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Stories & Imaginings >> Cookies & Drabbles >> A Modern girl at the Chalet school 
(Message started by: Marianne on Aug 19^th, 2003, 12:30pm)

Title: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by Marianne on Aug 19^th, 2003, 12:30pm

This is a bit weird but he idea struck me so it had to be written. This girl called Chloe Summers who is eleven and lives in the 21st century goes to school when Joey is there at the very begining. Yes, she time travels.

Chloe Summers surveyed her old fashioned out fit infront of the mirror, this was going to be quite an adventure. Chloe was the daughter of a great proffesseur who had developed a method of time travel and Chloe was to be the next great experiment.
'Right Chloe, are you ready, when you get to the train station take the pill and you will be transpoted back in time, alright?' said the proffesseur, Chloes mum.
'Yes mum, thats alright.'
'Great lovley, don't forget you got to taverton high school but your parents need to travel so have sent you away.' said her mum, remeinding her of her story.
'I know mum, we've bin through this loads of times. Let me go the cabs here.' sighed Chloe.
'Right-O, see you hon, don't forget to write.'
And with that Chloe left her house....

(so, what do you think?)

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by PatW on Aug 19^th, 2003, 12:34pm

Interesting! Is she the same age as Jo? How is she going to cope with the different values and outlooks?

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by Marianne on Aug 19^th, 2003, 3:01pm

Please feel free to carry on anyone, i'm not sure i can manage a whole story or anything!

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by PatW on Aug 19^th, 2003, 3:23pm

Chloe reached Victoria Station with no difficulty, and managed to find a secluded spot to take her pill. Taking a deep breath, she swallowed it down. For a moment nothing happened, but then she started to feel dizzy, the station began to swing round her. Faster and faster it spun until she thought she would fall over. It felt like the old-fashioned TV series her mother had loved - Dr Who and his Tardis. Gradually her surroundings steadied and she looked around in amazement. Gone was the modern station. In it's place was a much darker version of the same building, with no fluorescent lights. The was a smell of steam and smoke, and the people that she could see were dressed in very of-fashioned clothes. She walked across to the departure board - no longer electronic, but back to the way it had been years before. The boat train departure was listed, and she hurried onto the platform, looking for ither girls dressed as she was. Halfway down the platform she saw a small group clustered round a young woman she assumed was the escorting mistress. Slowly she walked up to them, feeling shy and nervous. How would she get on with these people from the past?

Title: BeRe: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by Rachael P on Aug 19^th, 2003, 3:26pm

Being an up-to-date young thing, accustomed to having a mobile phone and all the other accoutrements of 21st century life, Chloe was somewhat askance, after taking her pill, to find herself not on a speeding electric train hurtling through the varying countryside of Europe but on a number of slow, dirty, coal-fuelled steam trains which took hours to reach her destination. Indeed, she was a little overawed by the length and difficulty of the journey but she was a plucky individual, and as madcap as her mother, therefore she stuck out her chin and vowed to make the most of her experience.

Appreciative of nature in any form, her eyes shone when confronted with the beauty of the Tiernsee which shone its deepest blue as she boarded the small ferry which would take her to the shores of the Chalet School. Surrounded by majestic mountains, the lake glittered in the sunshine but Chloe shivered a little. She was an imaginative child and could well foresee how deathly cold the waters might be in the depths of winter.
"And the medicine here will only be circa 1920s” she reminded herself. “I only hope Mother's thought about all this and I don't contract some awful disease like TB"
She shuddered at the thought and turned away, admiring her surroundings again which were so untouched by the population explosion of her own time and remarkably untainted by any pollution.

Thus the small figure joined the other new girls, dressed in the same smart outfits and all arriving at the small English school which was opening for the first time in the Austrian Tyrol.

