The CBB
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Roses Do Have Thorns
http://www.the-cbb.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=4221
Author:  Jennie [ 25 Mar 2008, 16:18 ]
Post subject:  Roses Do Have Thorns
Mary-Lou Trelawney turned to her friends in disgust.

'I say, you lot, it's perfectly frightful. We've been split up! There are four ghastly new girls in our dorm, and four in yours. How dreadful. I'm not even in the same dormie as Verity, so how's she's going to cope, I don't know. But we certainly don't want these new girls, they'll be terrible. We'll have to give them so much help, and just when I was hoping to spend some spare time on laxe practice, not helping girls who won't know the first thing about our ways of doing things, or any languages. They probably can't play hockey or laxe, or know any French or German. Oh well,' she added, with a note of the utmost virtue in her voice. 'I suppose we'll have to turn to and do it.'

The rest of her little flock agreed with her. 'Yes, it will be difficult, but we'll all help. It's bound to be pretty ghastly for us, having to translate everything for them, but at least we'll be able to put them right on a lot of things.'

Murmurs of agreement all round. All eight of them were contemplating their own senses of virtue, when there came the noise of a throat being cleared behind them.

The eight turned to see eight new girls, none of whom seemed particularly pleased with what they had heard. Turning to look at each other, first one spoke, then another answered. Unfortunately, they were soon all speaking in a language that the eight veteran CS pupils failed to recognise.
Author:  Alison H [ 25 Mar 2008, 16:21 ]
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:lol: Glad you decided to write this!
Author:  Mona [ 25 Mar 2008, 16:37 ]
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Thanks Jennie! Looking forward to seeing more of this. :D
Author:  Becky [ 25 Mar 2008, 16:48 ]
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This looks interesting, thanks Jennie! :D
Author:  Fi [ 25 Mar 2008, 16:50 ]
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This looks great :D .

Thanks Jennie
Author:  Jennie [ 25 Mar 2008, 16:53 ]
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Vi Lucy looked at OOAO, and OOAO returned the look. This was going to be even worse than they had thought. They would have to teach these new girls English as well. The pious thought crossed their minds that they would be so busy helping that staff would be bound to notice and shower commendations on their heads.

Fortunately, help was close at hand. The august person of the Head Girl, Betsey Lucy walked into the Hall, closely followed by the Second Prefect, Jean Ackroyd and the Head of the Games, Katherine Gordon.

She noticed the two groups, but headed for the new girls. Hearing that they were speaking in a totally foreign language, (to her, that was) she swiftly marched over to them. They were an assorted bunch, some dark, some fair, some wih auburn hair, but all tall, good-looking and dressed with what she recognised as a sort of continental flair which gave their uniforms, correctly donned as they were, an unusual touch.

It was decidedly time for her to intervene.

She stood in front of them. They smiled sweetly at her and looked vaguely interested, but said nothing.

She spoke to them slowly and clearly.

'I'm the Head Girl here. Welcome to the Chalet School. Now, I don't know what language you're speaking, but here we speak English, French and German. But you can use your own language on Sundays.'

One of the girls smile graciously and answered. 'Oh, we all speak English, we were just keeping up our Portuguese.' Her voice was low, clear and cultured.

Then the other girls chimed in, 'Oh yes, we all speak English.'

There was something in their voices that semed to emphasise the word English, so selecting a girl who, from her dark hair and eyes might have been Spanish or French, she addressed her earnestly. 'And I'm afraid, you'll have to learn German as well. You see, we speak nothing but German for two days a week, lessons and everything. But you'll soon get used to it, when you hear it all around you, and everyone will be so willing to help you. Whoever coaches you in German will give you lists of verbs and idioms and things to learn. If you work hard, you might even be able to speak passably by half-term.'

The girl looked mildly amused,then said, 'My name is Asta von Braun. I am German, and we always speak it at home. I speak German, French, English and Portuguese. We have heard some of the mistresses here speaking German, but their accent is not very pure. Mamma says it is an Austrian accent, and that I must not pick it up. She is determined that I must keep my echt Berliner accent, and not fall into sloppy ways.'

The poor Head girl hardly knew where to look or what to do.








I can't remember who was HG, 2ndP & HotG when OOAO was in LVB. Thanks, Catherine.
Author:  Catherine [ 25 Mar 2008, 17:01 ]
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Betsy Lucy was HG, Jean Ackroyd Second, Katt Gordon was Games when ML was in Vb/Va. Julie, Clem et al the year before.
Author:  Smile :) [ 25 Mar 2008, 17:50 ]
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:lol: :lol: Thanks Jennie
Author:  PaulineS [ 25 Mar 2008, 19:11 ]
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Good I like the look of this.
Author:  Liane [ 25 Mar 2008, 19:31 ]
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This looks good. Tanks Jennie
Author:  abbeybufo [ 25 Mar 2008, 19:45 ]
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Hurrah! You've started it Jennie - thanks!!
Author:  Lesley [ 25 Mar 2008, 20:15 ]
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:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


Love it!
Thanks Jennie.
Author:  Elle [ 25 Mar 2008, 20:19 ]
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Hurrah! A new Jennie drabble! I'm glad you decided to write it.



*sits back happily and waits for the next installment*
Author:  Pat [ 25 Mar 2008, 20:28 ]
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Great! The bunny bit! Thanks Jennie.
Author:  Sugar [ 25 Mar 2008, 21:39 ]
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Looks great Thanks Jennie
Author:  Fiona Mc [ 25 Mar 2008, 21:53 ]
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This will be hilarious, thanks Jennie

BTW I would love it if Verity shines with the new girls especially is OOAOML doesn't
Author:  Miss Di [ 26 Mar 2008, 03:24 ]
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Ahhh. So listening to the Chalet Girls talk is kinda like trying to translate Inspector Rex?

Great start BTW!
Author:  Jennie [ 26 Mar 2008, 17:00 ]
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Worse was to befall both OOAO ad Vi Lucy when they went up to their dormitories. They had reluctantly offered to escort the new girls upstairs, and the girls had agreed though with a slightly puzzled look on their faces. Once again the new girls were speaking in the unknown language, but OOAO and Vi resolutely decided to ignore it. Both were quite amazed when the girls refused to accompany them into their cubicles so tha they could be given a demonstration of the correct CS way to organise one's clothes.

Finally, one of the girls smiled at them and said. 'We were told all this yesterday when we unpacked. Matron told us how to do it, so we have all arranged our things as she asked. Why do we need another demonstration? And we know about the baths and stripping our beds and humping the mattresses, so why do you feel the need to show us and tell us again?'

OOAO was quite taken aback. This was not how new girls ought to behave. They ought not to speak four languages fluently, they should need a demonstrationof how to strip their beds, they ought to have the bath rota explained to them several times. Oh well, since there was very little satisfaction to be found here, she would be as well to do some constructive worrying about Verity-Anne.

'Of course,' she said,'It will give me a little more time to nip next door and sort out my sister by marriage. her name is Verity-Anne Carey. You won't know her, of course. She's a hard task for me, but I cope. She's far too slow in the mornings, so I have to do things for her. She couldn't manage without me, you know.'

One of the girls looked rather surprised at this patronisingly-uttered speech.

'Oh, I was quite sure that both Matron and Miss Annersley told us that visiting between dormitories during term-time is strictly forbidden. Surely you won't repeatedly break the rules?'

OOAO looked a trifle chagrined. 'Oh well, I suppose I'll be able to get away with it, as long as no-one sneaks, that is.'

'We're none of us in the habit of telling tales, if that's what you mean, but I still think that it's a bad 'tradition' to break rules. I'm sure she'll manage very well without you, in any case.'

'Oh, I suppose I can get someone else to help her, but it's a hard task, you've no idea how bad Matron can get when a girl doesn't do her cubey work properly. And she fetches you out of lessons!' This last delivered in a tone that was designed to impress.

The other girls smiled. Finally one spoke. 'Well, you won't be doing her any favours by getting help for her, will you? She'll only get into trouble with Matron two or three times before she gets through everything. By the way, we met her, Verity-Anne, yesterday when we were out for a walk. She didn't strike us as being lacking in any department, quite clever in fact. Perhaps she just doesn't like doing the cubey work, so she's let you do it for her.'

OOAO was silenced.
Author:  Alison H [ 26 Mar 2008, 17:02 ]
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Jennie wrote:

OOAO was silenced.


Hooray!!
Author:  Mona [ 26 Mar 2008, 17:06 ]
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Wonderful, thanks Jennie!
Author:  Jennie [ 26 Mar 2008, 17:25 ]
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Please let me have any suggestions of where you'd like to see OOAO put in her place.

I really need them.
Author:  Alison H [ 26 Mar 2008, 17:26 ]
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Will PM you :lol: .
Author:  PaulineS [ 26 Mar 2008, 18:46 ]
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The languages and Verity are a god start!!

Prehaps not being top of the form and knowing how to conduct oneself on rambles when going up hill.

I wonder where the new girls come from? As they are settleing in so well.
Author:  Sugar [ 26 Mar 2008, 18:59 ]
Post subject: 
Jennie wrote:
Please let me have any suggestions of where you'd like to see OOAO put in her place.

I really need them.


I could give you a LONG list but I know your imagination needs NO help really!

Bottom of lake with bricks in her shoes
Electric chair
In the gallows

was that the sort of thing you had in mind? :twisted:

Btw re: title - why not just call it Roses have thorns.
Author:  Lesley [ 26 Mar 2008, 19:23 ]
Post subject: 
That really was patronising of her, wasn't it? Glad the new girls put her in her place.


Thanks Jennie. :lol:
Author:  RroseSelavy [ 26 Mar 2008, 21:15 ]
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Yay! This is great, Jennie :D
Author:  Amanda M [ 26 Mar 2008, 21:21 ]
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I'm enjoying this :lol: Thanks Jennie.
Author:  Vick [ 26 Mar 2008, 23:10 ]
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Lovely, thanks Jennie :D
Author:  JustJen [ 26 Mar 2008, 23:42 ]
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This is wonderful Jennie!
Author:  Smile :) [ 27 Mar 2008, 13:53 ]
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Ace, thanks Jennie.
Author:  Jennie [ 27 Mar 2008, 15:06 ]
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Finally, OOAO decided to introduce herself.

'By the way, I'm Mary-Lou Trelawney and this is Vi Lucy. What are your names then?'

'Well,' replied the one who was obviously English. 'I'm Emma Rose Masterson, this is Asta von Braun, here is Jeanne de Montcalm, and this one is Luisia d'Almeida. we'll introduce you to the others when we're all downstairs again. Otherwise, it would be too confusing for you.'

OOAO seethed at the idea that she would not be able to distinguish between eight girls, but accepted that she would get no more out of this Emma for the time being. Then her genius prompted her to say,'Of course, Emma is far too fancy for everyday use, so I think we'll call you Em.'

'I'm afraid not.' replied the other girl with a smile. OOAO was coming to dislike that smile. 'I loathe and abhor being called Em. Of course, we could always call you Mare, couldn't we? After all, if you prefer one syllable.'

This was not what OOAO had wanted or thought of. She was beginning to suspect that these new girls were not going to be as much of a pushover as she had thought. They certainly didn't seem to be impressed with her or her detailed knowledge of the correct CS way of doing things, well, everything, really.
Author:  Mona [ 27 Mar 2008, 15:09 ]
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A well deserved comeupance! Thanks Jennie.
Author:  roversgirl [ 27 Mar 2008, 15:12 ]
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Thanks ;)
Author:  JustJen [ 27 Mar 2008, 17:38 ]
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This is amazing Jennie!
Author:  Alison H [ 27 Mar 2008, 17:44 ]
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:lol: :lol:
Author:  abbeybufo [ 27 Mar 2008, 20:21 ]
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Nice one Jennie :lol:
Author:  Lesley [ 27 Mar 2008, 22:10 ]
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Well done Emma! :wink:


Thanks Jennie.
Author:  PaulineS [ 27 Mar 2008, 22:11 ]
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I do not blame Emma for hating Em. I dislike abbreviations of my middle name and swopped to my first name to avoid it.
Author:  Sugar [ 27 Mar 2008, 22:28 ]
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Brilliant Jennie Keep it coming!
Author:  Elle [ 27 Mar 2008, 23:36 ]
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Thanks Jennie, this is fantastic.
Author:  Miss Di [ 28 Mar 2008, 04:03 ]
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Oh I am most liking this Jennie.

What is going to happen when they have kaffe and kuchen with the fancy bread twists? (just giving you ideas for criticisms...)
Author:  jennifer [ 28 Mar 2008, 04:23 ]
Post subject: 
Hmmm,

Verity likes the new girls better than she likes Mary-Lou, and starts hanging out with them. Several of the non-Gang members of the form follow suit, and the new girls have a clique bigger than the gang.

The new girls think J.M. Bettany's books are "okay for small children, but rather trite and formulaic, don't you think".

One or more of the new girls turns out to have been raised mainly among adults, rather than girls her own age, and is mature as a result.

One or more of the girls has a close, personal connection to an important CS figure (Miss Annersley? Miss Wilson? Matey?!?) and therefore is conversant with all the CS gossip and legends.

One of the girls has a father who is a famous archaeologist, and is following in his footsteps, having been on various digs.

One of the girls manages to solve a problem with a new or troublesome girl, before Mary-Lou gets a crack at her.
Author:  Jennie [ 28 Mar 2008, 13:26 ]
Post subject: 
Thanks for the suggestions, I'll be working on them over the weekend.
Author:  Jennie [ 30 Mar 2008, 19:15 ]
Post subject: 
A Little more:

OOAO sank into bed with a feeling of intense relief. It had not been a good day. She had hoped that it would start with her being able to impress their dormitory prefect with her helpfulness over the new girls. Alas, not even springing out of bed the moment the rising bell rang had been any help. She had certainly not heard that awful girl, Emma, moving around, but there she was, setting off for the bathroom almost immediately. And, her bed was already stripped with the mattress humped correctly. OOAO had been tempted to go in and move it around , but Hilary had stopped her, asking where she was going. OOAO could hardly confess that she was about to undo someone’s work. And, there had been no chance to nip in next door to supervise Verity. That was the problem with being third on the bath list. The new girl had quite clearly had her cold bath, for she had returned, rosy and glowing, to dress very quietly. OOAO had peeped through the dividing curtains to see the girl giving her hair the finishing strokes of the brush, then beginning to plait it in one tail down her back. The long, even plait was down to her waist as well, showing, by its different shades of blonde that its owner had spent time out in the sun during the summer.

