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The Tea Party
http://www.the-cbb.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=4450
Author:  andi [ Thu May 01, 2008 10:12 pm ]
Post subject:  The Tea Party
Joey Maynard stormed down the corridor towards Miss Annersley’s office, sending juniors flying left and right as she strode.

“Ridiculous!” she hissed. “Outrageous! Of all the gall! Don’t these people know who I am?”

From one of the classrooms came a familiar clarion voice.

“Joey! I say, Joey, wait a minute. I need a confab with you about our latest new girl. She’s by way of being a bit of a problem, you know.”

“Oh, s*d the new girl!” was Joey’s only response as she blazed past, leaving Mary-Lou staring after her brevet-aunt in amazement, mouth unattractively agape. The juniors picked themselves up off the floor and tailed Joey at a safe distance, eager to see the fun. As Head Girl, Mary-Lou knew that it was her responsibility to follow them, just in case there was a sudden need for her well-honed interfering – no, she meant problem-solving abilities. The procession reached the door of the head’s office. Joey smacked it open with one hand and stormed in.

Miss Annersley looked up from her desk. Her blue-grey eyes, which had never yet needed glasses, narrowed fractionally as they registered the object clutched in Joey’s hand. She raised her eyebrows.

“Joey, this is a surprise. I thought you said you were going down to Montreux today. Is something the matter?”

“Is something the matter?” Joey exploded.

The juniors outside the door giggled. Mary-Lou decided she ought to step in.

“Here, you lot, what do you think you’re doing? You know what we think about eavesdroppers in this school! Now scoot along, all of you, before I give you a Head’s Report.”

Sulkily the juniors obeyed, at least until they were around the next corner. As Joey’s tones were easily equalling Mary-Lou’s at her finest, this did not noticeably inhibit their ability to hear what was going on. Mary-Lou hovered outside the door of Miss Annersley’s office. She wasn’t listening, obviously, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t hear.

“Joey, whatever has happened? Sit down and I’ll ring for some coffee and cream cakes.” Hilda Annersley’s voice was as calm as ever.

“I’ll tell you what happened! My Montreux trip was called off at the last minute, so I decided to drop in to the staff room and show them the latest photos in my Old Girls albums…”

“How kind,” Hilda murmured.

“And when I walked into the staff room, what did I find?”

“Well, what did you find?” There was a faint trace of weariness in the Head’s voice.

“This!” Joey shrieked. “I found this!” She slammed the object she had been holding onto the desk. It was a half-full cup of tea. Unsurprisingly, most of the remaining tea in the cup splashed out onto Hilda’s desk. Sighing, she pulled a tissue out of her desk and mopped it up.

“Now, Joey, you’re over-reacting. I’m sure there’s a perfectly simple explanation.”

Joey’s face was puce with rage.

“Tea! Tea parties in the staff room!” She leaned threateningly over the desk. “I give the tea parties around here!” she snarled.

“Yes, Joey, of course you do,” Hilda soothed. “We were just saying in the staff room today how much we were looking forward to your next one. I’m sure the staff were only drinking the tea because they hoped – er, I mean thought – that you were away. Otherwise of course they’d have been round to Freudesheim for some of yours.”

“Well,” Joey said, sounding slightly mollified. “I suppose that makes sense. Of course I know how much you all look forward to my tea parties, and the chance to play paper games and dress up in sheets and pillowcases.”

“Yes,” the head agreed, with a fixed smile.

“But what I don’t understand,” Joey went on, her brow darkening, “is where they got the tea from in the first place.” She looked at Hilda suspiciously. “I thought we had an understanding about that.”

Hilda drew herself up. “Joey, I hope you are not suggesting that we at the Chalet School are involved in any kind of underhand tea-smuggling practices.”

Joey was flustered by the Head’s sudden dignified manner. “Oh, no, of course not, Hilda,” she said. “It’s just that…”

“Well?” Hilda’s voice was icy.

“Well, you know, it’s a while since we had an inspection and maybe…” Joey trailed off, looking embarrassed.

Miss Annersley got to her feet. Striding haughtily to the door, she opened it so quickly that Mary-Lou, who was bent over outside with her ear to the keyhole, only just had time to leap into a convenient cupboard.

“Please be good enough to follow me, Joey. We will inspect the kitchens together, and I can assure you we will find nothing.”

“Oh, Hilda, there’s really no need…” Now meek as a lamb, Joey followed her erstwhile headmistress. Mary-Lou, tiptoeing behind, watched as they inspected every nook and cranny of the kitchen under Karen’s grim gaze.

“There, Joey, you see? Nothing. In fact, I doubt whether what you saw the staff drinking was tea at all. Probably just rather weak coffee. Isn’t that right, Karen?”

Karen’s face twitched, but she nodded.

“Ja, meine Frau.”

