Hello, and welcome to bedtime stories with me ARA. Okay. Well, last time on the podcast, dad found 136 listening devices hidden in the house, which scared him. So he, he wanted to run away in his home built helicopter, but April Finn and Joe refused to go with him, partly because they thought the whole thing was silly. And partly because they thought the helicopter looked really dangerous. So we are gonna pick up the story there with chapter 17, framed again, here we go. Joe Finn in April paused, before they entered the school gates pumpkin stopped a chew on the sign that said no dogs on the school grounds. Well, today can't be as bad as yesterday said, fin philosophically, of course it can. Knit. Whit said April yesterday was bad, but none of us suffered irreparable brain injuries had our legs bitten off by crocodiles. I'd rather suffer a brain injury than have to face. Daisy. Again said, Joe, is she ugly? Asked Finn worse, said, Joe, incredibly good looking. She's absolutely terrifying. Do you want me to wrestler for you asked April, Joe did consider this for a second. Better not. He decided she might like it. Joe pushed open the gate and headed off towards the senior playground. Finn in April reluctantly made their way to the junior area. As they crossed the playground. There were no words of abuse or searing comments. There were met with eerie silence. All conversations stopped as they pro roached people greed and moved away as if they were diseased. It was only 50 meters to the veranda where they had to drop their bags. But the walk seemed to take forever. What are you looking at? April snapped at a small girl who hadn't moved away quickly enough. The girl didn't respond except a scurry off. It only took two days to be of the most dumb, popular kids in school said, Finn said, April they'll come around. I've got a cute, adorable puppy. At that moment, pumpkin was going to the toilet on someone's backpack. Finn lo this sister in so many ways, but he had to admire her blind stubbornness and determination. Anyway, who wants to be friends with the, these weirdos said April fin. Watch the rest of the kids in the playground. I think by any objective measure, we are the weirdos in this scenario. You are agreed April, but I'm the coolest kid in this school. They're just too dumb to know it. Okay. Said fin. Sometimes it was easier not to argue, especially if you didn't wanna black eye before first period, the bell rang Matilda ran over and swept up her bag. It had been near Finn's feet. You stay away from my Roach. SED, Matilda clutching her bag to her chest. I then do anything argued Finn. Yeah. Right? SED, Matilda. Everyone knows what happened at the cafe. Really? We don't know. And we were there said, April, just stay away, said Matilda, slinging her backpack up onto her shoulder. Hey, why is my bag wet? Good dog. Pumpkin said, April. He sat proudly at her feet while she gave him a pat. Maybe I will kill some cockroaches today. Mut at April, just to show these country kids a thing or two fin grabbed April by the forearm. Don't please. Don't we have to live here. There are no other schools we can get transferred to come in said miss Hickson, their art teacher, April relaxed. She liked art fins suspected. There was some therapeutic value for her like basket weaving it pacified her. We're gonna be doing abstract expressionism today said miss Hickson, happily. Every student had a square meter of canvas and five liters of paint in each of the primary colors plus back and white. But what do you want us to paint us? Fin your emotions said, miss Hickson, an emotion. Isn't a thing said, fin, you can't paint it. I want you to express your feelings said miss Hickson. But what if I don't have feelings said fin or they're so repressed. I dunno what they are. Feelings were not Fin's greatest strength. He could do fear, stress and irritation, but the more subtle gradations in between were beyond in just paint that then said miss Hickson, beginning to get pish. Fin looked around. April was already squirted big doops of paint on her canvas. She had a manic butt uncharacteristically joyful expression on her face. The rest of the class seemed to be getting into the spirit of it too. There were squeals of delight and giggles as paint went everywhere, fins, he didn't care what miss Hickson said. He was not gonna express his emotions. He didn't want to. If he used the paint to make as much mess as possible, he was sure she wouldn't be able to tell the difference. The double lesson passed quickly. The painting only took half an hour, but cleaning up after the painting filled the rest of the time and somehow made the students messier. The sinks were outside the classroom. And if you cram 30 teenagers around a trough full of water, it is almost impossible to avoid a water fight. Especially when there is so much cockroach related tension in the air. It started when someone accidentally T to bucket of dirty water over April then escalated. When she threw a dozen filthy paint brushes back. Unfortunately she missed the person who doused her and got seven innocent bystanders. Then it was on the whole class was grabbing every nearby receptacle and Herling as much water as possible through the air to start with April was the, to of most of it. But as more water went, astray, more side battles were created until everyone was just trying to get everyone else wet enough. Bellowed, miss Hickson, everyone froze. Mid-water fight suddenly conscious of what they had done. They were all drenched and the art equipment was strewed everywhere. Several water jugs that ended up on the roof and paint brushes were caught up in a nearby tree. Pumpkin was now largely blue. There was a dreadful pause as they waited, wondering what miss Hickson was gonna scream at them, but she did something much more shocking. She broke into an enormous smile. Well done everyone. Ms. Hicks and beamed. You've truly embraced the anarch spirit of expressionist art. I'm very