"Why can't summer just last forever?" she grumbled as she headed for the bathroom to get ready. Wanting to look nice to impress her new teacher and peers, Cynthia placed her most beautiful red bow around her tail, and carefully brushed the brilliant red fur around her neck. "Annnnnd... there! All done!" she announced happily as she snapped a headband around her ears and viewed herself in the mirror. "Perfect!" she cried and headed down the stairs. She quickly ate her breakfast and headed out the door. She couldn't wait to see her friends before classes started...

"Uh... hi Rachel." Cynthia said in a slightly unsure voice.

"Hey Cynthia! Wow, you look great! Where did you get that bow?" Rachel replied.

"Thanks! I got my bow at the Grooming Parlour last week." Cynthia replied, now more confident with her appearance after Rachel's remark.

"So... how are you? You excited about..."

SPLASH!!

Before Rachel could even finish her sentence, a giant muddy snowball hit her in the back of the head. Her beautiful painted fur was a mess!

"Agh!! Who did that?" Rachel furiously screamed, whipping her head from side to side, looking for the guilty Neopet. She didn't see anyone but she did hear some giggling coming from behind a bush alongside the road. Rachel and Cynthia hurried over to the bush and saw that no one was there, yet they continued to hear laughing, coming from that same exact spot...

"Whoever threw that muddy snowball must have an invisible paint brush," said Cynthia, as they looked through the bush without any luck.

"Darn..." said Rachel, "I know that laugh!" she said, as if she hadn't even heard Cynthia. "Well, " Rachel began, "the only Neopet I know who has an invisible paint brush is--"

SPLAT!

Another muddy snowball came whizzing towards the two girls, and hit Cynthia right in the face. She was furious.

"JORDAN!!!!!" screeched Cynthia. Jordan was a horrible class clown, and a rotten Neopet in general. He was a blue Gelert, who would have looked good if he kept his fur silky, but he never brushed it. He was also the only one in the school who had an invisible paint brush.

"Correct! For 2,000 Neopoints!" Jordan laughed, knowing the girls wouldn't see him, then he ran off towards the school.

"Ohhh! He's gonna pay dearly for that one!" Rachel said furiously with her eyes squinted. "Someday, Jordan! Someday... I'll get you!" she yelled at the empty sidewalk.

"Oh no!" exclaimed Cynthia as she looked at her watch, "We're gonna be late for school! How in Neopia are we going to clean ourselves up AND walk all the way to school before the bell rings?!?"

"I guess we'll just have to clean ourselves up once we get there," Rachel sighed hopelessly.

Suddenly, a long white limo pulled up next to them, and the window rolled down. Inside was yet another bully. "Walking to school are we girls? Halloween's not till October, the teachers wouldn't approve if they saw you all dressed up," said the cloud Aisha, as she eyed the muddy snowball stains on the two of them. "Ta Ta!" said the Aisha smugly as she rode away.

"This just isn't our day!" Rachel said. "First Jordan, now Angel, what next? A parade of crazy Petpets?" They walked on, getting closer and closer to the place they'd been so excited to go to just a few minutes ago. But just as they reached the school...

"Oh no!" Cynthia shrieked. "We're late for school on our first day! How could this be? My parents are probably going to take away my new ballerina Usuki doll."

As soon as she completed her sentence, a rather large and angry looking female Grarrl emerged from the school doors.

"Did I hear someone say Usuki dolls?" She asked the two girls with a grimace on her face. "I dislike Usuki dolls, well I dislike ALL toys... no toys are allowed to be talked about or brought to school, not even for Show and Tell!"

Rachel and Cynthia looked at each other then looked back at the furious Grarrl.

"But we were late for school and-"

"Late for school, eh?" The Grarrl said through her grinned teeth. "No one is late for school especially not my school, and especially on the first day!"

"Your school?" Cynthia asked, "Mrs. Bee is the principal here."

"Ahh yes, that weak little Chia," The Grarrl said putting her glasses on straight. "She... was unfortunately fired! And I was put in her place so live with it!" The Grarrl's cheesy yellow teeth and bad breath was all the two girls could see and smell.

"But.. Miss Grarrl-"

"It's Miss Vicky to you." The Grarrl snarled.

"Why yes," Rachel started, "did everyone get fired? All those teachers?"

"Unfortunatly not, but I did hire some new ones. There is Mr. Shred the hungry little Krawk, and Miss Nina, she is my sister and your teacher. Now go on, you have a whole new day in front of you."

Cynthia and Rachel gulped, and were shaky as they climbed the steps of Neo Middle School, and made their way into the building...

Cynthia and Rachel started to quiver. "If you're ever late for my class, or any one else's I'll have your kiester in detention. Now get in class!"

As the girls slowly entered the classroom everyone stared. It was a long day for everyone, but for some unknown reason Jordan was actually well behaved for once!

As the girls walked home with heads hung low, they could not remove the thought from their heads that they would have these teachers for the rest of the year.

"Why would Neopia hire people like this? The teachers don't even like young Neopians like us!" Rachel complained.

"Good question... they wouldn't hire them! I think they're after something!" Cynthia deduced.

"But what would they want? I really don't think there is anything of value, like pieces of a map at the school!"

