CBB Advent Calendar: December 19th
The CBB -> Cookies & Drabbles

#1: CBB Advent Calendar: December 19th Author: CBB Triumvirate PostPosted: Sun Dec 19, 2004 9:21 am


“Cornelia Flower! Stop racing down the corridor like a demented bat and behave like a normal human being!”
Joey Bettany’s voice brought Corney up short and she stopped running and turned to the newly appointed Head Girl, a little red in the face.
“It’s only the first day of term Joey. No need to go off half-cocked yet is there?”
Jo grinned down at the square-jawed face before her. “It’s never too early to get into good habits, Corney my girl,” she said. “What was all the rush about?”
“Only to catch up on all the news. It’s ages since we were here.”
“Just the Easter hols – two weeks. It can wait Corney.”
Jo strolled off to the Prefect Room, leaving Corney staring after her. “Guess it’s not that long since Jo was tearing around and now look at her! Goody Two Shoes! I wonder what would make her loose her rag?” No inspiration came to her however, so she shelved the problem for the time being and went back to her legitimate concerns.
Meanwhile Jo had arrived at the pretty room set aside for the Grandees of the Chalet School from the very beginning. It was furnished simply with a large table and chairs, a large cupboard and a set of bookshelves, but had been added to by each set of Prefects so that it had a comfortable home-like air to it. She dropped the books she had been carrying onto the table and gazed around her in satisfaction. She was alone for the time being, the other Prefects being busy supervising the unpacking and she relished toe peace and quiet. Once term started in earnest there would be very little of that commodity to be found if previous terms were any indication. There was a low hum pervading the whole school as friends caught up with each others news, and with rules in abeyance for the first day and everyone speaking their own language, the noise was reminiscent of the Tower of Babel. Jo turned as the door opened and her great chum Simone Lecoutier entered.
“But what then are you doing, my Jo?” she queried. “You are standing doing very little and with such a strange look on your face.”
“Just thinking how good it is to be back, even though I do have to be Head Girl this term. That was a real sickener when Madge told me, but I talked to Gisela during the hols and it’s OK now.”
“Slang Jo?”
Jo swung round at the sound of the rich voice, having forgotten that the door was standing open. The Head, Miss Annersley stood in the doorway with a smile on her face and Jo went scarlet. “I’m sorry, Miss Annersley, I forgot the door was open,” she said.
“Try and remember all the time Jo. It will come easier then.” And the Head walked on down the corridor leaving a crestfallen Head Girl to close the door behind her.

“So, Ma Cherie, are you going to pay a fine?” asked Simone teasingly as Joey turned from the door.
“Don’t be silly, you know prefects don’t pay fines, and anyhow Miss Annersley never told me to.” Jo had lowered her brows at the French girls teasing, and the memory of just why she had not wanted to become Head Girl came flooding back. It was because of just this, having to be a sickeningly good example, even when there was no one else around, just in case she was overheard or got into bad habits. Joey dropped into a chair by the fire and stared moodily into the grate. It being a warm September the fires had not yet been lit, and so Miss Joey was denied even the comfort of the dancing flames that would be seen there in a few weeks.

The other prefects arrived over the next half hour or so, and each one seeing Joey in a grump by the fire elected to go and sit with Simone in the window, looking at the lake and talking avidly about the coming term. Joey seeing all this felt a resentment rising up, ‘Why couldn’t Simone be head Girl, they all seem to prefer her anyway, and she is Mademoiselle’s cousin and started in the first term, it would be just as suitable as me doing it. If she’s stop turning on the waterworks every time she doesn’t get her own way then she could do it fine.’

By the time Kaffee und Kuchen was due all the prefects had arrived, and Joey had done no more than scowl at them. They went down to the Spiesaal in a body, Joey tagging on the end. The rest of the day followed a similar pattern and by the time Joey went to bed she was seething. As far as she was concerned something had to be done, the rest of the term could not be spent like this, and so she began to plot.

It took a few days for the plot to be fully worked out, it was quite detailed, and Joey knew she would only have one chance at this. There was no room for error, and as maths was not her strong point she had to double and triple check some of the calculations. Even then she wasn’t exactly sure she had got it right, so she doubled the original order, just be sure she was getting enough…well enough of what later. All that needs to be said at the moment is that Joey would not be Head Girl of the Chalet School for much longer, she was about to make sure of that by doing something that even Evadne and Cornelia would never have dared to dream about.

Joey had done her research carefully, checking her terms in a dictionary, and her understanding of the area in an encyclopedia, so she was sure she was getting the right things. The parcels began to arrive - addressed to the Kron Prinz Karl so that no one would ask what was in them. They were extremely carefully packed with the two parts kept well away from each other. Jo had found a number of hiding place around the school, scattered amongst all the buildings except St Hild’s (to which she had no legitimate access). She was a little startled at the amount she had to hide, but having checked her maths so carefully she was confident she had the right amount.

The staff were at their wits end, having no idea what was the matter with Jo. She continued morose and sulky, slouching around the school, doing as little as she could possibly get away with. She had totally alienated the new Matron Webb, who had charge of St Clare’s where Jo and her friends had their rooms. Matron felt that Jo had only got the Head Girl’s post because of her sister, and that she got preferential treatment too. Jo’s behaviour gave her a good deal of justification in this, though the rest of the staff knew that something lay behind it all and were rather worried.
Jo herself was gaining a good deal of satisfaction in her clandestine activities and slowly began to brighten up until she was approximately her normal self. She had not abandoned her plans, just put them on hold until she felt the right time had come.
Just before Half Term she had a serious run-in with Matron Webb. Only the two of them knew what had happened, for no one else had been in St Clare’s at the time. It was enough to bring the black clouds back and Jo made up her mind to act. In the dead of night she crept around the school making final arrangements. When she crept back to bed there was only the last minute details to set in motion.