There was not even the chance to push or pull her into line, for the four new girls were waiting quietly by the door before the others had joined them, and they had politely given way to anyone who ought to have been in line in front of them. Worse, they had made no attempt to talk on the way down to their common-room, and when they had arrived there, the new girls had quickly rejoined their friends and begun to speak in what OOAO realised was Portuguese. Something had amused them, for they were soon laughing, and OOAO noticed that several girls were looking enviously at the eight of them, so clearly happy and relaxed. It was not good enough. New girls ought to be shy and hesitant, not stand so easily and happily.

It was also easy to see that the breakfast was nothing new to them. They even had the nerve to show no surprise over the shape of the sugar lumps. Instead, they tucked in quite happily to the coffee, rolls, butter and black cherry jam. Even the condescending information she had given them, ‘The jam is made from black cherries. I don’t suppose you’ve had it before.’ was met with a laugh, and the reply, ’Oh, it’s fairly common in Geneva, you know. I’ve eaten it lots of times before.’ Then that dreadful Emma had turned to the girl on her other side and spoken to her in a low voice.

The real problem was that this Emma Masterson was an exceedingly attractive young lady, in fact, she was beautiful. She had a perfect oval face, lovely features, skin like alabaster, and an abundance of long blonde hair. And even worse, if her previous behaviour had been anything to go by, she was a young lady of some strength of character and was not likely to be over-awed by the knowledge that OOAO was never, ever, going to invite her to join the Gang. This was OOAO’s little coterie, and she was determined that none of them would have anything to do with the new girls. Well, not if she had anything to do with it, and she would, or her name was not Mary-Lou Trelawney. Break would be the best time to do it. They could all go out, and she would lay down the law..

Then they had had assembly, and OOAO had noticed that some of the new girls were Catholics, and had joined the rest of the school after their service was over. Unfortunately, there was little advantage in that, for that Emma had behaved as reverently as an old girl, so there would be no chance to tell them, any of them, how important God was.

Then they had returned to finish their dormy work. Emma had made her bed as efficiently as she had stripped it, and done it correctly. Even Matey had given her a few words of praise, after she had checked it. Then had come the really wounding remark. ‘If only some of the girls who have been with us for years could pick up things as quickly as you have, I would have less work to do. Well done.’

And the other three had come in for a few words of praise as well. It was simply wrong for them to fit in as well as they had.

The walk had passed off fairly well, she had managed to get the gang together, and they had been walking some way behind the new girls. But the first lessons had not been a pleasant experience. First had come registration with Miss O’Ryan, their form teacher, who had been delighted to discover that the new members of her form were all fluent French speakers, who could hold their own in conversation with her. Then the timetable and textbooks had been given out, followed by break. Some of the other members of the gang had seemed a little reluctant to boycott the new girls, saying that everyone had to have a chance, but OOAO was in no mood to listen to reason, or to anyone else.

The first real lesson had been Maths with Miss Wilmot, and she had chosen to revise some Geometry with them. Most of the form had promptly forgotten it over the summer, but Miss Wilmot’s frowns had soon changed to smiles of approval, when the new girls, especially that Emma, had put their hands up to answer the questions, showing that they, at least, knew and understood the theorem. Things had not improved when Miss Wilmot had chosen to give them a whole theorem to solve for Prep, and then walked out of the room saying that she was glad that the school had finally acquired some pupils who could think Mathematically. This had been followed by the humiliating experience of Latin, when the new girls had once again shone, their knowledge clearly greater than any of the others’. It had been the same in French, then in English. This had happened through the entire day.

Then had come the final straw. A sudden, unexpectedly heavy shower of rain had meant that they were to be cooped indoors instead of going out. The powers that be had decreed that they were to sew instead of playing. The nightgowns that they were to sew for the children of a poor parish in Innsbruck were handed out. OOAO hated sewing, but the new girls were not taken aback at all. Instead of wondering what they were to do with it, they had all begun to baste the nightgowns together, and once Mdlle. had approved this, they began to sew quite happily. Mdlle. had commented on this, saying that she was happy to find some girls who knew one end of a needle from the other, and it was time that the others gave up their heedless ways and learned to sew properly.

It had been the same on the next day. The new girls were clearly ahead of the form in every subject, and added insult to injury by appearing not to be conscious of this. They remained their polite, smiling selves, whatever was said to them, and when a few remarks were made about not being a form who was mad about mark-grabbing, merely raised their eyebrows and looked a little amazed at the thought of wasting time and money on not doing their lessons.

What was worse was that some of the Gang were looking wistfully at the new girls. When they had been in their common room, the new girls, all eight of them had seated themselves quietly in a group, and then busied themselves with some knitting. When asked what they were doing, that Awful Emma had replied that their mothers supported foreign missions, so they had been given wool and knitting needles to make squares for blankets to be sent to anywhere there was a need for them. It then came out that Jeanne’s mother worked part-time for the United Nations in Geneva, helping with disaster relief work, so they all knew just how much blankets and food were needed when floods or famine struck.

OOAO had then made a few enquiries, as to the background of these girls. She started with Emma. Of course, she had gone about it in a roundabout way, first telling them that Auntie Joey would soon be asking them to tea. Then she explained just who Auntie Joey was, revealing her in all her panoply of authoress. Emma had smiled and then revealed that her mother was a novelist. She volunteered no further information, but then OOAO had announced with enormous pride that Uncle Jack, Aunt Joey’s husband, was the Head of the great San at the other end of the Platz. The girls said that they had heard of it, and even seen it when they had been out for a walk. Then Emma had revealed that her father was a doctor, too. He, it seemed, was working at CERN, the European nuclear research place outside Geneva, where he was working with physicists and engineers to create a machine that would take ‘scans’ of people to help to diagnose their injuries and illnesses. He also worked some shifts at he Medical Centre there.

When OOAO had been a bit sniffy about that , Emma had merely smiled, then gone back to her knitting. What was really annoying about the whole thing was that several girls, the sort who wouldn’t be allowed in the Gang, had asked if they could help to knit squares for blankets, and had been received with smiles of pleasure. And that had made some of the Gang look a wee bit shamefaced.
Author:  Alison H [ 30 Mar 2008, 19:21 ]
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:lol: :lol: Emma is great!
Author:  Rosalin [ 30 Mar 2008, 19:24 ]
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Oh dear, girls who fit in well from the start. Shouldn't be allowed :lol: I don't think OOAO is going to come out of this very well, somehow.

Thanks Jennie.
Author:  roversgirl [ 30 Mar 2008, 19:34 ]
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Thank you :)
Author:  abbeybufo [ 30 Mar 2008, 19:38 ]
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:lol: :lol:
This is splendid come-uppance for OOAO

Thanks Jennie
Author:  Lesley [ 30 Mar 2008, 19:55 ]
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Do we think Emma is slated for Head Girl? :lol: She certainly seems a good candidate - and is coming across as a nicer person than Mary Lou. Like the touch about girls deemed unsuitable for the Gang welcomed by the eight.


Thanks Jennie.
Author:  Jennie [ 30 Mar 2008, 20:35 ]
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It was even worse the next day, Saturday. There had been no mending to do, but after everyone had done their prep and written their letters, they had had some time together in the Commonroom.

The new girls had all got out some embroidery to do, and it was clear that they were all skilled needlewomen. The awful Emma was busy with something, embroidering in one corner of a piece of material, so OOAO decided to show off her expert knowledge.

'I say, that's rather small for a traycloth, isn't it?'

Emma looked up at her with a puzzled air. 'Oh this, this isn't a traycloth, it's a table napkin. I'm making a set of six, to go with a tablecloth. It's intended as a breakfast cloth. We've been told about the Sale of Work you hold here in the Summer Term, so I'm doing it for that. I hope someone will like it well enough to want to buy it.'

Since the article in question was a very pretty shade of pale yellow, and was clearly being embroidered with sprays of lily of the valley in white, with sprays of green leaves, OOAO had no doubt that someone would not only like it, but offer to pay over the asking price for it.

So she decided to let them know about the glories of being Auntie Joey's honorary niece.

'Auntie Joey, you know, I told you she was a writer, she lives next door at that big house, Freudesheim, it's called. I go there quite often, as I'm an honorary member of the family.You'll probably love Auntie Joey's books, they're super. She wrote 'Nancy Meets a Nazi' and all the others. She writes as Josephine M. Bettany, her maiden name, you know.'

'Oh yes, I had some of them when I was much younger.' replied Awful Emma. 'My mother is a novelist as well. You might have heard of her, she's -------------, her books are too adult for us, of course, but I hope to be able to appreciate them when I'm older.'

Alas, the lady she had named was a renowned writer, and one who was a serious candidate for the Nobel Prize for Literature. OOAO was silenced.

But Emma was continuing. 'You might like to listen to the book we're reading aloud. It's the first part of a trilogy. We have only the one copy, because it's not on general issue yet. It's called 'The Lord of the Rings'. It's by Professor Tolkien. He taught my mother Anglo-Saxon when she was at Oxford. He sent her this for me, because he often said she had the sort of mind that would appreciate it. It looks very exciting. It's all about a battle between good and evil. We're going to be reading it aloud together. Perhaps some of you would like to hear it.'

OOAO knew that she had lost this round of the game, and retreated before she was forced to the admission that she had never heard of the eminent professor.
Author:  Lesley [ 30 Mar 2008, 21:23 ]
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Oh ouch! Well and truly crushed! :lol:
Author:  Elbee [ 30 Mar 2008, 21:25 ]
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I like the sound of Emma - poor Mary-Lou :lol: !

Thanks, Jennie.
Author:  abbeybufo [ 30 Mar 2008, 21:25 ]
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Brilliant :lol:
Fancy OOAO not having heard of JRR :shock:

[BTW I have a little tale of encountering him in his old age if anyone's interested]

Thanks Jennie
Author:  Jennie [ 31 Mar 2008, 09:44 ]
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I'd love to hear the tale, Abbeybufo, please.
Author:  Sugar [ 31 Mar 2008, 10:25 ]
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Jennie this is a fab - I bet OOAO feels like her whole world's inside a snow globe!
Author:  Jennie [ 31 Mar 2008, 14:33 ]
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And a little more. Isn't it odd that inspiration strikes when I'm OOAO - bashing?

============================================

Then had come the day that OOAO had been longing for. That very afternoon they were to begin to play lacrosse. Now, OOAO had decided, very firmly, in her own mind that she was going to be the best player in her form, in her year, actually. She could hardly wait. It was going to be very obvious right from the start that she was the best, so she positively hurried out to the laxe pitch to be one of the first there.

She was miffed when she saw those awful girls approaching in the middle of a fairly large group of happy girls, but she consoled herself with the thought that the Gang had far more influence, they were still the leaders of the Middles and everyone still wanted to be in the Gang. When they got closer, she saw that the new girls didn’t even have new crosses, theirs were definitely well-used. Perhaps their parents had spent everything they had on the uniform, with nothing to spare for extras such as sports equipment.

Then came the first things. Well, OOAO hadn’t spent time on looking at the older girls for nothing, so she held her cross in the correct way, though some of them didn’t. Once the Games mistress was satisfied that everyone had the hang of holding her cross, they began the business of dividing into pairs to learn how to throw a ball and catch it. It was not as easy as it had looked, and OOAO was surprised to find that she was shying the ball in the wrong direction, and even worse, failing to catch them. The mistress observed them all closely for a short time, then blew her whistle.

‘Well, I can see that some of you girls have already got the hang of this. You eight, how much have you played?’

Luisia was the one who replied .’We’ve been playing for two years now, and we have been selected for the Junior Reserve team for Geneva Canton. ‘

‘Well, if that’s the case, I want you to help some of the other girls. I’ll select partners for you, and you can help the biggest duffers with their throwing and catching.’ Then she moved briskly around, cutting out eight girls for this help. Of course, Verity was one of them, and Miss Burn chose Awful Emma to help her. Then Jeanne was approaching, and to her horror, OOAO found that she was her chosen partner. Feeling very huffy, OOAO went with Jeanne and found that she was getting some very thorough coaching from a girl she did not like. It was not that Jeanne was impatient, or bossy, just very, very thorough, and also very, very determined that OOAO was going to learn this basic skill. Time after time, she demonstrated, time after time she talked her through it, and time after time she chased and picked up the ball that OOAO was shying everywhere.

It didn’t help that Emma and Verity were the next pair along, and that Emma was treating Verity with great kindness and patience, until Verity was at last getting the hang of it. And Miss Burn rubbed salt into the wounds by approaching and praising Verity, then told Emma that she had done well as a coach. Then she came to Jeanne and OOAO, and her expression changed. ‘Watch what you’re doing Mary-Lou. Listen to what Jeanne is telling you. Think before you throw, and don’t be so wild about it. Gently first, don’t try to master the entire pitch with a throw until you’ve actually learned how to do it.’

She then thanked Jeanne for her efforts and blew her whistle for them all to gather around her. She dismissed them with a few words of praise, then sent them back in for Kaffee und Kuchen, after which they were free to spend time in the common room before going upstairs to wash and change for the evening. Of course, the new girls immediately busied themselves with some sort of handiwork, and OOAO was horrified to see that Jo Scott, the probationary Gang member was shyly approaching the awful new girls and was asking about how to learn to embroider.

