The Chaletian Bulletin Board


    
      
        The Chaletian Bulletin Board
        (http://www.chaletian.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl)
      

        Stories & Imaginings >> Cookies & Drabbles >>  A Happy Future
        
(Message started by: Sawah on Aug 21^st, 2003, 2:24pm)

Title: A Happy Future
Post by Sawah on Aug 21^st, 2003, 2:24pm

After reading all the stories where the Maynard family is in ruins, Len hates Reg and Joey has gone mad, please can we write a story set in the future where the family is generally happy, Joey and Mary-Lou are kind, not over-the-top people, and the school has successfully kept with the times.

I leave it up to you ...

Title: Re: A Happy Future
Post by catherine on Aug 21^st, 2003, 2:49pm

In the Prefects room, Daphne Bettany was gazing dreamily out the window.
"Hey! Stop dreaming!" Her cousin Cecily Maynard interrupted her thoughts. "The gong will be going for Abendessen any moment and some of us ought to be there to make sure the little dears behave themselves! A nice set of prefects Willy will think we are if we don't!" This being a reference to Miss Wilmot, their headmistress since the retirement of Miss Annersley three or four years ago.
"What were you thinking about anyway?" Louisa Redfern, the Head Girl, asked curiously.
"Just how different things are. I'm the last in my family to be here, immediate family I mean, and when Maeve was a prefect, well I don't know, things just seemed so much simpler." Daphne replied. "We've only been back a few days yet I constantly seem to be telling the kids to stop tucking their dresses into their tights to make them shorter or yelling over the noise of record players to tell them to turn it down! And I've lost count of the times I've felt like throwing something at them after they've cheeked me all ends up!"
"Yes; that can't go on." Anna Willis, Second Prefect, remarked thoughtfully. "They are being awfully cheeky to us."
"That's what comes of having a bunch of Fifth Formers become prefects." Louisa sighed. "This time last year, we were all Va and not one of us has had any prefecting experience apart from dormitories! It's no wonder they're playing us up! We have to stamp on it now or they'll only get worse!"
"Well we can all be thinking of a plan over Abendessen." Cecily returned to her former complaint. "Come on and tidy! They won't be any easier to handle if we let them run riot becuase we were too busy talking to get down on time!"

Title: Re: A Happy Future
Post by Rachael P on Aug 21^st, 2003, 3:45pm

(What - no Bettany or Maynard as HG?!)

Louisa convened a Prefects Meeting immediately after Abendessen and the prefects thought long and hard about how to impress their authority upon the Middles. Had they only known it they would have laughed to watch themselves. Many a new and inexperienced body of prefects had been in exactly the same position throughout the years!

"It's no use" cried Anna after a period of serious contemplation. "I can't think of a single thing that will make them take us seriously"
"Me neither" mused Daphne "But I wonder ...." She looked across at her cousin. Cecily caught the glance and light shone in her dark eyes as she cottoned on to Daphne's meaning.
"Mary-Lou!" they called out in unison.
"Whatever do you mean?" demanded Louisa "She left years ago and I thought she spent most of her time in Egypt on that big archaeological dig of hers?"
"She does but she's over visiting friends at the moment and she's staying with Mother at Freudesheim" beamed Cecily. "Don't you see? She'd be the perfect person! I don't want to ask Len ... Oh Mrs Entwistle then ... " as she caught Louisa's disapproving eye "because she's a mistress and she'd want to know everything and we can't ask Mother because she's doing so much baby-sitting for Len and Con, but we could definitely get some advice from Mary-Lou. Everyone always says that she was the best Head Girl after Mother and a champion butter-in. If she can't help us, no one can ... Daf, you're a genius!"

The prefects agreed and the decision was made to invite Mary-Lou Trelawney, now a distinguished archaeologist and well respected in her chosen field, to join them for Kaffee und Kuchen the following day. That young lady was pleased to accept although she did confer with her great friend Joey Maynard before leaving for the school.

“Whatever can the prefects want from me?” she inquired plaintively.
Joey grinned. There were a few laughter lines around the eyes and a few grey hairs in the great plaits wound into earphones on either side of her head but Joey Maynard had not changed a bit. She may have been the mother of eleven and grandmother to two small boys and a baby girl but as she had always vowed, she would be a Chalet School girl until she was 90 and being pushed along in a bathchair!
“Don’t be a dunderhead, Mary-Lou” she laughed, her vocabulary as always, stunning those in her company. “They obviously want to pick your brains about the Middles. Daphne and Cecily are prefects this year so naturally they don’t want to come crying to Auntie Jo. Plus … “she continued wisely, “I think they’re beginning to realise that a younger viewpoint can be useful. I’m no spring chicken, you know!” Joey finished with a chuckle.

