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Cheat
Cheat
- by ALLAN BAILLIE
Lynne shut her eyes as the headmaster droned on, Lynne put her short story aside and walked slowly
and shouted at him silently. Shut up, just stop it, shut up away from her disappointment. After a while she could
so we can go home. Please! even meet Geoff without feeling a quiver of pain.
Geoff helped in that.
She wanted him to read a name, and by now
it did not matter whose name it was. She just wanted Found out how Velos picks the winner," said Geoff.
it to finish.
Oh?
we had a long struggle in separating the two
top entries in the short story 'competition," Mr Velos Climbs on top of his lovely special mahogany desk
said. almost falls off when the school bell goes off. Anyway
he stands on his desk with your story in his right hand
Lynne opened her eyes and gripped her seat. and mine in his left, reaches up, tippytoe, and drops
them both. The one that hits the floor first is the winner."
It must be her and someone else. It must be her.
Lynne laughed.
Geoff Bolder and Lynne Webbings both wrote Really. Next time use heavier paper."
very fine short stories for the medal ...
And after that Lynne was back to normal. Geoff
Lynne felt her mouth moving, but she was not was all right, even if he had made it hard to listen to
smiling. Not now. She glanced sideways and Geoff OlVelos with a straight face. Herstory was abandoned
was grinning at her. in a drawer as she concentrated on making the school
basketball team.
Lynnes story about a Sheepdog in a flood was
both exciting and moving Until she read a book of short stories by the author
William Bradburie. And one of Bradburie's stories was
Perhaps a tie. of an elephant which escaped in a park, causing
hopeless confusion.
Lynne felt slightly in. She could remember the hours,
the weeks, she had put in over that miserable story. She read it again. And again. The tips of her ears
The plotting, the characterisation how do you create prickled with anger.
a character from a oneeyed, dumb red kelpie,
anyway? the atmosphere, the tension. The writing, The cheat," she said slowly, meaning the word for
the rewriting, the tearing up of the tale, and starting the first time in her life. He did not write it at all. He just
it over again. Oh, and the pain in pulling it all together. copied it down.She realised that if Velos knew about this he would
take the medal from Geoff, and Geoff might have to
It had to be a tie. leave the school.
She made her way to Geoff as he came down Please sir, Geoff beat me in the short story
from the dais with the medal and congratulated him.
She went home and everything tasted of cardboard competition and I hate to lose. So I am telling you
that night.
how he cheated so you can give the medal to me.
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Cheat! - by ALLAN BAILLIE Cheat! - by ALLAN BAILLIE
No. No, that would be terrible. You cannot do that. Why? What is wrong with money?"
What about getting a friend to tell him. Marge she It is dull. Think of the excitement you're missing.
You could get on television like Roald Dahl and Paul
could do it. Jennings?
But she would not really like you after that. Who wants television anyway?"
Write him an anonymous letter. or Bradburie." The words exploded from Lynne's
mouth in a sudden burst of anger.
You would be worse than he is.
Geoff looked at her and frowned.
But he does not deserve to win!
Who is Bradburie?" Marge asked.
Hes won. There is nothing you can do about it.
Oh, Geoff reads him."
She closed the book and turned away.
Geoff started to smile at some joke he did not
The next day the form master, Matheson, was understand but for a moment his eyes quivered. The
asking the class what careers they had in mind. Marge bantering conversation went on but he seemed to be
said she would like to be a Grand Prix driver but she drifting away.
did not suppose Mum would allow that so she would
settle for being a surgeon. When the laughter stopped Later Lynne saw that all the Bradburie books had
Matheson looked at Geoff. been taken from the school library.
Well, here is one boy who should have an idea of Hes trying to hide the story he stole his idea from,
where he is going, eh Geoff? Lynne thought grimly. It won't do him any good. Sooner
or later, sooner or later...
Geoff looked up blankly.
But five minutes into the next period Velos sent for
What are you interested in, Geoff? TV scriptwriting, her.
screenwriting, playwriting, being an author? -
Hes got Velos to stick up for him now. Shut up little
Oh, no. None of that. lam going to be a barrister." girl or you will be in detention until you are a grey-haired
old lady. I just wont shut up!
A lawyer? I thought with your recent triumph you
would have your eye on a different direction. But Velos was sitting heavily behind his desk,
fiddling with a pencil, and he looked embarrassed.
Nah, there is more money in law. The medal was resting on an open Bradburie book
near his elbow. Geoff was standing, hunched,
I suppose so yes, Lynne?" off to one side, and he was avoiding her eyes.
Lynne suddenly realised she was half-standing in Velos has caught him! There was no need to get all
her desk, with her mouth working and Marge staring up tied up in knots. Now well see...
of her. Sir, I ... " She looked of Geoff who was smiling of
her. She sat down heavily . I forget , sir ."Outside, Lynne, Velos said slowly. He seemed to be picking
Lynne drifted info a group forming around the words as they lay on his tongue. I have been
Geoff. When she become aware of who was talking talking to Geoff about the medal."
she tried fo shuffle away; but there were too many
kids looking of her and she could not appear to be Oh. Lynne carefully kept all feeling from her voice,
jealous of Geoff. Marge was abusing Geoff for being buf Geoff lifted his head, looking af her with pain in his
so devoted to money. eyes.
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Cheat! - by ALLAN BAILLIE