The following day the whole school was going for a walk around the lake and ending with a picnic at the water meadows at Geisalm. Jo made sure she was the last one out of St Clare’s and slipped into St Therese and St Agnes before hurrying to join the rest of the party. She was suddenly in tearing good spirits, teasing and laughing like the old Jo. They were well round the lake, having been walking for a good half hour, when it happened, and even Jo, who was waiting for it, jumped out of her skin at the enormity of it. There was the most tremendous explosion from the direction of Briesau, the ground shook even as far round the lake as they were, a huge black cloud reached into the sky, and drifted towards them, shutting off the bright sun. The girls stopped and stared, and then started exclaiming amongst themselves. Miss Wilson spoke quietly to her friend Con Stewart. “That looked remarkably close to the school. I hope nothing has happened there.”
“I’m sure everything will be fine Nell. Don’t worry.”
But they did worry and so did many of the senior girls. The cloud drifted way and the sky returned to its usual blue, but there was still a stream of smoke rising from the other end of the lake, and they all wanted to get back as soon as possible. The staff insisted on eating lunch, but as soon as they had rested they turned back along the lake path.
The closer they got to Briesau the more it looked as though the explosion had come from the school.
As they entered the village they were met by good Herr Braun who was looking very white and shaken. He went straight up to Hilda Annersley.
“Meine Fraulein,” he said. “The school has gone. The explosion covered three of the buildings, excepting only St Hild’s, but that of necessity has been destroyed too. No one knows what has caused this. I have telephones for the Police and also to the Sonnalpe for the Herr Doktor and Madame.”
The party came as close to the school grounds as they dared and stared in amazement. There was just an immense crater where the school had been, with fires burning in a few places. But as the crater extended as far as the lake, water was now starting to fill the hole, making a new inlet in the Tiernsee. Jo stood as stared at the devastation, feeling very shaken at the sight of her handiwork. There was simply nothing left of the school at all. She became aware of voices behind her.
“Was anyone left behind Fraulein Annersley?”
“Matron Webb was intending to check the laundry I believe,” said the Head. The full shock had yet to register and she answered almost absently.
Jo closed her eyes, took a deep breath and turned around.
“I did it,” she said. “I bought some dynamite and lit a fuse when we set off this morning, but I didn’t expect this to happen.”
“What did you expect then Jo?” The Head’s voice was very gentle, as if talking to a very young child or someone who was mentally challenged.
“I don’t know. I think I may have used a little too much. At least I’m no longer Head Girl.” On those words Jo swayed and slipped to the ground in a faint.

 


#2:  Author: LesleyLocation: Rochester, Kent PostPosted: Sun Dec 19, 2004 9:40 am


Cornelia Flower

The waterworks

Slipped into a faint.

 


#3:  Author: LyanneLocation: Ipswich, England PostPosted: Sun Dec 19, 2004 10:36 am


Can't believe no-one else thought of that as a way to get out of being head girl. and, bonus! Jo got rid of nasty matron. Smile

 


#4:  Author: Amanda MLocation: Wakefield PostPosted: Sun Dec 19, 2004 11:17 am


Matron Webb
Dynamite
"behave like a normal human being"

Star Wars

 


#5:  Author: MihiriLocation: surrey england PostPosted: Sun Dec 19, 2004 11:56 am


Matron Webb
explosion
I did it

 


#6:  Author: Kathy_SLocation: midwestern US PostPosted: Sun Dec 19, 2004 1:04 pm


Whew!
*thinks someone other than Corney is the demented bat*

Simone Lecoutier
water meadow
But what then are you doing, my Jo?

 


#7:  Author: ellendLocation: Bow, London PostPosted: Sun Dec 19, 2004 3:55 pm


Matron Webb

a demented bat

"behave like a normal human being"


ellen

 


#8:  Author: LauraLocation: London (ish) PostPosted: Sun Dec 19, 2004 5:23 pm


The Herr Doktor

a fine

“But what then are you doing, my Jo?”

 


#9:  Author: patmacLocation: Yorkshire England PostPosted: Sun Dec 19, 2004 6:47 pm


Jo at her most heedless Wink

Also quote from Hilda in Exile 'How like Joey! She always did do things in a wholesale manner!'

Thank you for another lovely story. Razz

 


#10:  Author: Helen PLocation: Cheshire PostPosted: Sun Dec 19, 2004 8:07 pm


I'm sure I shouldn't be giggling at the thought of the entire Chalet School buildings being blown up Embarassed - but I can't help it! Laughing

Simone Lecoutier
Prefects Room
It's never too early to get into good habits

 


#11:  Author: VikkiLocation: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!! PostPosted: Sun Dec 19, 2004 8:29 pm


*wild giggles*
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear!!!!

 


#12:  Author: MarianneLocation: Lancaster PostPosted: Sun Dec 19, 2004 11:01 pm


lol!
I didn't expect that!

 


#13:  Author: SusanLocation: Carlisle PostPosted: Mon Dec 20, 2004 1:18 am


Well she certainly did it this time didn't she?

Miss Annersley

Kaffee and Kuchen

'I talked to Gisela about it'

 


#14:  Author: DawnLocation: Leeds, West Yorks PostPosted: Mon Dec 20, 2004 1:21 am


A rather late (and probably completely wrong) guess

Cornelia Flower
Kron Prinz Karl
The Head’s voice was very gentle

 


#15:  Author: CBB Triumvirate PostPosted: Mon Dec 20, 2004 8:37 am


The answer to todays drabble is:

Cornelia Flower
A dictionary
‘Pay a fine’

 




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