Well, she had to do something about that, so she called sharply to Jo and told her to hurry up because they were going to play a board game around one of the big tables. Jo obeyed, of course, but with rather slow steps, and a few wistful looks back at the girls who were so happily engaged in sewing. And, it did not escape her eagle eye that several other girls had approached the newcomers and were soon sitting with them, knitting at squares for those wretched blankets.

Just then, Betsey Lucy and a couple of the other prefects entered the room to check on whether they were getting themselves into any form of trouble. As they weren’t, the prefects went round the room, speaking to each and every girl. It was noticeable that they spent longer with Awful Emma and her crowd, and OOAO strained her ears to overhear what was being said.

Betsey was saying, ‘Well, I’m sure that when that is finished, it will make a jolly good item for the sale; in fact, we might reserve it as a raffle prize, to make more out of it.’ Then she turned to the others and asked what they were doing. Upon being told that they were knitting blanket squares, Betsey looked pleased, then thoughtful as she learned that the blankets were destined for foreign missions. It seemed for a moment that she might attempt to claim them for the Sale, but upon hearing that the wool had been provided especially by their mothers for the purpose, she obviously realised that she could not.

The situation was not made any better when Luisia and Emma conferred together briefly, then tentatively offered to ask their mothers if they would send them some more wool to knit a form blanket to send to the parish in Innsbruck. As they pointed out, if every girl knitted two or three squares, they would very soon have a decent sized blanket, and someone might want it, perhaps an old person who could not move around easily, and who needed something warm to put over their knees. Betsey looked thoughtful at that, and said nothing more to the new girls, but as she and her friends walked out, she was heard to say that it was a good idea, and perhaps all the other forms ought to do the same, and a couple of ounces of wool apiece didn’t cost very much. She might discuss it with the Abbess and see what she said.

Another black mark against Emma!
Author:  Alison H [ 31 Mar 2008, 14:36 ]
Post subject: 
Three cheers for Emma - nice to see her getting on well with Verity.
Author:  JustJen [ 31 Mar 2008, 14:41 ]
Post subject: 
OOANO isn't being a good Chalet Gril is she?

Thanks for the update Jennie!
Author:  crystaltips [ 31 Mar 2008, 14:51 ]
Post subject: 
Just caught up with this. It's terrific!
Are we going to see Verity better than OOAO at something? Please yes!!
:lol:
Thanks Jennie.
Author:  leahbelle [ 31 Mar 2008, 17:21 ]
Post subject: 
Thanks, Jennie. I like Emma very much!
Author:  Lesley [ 31 Mar 2008, 18:30 ]
Post subject: 
I hope Jo Scott is able to tell Mary Lou to go away another time - OOAO is really not coming out of this very well, is she?
:lol:

Thanks Jennie.
Author:  Amanda M [ 31 Mar 2008, 19:01 ]
Post subject: 
Thanks for this Jennie :D It's nice to see OOAO getting her comeuppance!
Author:  BethC [ 31 Mar 2008, 20:46 ]
Post subject: 
This is great, Jennie!
Has M-L introduced them to the Triplets yet? :wink:
Author:  Jennie [ 31 Mar 2008, 21:37 ]
Post subject: 
OOAO was racking her brains to try to outdo these dreadful new girls, but could think of nothing more than mentioning the triplets. She decided to wait to do this until they were eating Abendessen, as that would probably make them do something silly at the table.

So, when they were all busy eating their first course, she 'casually' dropped it into the conversation that she might be going over to Freudesheim the next day. She was chagrined to discover that there was no answering chorus of envious statements, but she managed to hide it, merely smiling at Emma, then loftily informing her that she would be going over with the triplets, Mrs. Maynard's trio of firstborn daughters. Instead of the amazement that she had expected, and counted on, Emma just smiled at her, then told her to talk to Marianne Lemarchant. She helpfully pointed her out, then informed her, 'Marianne can tell you all about triplets. Her aunt had two sets of them, boys first, then girls. It's quite amazing when they all come to stay, we all go over to help at bathtime. It's like a production line, even with the two nannies. After two evenings of that, it feels as if we've been bathing babies for ever. I mean, babies are nice, but six of them are a bit too much in one evening.'

OOAO felt definitely outdone. Would she ever be able to prove her superiority to these dreadful girls? There must be something she could do or say, but what? Perhaps they wouldn't know the dances that were to follow as the evening's main entertainment, or would prove to be clumsy. It was a faint hope, but one that she clung to. The worst of it was that this terrible girl didn't appear to realise that OOAO was hostile to her, didn't like her one little bit. Instead, they wereall polite, friendly and welcoming, and above all, helpful. And they had a sense of humour! Nothing was going her way! If she were not very careful, she would be losing her grip, and wouldn't be leading the Middles around by the nose.
Author:  Lesley [ 31 Mar 2008, 21:57 ]
Post subject: 
Oh dear - is this the only way Mary Lou can prove her self worth? By belittling everyone else? She'll be lucky not to lose the entire Gang if she keeps up like this.


Thanks Jennie
Author:  Sugar [ 31 Mar 2008, 22:05 ]
Post subject: 
Ohhhh an OOAO bashing! I do love this drabble. Poor MaryLou though, her whole position seems shaky.
Author:  Fiona Mc [ 31 Mar 2008, 23:49 ]
Post subject: 
I'm another who is hoping that Verity shines a bit more. Thanks Jennie, its been lovely to catch up with so many posts at one time
Author:  Fatima [ 01 Apr 2008, 07:42 ]
Post subject: 
Emma's lovely - and it's nice to see OOAO so completely outdone at every turn!

Thanks Jennie.
Author:  Sarah J [ 01 Apr 2008, 09:19 ]
Post subject: 
Poor OOAO she's not doing very well at all in this. I am enjoying it though - thanks Jennie
Author:  Rosalin [ 01 Apr 2008, 15:19 ]
Post subject: 
Must be a bit of a shock for Mary-Lou, suddenly not being in the forefront of everything. It would be good to see her being outshone by Verity though.

Thanks Jennie.
Author:  abbeybufo [ 01 Apr 2008, 20:29 ]
Post subject: 
Isn't it awful how much we all enjoy OOAO-bashing? :twisted: :twisted:
Thanks Jennie
Author:  crystaltips [ 01 Apr 2008, 20:38 ]
Post subject: 
[quote="abbeybufo"]Isn't it awful how much we all enjoy OOAO-bashing? :twisted: :twisted:

Absolutely!

Thanks, Wendy
Author:  Elle [ 01 Apr 2008, 22:06 ]
Post subject: 
Thanks for the excellent updates Jennie!
Author:  Jennie [ 02 Apr 2008, 12:38 ]
Post subject: 
English tea at Freudesheim was not as much fun as usual. For a start, Auntie Joey was voluble in her anticipation of having all eight of the new girls over within the next few weeks, and appeared to be certain that OOAO would be one of the friends accompanying them. OOAO didn't know how to tell her the truth.

Then Auntie Joey was asking her about how the new girls were settling in, and OOAO could tell her the plain truth, which was 'very well indeed', without having to reveal that she had done nothing to assist in this process.

In fact, OOAO was wishng that she was back at school, for she was worried. That Awful Emma was gaining a following and OOAO had no idea about how to combat this.

Then Auntie Joey started to burble about how surprised the new girls would be to discover that she had triplet daughters at the CS, and OOAO didn't have the heart to tell her that oneof them had to sets of triplets as cousins. She had a feeling that the news wouldn't go down well.

And how could she concentrate on paper games when she was worrying that some of the weaker-minded members of the Gang might even now be sitting knitting squares for blankets, or learning the basic embroidery stitches? It wouldn't have been so bad if it had been the day for all the old photos to be brought out, because she knew the correct response to each photograph and could answer automatically, but concentration was impossible today.

So it was a very unhappy Mary-Lou who dashed back to the school in time for Abendessen. Perhaps tomorrow woud be better.
Author:  Alison H [ 02 Apr 2008, 12:46 ]
Post subject: 
:lol: :lol: :lol:
Author:  keren [ 02 Apr 2008, 13:14 ]
Post subject: 
So how will Joey cope with them??
Author:  jennifer [ 02 Apr 2008, 15:08 ]
Post subject: 
Jennie wrote:
It wouldn't have been so bad if it had been the day for all the old photos to be brought out, because she knew the correct response to each photograph and could answer automatically, but concentration was impossible today.



Heh, heh.
Author:  crystaltips [ 02 Apr 2008, 17:30 ]
Post subject: 
Can't wait for Joey's reaction to the new girls.
Thanks, Jennie
Author:  PaulineS [ 02 Apr 2008, 17:54 ]
Post subject: 
Joey's response to the two sets of triplets will be worth waiting for!!!
Author:  Lesley [ 02 Apr 2008, 19:11 ]
Post subject: 
Hmmm, so what will Joey say when OOAO isn't one of the friends? Perhaps Verity will be?


Thanks Jennie.
Author:  Rosalin [ 02 Apr 2008, 22:03 ]
Post subject: 
Looking foward to seeing Joey's reaction to the new girls.

Thanks Jennie.
Author:  Ruth B [ 03 Apr 2008, 13:30 ]
Post subject: 
Hehee. Loving this, thank you Jennie.
Author:  Fiona Mc [ 04 Apr 2008, 05:19 ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Jennie. Am also wondering how Joey will react to them
Author:  Jennie [ 04 Apr 2008, 13:35 ]
Post subject: 
The next day, Monday, was not a happy day for OOAO. The new girls continued to do their cubey work as efficiently as ever, and ate their breakfasts without any spills or spots on the tablecloths, though OOAO was seriously tempted to jog Awful Emma's elbow when she was lifting her coffee cup.

Assembly was as usual, then came lessons. OOAO had assumed that things would miraculously right themselves and she would once more be the only real shining light of UVb. She wasn't.

She managed to answer Miss Wilmot's first question without any problem, but when it came to the next stage, she was stumped. Asta von Braun could answer it though, and in perfect German, which brought her a smile from Miss Wilmot. When OOAO tried to answer another question, she was not only wrong, but Miss Wilmot frowned at her and told her to moderate her voice in fuure.

'No one else feels the need to shout, Mary-Lou, so why you do is a mystery. Keep your voice to a courteous level in future. I shall give you an Order Mark if you shout again in my classes.'

It was no better in any of the lessons. OOAO was fairly outshone, and told several times to keep her voice down.

So she was fairly seething by Mittagessen, and glowered at everyone and everything. Nothing was going right for her, and even some of the Gang looked as if they no longer wished to know her. When pudding had been served, she decided to carry the war into the enemies' camp, and began by telling everyone what she had done at Auntie Joey's the day before. Then she began to address the new girls, recommending them to read her books as they were very enjoyable. Then Awful Emma replied.

'Oh, yes, as I said last week, I read some of them when I was younger, but now I'm older, I read things that are more complex. After all, we need to read things that are less formulaic and jejeune as we grow. I'm sure you find that Mrs. Maynard's books are very enjoyable, but, as I told you, we're reading 'The Fellowship of the Ring' aloud, and enjoying it very much.'

OOAO couldn't help the spiteful note that crept into her voice as she said. 'You do know that our reading books have to be approved, don't you? I'm sure you won't keep that particular book for long when the Mistresses find out about it.'

Emma looked puzzled, then replied. 'Well Miss Annersley was quite happy for us to read it when I asked her. She wasn't one of Professor Tolkien's students, but she went to lectures given by him, and knows that he wouldn't write anythiong unsuitable.'

OOAO positively flounced. Foiled again!

What she had not realised was that all the new girls had noticed her hostility to them, and far from being anxious or upset about it, were in fact quite amused, some of the conversations in Portuguese being about this precise topic.

And yesterday afternoon, it had been hard to dismiss the fact that several members of the Gang had pulled their chairs closer as they were taking it in turns to read aloud. Their tactics had not changed. They were continuing to be friendly and pleasant to everyone, working hard and enjoying their lives. They might have been laughing inside about OOAO's very obvious dislike of them, but they really felt that it was her problem, not theirs.
Author:  Alison H [ 04 Apr 2008, 13:38 ]
Post subject: 
I might even start feeling sorry for her in a bit.

Then again ...
Author:  PaulineS [ 04 Apr 2008, 13:41 ]
Post subject: 
Well Mary Lou is finding life complex. Better now than at University though.
Author:  Fatima [ 04 Apr 2008, 13:48 ]
Post subject: 
I'm glad they asked her to moderate her clarion tones! I'm not feeling sorry for her yet, though.

Thanks Jennie.
Author:  abbeybufo [ 04 Apr 2008, 14:32 ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Jennie - she will be isolated from all her friends soon :twisted:
Author:  Lesley [ 04 Apr 2008, 14:53 ]
Post subject: 
I would feel sorry for her if not for the fact that she so obviously wants to lord it over them - and is becoming very frustrated that she cannot. And perhaps the Staff have started to notice and diapprove of her behaviour - else why should she suddenly be pulled up for her loud voice?


Thanks Jennie.
Author:  Sarah J [ 04 Apr 2008, 16:21 ]
Post subject: 
If only she wasn't trying to lord it over them as Lesley says she might actually like them! Good to see new pupils arrive at CS who are not in need of reform or help in any way.
Author:  crystaltips [ 04 Apr 2008, 16:28 ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Jennie

*confesses to be :lol: too much at OOAO's predicament to feel sorry for her*
Author:  roversgirl [ 04 Apr 2008, 18:58 ]
Post subject: 
Am enjoying this a lot - although I do feel sorry watching her so obviously put her foot in it time after time! Thanks :)
Author:  Fiona Mc [ 04 Apr 2008, 20:44 ]
Post subject: 
Glad to see the new girls aren't upset by her actions though I do hope you'll allow Emma or one of the new girls to reform her soon
Author:  Ela [ 05 Apr 2008, 20:21 ]
Post subject: 
Really enjoying this bit of Mary-Lou-bashing, Jennie! I love the new girls' effortless competence, too, and their very adult attitude towards ML's antagonism.