“Madge! Madge!” shouted another small figure dancing outside the chalet. “They’re here – oh hurry up and let’s go and greet them!”
“Hush Joey-baba – you’ll wake the whole lakeside if you screech like that!” But Madge Bettany smiled at her companion and the two sisters joined hands and ran lightly down to the ferry to meet the first influx of pupils.
“How odd” said Madge, rapidly counting the number of girls hurrying down the ramp, “There’s at least one extra ..”
“Ooh how exciting” cried Joey the irrepressible “The more the merrier, Madge!”

(ed. - oops, sorry Pat, but at least we're not too far out of sync)

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by PatW on Aug 19^th, 2003, 3:47pm

Joey danced up to the small group.
"hello everyone. I'm Joey Bettany. Welcome to the Chalet School."
Madge followed rather more slowly. Truth to tell, she was a little nervous, though not for the world would she have let anyone see it.
"Come along in everyone. We'll make sure everyone is here and then Joey can show you to the dormitories, so that you can settle in."
Madge went through the list of names, and realised that her first impression was correct - there was an extra girl! Her eyes focused on Chloe in puzzlement.
"Who are you, dear?" she asked. "we weren't expecting you as you can see. Can you tell me what you are doing here?"
"I thought Mother had sent all the paperwork, Miss Bettany" stammered Chloe. Somehow she had not expected this inquisition! "Will I have to leave? I was so looking forward to coming to the Chalet School"

(This is shades of Carola! :-[)

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by Rachael P on Aug 19^th, 2003, 4:01pm

(well, in fairness it has to be - how else can we get her in ;))

"Never mind, dear. It's not a problem as we've plenty of room and I'm sure the paperwork will turn up. Come on all" and suiting the action to the word Miss Bettany, or Madame as she would soon be known, gave them a whistlestop tour of their dormitories and form rooms.

Chloe Summers appeared to settle in as quickly as the rest of her charges and by the time the girls and mistresses had eaten a light repast and the girls were entertaining themselves in their common room, Madge was able to retreat into her study.

"How odd" she mused to herself as she picked up a tray of paperwork. For there at the top of the pile was a letter from Professor Summers clarifying Chloe's travel arrangements, neatly paper-clipped to initial enquiry, school acceptance note and cheque for the forthcoming term's fees. "I must be losing my mind with all the excitement" declared Madge out loud. "I could have sworn I'd never heard of the girl before but never mind, she's here now and goodness knows we've plenty of room for her so that's another addition to our growing family."

Madge moved towards the window to admire the Tiernjoch. It really was a remarkable begining and she fervently hoped that she would be able to sustain the speed with which her school was growing.

Chloe meanwhile was chattering away to Joey Bettany nineteen to the dozen but keeping a check on her tongue lest she let slip her VERY unusual background!

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by Marianne on Aug 19^th, 2003, 4:59pm

As Chloe was talking to Joey she marvelled at how easily she coud talk to this girl who in the real world could be her grandmother or even great grandmother. Chloe soon realised that she needed to find out more about the school for her first report back for the Times newpaper,
'Joey, i'm not sure of the rules of the school you know, i came in a bit of a rush.' began Chloe aware that her speech was unusually proper.
'Oh my dear, not another who hasn't read the prospectus, do you speak French and German?' asked Joey.
'Good Lord know, my Comp...High school dosn't do them much, i can speak a bit of French though.'
Joey frowned at the blasphemy but concluded that perhaps the girl wasn't a regular church goer or something.
'Thats alright you'll soon pick it up, we have to do both!' replied Jo happily.
'Oh, ok..' said Chloe, slightly dazed at what she had just heard, but her use of Ok set Joey frowing again.
'Have i said something wrong Jo?' asked Chloe for she had noticed the frown.
'Not really, Chloe, its just that slang isn't allowed here, the foreign girls you know.'
'S**t!' cried Chloe swearing.

