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The Start of a Friendship (short and complete)

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The CBB -> St Agnes' House

#1: The Start of a Friendship (short and complete) Author: Ray, Location: Bristol, England

Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2006 11:14 am
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This was supposed to be a bedtime drabble for the upcoming Gather. But even with all the creative margin tweaking and cheats that I could conceivably come up with, it was too long. (And that was before I even tried to contrive references to two of the categories of prompts!) So here it is instead Smile

The Beginning of a Friendship

Anna kneaded the bread dough with more vigour than was strictly necessary. It had been a truly horrible day. Finding that thing in the music room had been awful, and no-one, but no-one, had given her more than cursory sympathy. The closest anyone had come to that was Fraulein Wilson who, although she'd been abrupt, had at least not laughed. That was more than could be said for that feather-headed little snob, Elise.

Anna snorted. She would have liked to have seen Elise's reaction to that thing. The stupid child would probably have fainted!

The door into the kitchen opened. Anna ignored it. Visitors were not her concern. Soon enough, Karin's strident tones reached her: "Ja meine Fraulein?"

"Gut' abend, Karin."

Anna blinked. That voice did not belong to any of the mistresses or other staff. That was Frau Russell's sister, Fraulein Bettany. Why on earth would she be here?

"Können ich spreche mit Anna bitte?"

Anna stopped kneading her dough in surprise.

"Ja. Anna!"

Wiping her hands on a clean cloth, Anna left the dough to its own devices and went to see what die Fraulein required.

As she appeared, Fraulein Bettany offered her a matey smile. "Anna; are you busy just now?"

Anna stared for a moment, wondering what sort of question that was. Before she could think of a reply, Karin was answering for her: "If she has finished the dough for tomorrow's bread, then her work is done, Fraulein Bettany."

Anna blinked again. That was a lie! She still had many tasks to finish and---

"Elise may finish off for you," Karin said, unexpectedly. "I did not miss her behaviour this morning. Go."

And not sure quite which end was uppermost, Anna found herself not only being shooed out of the kitchen by a Karin who appeared to have suddenly become someone else entirely but led, arm in arm no less!, towards the Prefects' Room by Fraulein Bettany. Once in the room, she found herself being gently eased down into one of the comfortable basket chairs, and then a cup of milky coffee was handed to her and she was even offered a bun from the heaped plate. Just what was going on?

"I wanted to ask," Fraulein Bettany began, "are you all right now?"

"All right?" Anna echoed. How could she possibly be all right when she didn't understand why she was even here?!

"Well---" And Fraulein Bettany chewed her lip nervously. "I know you took quite a nasty tumble this morning, and had a fright and---"

"If you are going to laugh, Fraulein Bettany" Anna snapped coldly, setting the coffee cup down firmly on the table, "then I shall be going. I---"

"I was going to apologise," Fraulein Bettany replied.

Anna froze, midway between sitting and standing. "Why should you apologise to me?"

"First and foremost because your fright was my fault." Anna sat back down with a thump. "Oh, I didn't make it!" Fraulein Bettany added hastily. "I just caught the culprits. But it was late and, I confess, I didn't really know what to do with it."

It was a disarming speech and Anna found herself actually giggling a little. "The younger girls were up to mischief, Fraulein Wilson told me."

Fraulein Bettany giggled appreciatively. "And how," she agreed. "They woke me, though I don't imagine for a second I was their intended target! I don't mind telling you, though, when I finally saw it, I was of half a mind to scream myself. It certainly was demonic."

"In the darkness, it was glowing," said Anna. "And I could not see it properly."

"Small wonder, then, you screamed," said Fraulein Bettany sympathetically. "I think it got at least one more victim; I'm positive I heard another scream later in the morning."

Anna's head dropped. "But no-one behaved as I did."

"No-one quite got the full beauty of it as you did." Fraulein Bettany proffered the buns once more. "And I really am most awfully sorry about that. I didn't think."

Anna accepted a bun. "Thank you."

Fraulein Bettany grinned. "It seems, to me, to be the least I can do to make up for this morning. I promise," she added with a chuckle, "I won't do it again."

Later, as Anna made her way back to the kitchens for her supper, she realised that she felt very much better about the day. Not even Elise's snide remarks about "gossiping with her betters," could really dent her mood: Fraulein Bettany did not need to apologise, but she had, and not only had she apologised, she had made Anna feel as if she might just have a friend there.

For a day that had started out so dreadfully, Anna decided, it really hadn't finished that badly.

#2: Author: catherine, Location: Newcastle upon Tyne

Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2006 11:27 am
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How lovely!

I could see that happening and it would seem a reasonable explanation for Anna's future feelings towards Joey.

#3: Author: leahbelle, Location: Kilmarnock

Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2006 11:34 am
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That's really nice. Young Jo is a much nicer person than older Joey and I can see how Anna could easily have become devoted to her here.