(Also giggling at FionaMc's comment that ML may be reformed by the new girls, rather than the other way round...)
Author:  Jennie [ 06 Apr 2008, 21:28 ]
Post subject: 
Saturday came round again, and with it more Laxe practice. This time, OOAO was really desperate for everything to come together, so she tried even harder. This time, Miss Burn sent her off the pitch because she had tried too hard, and nearly hit one of the girls.

Then at Kaffee und Kuchen, she noticed that the Excruciating Eight as she had come to call them in her mind, were getting to be very popular. And Jo Scott was having a low-voiced conversation with one of them. OOAO was not pleased.

Then, when they were relaxing in their commonroom, she noticed that most of the girls were knitting those dreadful squares to make a blanket. Catch her doing anything as stupid as that.

She also noticed as she came in that Awful Emma and Atrocious Asta were sitting at the long table cutting out some fabric. She wasn't having that, not likely.

Marching up to them, she announced. 'You two can clear off this table. Vi and I want to play table tennis.'

This was news to Vi, who was feeling very uncomfortable about the whole situation, but she felt that she ought not to let Mary-Lou down, so she stood there.

To her amazement, the two girls did not move, or even seem to notice them. OOAO repeated what she had said, and even then, the two girls did not move or stop what they were doing.

So, OOAO decided to take matters into her own hands. Striding up to the table, she picked up the fabric they were cutting and yanked at it. This meant that the fabric was damaged. Instead of a smooth, even cut, there was a jagged , well, it looked like a tear.

And Miss O'Ryan was just coming into the room. She was horrified. OOAO tried to excuse herself by saying that she had asked the girls to move so that two of them could play table tennis, but Miss O'Ryan was having none of it.

'I heard it all, Mary-Lou. I cannot call what you said by the name of polite request. And to damage such fabric! I am ashamed of you and disgusted with you. I have no idea whether the fabric can be replaced.'

Emma assured her that it could be, as they had bought a large piece of it, and her mother would send her some more, but that it did mean that she would not be able to make another set for the sale. She seemed to be genuinely upset at this prospect, but told Miss O'Ryan that she could make tray cloths. And she could use the jagged piece to teach some of the girls the basic embroidery stitches, so it wouldn't be entirely wasted.

What OOAO really hated was not just the contempt in Miss O'Ryan's eyes, but the shocked look on the faces of girls whom she she had considered to be her most faithful adherents.

And Miss O'Ryan was saying that she would have no pocket money, apart from her stamp money and her church collection until she had repaid the money for the fabric. This was a blow indeed!

Then the mistress was saying something else. 'I cannot understand why you don't do something useful, the two of you. Why are you not helping your form to knit blanket squares? I understand this one is for a foreign mission, but the next one or two are for the parish in Innsbruck. It's a good idea and I understand the whole school will be taking it up. Even the youngest forms will be knitting smaller blankets to help keep óld people warm. I expected more of you than this. I simply don't understand what has got into you two this term. You're not making any effort, and I expect you to pull your socks up!'

With that, she marched out of the room, leaving OOAO speechless, and Vi dissolving into tears. And when Vi went over to the other girls, she was treated in sympathetic silence, and one of THOSE girls even gave her a clean hankie to dry her tears.
Author:  PaulineS [ 06 Apr 2008, 21:34 ]
Post subject: 
Mary Lou was lucky not to be sent to bed this time!
Poor Vi getting caught up in it, glad the other girls recognised she was not to blame.
Author:  Lesley [ 06 Apr 2008, 21:35 ]
Post subject: 
Now that really was inexcusable - pleased Miss O'Ryan was there. Poor Vi though.
:cry:

Thanks Jennie.
Author:  roversgirl [ 06 Apr 2008, 21:43 ]
Post subject: 
Thanks for the update. :)
Author:  abbeybufo [ 06 Apr 2008, 21:59 ]
Post subject: 
Oh dear - I am beginning - just a tad - to feel just a tiny bit sorry for OOAO [but not enough to want you to stop yet :lol: ]

Thanks Jennie
Author:  Alison H [ 06 Apr 2008, 22:30 ]
Post subject: 
I'm sure I should be feeling sorry for her but I can't stop laughing!
Author:  Anjali [ 07 Apr 2008, 01:07 ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Jennie, I really do love seeing Mary-Lou in need of reform!
Author:  Jennie [ 07 Apr 2008, 12:39 ]
Post subject: 
By this time, OOAO had managed to get to know the names of all the new girls. She had been busy giving them all a nickname to refer to them by, not realising that the members of the Gang who had a little more independence of mind were not particularly happy with this.

First, and OOAO reserved most of her dislike for this one, came Egregious Emma. OOAO had discovered what egregious meant, and felt that it suited Emma to a T. She was too much, she was excessive in everything.

Then came Awful Asta. She was awful, she was as clever as Emma, and she was just as good and hard working.

Jumping Jeanne came next. Well, she'd made her jump when they were on the Laxe Pitch, and she was followed by Laughing Luisia. She was always smiling, in fact, her good nature was getting on OOAO's nerves.

Marianne Lemarchant, Modest Marianne; she spoke the least, was the quietest in class, but OOAO had noticed that her work was always well done.

Angelica Brandt, secretly called Amiable Angelica. She was always smiling, and always ready to help anyone.

Claudia Benedetto, the only Italian, well, Calm Claudia, she never seemed to get excited over anything, not even the invitation from Aunt Jo, and OOAO had made it quite clear what an honour that was.

And the only Spaniard among them, Isabella de Palma; she called her Insignificant Isabella, because she too was a quiet person.

The real problem was that whatever their personal characteristics, these were eight clever, hard-working girls. What was the most annoying thing about them was that the staff liked them all, ánd had welcomed them with open arms. These new girls had caused no problems with their lack of languages, and they were all ahead of HER, Mary-Lou Trelawney, and that was a situation that she thoroughly disliked.

What OOAO had not worked out was that the staff had noticed this state of affairs, and all were firmly on the side of the new girls. In fact, since their arrival, the mistresses had been cooling off in their attitude to OOAO, realising that she spoke too loudly and took too much for granted. They were no longer prepared to indulge her with the phrase, 'Oh, It's not cheek, it's just Mary-Lou.'

When Biddy O'Ryan had told them what Mary-Lou had done to the material that the two girls had been cutting, most of her friends advised her that a Head's Report was the fitting punishment for such an offence.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Monday morning dawned, OOAO was awake and tossing in her bed, so she heard the very quiet sounds from the next cubey, and peeped through the curtains; it was just Emma turning over in her bed. But OOAO was motivated to tiptoe in and pull some of her covers off her. Unfortunately, Hilary had woken at these slight sounds and come to see what was amiss. She had seen what OOAO had done, and was horrified. Emma woke up to see two figures in her cubicle, and sat bolt upright in bed. She looked puzzled, but managed to whisper a question.

Hilary could not blame her, and whispered back to her.

Alas for OOAO. Matron's sixth sense had brought her to the scene of this problem, and she was determined to get to the bottom of it.

She took all three of them outside the dormitory, and listened in increasingly grim silence to Hilary's account of what she had heard and seen. Telling OOAO to remain in the corridor, she ushered Hilary and Emma back to bed; Hilary had only to slip between her covers, but Emma's bed was minus all but one blanket and sheet. Matey was horrified, but made Emma get back in, and remade the bed over her. It was clear that the girl would soon go back to sleep, so Matey left her to do so. However, she went next door to Mary-Lou's cubey and removed her dressing gown and washing things. Then she marched an increasingly apprehensive and unwilling Mary-Lou off the the San, where she installed her in the single-bedded isolation room. She did not even offer her the comfort of hot milk.

OOAO was left to make what she could of the rest of the night, but was still unwilling to accept that her behaviour had not been worthy of a CS girl.
Author:  Alison H [ 07 Apr 2008, 12:46 ]
Post subject: 
She really can't cope, can she?
Author:  PaulineS [ 07 Apr 2008, 13:52 ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
When Biddy O'Ryan had told them what Mary-Lou had done to the material that the two girls had been cutting, most of her friends advised her that a Head's Report was the fitting punishment for such an offence.


Well a Head's Report seems likely now. Glad the gang are becoming more independant, OOAO is going to find herself with major problems and few friends unless she changes tack soon.
Author:  Jennie [ 07 Apr 2008, 14:23 ]
Post subject: 
When the rising bell rang, OOAO made to go back to her dormitory, but Nurse prevented her from doing so.

'Stay where you are, Mary-Lou. You are to have your breakfast here, then we'll see about bringing your uniform up here. I don't think you'll be in lessons this morning. And Miss Annersley will probably wish to speak to you.'

Nurse bustled out, to return in a very short time with a tray which contained a very inadequate breakfast of cereal, milk and toast. OOAO was beginning to realise just what she had done and could hardly swallow anything. She was beginning to feel sorry for what she had done, but even sorrier that she had been found out.

The minutes dragged by, and Mary-Lou had no real idea of what the time was, so she missed registration, which was when the marks for the last week were read out. The eight new girls were at the top of the list. Some of the girls felt annoyed, but soon realised that it was their own fault. Miss O'Ryan was not sparing with her comments, but made the point that anyone, if they worked hard and steadily, could achieve better marks than they had done, and she expected to see progress all round. What was remarkable was that the new girls did not seem to be pleased, or triumphant, but took it very calmly, all of them preferring to look down at their desks rather than straight ahead or round the room. Either they were used to coming first, ór they were astonished that they had.

Some of the Gang decided that they were going to work harder, and some of them were ashamed of themselves. These new girls might have settled in well, without problems, but they did not boast or seem aware of their achievements; they proved themselves to be good sports when out on the pitches or in the Gym, and they were friendly out of class, and when anyone asked for help, it was given, immediately and ungrudgingly.

And though no-one could understand their liking for needlework, when Jo Scott had voiced her desire to learn to embroider properly, they had immediately offered to help her by proffering fabric, needles and silks. And, several of them knew this, when one of their number had had problems with an intricate piece of darning on Saturday, one of the new girls had quietly taken it from her, set to work and returned it, darned almost as good as new. Everyone hated darning, so this had been a real kindness, especially as the girl had waved away any thanks, just asking for it not to be mentioned again.

And the book that they were reading aloud, well, that was something new, different and exciting. They wanted to hear more of it, and soon.
Author:  roversgirl [ 07 Apr 2008, 14:30 ]
Post subject: 
Twice in one day - thanks! I do feel a tiny bit sorry for her - I can understand how exciting Tolkein is ;)
Author:  JB [ 07 Apr 2008, 14:55 ]
Post subject: 
I hope Miss Annersley realises that the staff have a had a part to play in this with their attitude of "It's only Mary Lou".

Oh dear - I think I may be starting to feel sorry for her.
Author:  crystaltips [ 07 Apr 2008, 15:57 ]
Post subject: 
Yeeeesss....bad OOAO

*am I the only one starting to feel suspicious about just how good these new girls are?* :?:
Author:  Lesley [ 07 Apr 2008, 18:40 ]
Post subject: 
What on Earth was Mary Lou hoping to achieve by pulling the bed clothes off of Emma? :?


Thanks Jennie.
Author:  PaulineS [ 07 Apr 2008, 19:12 ]
Post subject: 
thanks Jennie
Author:  Tan [ 07 Apr 2008, 19:20 ]
Post subject: 
I just read this from the beginning Jennie.

:lol: :lol: :lol:
Author:  Fiona Mc [ 07 Apr 2008, 19:40 ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Jennie, though I do feel a little sorry for OOAO as none of the mistresses had done her any favours by treating her differently and what just seem like a group of friends who had grown up together in England became a bit snobbish in Switzerland.

That said I can't wait to see how Miss Annersley deals with her because she's just been nasty to the new girls.

BTW Can we see more of Verity please?
Author:  Miss Di [ 08 Apr 2008, 04:32 ]
Post subject: 
Are we going to see only the third expulsion in the history of the Chalet School? But yes, I am beginning to wonder if the Good Girls are actually robots!
Author:  Sarah J [ 08 Apr 2008, 12:45 ]
Post subject: 
Thanks for this Jennie - please don't let the interview with Miss Annersley be behind closed doors!
Author:  Sugar [ 08 Apr 2008, 15:18 ]
Post subject: 
Just caught up on loads of us Jennie. I could happily throttle OOAO. Fantastic!
Author:  Jennie [ 08 Apr 2008, 15:59 ]
Post subject: 
UVb were all agog to know what had happened to Mary-Lou, and her absence was a hot topic at the table at Fruhstuck. The new girls said nothing, seven of them because they knew nothing, the eighth, Emma, remained silent because she actually felt sorry for Mary-Lou. Indeed, she pitied her deeply, though the pity was tinged with some amusement.

Emma and the other girls had been thrown together because their fathers were all working at CERN, and they had all attended a small school on the CERN campus, where hard work had very much been the order of the day. Emma had grown up knowing that both her parents were dedicated people, her father as a doctor, and her mother as a novelist, and both were also extremely interested in world affairs, and believed that it was their duty and responsibility to try to make things better for other people, other races, other countries.

Emma had grown up in this tradition. She was a fairly quiet girl who nevertheless enjoyed sports and solving knotty problems. She was a clever girl, as were her seven friends, but still liked to have fun. Boarding school was a new experience for all of them, and Emma would have hated it if she had not had her friends with her for support and friendship. In fact, they were all at a loss to understand why Mary-Lou had taken such a dislike to them. What they had overheard in the Hall on that first day had puzzled them. Why had she said that they were ghastly? As the first days of term passed, they had decided that Mary-Lou was rather a figure of fun. And they were puzzled about why someone with such obvious, if somewhat misdirected, qualities of leadership would show herself to be hostile to them.