Trailed discreetly by Mary-Lou, who was herself being even more discreetly trailed by the juniors, Hilda escorted Joey to the front door.

“Now, off you go back to that long family of yours. I’m sure they’ll be needing you. And I’m looking forward already to your next tea party.”

Beaming, Joey waved goodbye and galloped up the path to Freudesheim. Miss Annersley closed the door behind her and breathed a sigh of relief. The staffroom door opened a crack and a head poked out.

“Has she gone?”

“Yes!” snapped the head. “Now get me a cup of tea! A big one!”
Author:  Sugar [ Thu May 01, 2008 10:20 pm ]
Post subject: 
:lol: :lol: Great! I love the idea of tea smuggling mistresses
Author:  abbeybufo [ Thu May 01, 2008 10:21 pm ]
Post subject: 
:lol: :lol: :lol:

Thanks andi :D
Author:  Alison H [ Thu May 01, 2008 10:45 pm ]
Post subject: 
:lol: :lol: Thanks andi!
Author:  Rosalin [ Thu May 01, 2008 11:10 pm ]
Post subject: 
:lol: :lol: Brilliant.

Thanks andi.
Author:  MHE [ Thu May 01, 2008 11:20 pm ]
Post subject: 
Laughing madly :lol: :lol:
Author:  Elbee [ Thu May 01, 2008 11:46 pm ]
Post subject: 
:lol: Brilliant Andi, thank you :lol:
Author:  Tara [ Fri May 02, 2008 12:02 am ]
Post subject: 
Have just given a snort of laughter loud enough to rouse my sleeping household :lol: . Your Miss Annersley is wonderful!

Brilliant, Andi - thank you. You don't need to stop at one post, you know ...
Author:  LizzieC [ Fri May 02, 2008 12:08 am ]
Post subject: 
Fantastic! :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
Author:  Elder in Ontario [ Fri May 02, 2008 1:53 am ]
Post subject: 
I skimmed this very quickly a few hours ago, but have only just had chance to read it properly - I'm still giggling madly!!!

Thanks, Andi.
Author:  Liz K [ Fri May 02, 2008 6:50 am ]
Post subject: 
:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:


What IS it with Joey, why must she always be No. 1?
Author:  Elle [ Fri May 02, 2008 7:29 am ]
Post subject: 
Fantastic Andi! But where were they hiding all that tea????
Author:  Karry [ Fri May 02, 2008 8:14 am ]
Post subject: 
Were there any bowls of pot pourri around, with suspiciosly small and brown/black leaves?
Author:  Lesley [ Fri May 02, 2008 8:16 am ]
Post subject: 
Love it! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Author:  Fi [ Fri May 02, 2008 10:02 am ]
Post subject: 
:D :lol: :lol: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
This was great Andi, thanks.
Author:  Emma A [ Fri May 02, 2008 12:24 pm ]
Post subject: 
That was FAB! Thank-you, Andi.
Author:  Jennie [ Fri May 02, 2008 12:29 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks, Andi, a real laugh.
Author:  Mona [ Fri May 02, 2008 12:41 pm ]
Post subject: 
:lol: :lol: :lol: Thanks andi!
Author:  PaulineS [ Fri May 02, 2008 12:52 pm ]
Post subject: 
So where had they hid the tea?
:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :D :D :lol: :lol: :D :D :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
Author:  Aquabird [ Fri May 02, 2008 5:46 pm ]
Post subject: 
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Brilliant, andi, thanks.
Author:  Rebecca [ Fri May 02, 2008 8:40 pm ]
Post subject: 
Fabulous! Thanks, andi :D :D :D
Author:  Maeve [ Fri May 02, 2008 9:07 pm ]
Post subject: 
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Thanks, Andí
Author:  crystaltips [ Sat May 03, 2008 1:35 pm ]
Post subject: 
*giggling madly* :lol: :lol: :lol:

More please Andi
Author:  JustJen [ Sun May 04, 2008 4:20 am ]
Post subject: 
Brilliant Andi!
Author:  Sal [ Sun May 04, 2008 2:33 pm ]
Post subject: 
Loved Mary Lou discreetly listening and the other discreetly following Mary Lou! Oh and the secret tea smuggling :lol: Thanks andi
Author:  LauraMcC [ Thu May 08, 2008 4:57 pm ]
Post subject: 
Inspired! :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

I especially liked this bit:

[quote]“Yes, Joey, of course you do,” Hilda soothed. “We were just saying in the staff room today how much we were looking forward to your next one. I’m sure the staff were only drinking the tea because they hoped – er, I mean thought – that you were away. Otherwise of course they’d have been round to Freudesheim for some of yours.” [quote]

but it was all good.

Thank you.
Author:  Fiona Mc [ Sat May 17, 2008 12:55 am ]
Post subject: 
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
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