“Oh you!” laughed Mary-Lou “You know as well as I do that there’s been no one like you, apart from your own daughter, Len for getting under people’s skin and helping them. Don’t you try and slide out of that responsibility my dear! Oh, I’ll try to help them, of course I will but don’t you be surprised if I come back to discuss it with you firs.” And with that settled, Mary-Lou attended to her toilet, combed through her golden-brown curls and ran lightly across the great lawn to the school, more like a prefect herself than an accomplished career woman.

Title: Re: A Happy Future
Post by Marianne on Aug 21^st, 2003, 6:06pm

After abedessen the estinguished Mary-Lou knocked on the door of the prefects room and was greeted raptuously by the prefects,
'Cecily, don't strangle me so, try to behave more like a dignified games prefect will you!' yelled Mary-Lou over the noise of the prefects. With that they all subsided and returned to looking like the eldest members of the school, 'Now ladies, what can i do for you?'
The head girl, Louisa, decided that it was her duty to explain all...'You see Miss Trelawney the babes are cheeking us, they don't accept our authority at all and we dont want ot be complete failures!' began Louisa before Cecily cut in,
'She dosn't want to bag, i mean, be nasty about Phil, but really she's abit of a leader, because she was so delicate she's behind, she's only in lower 4a and she should be in upper and, well, she dosn't like me and co telling her off!' declared Cecily, much to the releif of the other prefects.

Title: Re: A Happy Future
Post by Cumbrian_Rachel on Aug 21^st, 2003, 7:12pm

"I think floccinaucinihilipilification may be the answer" replied Mary-Lou.

Title: Re: A Happy Future
Post by Marianne on Aug 21^st, 2003, 7:45pm

''what!!!' cried all the prefects in unison.

Title: Re: A Happy Future
Post by Ray on Aug 21^st, 2003, 8:24pm

on 08/21/03 at 18:06:10, Marianne wrote:

the estinguished Mary-Lou

Someone finally got her, then..............

OK. I'll behave...(I know what you meant, Marianne - but that was my first thought)

~*~

Mary-Lou nodded. "It's tough to be the older sister." Then she smiled. "How did you feel when Len was telling you off?"

Cecily flushed. "Probably like Phil does. But I was younger...which I guess makes no difference."

"It made all the difference," Louise replied, thoughtfully, demonstrating the wisdom that the school elders had seen in her and that had prompted them to promote her to the Head Girl's post. "Phil's old enough to be close in age to you and she probably resents where she is."

"But there's sweet little I can do about it!" Cecily wailed.

"True, true - keep your wig on," Daphne answered. "We know it's difficult for you. Lou - think it would help this problem if Cecily didn't do active duty with the fourth for a time? Give them time to settle down?"

Mary-Lou sat back and listened as the prefects started to debate that idea. They didn't need her advice after all - as she had known they probably wouldn't - but she'd stay on hand, just in case.

Title: Re: A Happy Future
Post by Rachael P on Aug 22^nd, 2003, 10:48am

(Cumbrian_R and Ray - thank you! I'm still giggling to myself!)

Title: Re: A Happy Future
Post by catherine on Aug 22^nd, 2003, 11:38am

"The thing is," Amy Richards, Games Prefect, began thoughtfully, "we have to be careful they don't know."
"What are you talking about Amy?" Ellie Fitzgerald, an Irish scamp, demanded.
"Well, think about it. They're bound to wonder why Cecily is suddenly not superivising them for anything and if they work out it's because Phil's her sister, well they might take it the wrong way."
"Yes, I see what you mean." Anna put in, she and Amy had been the best of chums since they were babies and she often knew what her friend was thinking before Amy did herself.
"Well it's more than the rest of us do! Don't start the reading each others thoughts lark, again, please!" Louisa, who had made up a threesome with the pair since their earliest days at the Chalet School, grinned at her chums. "What do you mean, Amy?"
"Well, they'll see it as favourtism." Amy answered. "Cecily can't supervise Lower IV because her sister's there and she doesn't want to have to scold her."
"On the otherhand, they might see it as weakness, she can't supervise because she can't handle it when Phil talks back at her! She can't control her, type of thing." Anna finished.