So Emma took very little part in the animated discussion about whether OOAO was ill. She imagined that the girls would be very shocked if she revealed that OOAO had actually come into her cubey in the early hours and had pulled her covers off her. She didn't actually understand why the girl had done that. Perhaps she imagined that Emma would contract pneumonia or something. Emma herself thought that it had been a silly thing to do, but would have been quite happy to have got out of bed to remake it, then go back to sleep. She didn't really understand why Hilary had made such a fuss, or why Mary-Lou had been whisked off to the San, but accepted it as one more of the peculiar traditions of the Chalet School.

And she had no idea of the severity of the punishments that were often the result of an interview with Miss Annersley, the Headmistress. Emma had the greatest respect for Miss Annersley, and enjoyed her Divinity classes. In fact she respected all the mistresses, because she enjoyed the good teaching that she was getting, and thrived on doing her best. She did know that some of the girls in her form were not as hardworking as she was, but was always willing to help anyone else.

Though she had appeared to be settling in well the school, Emma was finding parts of it difficult. For one thing, she was accustomed to reading in bed every evening, and she couldn't do that here. And if she had wanted to go for a walk by herself when she was at home, she could, as long as she did not leave the CERN campus. Here, she had to be content with walks in a long croc, and with rarely having any time to herself, by herself. And there were times when she was homesick for her parents and the villa that was her home near Geneva. But she tried to cover that up with concentrating on her work and with the handicraft projects that she was doing. It wasn't always easy, but she thought that she was coping. It helped as well that all her friends were having the same problems at times. And some of the girls who had been at this school for years were beginning to be slightly more friendly, so that was another source of satisfaction.

But she did wish that the girls here would not talk one simple subject to death as they seemed to do.
Author:  Alison H [ 08 Apr 2008, 16:08 ]
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Yes, I can well imagine that it must be hard getting used to life at the CS!
Author:  Lesley [ 08 Apr 2008, 18:15 ]
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Yes that gives a little more insight into Emma's character. Interesting professions for her parents... :lol:


Thanks Jennie.
Author:  PaulineS [ 08 Apr 2008, 18:27 ]
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Thanks Jennie. The last post explains the girls and their side of the move to the CS.
They must find many things difficult and not reading in bed or being able to go for a walk must be hard, I kno I would have found it very difficult at that age.
Author:  abbeybufo [ 08 Apr 2008, 20:08 ]
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Thanks Jennie - nice to see a deeper side to this
Author:  Fiona Mc [ 09 Apr 2008, 00:45 ]
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Thanks Jennie. Boarding school at time must have been hard. Am glad to see more about Emma too. Thanks
Author:  Miss Di [ 09 Apr 2008, 04:22 ]
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Jennie wrote:
Though she had appeared to be settling in well the school, Emma was finding parts of it difficult. For one thing, she was accustomed to reading in bed every evening, and she couldn't do that here.



Argh, that would kill me as well as give me insomnia! Not to mention no reading at the breakfast table or dinner table...
Author:  Anjali [ 09 Apr 2008, 08:18 ]
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Thanks Jennie, it's nice to have some insight into Emma's character after seeing her from OOAO's point of view.
Author:  crystaltips [ 09 Apr 2008, 12:42 ]
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Miss Di wrote:
Jennie wrote:
Though she had appeared to be settling in well the school, Emma was finding parts of it difficult. For one thing, she was accustomed to reading in bed every evening, and she couldn't do that here.



Argh, that would kill me as well as give me insomnia! Not to mention no reading at the breakfast table or dinner table...


Me too!! And the lack of solitude would drive me barmy!

Thanks, Jennie. If the other 7 have similar feelings it must be very difficult for them to settle properly. Good they have each other.
Author:  Jennie [ 09 Apr 2008, 15:39 ]
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In fact, Emma felt, it was altogether too much to spend so much time on one small topic, and one that wasn't particularly interesting. Unfortunately, it wasn't a Sunday morning, so she did not have the consolation of being able to speak to her friends in Portuguese. They often felt that being able to speak in that language was the only real privacy they had. It was only in that language that they could share their real feelings about being in a boarding school, and about missing their homes.

Emma was an only child, but she had never missed out on family life, for her parents had always been devoted to her, and though they worked hard at their careers, they had never neglected her, nor brushed her aside. And she wasn't used to being treated quite so much as a child. If she put forward her opinions, her parents listened to them, and often made her justify them, so she was used to debating things with older and more experienced minds.

And her parents had never expected her to live in isolation. She had always been encouraged to bring her friends home and have them to stay, and often spent time at the homes of the other girls, staying there overnight and joining in with their families.

She was used to rolling up her sleeves and getting on with the dishes after supper at a friend's house, ánd with helping to chase younger brothers and sisters to bed and pick up after them.

And when it came to the older brothers of some of the girls, she just thought of them as friends and companions, people to walk with, dance with, play sport with. So she was quite amazed that boys were not a topic of conversation at the CS. She had expected that girls with brothers would be discussing whether their siblings would be in the Rugby teams, or how they were getting on at squash, or whether they were doing well at school. But no, there was a curious blanket of silence about the male sex in general.

She had no idea that her easy relationships with boys whom she knew well and regarded as companions in sports and leisure pastimes had given her an air of sophistication that was foreign to the majority of her with schoolmates, and one that was regarded with a slight degree of suspicion.
Author:  Alison H [ 09 Apr 2008, 15:51 ]
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Emma and OOAO could probably be friends if they could sort themselves out.
Author:  Lesley [ 09 Apr 2008, 15:53 ]
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And if Mary Lou could get over being so jealous.

Glad to discover what the forbidden subject was! :lol:

Thanks Jennie.
Author:  roversgirl [ 09 Apr 2008, 15:54 ]
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Quote:
Emma and OOAO could probably be friends if they could sort themselves out.


I was just thinking that, and thatthey could be good for each other :)
Author:  PaulineS [ 09 Apr 2008, 16:46 ]
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It must be difficult to go to an all female enviroment from a more balance mixed sex one. I went to a co-ed school until fifteen, and then a girls only for three years. The girls who had always been at single sex schools had very different views on boys to those of us from mixed school back grounds. It seemed very stange to me.
Author:  Jennie [ 10 Apr 2008, 11:02 ]
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Sorry if people are disappointed that this isn't the study scene, but I need to spend a lot more time on writing that bit.

=================================================

OOAO was not having a good morning. She had hardly been able to eat any of her breakfast, and the book that Nurse had brought her was not very interesting.

She blamed Emma for her present predicament. If that wretched girl and her friends had never come to the school, she, Mary-Lou, would still be the acknowledged leader of the form, and her life would be easy.

Instead, those dreadful girls had simply marched in and taken everything over. (That the girls had not done so was irrelevant, to OOAO, anyway.) And the mistresses were finding fault with her.

What no-one knew, apart from those involved, was that Miss Annersley was holding discussions with several members of her staff. What Matey had to tell her was bad enough, but Biddy O'Ryan's contribution was positively alarming. None of the form had realised that Miss O'Ryan was perfectly well aware of the events of the past week and a half, and had been planning to do something about it.

She finished her discussion with the Head by telling her that the new girls had seemed to be settling in well, perhaps a bit too well, and she thought that Mary-Lou was suffering from jealousy.

Then Biddy electrified her by saying, 'I do feel we're equally to blame in many ways. We've allowed Mary-Lou to go in the way she began, we've never made her realise that her voice is too loud for comfort, and we've never done anything but say. 'Oh, it isn't cheek, it's just Mary-Lou. I think she's had too many shocks this term, and she's resenting it.'


Miss Annersley was silent for a moment, then slowly replied. 'I'm going to have to give some thought to this, Biddy. I can see we never considered the effect that eight new girls in one form would have, and there was nowhere else we could put them, considering the high standard of their entrance papers, and those judgements were born out by the fact that they are now leading the form. How have the rest of them taken that?'

'Well, Mary-Lou doesn't know because she's in the Isolation Room, but some of the others looked rather unhappy, and some of them looked rather ashamed of themselves. I think there's been a bit of a shock, and some of them have woken up to the fact that they're not working hard enough. As far as I can tell, the new girls are hardworking, pleasant, and very willing to help others. I think their charity efforts are another bone of contention, they certainly seem to be hard workers on that front as well. And when one of the girls had a very difficult piece of darning to do on Saturday, it was far too well done for her to have done it herself. I think one of the new girls did it for her, it was exquisitely done, but I said nothing, feeling that it was better not to.'

Again, this gave Miss Annersley food for thought. So, they were already helping others, inspiring the Prefects to question whether the school was doing enough, for Betsey had already seen her about the knitted blanket, and were occupying themselves out of school. Apparently they were leading the form in Laxe, and Miss Annersley was beginning to see that the matter was far more complex than she had thought at first.
Author:  Ruth B [ 10 Apr 2008, 11:28 ]
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To sum up: They are being better Chalet School Girls than the existing pupils!!

Thanks Jennie, really enjoying this.
Author:  PaulineS [ 10 Apr 2008, 11:32 ]
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I am pleased the staff realise they have played a part in how Mary Lou has developed or not as the case may be. The gang are also realising they need to think for themselves and Verityis becoming an individual as well.
Hope the staff and the gang can help Mary lou now.
Author:  Jennie [ 10 Apr 2008, 11:33 ]
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One thing that I never understood was the way that girls who were counted as perfect CS girls always grumbled so much about making those nightdresses, and did it so badly.
Author:  keren [ 10 Apr 2008, 11:37 ]
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Emma's character seems a little simliar to ML's
Being only with adults and learning to talk up for herself

Putting a group of girls who came together all into one form was not so simple.

They could also have had a very bad influence over the rest of the class, it was luck they were all good and nice etc.
Author:  Alison H [ 10 Apr 2008, 11:43 ]
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Thanks Jennie :D .
Author:  abbeybufo [ 10 Apr 2008, 17:11 ]
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Thanks Jennie
Author:  JustJen [ 10 Apr 2008, 17:12 ]
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About time that the staff woke up and realized they let OOAO get away with behavior that wouldn't have been acceptable at other schools.

Thanks for the update Jennie
Author:  Lesley [ 10 Apr 2008, 20:14 ]
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Pleased the Staff are thinking about their own culpability.


Thanks Jennie.
Author:  crystaltips [ 10 Apr 2008, 22:43 ]
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keren wrote:
Emma's character seems a little simliar to ML's
Being only with adults and learning to talk up for herself.


Yes, just what I was thinking.

Glad the staff are realising that they have to shoulder some of the blame for the way OOAO is.

Thanks, Jennie.
Author:  jennifer [ 11 Apr 2008, 09:50 ]
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Emma sounds like a more well controlled version of Mary-Lou: she's learned that she isn't the centre of the universe, and is more self controlled and self aware, and willing to share power.

I feel sorry for Mary-Lou here. She's like a child who has been badly spoiled by her parents, and is finding out that the world doesn't revolve around her for the first time. She's being a total brat, but doesn't realize why she's unhappy. By this point, it's going to be very hard for her to swallow her pride and admit that she was wrong.

The school has taken in big groups of girls before, with varying effects. There was St Scholastica's, which would have added a number of girls to the middle and senior forms (and four new prefects), St Hilda's and the other Tanswick school. The latter two caused some problems, but they could deal with it.
Author:  di [ 13 Apr 2008, 09:56 ]
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Have just read this through from the beginning and am thoroughly enjoying it. In some ways I feel sorry for OOAO but she is an intelligent child and surely should be able to harness in her jealousy. Perhaps that's it though; she is still only a child and a very spoilt one at that although I believe her beloved Gran tried to balance out the spoiling with some kind discipline.
Looking forward to hearing how Hilda tackles her after recognising that the school have not really hepled her control herself. In some ways she's worse than Margot and her 'devil'
Thanks, Jennie.
Author:  Sandra [ 13 Apr 2008, 16:01 ]
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I've just discovered this and am really enjoying the OOAO bashing although I do hope that she learns from it and reforms. I feel sorry for Vi though as she seems to know that OOAO is behaving badly but still acts with her from friendship. I don't think that even she could influence OOAO at present though.
Author:  Clare [ 13 Apr 2008, 22:45 ]
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I've just read it through from the beginning too, and I think this is amazing! Thank you Jennie. I'm not quite ready to feel sorry for OOAOML yet, I think rubbing more salt in would do her the world of good!
Author:  Jennie [ 14 Apr 2008, 21:22 ]
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Miss Annersley had much to think about, but had had to defer making any sort of decision until she had taught a double lesson of English Literature to her VIA group. Whatever her problems, when she was teaching, her lessons came first.

But her mind was racing after she had drunk her coffee in the Staffroom. She felt quite confident that Nancy Wilmot was correct in her assessment of the situation.

'May-Lou is jealous of the new girls. They do effortlessly what she has had to put a lot of time and energy into. They are all thoroughly nice, clever, hard-working young people who never try to attract attention to themselves, and they deserve some appreciation for what they've done. Some of the girls, the ones who felt left out becase they weren't in the Gang, and one of OOAO's little cronies, are beginning to flourish and feel happier about themselves. I asked one of them why she was smiling and was told that she felt that she was doing something useful and had begun to make some real friends.'

This was food for thought indeed. Perhaps she ought to speak to each one of the eight and try to find out why there was this enmity between them. And, she had to admit it, it was unfair to Mary-Lou to keep her in suspense in this way. This situation needed to be tackled, and very soon, before there was a chasm in the LV.
Author:  abbeybufo [ 14 Apr 2008, 21:25 ]
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Thanks Jennie

This is getting really interesting now - it was fun while it was just OOAO-bashing, but you've brought a new dimension to it with these more recent few posts
Author:  Fiona Mc [ 14 Apr 2008, 21:27 ]
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I agree and am glad to see the new depths. Part of me always felt sorry for ML cos I think she became the product of all the adults in her life
Author:  di [ 14 Apr 2008, 21:43 ]
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Glad to see that Hilda is taking this seriously and looking at the problem from all angles -something our Head doesn't do! She just has a 'knee-jerk' reaction and blames the nearest person!
I agree with Fiona Mc., Mary Lou IS the product of all the adults around her and perhaps it's tme for them all to take responsibility - especially Joey.
Thanks for the update, Jennie.
Author:  Lesley [ 15 Apr 2008, 07:00 ]
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Interesting that some of the girls who are not of the Gang are now happier. Glad the Head is taking this seriously.


