Teacher Screecher (4 page)

“Hey Ollie!” called Lee.

Ollie came over.

“Hi Lee!” he said. “Hi Billy and Bella! What are you doing at school so late?”

“Detention,” explained Bella. “Miss Gargoyle's off with bat flu. Until she comes back, we've got a horrible new teacher.”

“We were going to ask you about her,” said Lee. “Her name's Miss Fitt.”

“What?” said Ollie. “Miss Fitt gave you detention? As in Miss Fitt of Styne and Company?”

“That's her,” said Lee.

“Wow!” said Ollie, amazed. “We had Miss Fitt for a month when our teacher broke his hind leg. She was brilliant. She gave us tons of sweets and never got angry!”

This time it was Lee, Bella, and Billy who gasped in amazement.

“But do you know the best thing about her?” Ollie went on. “We did hardly any math. She said it was boring! How cool is that?” He glanced at his watch. “Yikes! I'll be late for dinner. See you!”

As Ollie hurried off, the three vampires just stood there and gawked. Suddenly, the main school doors opened, and out popped the gloomy, greenish face of Mr. Gore.

He looked at the sky and stuck a grubby hand into the rain, which was falling more heavily now.

“It is startink!” he muttered to himself. “Good! Hrurgh! Hrurgh!” Then he spotted Lee, Bella, and Billy. “Hey! Vot are you doing, you nosy vampire kids? School is closed! Clear off!”

Mr. Gore slammed the door, and the three vampires heard the loud sliding of bolts and the rattling of keys in the lock.

“Come on,” said Lee. “I've had enough of school for one night.”

“Me too,” said Bella. With a
POP! POP! POP!
they all turned into bats.

They were about to head for home when they heard a horribly familiar noise. It was coming from somewhere behind the school doors:

STOMP! STOMP!

STOMP! STOMP!

“Yikes, it's her!” squeaked Billy. “I'm off!”

“Hang on,” said Lee. “Didn't old Gore just lock up?”

“Yes,” said Billy. “Why?”

“Think about it,” said Lee. “If the school is locked for the night, why is Miss Fitt still in the building?”

Chapter 5

The Attic

Lee, Billy, and Bella flew up to the school doors and listened.

“It sounds like she's going upstairs,” said Lee. “Come on!”

They reached the first floor windows just as Miss Fitt lumbered onto the landing. But she didn't stop there. Trailed by the three vampire bats, she climbed the stairs all the way to the top floor. There were no classrooms on this floor, only storerooms. It was a part of St. Orlok's the young vampires had never been to.

“Now what?” said Lee as they skulked under the gutter and out of sight. “There's nowhere else for her to go.”

“Not quite,” said Billy. “Look!”

Slowly, Miss Fitt crossed the landing. In one dark and dingy corner was a grimy door. She grabbed the handle and turned it. As the door opened, Lee, Bella, and Billy could clearly read the words on it:

MR E. GORE
CARETAKER
VAMPIRES KEEP OUT!

“So that's where old Gore hangs out!” exclaimed Lee. “The attic!”

“But why is she going up there?” cried Bella.

Bella almost had to shout to be heard above the rain. There was a rumble of thunder and a gust of wind, and then a voice behind them suddenly said—
“BOO!”

The vampire bats shrieked and nearly jumped out of their fur. They turned to see Lee's friend Boris, a real bat who lived in the school clock tower.

“Boris!” yelled Lee. “Don't do that!”

“Sorry!” chuckled Boris. “I didn't realize vampires were scared of bats! Tee-hee!”

As he spoke, Miss Fitt lurched through the attic door and slammed it behind her. They heard her stomping up the stairs.

“Hey,” said Boris. “Who was that monster?”

“It's Miss Fitt,” said Billy. “She's our teacher while Miss Gargoyle is ill.”

“Bad luck!” said Boris. “What's she doing in old Gore's attic?”

“We'd love to find out,” said Lee.