This Plot Thickens® is also a competition.  The winning School group or individual will receive £100!

You are invited to write a piece of a story. It’s a bit like doing a jigsaw in that your piece needs to fit in perfectly with what’s already there. The story is about a jumble sale that a fictitious school (called Greenway High School) is holding for charity.

There’s a lot to it, from deciding where the event will take place, collecting the jumble, pricing it, deciding who is going to work on which stall, advertising the event – and of course what happens on the day itself.  There may be an element of drama (some goods could be stolen, for example) and there maybe a twist in the tale too.

You can enter as many times as you like. Each entry should have a maximum of 500 words.

The £100 prize will go to the writer of entry which has the best reviews (the most appreciative review together with the highest number of stars).

This plot closes on 31 January 2007!  Be sure to tell your school friends about it!

The rain splashed against the window pane. Trickles of water ran down the cold glass. Susie sighed. She hated rain. Rain was cold, wet, and gloomy. All of Susie’s friends were all busy with homework and studying for tests to play with her. Suddenly the door flung open and Susie’s mum stood in the open doorway clutching a basket full of soggy laundry.

“So much for a sunny forecast!” her mum gasped pushing a mop of black hair out of her face.

Susie pulled herself off the kitchen side. She was really tall for her age. She had long raven hair like her mum which was always wavy. She was still in her school uniform even though school ended three hours ago. She picked up her school bag from the kitchen floor and brought it into the living room. She scooped up a huge pile of papers from the bottom of her bag and opened them up. There were all sorts: Bits of forgotten homework, drawings from class and millions of school letters. She picked up the letter she had received earlier in the day.

JUMBLE SALE, 9:00am – 1:00pm,GREENWAY HIGH SCHOOL, BRING ANYTHING! PARENTS WELCOME. ALL MONEY TO CHARITY!

Susie’s class was talking about charity earlier. She thought it was a great idea. She quickly rushed to the phone to call her friend Becky and tell her the news.

Yep once again a boring day is taklen place at Greenway High School, like a regular day did a tiny bit of maths went to sleep and “Stop day dreaming Jess, you will never guess what, the time has come again for the charity sale,” Every year at Greenway High there would be a charity sale which a wide range of people would go to and buy every single thing there, well Jess will she is a total shopaholic, everyone would agree on that.

My eyes began to widen and there in front of me was Jess’s enormous face, her eyes glaring at me with success, I tried to push her face away but it just wouldn’t move she was putting all her strength into not moving it you could tell though that she wanted to give up because her face was blood red. Lots of my time was wasted as I was thinking about how sorry I felt to be Jess’s older sisters Carol and Jane. I had a bit of a chuckle when I noticed the time it was quarter past four what had happened, I rushed home to find my empty BORING house there. My mum must have still been at work but there on my bed was a clump of my toys which had been thrown on their.

My mum had heard about the Jumble sale, or she could have been tidying my room, that would be a dream come true. My mum would never do that. Not in a million years, I then realized all my stuff thrown on the bed. I thought to myself, maybe mum was right, I should be growing up, a tear slid down my right eye.; I then decided I would take place in the jumble sale and start going to school with a smile on my face, without going to sleep. I went to school the next morning looking really smart and gave Miss Buckley my two big black bin liners. Miss was surprised at me, she nearly died when I paid attention in maths and my worst subject ever English. I decided to set up my own stall, I was up all night thinking of a catchy name like The Brill Till but I got fed up at about 5:30 so I ended up calling it Beki’s Stall. I worked on the teddy stall everything 20p and 50p’s. I had about thirty four costumers and as I looked back my tub of money had disappeared there was only some coppers left in the bottom.

For the first time at Greenway high there had been a thief!

I went to tell miss aden our head teacher but she said there was no sign of it anywhere.

When I got home I had a banging head ache yet I still rang jess I told her everything what had happened but she started crying and hung up.

She wouldn’t talk to me at school I tried to figure out what I had done. There was no use nothing came to me.

She came to me with her hands behind her back to apollogise to me. She started to run around and play with me and my new friend Katie. When something in her hands started to jangle when she turned around I managed to have a peep behind her.

And there it was my box!

Had she taken it or had she found it. I asked her she burst out crying she had obviously stole it.

She gave me my box and I went to miss aden but I never told over her. I was rewarded a head teachers award and a ticket to see Matt Willis. And all because of Jess!

26th December 2004, 9am, i saw mum and dad getting ready to shop at the sale that hits the uk high streets today, boxing day they call it. My parents come from southern part of India, they both work as doctors in leeds. My name is RAM, i have been to India few years ago but i dont remember much, but yes i have my friend SHIVA, he writes to me often. I said mum can i stay home and play with play station?, this was my long awaited christmas present. I am 7 years old, and i think i should be allowed to do what i want to do, my friends at school say so. But make sure you finish your pancakes and the entire glass of milk with that note mum left me at home all to myself.

1030am, same day, bored of my play station i swithced to the tv trying to surf for my cartoon network channel. It was hard for me to ignore what was on other channels as everything was showing the same news. when this part of the world was shopping the other side was hit by this masive earthquake and the waves that washed away thousands called the Tsunami. Just pictures of people lying dead and children crying. this left me thinking if my dear friend SHIVA is ok or not!

We never felt the 9.0 richter scale earthquake here but the after shocks hit here everyday as tv shows and videos of the disaster. Hence, a week from then, my school Greenway decided to raise funds by organising a sale to raise money and send it the Tsunami affected areas. We were told to bring unused things from home which can be sold at this charity sale. They also said that the some big guests were expected to visit the charity sale.