Thanks Jennie.
Author:  Emma A [ 15 Apr 2008, 13:01 ]
Post subject: 
abbeybufo wrote:
This is getting really interesting now - it was fun while it was just OOAO-bashing, but you've brought a new dimension to it with these more recent few posts

Thoroughly agree with Abbeybufo. Much more reflective and thought-provoking now: hope that the study scene isn't too hard to write.

Thanks, Jennie.
Author:  Phil [ 15 Apr 2008, 13:33 ]
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I have just found this and read it from the beginning.

This is marvellous,

Thanks Jennie. :lol:

Is there any Joey bashing coming up (begging look)
Author:  Jennie [ 15 Apr 2008, 14:17 ]
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I'm afraid this won't be a long drabble; I now have to concentrate on getting ready for exam marking. I wasn't kidding about the seventy-five poems, because I have to do all the anthology that was written post 1914, as well as several authors from two other anthologies, then all the novels/short stories. Ughh! I wish they'd given me Drama post 1914, that was my first choice.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Hilda decided to invite the new girls for Kaffee und Kuchen, and sent a message to them via Biddy O'Ryan. The girls accepted of course, but looked mystified at the invitation, and they noticed that several of the girls in the form looked astonished. So perhaps it wasn't a usual thing.

When they arrived and had been ushered in, they were all invited to sit down, which they did. At first the talk was general, Miss Annersley wisely concentrating on how they were settling in and enjoying the life in their new school, telling them that it was not the usual thing with the CS to have so many new girls admitted to LVB.

The girls all admitted to being a little homesick at times, and missing their parents, but were all adamant that they were enjoying their lessons. When asked how they were getting on with the rest of the form, there was a little hesitation in their manner.

Finally, Emma said that most of the girls were friendly, some of them were very nice, but that a few were very cool towards them, though they didn't understand why.

Then Asta added. 'What has puzzled me the most is that no-one ever bothers to ask us if we have done something, or learned something, or know something. Everyone seems to assume that we don't know, rather than finding out if we do. On the very first day, the Head Girl assumed that we didn't know any languages but Portuguese, she seemed very surprised to find out that I am German and speak my own language. But she didn't ask who we were and what languages we speak.'

Then Luisia added. 'And when some of the girls were telling us about winter sports next term, they told us that we would enjoy learning to ski, but giggled a lot when they mentioned that we shouldn't cross our toes. I can't understand why. We've been living in Switzerland for three years, and we all ski, in fact we have have had lots of lessons, and we have certificates to prove that we are capable of doing black runs. It seems peculiar that everyone should think we can't do things that are normal in Switzerland, and even assume that we don't know anything about the food, or silly little things such as that.'

Hilda Annersley felt that her world was slipping away from her slightly. These were very self-possessed young ladies indeed, but she dimly began to realise that they were suffering a little from what was now known as culture shock. Instead of being treated as capable young people, they were having to assimilate themselves into a very different world. Though they were hard workers, and very bright, they were also accustomed to living in a cosmopolitan community of scientists and their families, but one which looked outwards, and probably had different values from the CS. And they were having to learn to live in a very different type of community, one that was enclosed and inward-looking, with very little contact with ordinary people. In fact, only the maids, cooks and maintenance staff were native Swiss.

There was a lot to think about in this.
Author:  Alison H [ 15 Apr 2008, 14:35 ]
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Glad that they've made Hilda think ... some very valid points there.
Author:  PaulineS [ 15 Apr 2008, 14:52 ]
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I am pleased that Hilda is realising how insular they had become. Hope she also realises that expecting new girls not to know about things is not the best approach with every new girl. There must have been others who had a better grasp of thing than the old girls expected.
Author:  Jennie [ 15 Apr 2008, 15:22 ]
Post subject: 
Another little bit.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So, Hilda decide to bite the bullet and ask about the girls who were still cool towards them.

She was astonished at the answers she received.

Jeanne told her. 'We were quite amazed. We heard Mary-Lou describing us as 'ghastly' and she hadn't even met us. Then they seemed determined to teach us French and German, even though we are all fluent in both languages, then they insisted we go up to the dormitories so they could tell us how to arrange our things. But Matron had already told us, so we had unpacked the way she wanted it done, and we are not so stupid that we can't remember how to do it. So why did she feel the need to tell us how to read the bath rota? Surely she must have expected us to be able to read at our ages. And again, she assumed we didn't know, when she could have found out by asking us.'

'She didn't like it when we told her that we already knew,' chimed in Emma. 'And she was quite unfriendly whe I refused to let her call me Em. It seemed that she wanted to be very superior, and was treating us as if we were ignorant children.'

Hilda felt that she was coming close to the root of the problem. 'And has she changed towards you?' she asked.

Emma reflected for a moment. 'No, she hasn't. It seems to me that she wants to feel that she has to tell us everything, even things we already know. And she doesn't seem to like the fact that we do handicrafts and things, or that we can already play laxe, or that we work hard in class and during prep.'

Then she revealed what was annoying her. 'I simply don't understand why she came into my cubicle and pulled the bedclothes off me. It was such a silly thing to do. And I don't know why Hilary and Matron made such a fuss about it. I could have remade my bed and then got back in and gone off to sleep again.'

Hilda was silenced. She was beginning to think that the little speech she usually gave about health being the first consideration would not be appropriate in this case. Here were perfectly nice, perfectly pleasant girls who were driving holes through a great many of the School's bland assumptions. She also felt that if she started to distribute blame in the normal way of 'If you were there, it was your fault too.' she would meet with considerable indignation from the girls themselves, and also be on the receiving end of some very nasty letters from their parents.

This was going to be atough one to solve.
Author:  JB [ 15 Apr 2008, 16:14 ]
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I'm enjoying this so much, Jennie. Thanks.
Author:  crystaltips [ 15 Apr 2008, 16:17 ]
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Thank you Jennie, 3 posts to catch up on.

Yes, Hilda is cetainly having to realise how insulated the school is - time to drag it (kicking & screaming if neccesary) into the modern age.
I'm glad that she is also realising that they will have girls joining them who are far more worldy wise than they are used to & they have to allow for this.
I hope that Hilda can now educate OOAO (& everyone else) to change the way they treat new girls - at least find out what they know instead of assuming they are always ignorant & stop treating them like small children.

Hmmm, gone on a bit there, sorry :oops:
Author:  PaulineS [ 15 Apr 2008, 17:22 ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
Here were perfectly nice, perfectly pleasant girls who were driving holes through a great many of the School's bland assumptions.


It is facinating to see the Chalet School from another perspective
Author:  abbeybufo [ 15 Apr 2008, 17:37 ]
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Lots more to think about here. At least Hilda now knows what the problem is and can give her mind to it

Thanks, Jennie
Author:  Emma A [ 15 Apr 2008, 18:16 ]
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Two lovely posts - thank-you, Jennie! How can Hilda persuade Mary-Lou (and the others) that they need to change?
Author:  Sugar [ 15 Apr 2008, 18:24 ]
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Hilda is a in a quandry isn't she?
Author:  Smile :) [ 15 Apr 2008, 19:54 ]
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This is great thanks Jennie.
Author:  Elle [ 15 Apr 2008, 21:56 ]
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Thanks Jennie. Have just caught up with this.
Author:  Lesley [ 15 Apr 2008, 22:22 ]
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Glad Hilda's realised that the standard reaction to a CS problem will not be suitable here.


Thanks Jennie.
Author:  jennifer [ 16 Apr 2008, 02:15 ]
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It's interesting - the school seems to have depended on new girls being slightly off balance and confused by school traditions when they arrive, - either the continental version, or the English, but here they are dealing with girls who are comfortable both with the Swiss/Austrian end of things, and with a more cosmopolitan world. The CS can't be complacent and slightly superior about their position.
Author:  Miss Di [ 16 Apr 2008, 04:30 ]
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Very interesting, as others have said, to see the school from a different POV.

Good luck with your exam marking!
Author:  di [ 16 Apr 2008, 07:08 ]
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Thanks, Jennie for another 2 installments, I hope those who remain offhand with the girls do not now accuse them of 'sneaking'.
Author:  Elbee [ 16 Apr 2008, 09:49 ]
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I'm glad that's made Hilda realise how insular and set in its ways the CS has become.

Thanks Jennie.
Author:  Jennie [ 16 Apr 2008, 14:22 ]
Post subject: 
With that in mind, Hilda then asked a question that she perhaps ought not to have done.

'And what do you think about Mary-Lou? What are your feelings about her?'

Emma was the one who replied to that. 'Well, we all feel sorry for her, because she obviously wants to be the best and the leader in the form, and she can't be, not because of us, but because everyone has different strengths and abilities, and no-one can be good at everything. And we started off by thinking she was rather funny, comic, you know, because she so clearly thought we were going to be impressed by everything she told us, even though it was all in the prospectus, or someone had told us everything before the start of term.

'What do you think about her pulling the covers off you?'

The frankness of the reply was astonishing. 'I just thought it was a stupid thing to do. It wasn't as bad as when she spoiled the material we were cutting, because she did me no harm this morning, but it seemed foolish and childish to me. I just wish that she'd realise that we are here at this school, and we like to learn, but it really isn't necessary for her to try to impress us all the time. I think we might even be friendly, given time, but it's hard to be friendly with someone who seems to think that scoring points is the right way to go about it.'

Hilda was astonished, and a small silence fell.
Author:  Fi [ 16 Apr 2008, 15:21 ]
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I'm really enjoying this Jennie. Especially the last few posts which have gone deeper into how everyone is feeling.

It's nice to see Hilda having to think this through. It makes her seem more real when she is faced with a new problem that doesn't have an obvious solution.

I'm eagerly looking forward to the 'study scene' between Hilda and OOAO.

Thank You.
Author:  Alison H [ 16 Apr 2008, 15:24 ]
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Everything that Emma's saying is totally valid and well-expressed.
Author:  crystaltips [ 16 Apr 2008, 18:04 ]
Post subject: 
Thank you Jennie, very thought-provoking.
Author:  di [ 16 Apr 2008, 18:31 ]
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Hilda has a lot to think about before she tackles Mary Lou. I'm glad the girls can be open and honest about what's been happening - Emma seems to have a mature head on her shoulders.
Thanks, Jennie, you're really spoiling us.
Author:  Phil [ 16 Apr 2008, 19:47 ]
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Thanks Jennie.
Author:  Lesley [ 16 Apr 2008, 20:18 ]
Post subject: 
Well done, Emma - Head Girl in the making there, I think.


Thanks Jennie.
Author:  abbeybufo [ 16 Apr 2008, 20:43 ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Jennie - Emma is showing herself thoughttful and honest and giving Hilda a good deal to ponder on
Author:  Clare [ 17 Apr 2008, 12:33 ]
Post subject: 
Lesley wrote:
Well done, Emma - Head Girl in the making there, I think.


Oh that so has to be written! *hint, hint!* :D
Author:  Dawn [ 17 Apr 2008, 13:22 ]
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I know I haven't been commenting on this Jennie, but I am really enjoyingit, especially as it has gone deeper into people's feelings and behaviour.
Author:  Joan the Dwarf [ 17 Apr 2008, 13:31 ]
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Emma as HG definitely - and Mary-Lou as Second Prefect! I would love to read her coming to terms with that :D
Author:  Jennie [ 17 Apr 2008, 16:48 ]
Post subject: 
That seemed to be the end of the conversation, but Hilda span it out with several more pleasantries, concentrating on the girls' family backgrounds and lives at home.

All the girls came from professional families, though Hilda was quite amazed to discover that Luisia's father was a member of the team headed by Luisia's mother. Apparently they were working on quarks, whatever they were, and Jeanne's father was occupying himself with the Big Bang Theory. She also learned that the Particle Accelerator was now going to be much bigger than planned, and would be several more miles long.

It seemed that the girls were used to hearing news of their parents' work at home, though Emma was quick to assure her that her father never broke medical confidentiality by discussing a patient or a patient's progress.

When the girls finally left her study, having thanked her prettily and bobbed their curtseys at the door, she was left with much to ponder. And she felt that she had to think things through very carefully before she could tackle Mary-Lou.

So she telephoned the San, and had a brisk conversation with Matey, telling her that she was to keep OOAO for the night, but also asking her to come down to join her for coffee after Abendessen. She intended to discuss this matter through and through with the staff who would be able to help her get some perspective on this matter. Accordingly, she decided to ask Biddy O'Ryan, Jeanne de Lachenais, Ruth Derwent and Nancy Wilmot to join the party. With those five to advise her, she was sure she would be able to tackle the problem far more efficiently.

What had at first seemed to be a simple matter was now infinitely more ocmplex.
Author:  Alison H [ 17 Apr 2008, 16:53 ]
Post subject: 
Well, it's nice to know that someone never breaches patient confidentiality :lol: ! Looking forward to hearing what goes on at the meeting.
Author:  crystaltips [ 17 Apr 2008, 17:47 ]
Post subject: 
Jennie wrote:
Quote:
Apparently they were working on quarks, whatever they were, and Jeanne's father was occupying himself with the Big Bang Theory. She also learned that the Particle Accelerator was now going to be much bigger than planned, and would be several more miles long.

:shock: :shock: :shock:

Can't imagine what Hilda thought that was all about!!

Wonder if Luisia's parents had any contact with Carl Sagen or Stephen Hawkin (or is the timeline completely wrong for that?)
Author:  PaulineS [ 17 Apr 2008, 18:02 ]
Post subject: 
Hilda needs Nell as an interpreter there.
Author:  di [ 17 Apr 2008, 18:13 ]
Post subject: 
The science is beyond me as well but I bet Nell would love the girls in her science class!!
Thanks for the latest, Jennie
Author:  Clare [ 17 Apr 2008, 19:09 ]
Post subject: 
I proof read my sister's essay on quarks the other night, and I have to say it still makes no sense to me!