#4: Author: Ruth B, Location: Oxford, UK

Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2006 11:36 am
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Lovely! And good old Karen!

#5: Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent

Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2006 11:50 am
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I really like that Ray - also like Karen's behaviour. A good start to their lifelong relationship.

#6: Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester

Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2006 11:59 am
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Thanks Ray - that was lovely Very Happy

#7: Author: eamlunt,

Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2006 11:59 am
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Can I do my Miss Annersley bit please?

Koennte ich mit Anna bitte sprechen? translates as Could I speak to Anna please but..
Darf ich mit Anna bitte sprechen? is May I speak to Anna please...! Wink

I like the story but cant work out the reference - any clues welcome

#8: Author: Josie, Location: London

Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2006 12:25 pm
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Very Happy

Fabulous, Ray.

Cheers m'dear.

#9: Author: Kathy_S, Location: midwestern US

Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2006 12:36 pm
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Thank you, Ray. Very Happy

#10: Author: Alice, Location: London, England

Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2006 12:46 pm
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Thank you Ray, I enjoyed that.

#11: Author: Kate, Location: Ireland

Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2006 12:49 pm
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That was lovely, Ray! Smile

And so plausible. Another random not-quite-an-EBDism worked out!

#12: Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar

Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2006 2:26 pm
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That was so nice, thanks Ray.

#13: Author: Tan, Location: London via Newcastle Australia

Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2006 3:27 pm
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eamlunt wrote:

Can I do my Miss Annersley bit please?

Koennte ich mit Anna bitte sprechen? translates as Could I speak to Anna please but..
Darf ich mit Anna bitte sprechen? is May I speak to Anna please...! Wink

I like the story but cant work out the reference - any clues welcome

Nicely done Ray!

It is a reference to an incident in New House, where some of the middles make a 'baby voodoo'. I think it was Cornelia and the other (someone correct me if I am wrong!) The baby voodoo is left in a room, and Anna finds it by accident and screams.

#14: Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent

Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2006 3:32 pm
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I think it's the younger Middles - Elizabeth and Betty spring to mind - and they're trying to wake Cornelia - who is now a Senior!

#15: Author: Chair, Location: Rochester, Kent

Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2006 3:48 pm
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Thanks, Ray. It was lovely to see the start of their friendship.

I know that it wasn't Elizabeth and Betty, as they were still at St Scholastika's in 'New House'. I know that one of the people involved was Alixe von Elsen.

#16: Author: LizB, Location: Oxon, England

Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2006 4:09 pm
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Wonderful!

Thanks, Ray Very Happy

#17: Author: little_sarah, Location: Liverpool/Manchester

Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2006 4:28 pm
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Thanks Ray, that was really sweet Very Happy

#18: Author: Tan, Location: London via Newcastle Australia

Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2006 4:31 pm
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Thanks Clare! I knew that it involved Cornelia somehow. Embarassed

#19: Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent

Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2006 4:48 pm
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Ah yes, Alixe, Emmie Linders, Enid Southern, Mary Shaw, Kitty Burnett, Biddy O'Ryan and one another - can't find her name.

What? Me check in the book? Never! Wink

#20: Author: Vick, Location: Leeds, Yorkshire

Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2006 9:09 pm
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Lovely, thanks Ray

#21: Author: Pado, Location: Connecticut, USA

Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2006 10:03 pm
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Now I like Joey again
Very Happy

#22: Author: Tara, Location: Malvern, Worcestershire

Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2006 10:55 pm
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Really nice - and so believable. It must have happened just like that!

Thanks, Ray.

#23: Author: aitchemelle, Location: West Sussex

Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2006 11:33 pm
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Thank you Ray! Lovely kind Joey! Very Happy

I knew vaguely where it was from but couldn't quite recall the details?! Did the baby voodoo have a blue face?

#24: Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!!

Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2006 12:01 am
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LOLOLOL!!

Lovely! Thank you Ray! And that explains why Anna was so attached to Joey that she left her country to follow her!

#25: Author: Chelsea, Location: Your Imagination

Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2006 3:30 am
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That was lovely Ray - thanks for sharing it.

#26: Author: Lulu, Location: West Midlands, UK

Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 1:15 pm
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That was lovely - I always wondered if it was the same Anna!

#27: Author: wheelchairprincess, Location: Oxfordshire, UK

Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2006 11:46 pm
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Now that explains why Anna could possibly be so devoted to Joey when she turned into such a shrew in the later books. And it is typical of Joey at that point in the series. I like it.

#28: Author: Mia, Location: London

Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2006 10:33 am
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Thanks Ray. Hurrah for a nice Joey portrayal!

#29: Author: Clare, Location: Liverpool

Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2006 6:41 pm
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Thanks Ray, I agree with the other comments - so typical of Joey at this point and it's a nice little opener to the start of their friendship. Very plausible indeed - well done! Very Happy

#30: Author: JoS, Location: South Africa

Posted: Fri Oct 13, 2006 11:04 pm
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Thanks Ray - that was wonderful.

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