Abominable Assembly, Amelia waited outside Miss Inspine’s room for Prince Tangine. He was already ten minutes late for class. Maybe he’s lost? she thought.

      Squashy sniffed around inside Amelia’s backpack, looking for something to chew.

      ‘No, no, Squashy, that’s my homework!’ Amelia giggled. ‘I knew you’d get hungry, so I took some of Dad’s breakfast for you . . .’

      Amelia pulled out a fistful of Honeyroasted Maggots, and Squashy gently nibbled them from her hand.

      She was still feeding him and rubbing his pumpkin tummy when a voice echoed down the corridor.

      ‘Aren’t you going to show me to the classroom then?’

      ‘Oh!’ said Amelia, clambering to her feet. Tangine was standing proudly on a Mummy Maid at the end of the corridor. ‘Hello, Prince Tangine!’ She smiled.

      ‘INGRID. Crawl!’ the prince demanded.

      ‘It’s so good to properly meet you,’ said Amelia. ‘Our fathers used to play Eyebowls together every week, y’know. Maybe we could ask them to teach us?’

      Tangine didn’t answer.

      ‘And it’s really cool that you’re coming to the Barbaric Ball!’ she went on. ‘I usually hate going on my own. My mum makes me dance with all the posh old toads!’

      Silence.

      ‘At least I’ll have someone to hang out with this year . . .’

      ‘What’s that?’ Tangine said suddenly, pointing at Squashy.

      ‘Oh, this is Squashy, my pet pumpkin,’ said Amelia.

      Squashy smiled and squeaked three times.

      ‘Pets are silly,’ said Tangine, rolling his eyes.

      Amelia’s cheeks burned. ‘Um,’ she said uncomfortably. ‘Well, shall we go to class then?’

      ‘Don’t they teach you manners in this school?’ said Tangine. ‘I am royalty, you must open the door for me!’

      Amelia felt herself blush again, but at that moment the door suddenly burst open.

      ‘Oh, thank the grave,’ breathed Miss Inspine. ‘I thought you’d lost the prince, Amelia. Chop chop, you’ve made him late for class!’

      ‘But, Miss, I—’ Amelia began.

      ‘Not now, Amelia,’ said the head teacher. ‘Hurry up. There’s a special seat for Tangine next to you.’

CHAPTER 4

       ANGEL-KITTENS OF TERROR

      Amelia and Tangine took their seats while Squashy nestled under the desk.

      ‘Did everyone complete their Creature and Critter Studies homework?’ said Miss Inspine. ‘Your Full Moon test is coming up and this year’s subject is “Creatures of the Light”. Can anyone tell me what they’ve learnt so far?’

      ‘Oooh, me, me, me, pick me!’ Frankie shot her hand up in the air.

      ‘Very well.’ Miss Inspine sighed.

      Frankie stood up and cleared her throat. ‘Well, we all know that the Creatures of the Light are terrifying, mean creatures who do awful things . . .’

      ‘This is a stupid subject,’ muttered Tangine.

      ‘I read a book called The Wrath of the Angel-Kitten,’ continued Frankie, ‘and they act all cute, nuzzle your neck and then . . . scratch your eyeballs out and eat them WHOLE!’

      The class gasped. Tangine was looking down, twiddling his thumbs.

      ‘Thank you for that dramatic account, Frankie,’ said Miss Inspine with another deep sigh.

      ‘And we all know that fairies are capable of MUCH worse.’ Frankie glanced over at Tangine. ‘I’m soooo sorry about your mother—’

      ‘THAT is quite enough, Frankie!’ interrupted Miss Inspine. ‘I told you not to mention the fairy incident!’ she hissed.

      ‘Can’t we learn about something else?’ said Tangine sharply, straightening up in his chair.

      It must be hard for him after what happened to his mother, thought Amelia.

      Amelia and her friends loved reading stories about the Creatures of the Light: the gruesome glittery unicorns (Nocturnians were TERRIFIED of glitter), the evil sparkly fairies and the cute and fluffy angel-kittens of terror. It was the stuff of daymares. Everyone knew that while Nocturnians were sleeping and the sun was out, terrifying creatures from the nearby Kingdom of the Light lurked around the Petrified Forest. Nocturnians didn’t dare step outside again until nightfall, if they could help it.

      ‘Florence,’ trilled Miss Inspine, ‘did you do any research on the subject?’

      ‘MATTER OF FACT I СКАЧАТЬ