Darius Bell and the Crystal Bees Read Online Free PDF Page A

yours. I want to see you back here on Monday with costumes for everyone. You’ve got the weekend to find them. That’s the deal, Darius. You bring the costumes, and this school wins the Mayor’s Prize.’ She paused. ‘You will do what I say. Disobedience is not an option.’ Mrs Lightman looked around to make sure everyone had heard the last couple of sentences, which were her catchphrase. Then she threw a last glance at Darius. ‘Monday,’ she said. ‘Make it worth our while having a Bell here, for once.’ And she walked out.
    The two teachers at the sewing machines got up.
    â€˜Out!’ one of them said. ‘And take your clothes with you! I don’t want anything left behind.’
    The kids picked up their clothes, stuffed them in their bags and filed out.
    Some of them were waiting when Darius emerged, the ones who were the type to get excited about school competitions. They quickly surrounded him.
    â€˜You’d better get us some costumes, Darius,’ said a whiny boy called Stephen Pintel. ‘We all heard what Mrs Lightman said. If we don’t win this, it’ll be your fault.’
    â€˜It’s got nothing to do with me,’ said Darius.
    â€˜It’ll be your fault!’ said a girl called Evelina Williams, and the others around them repeated it or something similar.
    â€˜I never said I was going to bring costumes for everyone.’
    â€˜Mrs Lightman said you were!’
    â€˜She never asked me.’
    â€˜Doesn’t matter!’
    â€˜Leave him alone!’ said Oliver Roberts, pushing through the ring of kids to stand with Darius.
    â€˜Yeah!’ said Paul Klasky from further away.
    â€˜It’ll be his fault, Oliver,’ whined Stephen Pintel. ‘You’d better bring those clothes next week, Darius.’
    â€˜Yeah, and you’d better start looking for your own,’ retorted Darius, and he pushed his way out.
    He walked quickly away. Oliver and Paul went with him.
    They walked down a couple of streets to the corner where they normally separated. Bell House was to the right, and Oliver and Paul went left to go home.
    â€˜What are you going to do?’ asked Oliver.
    â€˜I don’t care about the Mayor’s Prize,’ muttered Darius. ‘The mayor hates my family. Why would I want his prize?’
    â€˜Maybe it would be nice to show him,’ said Paul.
    â€˜Show him what?’
    â€˜I don’t know. You know what they say – don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.’
    â€˜I don’t want anything from the mayor,’ said Darius, ‘including his stupid prize. Besides, he’d never let us win. As soon as he sees I’m part of the class, that’s it. There’s no way we’ll win.’
    â€˜Does he really hate you that much?’ asked Oliver.
    â€˜He hates all the Bells.’
    â€˜Do you think Mrs Lightman knows?’
    Darius shook his head.
    â€˜You know what they say,’ said Paul. ‘What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.’
    â€˜Actually, Paul,’ said Oliver, ‘I think in this case it’s the opposite.’
    Paul frowned. ‘Really? Well, it’s the exception that proves the rule.’
    â€˜You always say that when you get your sayings wrong.’
    â€˜Exactly!’ said Paul brightly. ‘You know what they say – to thyself be true.’
    Oliver groaned. Other kids from school walked past, throwing glances at them. Oliver waited until they had gone, then turned to Darius again. ‘Do you think you could actually find clothes for everyone if you wanted to?’
    Darius shrugged. The only ancient clothes he knew about in Bell House were a scarlet cape and a couple of other items that for some reason had been in the drawer of an old chest in the green drawing room for as long as he could remember. But there were cupboards in the House he had never opened and there were probably rooms within