"Don't be so quick to judge," replied Cynthia, "let's go research that at the library, come on!"...

...Cynthia and Rachel rushed toward the library. They were on the final block when SPLASH!!! A muddy snowball hit Rachel right in the face! "JORDAN!!!!!!!!!!!" screamed Cynthia. "What in the world do you think you are doing? You could put someone's eye out you know!"

"Awwwww, don't be such a Skeith. I'm just having a little fun!"

"If throwing muddy snowballs at people is your idea of fun... UHHHHHHH nevermind."

Cynthia and Rachel walked on. Finally they reached the library. Rachel went to ask Ms. Lemen, the head librarian, where books on the school could be found. Cynthia waited at a table for Rachel to return. Rachel came back with a pile of books packed so high she couldn't see, and tripped over a chair that seemed to mysteriously pull itself out.

"JORDAN!" screamed Cynthia.

"SHHHHHHHSH!" said the old librarian.

"Are you ok?" whispered Cynthia.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I don't like Jordan. I think he is a boogerbreath. No, he's worse. I think he is as smelly and ugly as Miss Vicky."

"Hehe. Yeah. 'I am Miss Vicky. Be quiet or I will sick my sister on you.' Blahblahblah."

"We have to be quiet," said Rachel. "I found a great book that tells about the history of our school." The girls opened the book to the index.

"Hmmm," said Cynthia as she browsed throught the list, "Legends. Maybe that will get us somewhere." They opened the heavy book to the chapter on legends.

"There are many legends regarding Neo Middle School. One such legend is that of an old Techo teacher named Mr. N. Sane. The legend says Mr. Sane taught science at the school. One day the principal fired Mr. Sane for telling stories to the class. Mr. Sane shouted 'Just you wait! I'll have my revenge!!!'

The next morning, the principal, a Miss Vicky, was found deceased in her office. No evidence was ever found. Some believe the Mr. Sane had used a curse book to take revenge on Ms. Vicky."

"Woah! Creepy!" said Cynthia.

"Yeah, maybe Miss Vicky is looking for the book to get even more revenge for the fatal curse of her... mom?"

Just then the library door opened and...

"Who is that? He looks creepy. And what is he doing here?" asked Rachel. "I think he is Mr. N. Sane. Looks like the rumour is true. Mr. N. Sane fatally cursed the old principle, Miss Vicky. If not, I can't figure out how he could possess the key for the library's collection room," said Cynthia.

"I don't think he will find us here. Let's see what he is doing," suggest Cynthia.

Meanwhile, in the collection room, Mr. N. Sane was looking for a book. A book which had long been thought as 'lost', The Lost Spells of Neopia! "MWAHAHAHA!!! Finally, after years of waiting, this book is MINE. And just wait, all you people who dumped me out of this school. I'll take care of you all, and then, the whole of Neopia will be mine! MINE!!!"

THUBB!

"Who's there?!?"

"Oh no," whispered Cynthia, rubbing her stubbed toe, "I accidentally kicked a book. Now he will found us for sure."

"Let hide!" replied Rachel.

"Well, well, well. Looks like a pesky Usuling and Poogling are trying to disturb my business. Now face the consequences!" snarled Mr. N. Sane suddenly from behind. He then started to mumbling something.

Rachel and Cynthia started to feel uneasy. Suddenly, their bodies were flung through the air, causing them to crash into the book racks.

"This should teach you little meddling kids not to interfere with someone's business. I'll finish you two with this 'disjoining bone' spell I just learned from this ancient book. HEHEHEHE!"

Just as Mr. Sane was about to mutter the spell, a big heavy encyclopedia fell onto his head. He collapsed, and remained unconcious on the floor.

"JORDAN!!!" Cynthia and Rachel cried together, "You save our lives."

"And maybe the whole school and Neopia," added Rachel with joy.

"You are our new hero. Let's report this to Judge Hog at the Defenders of Neopia Headquarters," said Cynthia...

Finally they arrived at the headquarters where the one and only Judge Hog resided. He would be the only one that could save Neopia. They ran up to the reception desk where a cloud Ixi sat ready to answer their questions.

"May I help you?" she asked politely.

"Um, we're looking for Judge Hog. We need to see him urgently. The world is in grave danger!"

The Ixi quickly picked up the phone and dialed Judge Hog. Within minutes he came shooting down the stairs to the reception table with his cape flowing behind his back.

"Judge Hog to the rescue!" he shouted at the top of his voice. "How can I be of assistance, you fine young ladies?"

Rachel quickly told him the situation, and the three of them raced to the school, headed for the library. When they arrived, Rachel and Cynthia were glad that Mr. N. Sane was still lying on the floor motionless.

"Quickly!" shouted Cynthia.

Judge Hog acted with pure skill and bravery as he hurled the evil Mr. Sane over his shoulder and carried him to the police van outside of the school. Only seconds had passed before the van, sirens blaring, drove off into the distance.

"Good work!" Rachel and Cynthia said together.

"Just doing my job," he replied with a wink.

With Mr. N. Sane now safely locked up, Miss Vicky and her fellow teachers didn't have a reason to stay. The next day the old teachers were brought back, and Cynthia and Rachel enjoyed the rest of their school year.

The End