Locked In by Z. Fraillon

1
    Jasper McPhee stared at the school principal’s car. He smiled. He had done a good job. ‘One last finishing touch,’ he said to himself as he shoved a banana skin in the car’s tailpipe. ‘Perfect.’
    Jasper wished he had brought his phone. It would have been great to take a picture.
    He’d found some seriously gross stuff. The car was stuffed full of half-eaten sandwiches, rotting orange peel, old nappies and other bits of rubbish. Fat, maggoty flies thudded against the windows. It had taken a long time, and about twenty bags of rubbish, but finally he had finished.
    Jasper wiped his hands on his jeans and turned around.
    The smile froze on his face. Oops, he thought.
    His principal was standing there. His face was the darkest shade of red Jasper had ever seen it – and he had seen it get pretty red before.
    He deserves it for being such a snob, thought Jasper.
    Jasper was used to kids giving him a hard time about his mum’s job, but there was no way he was going to let the principal get away with it. As far as Jasper was concerned, his mum being a garbo was pretty cool. She got to drive a truck and be home in time to take his little sisters to school. Before she got the job as a rubbish collector, his mum had done shift work and it was left to Jasper to get his sisters to school. Now that they got to see more of her, everyone was happier.
    Looking at the principal’s beetroot-red face, Jasper knew he was a goner. And in the first week back at school! He couldn’t explain his way out of this one. At least he didn’t have anything to lose.
    â€˜Who needs a garbo now, sir? ’ Jasper grinned, and ran for it.

    â€˜The Monstrum House School for Troubled Children,’ said the man from the Department of Education as he handed Jasper’s mum a smart-looking flyer. She looked stunned.
    â€˜It’s his only choice. Three schools in just over a year is not a good record,’ the man said sniffily. He straightened his suit and glanced around the shabby apartment.
    Jasper had heard it all before, but this time it was worse. His mum looked at him, and he realised she’d already made the decision.
    â€˜Mum, it’s a military school,’ Jasper pleaded, ‘ and a boarding school.’
    â€˜Basically,’ the man continued, ignoring Jasper, ‘it is this or nothing. And nothing usually leads to jail, Mrs McPhee. Monstrum House starts back next week, so Jasper will still make it for the start of the school year. Enrolment has now closed, but given the special circumstances, the principal has kindly agreed to accept Jasper.’
    Jasper’s mum sat down. She sighed.
    â€˜As I’m sure you’re aware,’ said the man, ‘the first twelve months are compulsory. After that time, students may be welcomed back into the standard school system, or they may be – er, invited – to stay on at Monstrum House.’
    Jasper went cold as his mum looked at the man from the Department of Education, and sadly nodded her head.

    The gravel crunched under the tyres as Jasper’s mum drove slowly up the driveway.
    â€˜It’ll be great!’ his mum said, but Jasper didn’t believe it for a second. She had a bright smile plastered on her face, but the night before he thought he’d heard her crying.
    Jasper knew he would hate Monstrum House, but here they were anyway. And there was nothing he could do about it.
    As the car turned around the final bend in the driveway, Jasper felt his guts clench into a tight ball. His guts knew. His guts always knew when he was in trouble. They had twisted into knots when older, tougher kids had bullied him and his sisters at his other schools. They had jumped whenever a school principal uttered the word ‘expelled’. And they were telling him something awful now.
    â€˜This is not good,’ Jasper muttered to himself as the Monstrum House mansion came into view.
    â€˜It’s a