9th January, 2005, 10am, the day of the charity sale. All the children in my school were excited about the sale and had big boxes to sell. However, i managed to put my stuff in a box and priced it for a massive 10 pounds as I thought 10£ was big money. The big guys took the best places and since i was the youngest, and the shortest in my class, i was put to the corner of the hall next to a little window facing the back garden of the school.

It took an hour from the time we took our positions to sell, until the crowd start coming in. But, looked like no one was interested in buying my little box. Two hours gone, i was sad thinking my box won't sell and a tears just lined at the brim of my eyes just when a old genttleman with grey hair came to my desk. he was dressed in a black suit, i guessed he must be rich enough to pay 10 pounds. He looked at me and asked why are you sad little boy? have you not sold your box yet? looking at messy wraping of my box. i immediately sprung up on my feet and said its only 10 pounds Sir, please buy it Sir, i have to send the money to Shiva my friend. The gentleman said alrite, let see what u got! and he looked into my box. He smiled and said that a bargain no one would miss! and he took an cheque book and scribbled in it. He handed the cheque to me and patted on my shoulder. he said i think you should take your box home with you but you can send this money to your friend Shiva. He walked away still smiling.

i went to my teacher and i handed over the cheque and her eyes widened to see a 1000 pounds written in the cheque. she asked me who gave me that and i pointed at the old gentleman leaving the hall. only then she told me that he was the Mayor of the city and she appreciated me saying that i did a good job.

i walked home stillholding he box i took. But i was quite happy that i could send money to Shiva ..............and also keep my little box with me, which had the play station the christmasgift i got two weeks ago!!

now, i am 9 years old now and i still send my little savings to the people affected in the 2004 Tsunami disaster.

RAM

The week flew by and soon it was time for the big jumble sale. Susie had worked hard all week making a fun poster with her mum to sit of her stall. It was a big pink one with glitter writing and huge pink feathers around the side. She held it under her arm with pride so the whole school could see her good work. Her mum helped heave the boxes of stuff to sell. Susie found the best stall she could find in a nice sunny place next to her best friends stall Becky. The only problem was that it was opposite the school bullies stall, Maggie. Maggie was a frightening little girl. She wore black heavy clothes and piercing all over her ears. She wore thick bold makeup and never ever smiled. Her stall was an old wobbly stall which had a small scribbly sign saying: Everything a quid.

Susie had tried making friends with Maggie before, she left with a black eye and a bloody nose. No one quite understood why Maggie was so nasty but no one wanted to find out either!

It was 8:30am and everyone was excitedly rushing around to decorate and organize the big affair.

Susie’s mum finally finished placing every item on the stall and gave Susie one last kiss before climbing into her car with the empty boxes.

“I’ll come back later with your Cousin Ben, he’ll want to come and see you” Mum promised and drove away leaving Susie and Becky giggling behind their stalls.

“I can’t wait until everyone arrives!” Becky squealed.

“Me neither” Susie agreed but stopped when her stomach interrupted her thoughts.

Susie had been so excited this morning she forgot to have any breakfast.

“It’s ok, Hailey’s brought lots of cakes and crisps to eat and I think Mr. Himbry is making hot dogs” Becky assured her so they both ran off to find something to eat.

Susie made sure she brought enough money in case she wanted to buy anything. She bought herself and Becky a hotdog, fairy cake and can of coke each and they both tucked in while making their way back to their stalls. There excited chattering was interrupted by the sight of there stalls. Becky screamed in horror and almost dropped her hotdog. The stalls were kicked over, there stuff was scattered across the floor and the sign Susie had worked on all week was gone…

“I don’t believe it!” Susie gasped picking up the broken pieces of what was once her grandmother old tea set.

Maggie was smirking behind her stall. It was fifteen minutes before everyone was expected to come. Becky quickly scooped up all the undamaged stuff and stacked it quickly on to the stall again. Susie felt all hot and sticky in the sickly surprise. My grandmothers teddy bear was also missing from the stack. Maggie was still grinning slyly and took down her horrid banner from her stall and replaced it with Susie’s big pink one. Maggie had stolen Susie’s banner! Becky and Susie was gob smacked!

“How can she just do that without a care in the world” Becky cried “Someone better teach that girl a lesson!”

Susie had to drag her back before she did something they both would regret.

“Lets just steal it back… I mean it is yours” she continued.

That gave Susie an idea. While Becky made a diversion Susie snuck behind the stall and took her banner and hid it behind her then she rushed back to her stall and waited for the parents to arrive to the jumble sale. The time soon came and all the parents rushing on the school field, it was then Susie proudly hung up her banner and waited for her customers. Her mum and her cousin Ben came a short while later to her stall. Maggie stormed over to Susie’s store.

“That banners mine!!!! You stole it from me!” she boomed.

Susie’s legs felt like jelly.

“Oh no she didn’t! Susie made that with me” Susie’s mum.

And for the first time in Susie and Becky’s life they saw Maggie look completely intimidated. She then just shoved back to her own store miserable.

“You see Susie, bullies only think their the best until someone bigger and stronger” she beamed wiping the hair from her face. “Oh yes! Bens got something for you”

She looked down at bed who was holding tightly to her mums hand. He looked so cute in his little jeans and short blonde hair. It was then when he pulled on her grandmothers teddy bear! She thanked him a million times and then continued to sell her items. At the end of the day every single item was bought except from grandma’s teddy bear. The school made tons of money for the school, Maggie never bullied anyone again and even better grandma’s beloved teddy bear had found a perfect home for Billy the bear!