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by Rachael P on Aug 19^th, 2003, 5:20pm

Luckily rules were in abeyance for the first few days of term, particularly for new girls, and as Joey's own language could flowery in the extreme she chose to say nothing about it and it soon slipped her mind.
Chloe however was kicking herself.
"What a prat" she thought "If I carry on like this, I'll blow my cover. Oh why didn't I read more of those stupid books Mother gave me - they've got all the oldy-worldy language in them that I could be using now. Looks like I'll be using words like "wizard" and "ripping" and tophole" from now on .. it may be slang but at least it's in keeping with the period"
Chloe groaned. Mother's "little experiment" was not going to be the jolly jape she had first anticipated. It looked as though she was going to have to work quite hard at it.

A voice broke into her reverie.
"Why, Chloe! Whatever's this?"
Joey Bettany's eagle eyes had caught up Chloe's wrist around which was wrapped a dainty watch.
"How on earth does this work?" demanded Joey curiously. Well might she ask. Joey's own timepiece and indeed all the other clocks and watches in the Chalet had wind-up mechanisms which, as Chloe now realised as she looked down following Joey's gaze, was sadly missing from her own solar-powered watch.
"It's the latest thing from Switzerland" she improvised wildly "Mu .... my dad's a buyer for a large store in London" she continued mentally kicking herself for almost saying Mum when surely there would have been no working mothers with the means to send their children to an overseas boarding school in this day and age.

Joey seemed satisfied but one or two of the others looked at Chloe curiously.

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by Marianne on Aug 19^th, 2003, 6:13pm

Freida Mensch a quiet, sensitve young girl looked at Chloe quizically, but thought nothing about it.

Soon it was time for the new girls to sit some tests to decide what form to put them in...

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by Rachel on Aug 19^th, 2003, 6:32pm

*Pedantic Rachel shoves her oar in*

In the earliest days, the school wasn't tri-lingual but English. And they didn't sit any tests to find out where to put them since they only had three classes (Juniors, Middles and Seniors) and were placed according to age.

Sorry but if this is meant to be set in the earliest days in Tirol, there should only be abnout twelve pupils too!

Rachel ~ skips merrily off to another drabble spreading fury behind her (Query: How does one spread behind one?)

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by Marianne on Aug 19^th, 2003, 7:39pm

Thats alright then, i'd forgotten, in that case...

Joey lead the new girl Chloe off to her class where they were to have a maths lesson. Chloe gromanced at this statement making Joey laugh.
'Oh i hate maths too, isn't it awful!' declared Jo
'Oh it is, i just don't get it, i don't even know my tables!' said Chloe, speaking the truth.
'Don't you, oh dear! Madge likes us to learn up to our thirteens, oh well!' replied Joey, none to worried by Chloe's lack of mathamatical ability.

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by PatW on Aug 20^th, 2003, 11:49am

Maths was far worse than Chloe expected. To start with there was of course no calculators. Everything had to be worked out on paper, and her grounding in these methods had been sketchy in the extreme. For the first time she really appreciated what the students in the TV programme "That'll teach 'em" had gone through. To make matters worse, they were working in £ s d, which was almost before her mother's time. She was very thankful when the lesson ended, and she could go to the Speisesaal for her milky coffee and bread twists.

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by Rachael P on Aug 20^th, 2003, 12:50pm

(very good, Pat!)

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by Rachael P on Aug 20^th, 2003, 1:41pm

But Chloe’s face fell when she realised that the next lesson was to be geography. Miss Wilson was checking the form’s basic grasp of countries, capitals and borders by calling each girl up in turn to point out a particular country and its capital. Chloe usually enjoyed geography but this felt more like a history test. How on earth was she supposed to know what each country was called and who its neighbours were more than 80 years ago! So much had happened since then – WWII, the Cold War, the troubles in the Balkans. She just knew that she wouldn’t be lucky enough to get England.
“Come on then, Chloe dear” Miss Wilson smiled at her. “Prussia, if you please”
Chloe reluctantly left her seat and crawled towards the great map of the world, gazing desperately at it for inspiration. Sadly the type was too small to read and when Miss Wilson handed her the pointer she could do no more than wave vaguely across the whole of Germany, Poland and Russia! Miss Wilson’s reaction can better be imagined than described.

