 VIRTUAL REALITYby Martin Riley Alison tells Sammy Alex wants to ask her out, but is scared of being rejected. Sammy insists he has to make the first move. Fed up with their dithering, Alison goes to find Alex, who's in the CLC chatting to a "Chantrelle" on a teen chat room. Alex and Sammy again clam up. Alex later tries to write a cheesy love poem, which he bins. Jake turns down a basketball game with Jenny in favour of a "war games" lunch hour against the Year 7s in the CLC. Year 7 hog the keyboard. A new girl, Patsy, is on the neighbouring computer and the lads force her to give up the machine. Jenny befriends Patsy, who reveals she has a supermodel sister who's seriously ill with anorexia and various other problems. Kathy throws the rowdy boys out, declaring war games are banned. Jenny refuses to listen when Jake tries to apologise. Patsy impresses Rachel with stories of her apparently turbulent home life; and how her dad is a secret spy; all this fails to impress Lucy. Alison confronts Alex, who shows her the chatroom he's using when "Chantrelle" comes back online - she too has an alcoholic mum and a supermodel sister who's ill with anorexia. Sammy is jealous. Patsy and Jenny continue to bond when McDonnell herds Jenny back to the history class she's skiving from. He is covering the lesson and struggles to teach Year 8 about the English Civil War; Bryn spares his embarrassment further by repeating what he'd learned from the computer game - McDonnell isn't pleased when he hears Kathy banned the game and organises a game with Year 7 as the Cavaliers and Year 8 as the Roundheads. Jenny and Rachel continue to counsel Patsy who mentions a codeword she can text to her dad if her life is in danger. Lucy thinks Patsy is making a fool of them and challenges Patsy to text the codeword - Jenny backs Lucy into a wheelbarrow full of steaming manure! Right on cue, McDonnell arrives and Jenny gets double detention. Lucy has managed to get Rachel on side and challenges Patsy to produce a pic of her mum. Patsy runs off when Jenny says they've got a point; she crashes into Laxo and Theo and once she's told them her story the boys warn Jenny to leave Patsy alone. Sammy is still jealous of Chantrelle and thinks she'll never measure up for girlfriend material. Alex and Patsy are both in the CLC on the chat room - Alex has no idea Chantrelle is really Patsy! When Patsy leaves a new friend, Vienna, pops up to chat to Alex - it's really Alison and Sammy who take the name from the magazine Patsy left behind. Alex takes the bait and tells Vienna he likes someone called Sammy - they go over and reveal the ruse and Alison realises "Chantrelle" is a phoney whose story comes from the magazine. Alex finally asks Sammy round to his for tea. Jake berates Theo and Laxo for taking on Jenny - suddenly the civil war has become personal and Jake rallies his classmates for the duel. After a further exchange between Lucy and Patsy, both years come equipped with ammunition and Jenny worries things have got out of hand. Kathy oversees the duel - she hopes both sides will opt for diplomacy but some hope of that there is with XS as Charles I and Ducket as Oliver Cromwell! Lucy starts throwing paper at Patsy when Kathy's back is turned, Kathy has to send for McDonnell when an all-out missile war erupts. In her absence everyone argues over Patsy. Alex realises Chantrelle is really Patsy and confronts her with the magazine. Rumbled, Patsy runs off and Jenny goes after her. Jenny rounds on Patsy for lying but isn't able to stay angry with her for long when Patsy reveals her dad is in prison. Year 8 begin the first of two detentions, and McDonnell reminds them fighting will not be tolerated. But at least they know more about the English Civil War now! |