Title: Re: A Happy Future
Post by Marianne on Aug 22^nd, 2003, 12:42pm

:-[ :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[

Title: Re: A Happy Future
Post by Rachael P on Aug 22^nd, 2003, 12:53pm

No need to blush, Marianne - that was a gem!! :D

Title: Re: A Happy Future
Post by Vikki on Aug 22^nd, 2003, 1:00pm

I think that's what's known as a freudian slip!! ;) ;)

Title: Re: A Happy Future
Post by Marianne on Aug 25^th, 2003, 8:38pm

Mary-Lou looked thoughtful, 'I can see what your worrying about but if you make sure Cecily is always busy with a different form they will have no reason to think such things.'
'I supopose that will work,' replied Anne.
'I'm sure it will - now i'm going to love you and leave you and have a chat with Joey of the Maynard kind and see if she will give young Phil a talking to...NO wait i have a better idea! I'm just going to have a chat to Hil-i mean- Miss Annersely first, i shall be back in a mo!.' said Mary-Lou excitedly before rushing out of the room and heading towards the study. She knocked on the door and entered,
'Hello mary-Lou, what bringd you here? I thought you were with Jo.' said the head.
'I was but the pree's wanted me, they seem to be worried about Phillipa Maynard, she's not accepting Cecil's authority, they've been the same age, the babes of tha family for so long and now Cecily is almost grown up and Phil still a middle.'
'I see, yes i think i understand, what can i do for you?
'Make Phil head of the middles, i know you havn't had the post for yonks but i reckon you should re-create it. That way she will have a sense of responsibility and not feel like a disappointment to the Maynard clan, if oyu get me?!'
'Yes Mary-Lou, i get you.' quoted Hilda smiling,'It's a good idea, i have infact been considering it since we are so big now. You've confirmed by desicion. Now run along Mary_lou i have lots to be getting along with. ' said the head finally, ML obeyed and headed to the prefects meeting to tell them her solution.

Title: Re: A Happy Future
Post by Ray on Aug 25^th, 2003, 9:10pm

Cecily's eyes shone as Mary Lou explained the idea. "That's much the best solution."

"Won't it look a little as if we're rewarding bad behavior, though?" Daphne observed.

"But has Phil been bad?" Mary Lou asked. "I know you've said she's cheeked you all ends up, but has she done anything mean? Anything nasty?"

"No-o," said Louise thoughtfully. "No - in fact all she has done is cheek us. And," she added with a smile, "the little ratbag," at the slightly unusual appelation several eyebrows raised, "has been careful to only do it when there's been no-one about so we couldn't accuse her of setting a bad example. When there's been a whole crowd of them around she's been as dumb as a fish."

"Then this is perfect," said Mary Lou with a smile. "She knows not to set a bad example - now she'll have to learn how to set a good one."

"And it will give her more self-esteem," said her older sister. "Thank heaven!"

Title: Re: A Happy Future
Post by Marianne on Aug 26^th, 2003, 10:19pm

So it was done, the next day Philipa Maynard was called to the heads study where she received her badge, she announced the information to her peers with a red face but inside she was swelling with pride - she could be proud of her self!

Title: Re: A Happy Future
Post by Lisa_T on Aug 26^th, 2003, 10:23pm

Aw. This is nice. I won;t contribute myself- much too dangerous! but more... it's nice to see everyone sort of behaving with a degree of normality!

Title: Re: A Happy Future
Post by Ray on Aug 27^th, 2003, 9:25am

The grandees of the school heaved a collective sigh of relief. With Phil now a member of the government, things quietened down significantly, but there was still a core of discontent within the middle school headed by one Nadia van Allan*.

Such staff as had been with the school in its oldest days, in the Tyrol, all recognised the signs. Her mother had been much the same when she'd initially arrived with the school, but one term's various alarms and excursions had done much to cure Corny. This was Nadia's third year with the school and she showed no signs of improvement.

~*~
*can't remember if that's exactly how Corny spells her married name or not - grovel in advance if it's not

Title: Re: A Happy Future
Post by Marianne on Aug 27^th, 2003, 10:52am

Nadia was angry about the appointment of Phil for she could always rely on Phil to help her carry out her wicked plans, not she couldn't.