proud. The class collectively unquenched there was a sense of dizzy and euphoria. Like you only get when you know you've got away with something you really shouldn't have. Now, if you'll just clean up the mess you've made cleaning up said miss Hickson, you should finish in time for the bell, the class hastily sorted out the mess, actually working well as a team to hoist the smallest member of the class, which happened to be Finn up onto the roof to get down the containers. They knocked the paint brushes outta the tree with some handy, good sized rocks and were soon finished things. Didn't exactly look tidy, but nor could you tell that there'd been a near disaster level mess, 15 minutes earlier. Well done class dismiss said miss Hickson, as the hooah sounded, the class started packing up their bags and chattering amongst themselves. You see said, April defiantly. I told you today was gonna be better. Finn smiled. He had actually enjoyed art. That was practically a miracle. Perhaps April was right. Suddenly there was a blood curling scream, April lept up onto the desk. What is it? A snake. A time bomb. My RO well Matilda, my RO Matilda. I was holding her chocolate box with the lid open. But the look on her face was a thousand times worse than the look of someone who just discovered that the only chocolates left were Turkish delight. What's she going on about asked April? I don't think she had chocolates in that box said Finn. People were gathering around Matilda to look. It was, you accused me till pointing at April. You did this. You said you would do. What? Asked April in exasperation. Matilda turned the box around to show her this April and fin saw Matilda's Roach. It was floating on top of a pool of what looked like bright red blood. How can a cockroach bleed that much asked April? That's not blood said Finn it's paint. You drowned both in paint accused Matilda. I did not cried. April look said Anish pointing at April's painting. She didn't use red paint in her picture. Exactly said Matilda. She couldn't. She was hoarding it all the drown, my poor beha, but I never had a chance. Protested, April the class has been together the whole time. You could have snuck back in while we were having the water fight said, Matilda, no one would've noticed miss Hickson would've noticed argued April. Actually, I wouldn't said miss Hickson while you were outside enjoying yourselves. I was brewing a nice cup of tea. I find I always need a nice cup of tea by the end of year eight art, but I didn't do it. Wild April. You said you were gonna killer. Cockroaches said, Matilda. I heard you right before art, but she didn't mean it said Finn. Yes. I did said April. These kids are really ticking me off. I meant it right, but I didn't do it. I was too busy. I'm telling Mr. Lang said Matilda. Tatta Sneed. April murderer accused Matilda. Wait, cried. Finn. Looking at the cockroach in the box. I just saw Bertha move. Oh, well Matilda. She's dying slowly. My poor poor baby. I'll step on her. If you like to speed things up off at April Matilda lunch for April, which was a mistake. April have been waiting for a chance to use them of her judo move. The two girls wrestled about under the tables, noisy banging into the chairs. Pumpkin joined in yapping and snapping at Matilda's skirt. Trying to get a good grip. The class was loudly cheering Matilda on. So no one noticed at first when Finn scooped up beha with his bare hand. Now Finn's attacking Bertha anus yelled at over the ruckus. No, I'm not said Finn. Hurry towards miss Hickson's desk. I'm trying to save her. It's not too late. Miss Hickson had a single wash basin. Finn turned the tap on to a gentle pressure and held the cockroach underneath the stream of water rinse in the red paint away. Then he turned her over and rinsed her underside. The room fell silent as they walk Finn work, he grabbed a bio, broke off the end with his teeth and pulled out the ink tube. He used the pen's plastic shell as a pipette to flush water over the Roach's delicate antenna until they were entirely clean. Then he took off his ugly school hat, laid it on the desk and gently placed the Roach on top. It didn't move. Oh, she is dead weld. Matilda. What am I gonna do? I'll never find another Roach that good in time. Hu up said Finn. He started to blow gently on the Roach. It's antenna, wings, quid, a little in the breeze. He blew gently again and again, suddenly a leg twitched. I don't believe it cried anes. He's doing CPR on a Roach and it's working. Fin kept blowing. The water was slowly drying off the cockroach. A second later it's antenna, quid, and it scurred forward a couple of steps. Two more breaths and the Roach scurred right off the cap and tried to hide in miss Hickson's pencil case. It's a miracle breather to, you should say, thank you said April. I wouldn't have to say thank you to anyone. If you hadn't tried to kill her in the first place shouted Matilda. It wasn't me cried April. Okay. That's enough said miss Hickson, the cockroach is fine. I'll find a clean box. You can put her in Matilda, but as miss Hickson turned away and the rest of the class started to gather their things. There was another blood curl in scream, ah, cried, Matilda. She was as white as a sheet and there was a horrified look on her face. Pumpkin was standing on top of the table, chew in something that dog is eating my cockroach accused Matilda. How do you know said April? He jumped onto the table and snapped her up, said Matildas, shuttering at the horror of it all I saw him do it. You've got no proof yelled April. Unfortunately at that moment, pumpkin stopped chewing swallowed burped, and a cockroach leg fell out of his mouth. Pumpkin sat proudly on the desk, expecting everyone to be impressed by what he had done. Oh, dear said Finn. Oh, said Matilda. And she dissolved in hysterical, weeping Finn April. You'd better go and see Mr. Lang ordered miss and take that dog with you the end. That's it for now until next time. Goodbye.