Love the fact the problem is becoming more complex.
Author:  Lesley [ 17 Apr 2008, 20:23 ]
Post subject: 
Love the atomic connection! Hilda definitely needs to discuss this - wonder if she understood when Emma mentioned patient confidentiality? :wink:


Thanks Jennie.
Author:  abbeybufo [ 17 Apr 2008, 21:07 ]
Post subject: 
Jennie wrote:
What had at first seemed to be a simple matter was now infinitely more complex.


I say: What at first seemed to be a simple drabble is now infinitely more complex :lol:

Thanks Jennie
Author:  wheelchairprincess [ 17 Apr 2008, 21:54 ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Jennie. This really is very good.
Author:  linda [ 17 Apr 2008, 23:34 ]
Post subject: 
Thanks, Jennie, I'm really enjoying this :lol: :lol:
Author:  Fiona Mc [ 18 Apr 2008, 00:44 ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Jennie, you certainly have a gift at this. This is wonderful
Author:  Tassie_Ellen [ 18 Apr 2008, 05:06 ]
Post subject: 
I'm really enjoying the way this is developing, Jennie. Thanks.

Ellen
Author:  Ruth B [ 18 Apr 2008, 12:00 ]
Post subject: 
Jennie wrote:
Accordingly, she decided to ask Biddy O'Ryan, Jeanne de Lachenais, Ruth Derwent and Nancy Wilmot to join the party. With those five to advise her, she was sure she would be able to tackle the problem far more efficiently.


What, no Joey???? :lol:

Thanks Jennie.
Author:  Jennie [ 18 Apr 2008, 14:35 ]
Post subject: 
No, no Joey, because it simply wouldn't be sensible to to invite Jo to such a discussion.

For a start, she wouldn't believe that OOAO could do anything wrong.
Author:  Emma A [ 18 Apr 2008, 14:42 ]
Post subject: 
Drat, thought that was an update...
Author:  Elle [ 18 Apr 2008, 14:44 ]
Post subject: 
Emma A wrote:
Drat, thought that was an update...


So did I! :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:


*contemplates starting a chant as we havn't had one for a while*
Author:  Jennie [ 18 Apr 2008, 15:35 ]
Post subject: 
You had an update yesterday, Elle.

==================================================

The following morning brought the hour appointed for Mary-Lou to come to the study.

Two nights and a day in the isolation room of the San had done little to make her feel that she had been in the wrong. In fact, the isolation had made her feel that she had a greater grievance than ever. She was simply not accustomed to feeling that she had done anything wrong, and could not see that she had behaved less than well.

So she had entered Miss Annersley's study bolstered by the thoughts that once she had explained everything to her own satisfaction, she would return to her form as a heroine, vindicated in the eyes of the entire School. And those eight girls would have to give way to her and assume the lowly position that they deserved.

So she was absolutely unprepared for what transpired. For a start, she was not offered a chair, but had to stand in front of the Head's desk as if she had done something wrong!

And the first question that Miss Annersley asked was one she did not want to answer.

'Tell me, Mary-Lou, when you discovered that there were to be new girls in your dormitory, why did you describe them as ghastly when you hadn't even met them?'

She tried to answer, but the words that she had rehearsed would not emerge from her mouth, and even as she desperately tried to bring them out, she realised just how hollow they sounded, even to herself.

Receiving no answer, Miss Annersley continued.

'Why did you assume that the eight girls would not speak any foreign languages? Did you ask them where they lived, or if they did speak French or German?

Again, Mary-Lou could not answer. Her glib speech about how infrequently new girls could speak French or German so she had been right to assume that they couldn't came out falteringly, and sounded feeble and inadeqate.


==============================================

More on Sunday, that's all that I've written.
Author:  Alison H [ 18 Apr 2008, 15:44 ]
Post subject: 
Thanks for the update :D . The trouble with people like Mary-Lou is that they do genuinely think they're helping ... even when they're not ...
Author:  Lesley [ 18 Apr 2008, 18:05 ]
Post subject: 
Perhaps not being able to answer the questions will actually cause Mary Lou to think about her entire attitude.


Thanks Jennie.
Author:  abbeybufo [ 18 Apr 2008, 19:05 ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Jennie - it will do ML good to have to think about something other than her own self-satisfaction
Author:  di [ 18 Apr 2008, 19:35 ]
Post subject: 
I hope Hilda is able to get through Mary Lou's beliefs that she has nothing to feel ashamed about.
Thanks for the latest, looking forward to Sunday's episode.
Author:  LauraMcC [ 18 Apr 2008, 20:34 ]
Post subject: 
Thanks for this - I've just read it, and it's nice to see Mary Lou get her comeuppance. But does anyone else feel sorry for her? After all, she has gone through life with everyone thinking that she can do no wrong, and being good at everything. so the girls' arrival must have come as a great shock to her. Of course, it'll be a good lesson for the future, but she must be feeling very unhappy right now. :cry:
Author:  jennifer [ 19 Apr 2008, 12:39 ]
Post subject: 
Yeah, I feel sorry for her. She's been the big fish in a small pool for a long time, and hasn't figured out that she can't always be the best and most popular.

The smugness over Chalet traditions, and assumptions about new girls, are a CS wide failing, however, so I think it's a bit much to blame Mary-Lou for doing what every one else does. The sulking, sabotage and jealousy, however, are all her own.
Author:  Jennie [ 20 Apr 2008, 21:12 ]
Post subject: 
'Now, let us turn to the question of why exactly you damaged some expensive fabric.'

Seeing Mary-Lou about to utter a rebuttal, she stopped her, saying. 'Miss O'Ryan heard everything, she was in the doorway, so she heard you telling those girls to clear off; she was adamant that you did not ask them to move. So, why exactly did you damage that fabric by taking hold of it and jerking it?'

OOAO started to mumble something, but was cut short by her far from friendly - looking Headmistress. 'So, in other words, you just did it. You had no excuse for your bad manners, and no excuse for your actions. In other words, you behaved like a spoiled, silly child. It appears to me that you were also jealous of the attention these girls have been getting.'

Mary -Lou looked at Miss Annersley, then said. 'Well, they're always pushing themselves forward, taking everyone's attention, and not behaving like new girls should. They think they're clever and know more than anyone else.'

'Is that true? From all that I have heard, they are remarkably hard-working, modest, friendly girls who, in the short time that they have been with us, have justifiably climbed to the top of the form lists, coming equal first. So, why have you been so unfriendly to them?'

'Well, they go round in a group, so........'

'Has anyone ever told you that you may not have your friends and go round with them?'

'No, but that's different.'

'How is it different?'

'Well, they speak in a language that no-one else understands. We don't speak Portuguese, so how do we know what they're saying?'

'Has anyone asked you to monitor their conversations? Do they speak Portuguese on days when they should not?'

'No, but..'

'So, in other words, you believe that you have the right to overhear their conversations and to monitor what they do.'

'Well, I was Head of the Middles, so I ought to be in charge.'

For a moment, Hilda Annersley was taken aback. Clearly they had to do some hard work with this child. If they didn't, she would have a disastrous future ahead of her, and make more enemies than friends once she had left school.
Author:  Lesley [ 20 Apr 2008, 21:20 ]
Post subject: 
Yes, a great deal of work there.



Thanks Jennie. :lol:
Author:  LauraMcC [ 20 Apr 2008, 21:22 ]
Post subject: 
That was a great study scene! I can really see Hilda saying all that.

Thanks, Jennie.
Author:  PaulineS [ 20 Apr 2008, 21:27 ]
Post subject: 
Quote:

For a moment, Hilda Annersley was taken aback. Clearly they had to do some hard work with this child. If they didn't, she would have a disastrous future ahead of her, and make more enemies than friends once she had left school.



Mary Lou has a lot to learn, as do most teenagers. I feel sorry for her here, but better she learns it at school than at university with more limited support networks.
Author:  Fiona Mc [ 20 Apr 2008, 21:38 ]
Post subject: 
PaulineS wrote:
Quote:

For a moment, Hilda Annersley was taken aback. Clearly they had to do some hard work with this child. If they didn't, she would have a disastrous future ahead of her, and make more enemies than friends once she had left school.



Mary Lou has a lot to learn, as do most teenagers. I feel sorry for her here, but better she learns it at school than at university with more limited support networks.


Exactly. It's funny but ML wasn't so obnoxious at St Bravial when Clem was around and told her off for the good of her soul. I do feel sorry for her cos the school fostered her beliefs and all the mistresses and girls in the form gave way to her. They weren't being fair
Author:  abbeybufo [ 20 Apr 2008, 22:46 ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Jennie - that really rang true
Author:  Alison H [ 20 Apr 2008, 22:58 ]
Post subject: 
They really should have done something sooner - other people encouraged her (e.g. Jack in Problem) in the way she was behaving. Hope that Hilda can find a way of helping without causing too much upset.
Author:  Ruth B [ 21 Apr 2008, 00:03 ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
Well, I was Head of the Middles, so I ought to be in charge.'


Was being the operative word here, young lady.
Author:  roversgirl [ 21 Apr 2008, 05:38 ]
Post subject: 
I do feel very sorry for her. Thanks :)
Author:  di [ 21 Apr 2008, 07:04 ]
Post subject: 
Wow! I hadn't realised Mary Lou had such a high opinion of her self, to her detriment I'm afraid. However I'm sure Hida and co. will find a way to deflate that obnoxious bubble she's living in at the moment. Poor child, I'm glad I'm not in her shoes at the present!
Thank you, Jennie.
Author:  Emma A [ 21 Apr 2008, 12:59 ]
Post subject: 
Excellent updates, Jennie. Mary-Lou is being rather bumptious, isn't she. I do like the way you've made everything more complex. Hope that Hilda can sort out ML and also change attitudes in the rest of the school.
Author:  Sugar [ 21 Apr 2008, 13:46 ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Jennie I can see thos being an uphill struggle with Mary Lou
Author:  Jennie [ 21 Apr 2008, 14:31 ]
Post subject: 
After a few moment's silence, Hilda began again.

'So, you feel that a past position entitles you to dictate to other people, to monitor their lives and their conversations, to attempt to prove that they are your inferiors, and generally be as obnoxious as you wish to be?'

OOAO could only look down at the floor in front of her feet. Then she made an attempt at self-justification.

'Well, ever since they arrived, the mistresses have been telling me to keep my voice down. Miss Wilmot said she'd give me an order mark if I didn't. And the other girls have stopped wanting to join the Gang.They're knitting squares for blankets instead, or learning how to sew and embroider. And Emma says that she doesn't read Aunt Jo's books. And they're reading aloud from a book that I'm sure hasn't been approved.'

'Emma's mother happens to be a distinguished novelist. I should suppose that even you have heard of her, Mary-Lou. So it's hardly surprising that Emma does not want to read Mrs. Maynard's books. As for the reading aloud, I approved the book, and there's no more to be said about that.

Now, why exactly did you go into Emma's cubicle, which is strictly against the rules and regulations, and pull most of her bedclothes off her in the early hours of yesterday morning? Were you attempting to make her ill, perhaps so she would not be able to do her class work, and therefore not be able to beat you in the class lists?'

As Mary-Lou had no idea why she'd done it, she made no answer. she could only look down at her feet, and feel more miserable with every minute that passed.
Author:  Alison H [ 21 Apr 2008, 16:38 ]
Post subject: 
I hate to say this, but I'm starting to feel a bit sorry for her!
Author:  crystaltips [ 21 Apr 2008, 18:09 ]
Post subject: 
I'm kind of feeling sorry for ML but it is about time that she realised her true position in the school (& it's not in charge) so I'm glad Hilda is having this session with her.
Agree with others who pointed out that it's much better for it to happen within the confines of CS.
Author:  di [ 21 Apr 2008, 18:26 ]
Post subject: 
Just starting to feel a little sorry for Mary Lou - only a little mind you as she's still trying to justify her anti social behaviour.
Thanks, Jennie, this is superb.
Author:  wheelchairprincess [ 21 Apr 2008, 19:43 ]
Post subject: 
Love what Hilda said about Joey's books (and what it implied!) Thanks Jennie.
Author:  Jennie [ 21 Apr 2008, 21:33 ]
Post subject: 
'So, you can give me no reason and no explanation.' continued Miss Annersley in a voice of ice. 'Therefore I must assume it was a malicious act, carried out on the spur of the moment, perhaps intended to cause the maximum of harm to a girl who has done nothng to harm you.

The main problem here, Mary-Lou, is that it appears to me that you have acted out of jealousy and spite. You have clearly been given an inflated opinion of yourself which has fed your sense of self-importance.

However, I accept that we, as a staff, have not done our best with you and for you. We have allowed you to speak as loudly as you chose, and we have also allowed you to get away with things that would not be tolerated in others. For that reason, I shall somewhat mitigate your punishment.

You will not be allowed to sleep in the dormitory for a month, instead spending your nights in the San. In addition, you will be on a Head's report for a month. Never before in the history of this school has anyone behaved in such a way as to deserve such a prolonged period on report.

And, it will be your behaviour that is the deciding factor as to whether you are allowed to join the half-term expedition. In addition, you will not rejoin your form for the rest of today. And we have decided to appoint another Form Prefect. We expect leadership from our Form Prefects, not such arrogant behaviour.

When you rejoin them tomorrow, I hope it will be in the correct spirit. You have the rest of the day to consider how you are going to approach your form mates in the morning.

One thing that I will not require you to do is to apologise to all eight of the girls you have tried to injure; indeed, you will not be asked to apologise to Emma. I cannot ask her to accept your apology. Indeed, she merely thinks that you have behaved stupidly, in your actions to all of them, which was described as 'Trying to score points' and in your behaviour to her.'