Title: Re: A Happy Future
Post by Ciorstaidh on Aug 28^th, 2003, 4:55pm

***Ray, I think it's van Alten - not sure (it's in Reunion I think)***

Nadia voiced her concerns to her closest confidante, one Marie Courvoisier (I'm counting that she's about the same age as Phil - after all, Len is 14 when godmother to Marie and 15 when Phil & Geoff are born).
"She's only got the post cos she's a Maynard - there's no way she's head of the Middles from behaviour or work! Maynards get everything, why I heard tell a girl nearly died because of her sister's behaviour!"
"What, Cecily? Then how-"
"Not Cecily, dunderhead -butter wouldn't melt! One of the eldest - the Trips, you know, one of them's your God-mother - Margot."
"Oh, Nadia, you do talk such DRIVEL sometimes! Why, Margot's a nun - they wouldn't accept her if she had done anything of the kind! Besides, Godmamma is the loveliest person in the world, I can't imagine her closest sister being so different."
With which comments Marie turned firmly to "Jane Eyre" and ignored any further comments from Nadia, who found herself very much the rebel without a cause - or at least a supporter.

Title: Re: A Happy Future
Post by Marianne on Aug 28^th, 2003, 4:59pm

Nadia looked grim, she realised her revenge was going to be done alone. Her idea was that she could get Phil into trouble and make Miss Annersely drop the post.

(isn't this supposed to be 'A happy future?' anyway i'm thinking that Nadia should get expelled after nearly killing Phil - Phil being Delicate catches Pneumonia when she cant find her mac to go home in.')

Title: Re: A Happy Future
Post by Ray on Aug 28^th, 2003, 5:36pm

No expelling - think of what it would do to Corny

Maybe she gets a fit-of-the-guilt when Phil gets ill.

Ray *really doesn't want to end up with the third expelled pupil being a school 'granddaughter'*

Title: Re: A Happy Future
Post by Lisa_T on Aug 28^th, 2003, 8:31pm

Don't make poor Phil ill. Haven't we done enough to just about everyone else elsewhere?!
Yuck. What a sentence!

Title: Re: A Happy Future
Post by catherine on Aug 28^th, 2003, 9:04pm

Can't we just keep this as a happy thread? That's what Sawah wanted when she started it and I for one find this a welcome relief from the more surreal drabbles that are happening. Surely we can manage to keep this one thread more like the CS books we all know and love?
___________________________________________________

Despite her annoyance, Nadia realised she would have to go carefully for Phil was a popular young person in the School and apart from anything else, her eldest sister, Meg, a shining light amongst the Seniors, was very quick on the uptake and had a habit of turning up just when Nadia wished she wouldn't. Meg was more like the Corney who had been a prefect and then Head Girl whereas her younger sister had all her mother's mischief. She returned to her book, thinking she had been wrong to tackle Marie, who may have her fair share of mischief but knew her boundaries and rarely overstepped them.
"Well if Marie wants to be a bore, that's her look out." Nadia thought. "Plenty of the others will soon join me, especially when they see Phil pulling them up for things and generally interfering. Let me see, there's Annette and Susan, they're always up for a laugh and Andrea and Roberta aren't especially fond of Phil either, not since she reported them for refusing to speak French or German on the right days. And there's Helen, she'll back me up." This last with an affectionate thought for her closest chum, Helen Roberts. "Well that's six of us, anyhow. I must just give it a few days and then get them together and see what we can do. We must start slowly of course, maybe she could just start 'losing' things. A few Lost Propertly fines later and the Prefects will start to wonder if the Head was right and then, well, then I'll have to see. Meg had jolly well better stay out of it though, she's not going to come the good elder sister over me this time, not if I can help it!" Her mind made up, Nadia waited patiently for the week she had decided to wait, to elapse and then gathering the five together, announced her plans.

Title: Re: A Happy Future
Post by Carolyn P on Aug 28^th, 2003, 9:51pm

I don't see why there can't be a serious illness as long as it's resolved in true chalet fashion. (No, I mean reformation of the baddie, not the red safaran.)

Title: Re: A Happy Future
Post by Marianne on Aug 29^th, 2003, 11:58am

surley the old family remedy for breaking fevers and bringing people from the brink of death has to be used???