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the big hunk of wood guffawed before lumbering off.
    Davey managed to get a few hits in before the bell rang.
    The four friends made their way to the classroom. Most of 6M had already taken their seats, but Mudge was nowhere to be seen.
    Bella Ferosi gave her ponytail a distracted flick when she saw Davey take his seat.
    â€˜End of term is getting closer, David,’ she said and held up her pocketbook calendar. ‘Not much time left to get a merit award.’
    Bella flashed Davey her perfectly even white teeth in a well-practised, yet insincere, smile.
    â€˜So should I measure you up for a costume?’ she continued. ‘Pink will really suit your skin tone.’
    â€˜Just like slug colour will really suit yours,’ Davey shot back.
    They locked eyes.
    Davey waggled two fingers above his head like slug antennae waving in the breeze.
    â€˜Don’t mess with me, Warner,’ Bella replied, her voice as cold as steel. ‘There’s only room in this class for one teacher’s pet.’
    Davey mimed the slug dance and hummed the Sluggers’ song.
    Finally Mr Mudge arrived.
    â€˜Good morning, 6M.’ He dabbed at the back of his neck with a stained handkerchief. ‘We have computer studies first up this morning, so grab your workbooks and we’ll head over to the lab.’
    Davey shot up his hand.
    â€˜What is it, Warner?’ Mudge snapped, with more than a hint of impatience.
    â€˜I have my lawn bowls essay for you, Sir.’
    â€˜Ah, yes!’ Mudge looked so surprised he almost fell over. ‘Bring it over.’
    Davey threaded his way past chairs and desks and held out the essay to Mudge.
    â€˜Just put it on my desk,’ Mudge said dismissively. ‘I’ll get to it later.’
    â€˜Yes, Sir.’ Davey placed the essay on Mudge’s desk.
    Mudge peered at the title page and sniffed as if the essay somehow offended him.
    â€˜I imagine it won’t take me long to read if it’s your usual standard.’
    Davey ignored Bella’s look of triumph on the way back to his desk.

    The next few days passed in a blur for Davey. He worked with Trevor before and after school. He kept his head down in class and tried to be a model student. He helped Mudge polish endless supplies of lawn bowls during his lunch break. And when he could he practised his six-hitting.
    All too soon, it was the night before the big game against Shimmer Bay.
    Davey struggled to get to sleep. After a few hours of tossing and turning, he turned on his light and sat up in bed. Max gave a snort of protest but went back to sleep.
    Davey looked up at the faded poster of his hero, Ricky Ponting, which hung above his bed. Ricky was smiling and, despite the fangs that Sunil had added, it gave Daveyconfidence to imagine he was talking to the real Ricky.
    Davey imagined Ricky was standing at the crease – he stared straight ahead, concentrating on the ball coming his way.
    â€˜Everyone’s out to get me, Ricky,’ Davey told his hero. ‘I’ve set myself up for the impossible. And now all the people who want me to fail are going to get what they want.’
    â€˜It’s not over until the last wicket falls.’
    â€˜What?’ Davey could have sworn that Ricky had spoken, but the face in the poster just stared back at him.
    Davey turned the phrase over and over in his mind and eventually fell asleep.

CHAPTER 13
AGAINST THE ODDS
    Nothing could have prepared Davey for the size of the crowd gathered at the cricket ground.
    â€˜Holy moly,’ he murmured.
    Word of the bet had spread like wildfire throughout the school. Kids from kindythrough to Year Six were keen to see if Davey Warner could indeed hit six sixes. Nobody wanted to see him become Mo Clouter’s personal slave.
    Davey noticed that most of 6M were there. He could easily pick out Mo’s big head. He noticed that Bella was also in the crowd.
    â€˜You’re going down, Shorty,’ growled