By this time, Mary-Lou was in the deepest misery. She had thought she was doing the right thing by trying to make those girls understand the correct CS way to behave,a ndhad instead made a fool of herself.

She managed to gulp down her tears and to whisper that she was sorry, thenleft the study, not forgetting to curtsey.

As Hilda Annersley described it later, by this time she had realised that she had to temper justice with mercy or the child would have been utterly broken.

Mary-Lou went back to the San, where Nurse was waiting for her, dosed her with hot milk and sent her to bed to sleep or to ponder her sins.
Author:  Sugar [ 21 Apr 2008, 22:26 ]
Post subject: 
Stiff punishment - poor Mary Lou

Thanks Jennie
Author:  PaulineS [ 21 Apr 2008, 22:50 ]
Post subject: 
A stiff punishment, to be on Heads Report for a month. I wonder what Clem will say when she hears about it.

Joey's response will also be interesting.
Author:  linda [ 21 Apr 2008, 23:00 ]
Post subject: 
I'm really starting to feel sorry for OOAO!! :cry: :cry:

After all, the school has to take some responsibility for her actions. She has always been made to feel that she was important and that her actions were acceptable.
Author:  Miss Di [ 22 Apr 2008, 04:46 ]
Post subject: 
Isn't this the bit where Joey says "Poor untrained soul" and the school reforms her? :lol:
Author:  Lesley [ 22 Apr 2008, 06:57 ]
Post subject: 
Yes, it was a stiff punishment - but it could have been far worse - wasn't Thekla expelled for something very similar? I know that Mary Lou has been encouraged to think she could get away with these things but, at the same time, she has been taught right from wrong and would know that her behaviour toward the girls - especially the tearing of the cloth and pulling the bedclothes off of Emma - were definitely wrong.

Hopefully the punishment will be enough to get through to her that she was wrong - and I like that Hilda has admitted that the Staff bear a significant amount of responsibility.


Thanks Jennie.
Author:  di [ 22 Apr 2008, 07:00 ]
Post subject: 
Ouch, that was pretty severe! Hopefully, Mary Lou will ponder on the error of her ways and rejoin her form a transformed girl. I think not! :lol: I reckon it'll take some time to reform this young lady.
Many thanks Jennie.
Author:  abbeybufo [ 22 Apr 2008, 09:32 ]
Post subject: 
Just caught up with this again after a couple of days off the board - Hilda is right to take the responsibilty for ML's attitude, as it was in large part her, and the other staff's doing.
ML herself needs to see why she has been wrong, and indeed that she has been wrong - and at the moment I think she just feels completely crushed without understanding what the problem was . . .

Thanks Jennie
Author:  Jennie [ 22 Apr 2008, 14:37 ]
Post subject: 
Final part. Thank you for reading this, and for your suggestions.

===============================================


When Mary-Lou rejoined her form on the morning following her interview with the Head, it was not to the acclaim that she had been expecting. In fact, her friends now seemed embarrassed to know her.

Miss O'Ryan was quite cool to her during registration, and kept her back afterwards for a few minutes to let her know that she was expected to make up her missing work during what would have been her Games lessons. This was another blow. As it was their morning for Science, she set off for the labs, and on arriving there, found that she was expected to have Isabella as her partner in the practicals.

Isabella was neutral towards her, but clearly knew her way around a laboratory and OOAO found herself relegated to the second place in their pairing. When she tried to take over, Isabella calmly pointed out to her that she had missed the theory on the previous day, so could not possibly know what she was doing. This was all too true, so OOAO found herself taking a back seat. Things were no better at Break. Instead of being the centre of a throng of girls all eagerly longing for her company, she finally discovered what it was like to be on the outside, no longer the leader of the Gang, but someone who no longer had an envied place.

Lesley was now Form Prefect, and clearly starting to tackle the job. OOAO could sense that Lesley would not take kindly to advice or opposition from her.

The worst thing that she had to face on that morning was that the eight new girls treated her no differently. They were still the smiling, pleasant young people they had been before, and what made this so grievous to her was that they actually spoke to her. She could have understood it if they had borne a grudge against her and showed it, but they were just the same.

This brought home to her how far she had fallen from her acknowledged place as leader of the pack, for it made her feel as if everything she had done and said was unworthy of their notice.

Mitagessen was a fairly silent meal, though the other girls were scrupulously polite to her and made sure that she had everything she needed, but she was astonished to find that none of the eight had made the least attempt to fill the gap she had left by becoming a leader in the form.

The rest of the day dragged on, and when the others went out to play netball, she had to remain behind at a desk outside Miss Dene's office, to make up her lost work.

The rest of the day was no better, and it was a weary, disconsolate Mary-Lou who took herself off the the San to get ready for bed. What had really hurt her was the sight of Verity who had obviously been made to feel welcome in the wider group, and who was listened to with respect and consideration.

When she finally sank into bed, it was with the realisation that she was going to have to work very, very hard to regain the trust and confidence that she had once enjoyed, and fell asleep, vowing to do better once she had returned to her customary place in the School.
Author:  Alison H [ 22 Apr 2008, 14:44 ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Jennie :D .
Author:  abbeybufo [ 22 Apr 2008, 14:58 ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Jennie - very salutary

I almost felt sorry for her at the end :wink:
Author:  Elbee [ 22 Apr 2008, 15:23 ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Jennie. I've found this quite amusing and laughed at Mary-Lou, but also I think the staff and Joey have a lot to answer for in the way that they have encouraged Mary-Lou to take the lead and led her to believe that she can get away with things that others couldn't.
Author:  Sugar [ 22 Apr 2008, 15:52 ]
Post subject: 
Fantastic Drabble Jennie - thanks for writing it!
Author:  JustJen [ 22 Apr 2008, 17:12 ]
Post subject: 
Wonderful story Jennie.
Any chance of a sequel?
Author:  Emma A [ 22 Apr 2008, 17:53 ]
Post subject: 
That was excellent, Jennie. I like that you have let Mary-Lou realise how wrong-headed she has been, and vow to do better - very realistic.

The whole drabble has been very satisfying - thank-you.
Author:  Fatima [ 22 Apr 2008, 17:54 ]
Post subject: 
Great! I did feel a bit sorry for her at the end, and I really hope she'll do her best to turn herself into a real CS girl now.

Thanks Jennie.
Author:  PaulineS [ 22 Apr 2008, 18:09 ]
Post subject: 
Thanks for the drabble. Glad Mary Lou realised what she had been like at the start of term.

Pleased Verity is bcoming the individual who she was at the start of her tme at CS and not a shadow of Mary Lou.
Author:  linda [ 22 Apr 2008, 19:10 ]
Post subject: 
Thanks for this drabble, Jenny, I've really enjoyed it. I did feel sorry for Mary-Lou though, it wasn't all her fault.
Author:  Lesley [ 22 Apr 2008, 19:36 ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Jennie - a very satisfying end - and even though it's not all her fault - she was the one mainly at fault, she's an intelligent girl and must have seen that no-one else was given her advantages.


Any chance of a sequel? I'd be interested in how the situation develops at the School - and whether Joey is able to accept the change - I know you love Joey-bashing, but you are also able to write realistic Joey too.
Author:  JB [ 22 Apr 2008, 21:00 ]
Post subject: 
Thanks, Jennie. This has been great.

I too would love to see Joey's reaction to this.
Author:  roversgirl [ 22 Apr 2008, 21:08 ]
Post subject: 
Thanks for the drabble - I do feel sorry for her though. Thanks :)
Author:  Phil [ 22 Apr 2008, 21:28 ]
Post subject: 
Many thanks Jennie.

That was wonderful. Alas poor OOAO!
Author:  Pat [ 22 Apr 2008, 21:40 ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Jennie - well up to expectations. :twisted:
Author:  Ruth B [ 22 Apr 2008, 23:00 ]
Post subject: 
Thank you Jennie, I've really enjoyed this.

Quote:
When she finally sank into bed, it was with the realisation that she was going to have to work very, very hard to regain the trust and confidence that she had once enjoyed, and fell asleep, vowing to do better once she had returned to her customary place in the School.


Hmm. It may just be me, but I'm rather worried by this last sentence. Surely the point is that OOAO will never truly return to her customary place in the school?

Worthy material for a dsequel though. :wink:
Author:  Anjali [ 23 Apr 2008, 01:33 ]
Post subject: 
Jennie, thanks, this was lovely to read!
I also would like to see Joey's reaction to the whole thing....are there plans for a sequel? :reading:
Author:  Miss Di [ 23 Apr 2008, 04:26 ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Jennie, a satisfying conclusion (and I hope you write a sequel too)
Author:  jennifer [ 23 Apr 2008, 05:44 ]
Post subject: 
It's a telling point, I think, that this is her first chance to experience what it feels like to be on the outside. She's always been at the centre before, first at home, and then at school.

I've often thought that being an outsider during school can be excellent (if painful) experience for later life, particularly if you have a good support system at home. You know, in detail, what it feels like to be left out or bullied, and you are forced to develop your own resources, rather than depending on other people to give you your sense of self worth. It can also give you practice in watching and listening to group dynamics, which if you're the popular leader isn't necessary.

It can be a huge let down for people who have been the golden child in their school days - the popular, pretty, smart one who everyone wants to be friends with and everyone admires - when they encounter a wider environment where nobody knows that they're special and they become a fairly ordinary member of the crowd. The smaller the initial setting, the bigger the shock tends to be.
Author:  di [ 23 Apr 2008, 06:50 ]
Post subject: 
I echo those comments, Jennifer. Jennie, may I add my pleas for a sequel? I'd love to know whether Mary Lou took Hilda's words to heart and changed and whether Joey put her two penn'th worth of advice.
Thanks.
Author:  Fiona Mc [ 23 Apr 2008, 09:33 ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Jennie. This has been great and have loved how you developed this. I'm another who would love to see a sequel
Author:  Jennie [ 23 Apr 2008, 13:52 ]
Post subject: 
No sequel as yet springs to mind, sorry. As I said before, I now have to concentrate on earning money. And that means (re)reading books that I loathe, but it must be done.
Author:  Elle [ 24 Apr 2008, 11:33 ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Jennie. I really enjoyed this.
Author:  Jennie [ 07 May 2008, 14:03 ]
Post subject: 
The sequel to this is being posted on Middles' Common Room in the Medium Fanfiction Section.
Author:  Emma A [ 07 May 2008, 14:08 ]
Post subject: 
Yay!
*off there now*
Author:  Carolyn P [ 07 May 2008, 16:17 ]
Post subject: 
Just found this and enjoyed it tremendously. Read it all through in one go and love the way it developed.
Author:  Liz K [ 07 May 2008, 19:29 ]
Post subject: 
Ruth B wrote:
Thank you Jennie, I've really enjoyed this.

Quote:
When she finally sank into bed, it was with the realisation that she was going to have to work very, very hard to regain the trust and confidence that she had once enjoyed, and fell asleep, vowing to do better once she had returned to her customary place in the School.


Hmm. It may just be me, but I'm rather worried by this last sentence. Surely the point is that OOAO will never truly return to her customary place in the school?

Worthy material for a dsequel though. :wink:


I thought this too.

What an EXCELLENT story, Jennie, I've read it through in one sitting.

I'm off to find the sequel too.
Author:  di [ 07 May 2008, 20:25 ]
Post subject: 
Where's the Middles Common Room, please? I want to read the sequel.
Author:  Alison H [ 07 May 2008, 20:42 ]
Post subject: 
di wrote:
Where's the Middles Common Room, please? I want to read the sequel.


Here :D
Author:  Liz K [ 07 May 2008, 20:56 ]
Post subject: 
Just joined The Middles Common Room, think I've got to wait for my account to be activated before I can read the sequel. :cry:


Oh well, yet another forum for me to surf at work! :roll: :wink:
Author:  abbeybufo [ 07 May 2008, 21:02 ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Jennie - watching the sequel posts on MCR avidly - though only lurking there at the moment :D
Author:  Jennie [ 08 May 2008, 08:20 ]
Post subject: 
Well, Abbeybufo, no-one will try to stop you joining.

Has visions of Auntie Pat and Kate with cutlasses in their teeth, earnestly repelling boarders with vats of boiling oil. And grapeshot and stuff.

At Rowena's request, I have also posted this on Middles' Common Room.
Author:  abbeybufo [ 08 May 2008, 14:56 ]
Post subject: 
Jennie wrote:
Well, Abbeybufo, no-one will try to stop you joining.

Has visions of Auntie Pat and Kate with cutlasses in their teeth, earnestly repelling boarders with vats of boiling oil. And grapeshot and stuff.

At Rowena's request, I have also posted this on Middles' Common Room.


I have actually joined MCR some months ago - just meant have not posted on your sequel thread there [obviously didn't explain myself properly :? ]
Author:  Jennie [ 08 May 2008, 17:00 ]
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Sorry for misunderstanding you, Abbeybufo. It's just that the vision was too good not to relish, hm, perhaps with Sugar backing them up with a machine gun.
Author:  abbeybufo [ 08 May 2008, 22:33 ]
Post subject: 
Jennie wrote:
Sorry for misunderstanding you, Abbeybufo. It's just that the vision was too good not to relish, hm, perhaps with Sugar backing them up with a machine gun.


's okay - I must admit the vision of that lot with cutlasses between their teeth was pretty tempting :lol: :shock: :lol:
Author:  Pat [ 08 May 2008, 23:07 ]
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Thank you so much! :lol:
Author:  Jennie [ 23 Jul 2008, 16:28 ]
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A sequel to this, and a precursor to 'Mary-Lou At Oxford' has been posted in MCR today.
Author:  ibarhis [ 23 Jul 2008, 17:06 ]
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MCR?
Author:  di [ 24 Jul 2008, 08:21 ]
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Good news,Jennie, about a sequel but echo MCR?
Author:  Alison H [ 24 Jul 2008, 09:06 ]
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Middles Common Room :D -

Here :D
Author:  ibarhis [ 24 Jul 2008, 09:26 ]
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Many thanks
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