the costume hire place.”
“Cool.”
“Do we get to bring stuff home?”
“No. It’s still four months till the play. We’re just going to decide on the general look of it. I thought it would inspire you.”
“Don’t we have to have one of those forms that says our parents consent to heart surgery and amputation before we can go?” Peter asked.
“You all filled in a general consent form at the beginning of the year to cover short unscheduled excursions.”
“Okay. Let’s go.”
They were almost at the gate when Miss Ryan ran up behind them.
“You’re not thinking of taking these students out of the grounds are you, Mr MacDonald?”
“It’s all right, Elise. Just a short excursion.”
Mr MacDonald’s attempt at being charming was unsuccessful.
“But you haven’t recorded it in the journal. There could be insurance problems if it’s not properly documented.”
Everyone was starting to get restless.
“Trust her to screw it up,” Drago muttered.
It was Peter’s turn to be charming. “You should come with us, Miss Ryan. We’re going to choose costumes. We were just about to ask if you’d like to be costume mistress. Weren’t we?”
Velvet nodded and tried to look enthusiastic. “Yes. I told everybody you were interested and they were … thrilled.”
The rest of them looked horrified.
“Oh, I’d love to come with you, but I’m refereeing the girls’ soccer match.”
“That’s a shame,” said Peter. “But don’t worry, Velvet will do a report for you.”
They left Miss Ryan at the gate. She appeared to have forgotten all about school procedures.
They caught a train into the city. Jesus did gymnastics hanging from two straps and no one watched him. Peter stared out of the window, ignoring two girls who were trying to chat him up. Hailie and Roula sang pop songs. Taleb sat next to Velvet, but she couldn’t think of a single thing to say to him. Drago got out at every station and waited till the last second to get back on again. Mei giggled. Mr MacDonald sat in a far corner pretending he wasn’t with them.
Hailie’s bag looked unusually full. Normally she didn’t take any books home from school.
“What’s in your bag, Hailie?”
Hailie dug into her bag and pulled out a pair of ugly yellow platform-soled shoes made of fake patent leather. The heels were worn down, the toes scuffed.
“I’ve got to take these to the mender’s for my mum.” She stuffed them back in her bag. “Don’t let me forget, or she’ll kill me.”
The costume shop was up a flight of stairs above a Chinese herbalist in Little Bourke Street. It was like every kid’s dress-up dream come true. It was big enough to get lost in. There were racks and racks of colourful costumes. Hailie and Roula squealed at every new sequinned, bejewelled ensemble. There were cancan skirts, feather boas and peasant blouses; spacesuits, wizards cloaks and clown costumes. More racks hung from the ceiling, out of reach.
Mr MacDonald wandered around trying to keep track of them all and reassuring the sales assistant that they weren’t going to wreck anything. Velvet discovered a whole rack of medieval gowns and the girls spent three-quarters of an hour deciding which they wanted. Velvet chose a maroon dress with big sleeves that almost reached the ground. Hailie chose one with a low cut, laced bodice. Mei found a gaudy orange gown covered in frills. For Roula they selected a simple black velvet dress suitable for Richard’s grieving mother.
The boys were more interested in alien masks and a suit of plastic armour, until Velvet spotted the doublets on one of the higher racks. The shop assistant hooked them down with a long pole. Drago tried on a green velvet one with gold braid and purple satin inserts. He found a jewelled crown and strode up and down the aisles reciting his lines. They managed to get a schools’ discount, but even at thirty dollars per outfit they’d already gone over budget. They took photos
“Cool.”
“Do we get to bring stuff home?”
“No. It’s still four months till the play. We’re just going to decide on the general look of it. I thought it would inspire you.”
“Don’t we have to have one of those forms that says our parents consent to heart surgery and amputation before we can go?” Peter asked.
“You all filled in a general consent form at the beginning of the year to cover short unscheduled excursions.”
“Okay. Let’s go.”
They were almost at the gate when Miss Ryan ran up behind them.
“You’re not thinking of taking these students out of the grounds are you, Mr MacDonald?”
“It’s all right, Elise. Just a short excursion.”
Mr MacDonald’s attempt at being charming was unsuccessful.
“But you haven’t recorded it in the journal. There could be insurance problems if it’s not properly documented.”
Everyone was starting to get restless.
“Trust her to screw it up,” Drago muttered.
It was Peter’s turn to be charming. “You should come with us, Miss Ryan. We’re going to choose costumes. We were just about to ask if you’d like to be costume mistress. Weren’t we?”
Velvet nodded and tried to look enthusiastic. “Yes. I told everybody you were interested and they were … thrilled.”
The rest of them looked horrified.
“Oh, I’d love to come with you, but I’m refereeing the girls’ soccer match.”
“That’s a shame,” said Peter. “But don’t worry, Velvet will do a report for you.”
They left Miss Ryan at the gate. She appeared to have forgotten all about school procedures.
They caught a train into the city. Jesus did gymnastics hanging from two straps and no one watched him. Peter stared out of the window, ignoring two girls who were trying to chat him up. Hailie and Roula sang pop songs. Taleb sat next to Velvet, but she couldn’t think of a single thing to say to him. Drago got out at every station and waited till the last second to get back on again. Mei giggled. Mr MacDonald sat in a far corner pretending he wasn’t with them.
Hailie’s bag looked unusually full. Normally she didn’t take any books home from school.
“What’s in your bag, Hailie?”
Hailie dug into her bag and pulled out a pair of ugly yellow platform-soled shoes made of fake patent leather. The heels were worn down, the toes scuffed.
“I’ve got to take these to the mender’s for my mum.” She stuffed them back in her bag. “Don’t let me forget, or she’ll kill me.”
The costume shop was up a flight of stairs above a Chinese herbalist in Little Bourke Street. It was like every kid’s dress-up dream come true. It was big enough to get lost in. There were racks and racks of colourful costumes. Hailie and Roula squealed at every new sequinned, bejewelled ensemble. There were cancan skirts, feather boas and peasant blouses; spacesuits, wizards cloaks and clown costumes. More racks hung from the ceiling, out of reach.
Mr MacDonald wandered around trying to keep track of them all and reassuring the sales assistant that they weren’t going to wreck anything. Velvet discovered a whole rack of medieval gowns and the girls spent three-quarters of an hour deciding which they wanted. Velvet chose a maroon dress with big sleeves that almost reached the ground. Hailie chose one with a low cut, laced bodice. Mei found a gaudy orange gown covered in frills. For Roula they selected a simple black velvet dress suitable for Richard’s grieving mother.
The boys were more interested in alien masks and a suit of plastic armour, until Velvet spotted the doublets on one of the higher racks. The shop assistant hooked them down with a long pole. Drago tried on a green velvet one with gold braid and purple satin inserts. He found a jewelled crown and strode up and down the aisles reciting his lines. They managed to get a schools’ discount, but even at thirty dollars per outfit they’d already gone over budget. They took photos
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