Neat Revenge

• Zoe Harlen, Grade 10
• Short Story
• 2008

As Daniel heard the re-assuring "click", he smiled, retracted his paper-clip, and slowly opened the now un-locked window. Glancing around to make sure no-one was watching, he shoved his bulging bag through, then followed.
Now he'd get his revenge.
Straightening up, he picked up his bag, and tip-toed across the room. He walked down the hallway, and, taking a guess, randomly opened one of the doors.
He knew straight away he'd got the right room.
Mrs Ricatto's bedroom looked exactly like Daniel had pictured it. The lurid pink walls were lined with shelves teeming with tiny porcelain dolls. Not a single piece of clothing was strewn across the floor. The make-up table supported every lipstick known to man, and the giant four poster bed brimmed with so many fluffy pillows and cute teddys that Daniel felt like being sick.
At least the room wouldn't look that way for long.
Bending down, he un-zipped his bag, and emptied it's contents onto the floor. Out rolled 5 spray cans, 7 English papers, and a baseball bat.
Pausing only to choose which weapon of destruction he would use first, Daniel picked the baseball bat, and turned towards the shelves of delicate porcelain dolls.
“Well Mrs Ricatto,” he said to the empty room, “this is what you get when you take on Daniel Malluish. You thought you were a match for me?”
Forgetting that he was supposed to be keeping quiet, Daniel suddenly gave a yell, swinging the bat wildly, sending the first shelf of dolls smashing to the ground.
“Fail me in English!?!” He screamed, shattering the second and third shelves. “I'll show you!!”
Finishing of the final shelf, he threw down the bat and pulled out the spray cans, holding two in each hand. He shacked them vigorously, and started spraying everywhere, painting the walls with a rainbow of graffiti. When the spray ran out, he got out the last can, positioned it over each of his failed English papers, and sprayed a giant “A”. Spreading these around the room, he then ripped and tore at the pillows and teddys until the stuffing flew everywhere, and covered the carpet with all the horrid lipsticks.
Stepping back to marvel his work, Daniel grinned maliciously.
“Let me teach you a lesson Mrs Ricatto,” he said, re-packing his baseball and now empty spray cans. “Next time you make plans for the weekend, always check who's listening at the staff-room door. When you get back at 6 tonight, we'll see who... isn't a neat worker.”
Laughing loudly now, he made for the door. But just as he reached for the handle, he heard the unmistakable noise of someone coming down the hallway.
Daniel froze. How could she be home already? Checking his watch, Daniel realised his fatal mistake.
It was 6am.
She'd meant she was getting back at 6am.
Not pm.
“FUDGE!!” Cried Daniel, and before he had a chance to react, the door opened.