I don’t want him to throw a chair and get sent home in disgrace from Leap 2048. I ask if he wants to do running, but he ignores me. I think he’s counting in his head. Big Ben can count to 100 in 10 seconds. When he can’t sleep, he counts to a million. He looks like he’s counting to a million now. Then he abruptly stops counting, grabs each arm of the armchair and I think, please don’t throw the armchair, please don’t. But he’s using the armchair to keep himself still because he’s shaking so much, like he’s cold. He’s shaking so much that when he rushes out of the room he can barely walk, like he can’t quite keep control of his body. A few moments later we hear the front door slam and the whoosh of an engine.

Big Ben’s hacked into Fiona!

It doesn’t take long for everyone to know Big Ben’s stolen Fiona. The whole centre’s in chaos. Millennia’s gone home and the Leapling teachers are making calls on their Chronophones to Season, Millennia, MC2. They can’t call the police. How could they answer detailed questions without breaking the Oath? The Annual teachers are trying to calm us all down. Some of the pupils, like Jake, think it’s amazing Big Ben worked out how to steal the car but others, even Martin Aston, are scared Big Ben’s going to have a crash and die. We all know he can drive but he’s never driven a Ferrari Forever before.

I want to live under the table. I know I upset Big Ben but I don’t understand why he got angry. To make things worse, Ama and Eve are best friends now and ignoring me because they think it’s my fault. Even Mrs C Eckler is too busy to help me. I want to live under the table but I can’t live under the table because the Common Room is bursting with pupils. Most of the teachers are in the hall, where they can make calls with less background noise. I think about going back to the chalet but I want to hear if they find Big Ben. I want to be the first to hear. I must remain in the centre.

I’m walking along the lower ground floor corridor. It’s quiet here. I’ve never walked down here before. We’ve only ever been in the hall or The Igloo. This must be where Millennia’s office is: Y2K. It says her name in bold black capital letters underneath. Next to that, another door: Energy Equals: MC2. Opposite The Hourglass: SEASON. Next to it: The Time Machine: LE TEMPS.