SERIES 31
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 BUILDING
BRIDGESby Martin Riley Rachel drops Lucy's MP3 player and offers to replace it. Feeling the pinch because dad is out of work, Lucy rounds on Rachel's more affluent existence and slaps Rachel when she dares to call her a spoilt brat. Jenny warns Lucy to leave her friend alone, but any further trouble is averted by the arrival of Mr McDonnell and Miss Bettany. Alex is worried about his science exam and rushes to the CLC for some last-minute revision, only to find it closed for a "special project". Inside, McDonnell and Bettany brief Years 6, 7 and 8 on their technology project - working together, everyone has to build a bridge. Serena is put with Theo, Laxo and Gyngell, Rachel is in Jake and Jenny's team while Lucy is put with Bryn and Megan. Wearing colour-coded overalls, the teams have to work together to find the materials needed to build their bridge across the playground, and the teams set off to begin the task. The red team are hampered when Lucy lords up her position as team leader. Ducket is more interested in walking like a spaceman and ends up pushing their cart down the hill, which inadvertently leads them to the clue directing them to the "head's office" Megan thinks "head's office" is exactly that but Bryn thinks it means the toilets (according to a seafaring term). Megan is vindicated when the stuff they're looking for turns out to be in Miss Gayle's office. The blue team is in trouble - Gyngell is more interested in using his telescope while Serena can't read the clue because of her dyslexia. Theo isn't too worried, however, thinking the clue means the goalposts on the football fields. The greens, meanwhile, are in the library, where they find some poles they will need for the bridge and the next clue. Ducket's moonwalking gives Sammy an idea to help Alex relax - she teaches him Tai Chi. Serena spots him practising by a tree and thinks she's spotted the next clue. The reds charge into the CLC and incur Kathy's wrath when they start ransacking the PCs for the next clue. Kathy goes to confront Miss Bettany, who's relaxing on the school roof! The greens are doing quite well. Clooney tries cracking onto Jenny, who warns him emphatically she is nobody's "babe". Clooney moves on to Rachel, who tearfully confides in Jake about her spat with Lucy. Rachel realises she'd put her foot in it by bragging about her dad's job when Lucy's dad was unemployed. The reds and the greens were both given the same clue by mistake and Miss Bettany realises her error when she sees both teams scramble neck and neck across the playground to reach their treasure, only to collide into each other! Theo and Laxo can't find anything near the goalposts, so they start dismantling them while Gyngell bemoans the problems of being tall to Serena. Serena shows them the tree Alex was stood by - Gyngell is the only one who can reach up for it and they find their clue. Unfortunately the clue takes the Blues to the gym where Alex is sitting his exam. The reds are already at the amphitheatre and claim victory when the others turn up and arguments break out. Bryn berates Lucy for her treatment of Rachel and wonders how she has any friends with that attitude. McDonnell reminds everyone that there are no winners - they were all working together to find the materials to build one bridge, not three, and he gives the pupils an hour to build the bridge. Alex finishes his exam with time to spare, thanks to Sammy and Serena's support. In the playground, Serena seems to know what she's doing with the bridge and under her leadership the bridge is soon built. There's one further test - McDonnell asks Lucy and Rachel to cross the bridge. When they meet, Lucy and Rachel apologise for their differences and Rachel presents her with a new MP3 player. The competition prize turns out to be an MP3 player - which is awarded to Serena. |