Biff Hooper waited until he had driven a block from Thomas High School before grinning at his younger friend who sat in the passenger seat.

‘Great performance!’ he complimented Joe. ‘Day three at your new school and you’ve already managed to push the principal into suspending you for the rest of the day.’

‘What about you!?’ said Joe, chuckling. He put on a serious expression and lowered his voice as he imitated Biff:

‘I am extremely disappointed to hear about my brother’s behaviour, Principal Walsh. I’ll make sure Joe spends the rest of the day completing his schoolwork and understands how to behave better.’

Joe slapped his friend on the shoulder as they both laughed loudly.

‘How much schoolwork will you actually do while you’re home today?’ asked Biff as he drove his car into the apartment block driveway.

‘Probably none,’ mused Joe. ‘I may as well take full advantage of being bad! I wonder how Frank’s doing?’

………

Frank Hardy was stifling a yawn at the back of Ferguson’s I.T. class. As he did he made sure his moustache was still firmly in place. It itched like hell! This was his second day of undercover work as a student-teacher at Thomas High. While Joe was playing the rebellious student, Frank was investigating in the guise of a young student-teacher. The regional education director hoped that between them the Hardy brothers would discover who was behind the dreadful theft, vandalism and drug dealing that had badly affected the school over the past six months.

When they had been approached to do this job, Frank and Joe had been enthusiastic. Their mother had insisted on being briefed as well and had only agreed for them to be involved because (a) she was disgusted to hear about crime in any school, and (b) there seemed to be little risk to the physical safety of her sons.

It had been decided that Biff would assist by acting as Joe ‘Hooper’s’ older brother and rent an apartment near the school. Given his blonde hair and height, Biff could easily pass as Joe’s older brother. Frank, made up to look older courtesy of a moustache, glasses, and a hairstyle Joe unkindly described as ‘geeky’, was able to play the part of a student teacher. It was the local police chief’s theory that at least one teacher had to be involved in the crime wave. Besides the regional director and Police Chief Black, no-one else at the school was aware of the boys’ true identities.

To keep their true identities totally secret, there was to be minimal contact with the boys’ friends and families. The assignment would last for a maximum of two weeks as that was the most Frank, Joe and Biff could miss of their own schooling. This suited the authorities as well, as they were eager to put an end to the troubles at the school.

Frank, under the alias Mark Franklin, had rented an apartment above Joe and Biff.

When the bell finally signaled the end of the school day, Frank waited for the students to file out then walked with Tim Ferguson back to the staffroom. He had quickly discovered that the social staffroom at recess, lunchtime and immediately after school was the best time to hear gossip.

‘The nerve of that boy!’ Caroline Jones was exclaiming. ‘Bad enough that he was wrestling on the floor, but then he blows me a kiss on his way out!’

‘Trouble?’ asked Frank casually. Caroline smiled at the handsome young man she knew as Mark Franklin and shook her head ruefully. As a new student teacher, Mark was yet to have to deal with students who didn’t want to be in class!

‘Nothing I haven’t had to handle before," she sighed. ‘I just get so frustrated. He’s just arrived and is already putting on a show for the others. And sending him out of class is not the answer. I want ALL my students to love English as much as I do, and he won’t learn anything if it’s not in the classroom!’

‘Who was it?’ asked Frank curiously, although he already had a pretty good idea of who it might have been.

‘Joe Hooper,’ Caroline told him. ‘He ended up being suspended for the rest of today along with AJ. Be careful. The pair of them may end up in one of the classes you’re assisting in. Don’t take any nonsense from them.’

‘Thanks for the tip,’ said Frank earnestly. He smiled inwardly. Joe had made exactly the impression he had been required to, in his own inimitable style!

……

A: What’s our target?

B: Digital cameras

A: From which department?

B: Library. Central desk cupboard

A: Key?

B: Break the lock

A: When?