“Mum’s gonna go bonkers when I get home… even if my clothes are clean and dry, it’ll still be too late to claim I went to the art club or chess club or something.”
“Yeah I was thinking that.” Andrew replied. He checked the time and it’s a quarter to three. The school bell will be ringing in about fifteen minutes and he should be home not long after that. But a rough estimate of at least an hour before their clothes will be washed and dry enough to wear means he’ll have some explaining to do. When Mrs Arkwright returns, Andrew asks if she’s sure that her niece doesn’t have any boyish clothes they could wear instead of their dresses. Mrs Arkwright replies, telling them that she hasn’t, and adding that they should be getting used to their dresses by now. “That’s what I’m afraid of.” Andrew grumbled.
“Have you finished with those plates?” she asked. The boys handed them to her and she suggested they stand to sweep any crumbs from their frocks onto the floor. “It’s easier to Hoover the carpet than it is to launder and iron a dress.” she says as she gathers the plates and picks up the tray. The boys stand and sheepishly sweep their skirts. Mrs Arkwright hovers with the tray in hand and reminds them to sit how she’d shown them, sweeping their skirts beneath them first. “Good boys.” she smiled.
“Have you ever worn a dress before?” Andrew asked.
“No!” William retorted. “Why?”
“Just wondered.” Andrew replied, before admitting that his big sister used to dress him in girl’s clothes when she had to stay in and babysit.
“Why?” William asked.
“Well… because Mum and Dad had gone out and I couldn’t stay on my own.”
“No I mean… why did your big sister dress you as a girl?”
“Oh… I dunno. She always did though… and she always told me not to tell anyone.” Andrew replied. “…not that I ever would.”
“Until now.”
“Well… I trust you won’t tell anyone.”
“Did you like it?” William asked.
“No!” Andrew retorted. “But I did sort of get used to it.”
“What are you boys talking about?” Mrs Arkwright asked when she returned.
“Nothing.” Andrew replied. “Are our clothes still in the wash?”
Mrs Arkwright told them that the automatic washing machine is on its final spin, so it won’t be long. “Oh I wonder who that could be?” she said when the doorbell rang. “Would you mind answering the door William?”
“Er… I can’t.” William gulped. “Not like this.”
“Typical boy… either too shy or too lazy to do the simplest of tasks.” she said, before answering the door herself. William and Andrew looked at one another and gulped. They couldn’t quite hear who was at the door, but knew they were coming in when they heard Mrs Arkwright say “They’re through here.”
The boy’s jaws hit the floor when their form teacher walked in. “Miss Coulton!” they gasped.
“Andrew and William.” she retorted, echoing their tone. “We’ve been wondering where you two got to today.”
The boys gulped and hung their heads. They glared at their knees, poking out from their prissy frocks. “Well they didn’t get very far.” Mrs Arkwright replied. “I’ve been keeping them busy and out of trouble.”
“I can see!” Miss Coulton said. “Have they been any bother?”
“None whatsoever!” Mrs Arkwright chirped.
Eventually, William plucked up the courage to ask “What’s she doing here?”
“Well…” Mrs Arkwright began. “When you two were in the bath, I rang your school and spoke to your form teacher and explained that I’d found two truants. Miss Coulton kindly gave me your parents phone numbers, and they’re on their way.”
“But…!” Andrew gulped. The name of the school is emblazoned on their blazers and their full names are written in their name tags… so it wouldn’t have taken much detective work to find out who to speak to. “You lied to us!” he said.
“Sometimes a white lie is necessary.” Mrs Arkwright replied. “Especially when it’s for the greater good.” she said. “The truth is… I don’t have a niece. Those dresses you’re wearing are for boys like you two… boys in need of guidance and correction. Boys for whom regular forms of discipline don’t seem to work.”
“You tricked us!”