She fared little better in the rest of her lessons.
Miss Bettany felt that Chloe had a creative brain but her spelling, punctuation and grammar were abysmal for an eleven year old. She also had a peculiar way with words which Madge could not quite put her finger on. As for her hisotry, it appeared to be non-existent. Unluckily for Chloe she had spent the last two years in her progressive primary school learning about WWII. She had found this very interesting, even reading the Diary of Anne Frank in her own time, but this was of little use to her now. That was the future!! Finding that she was supposed to be able to remember lists of dates; kings and queens and place major historical events on timelines was anathema to her. She was accustomed to much more discussion and debate about the legitimacy of historical sources and this facts and figures approach was quite beyond her. If only she had been able to see into the future, she would have been pleased to note that the school would soon lean towards reasoning from cause to effect … and back again.

By the end of the day poor Chloe’s head was reeling - how she longed for technology, electronics and IT!

The staff gathered for Kaffee und Kuchen and began to discus the influx of girls. It was very clear that Chloe was proving to be an enigma for them all ….

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by Marianne on Aug 20^th, 2003, 2:04pm

'Goodness knows what this Chloe child has been taught!' began Miss Annersley in earnest.
'Oh i know, her geography is much to be desired, let me tell you! I asked her to point out Prussia to me and all she could do was point vaguely at Germany!' declared Bill.
'I'm not sure how she's been taught grammar and punctuation but thats fairly non-existent too. She's good at creative writing but its badly punctuated, a little like Jo really.' said Madge, more thoughtfully than her collegues. 'She's abit of a mystery, i don't want to put her with the babes, Amy and Robin but we may have to, she seems to have very little grounding.

Meanwhile Chloe was feeling very miserable, Joey being Joey bounded over to discover what the matter was. 'Whats up old thing, you look like a bear with a sore head?!' exclaimed Jo.
'I'm rubbish at everything, i no no geography or spelling! They will put me in the babies class, i guess i'd rather meet Hiytler than do that!' said Chloe finally.
'Hitler isn't he that man who's become chancellor of Germany, i read it in a newspaper, i thought the Germans were rather pleased with him.' said Jo enquiringly. (this puts the story at 1933, yes?)
'Oh, um, yes they are, sorry, i got confused.' replied Chloe, not sure how to cover up her mistake.
'Right-o, never mind, come on and join the fun!' said the elder girl.

Chloe cursed her mistake the rest of the day and vowed to be more careful, she was growing attatched to Jo, Freida and the rest.

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by Rachael P on Aug 20^th, 2003, 2:11pm

(I say we place the story when Joey is about 15 - so still a Middle and playing pranks etc but the school is quite well-established and all the usual staff/pupils have started e.g. Miss Annersley and Miss Wilson et al who strictly speaking weren't there on day 1 - that would also give us more flexibility re Chloe's knowledge of future events. Also I'm not sure how up-to-date people of Joey's age would have been re current events. The Tiernsee was quite isolated and we don't hear much about newspapers, radios etc)

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by PatW on Aug 20^th, 2003, 2:16pm

after Abendessen the girls got out a variety of hadicarafts and sewing to do. The Continental girls were all doing exquisite embroidery, and poor Chloe wondered despairingly whether she was supposed to be able to do the same. However, Joey was as dumbfounded as Chloe.
"How do they do it?" she whispered to her. "I can't sew at all"
"Neither can I" replied Chloe, thankful that there was at least soemone else in the same boat.

Bedtime brought more surprises. She was shown where her bathroom was, and then reminded that heer bath in the morning could be taken either cold or chill-off! She let the pretty curtains down around her cublcle, and got ready for bed. Just as she was about to dive under the plumeaux (she thought of it as a duvet, and was pleased to see something familiar!), a voice called for quiet during private prayer. Chloe could hear the other girls dropping to their knees, so she did the same, but the only prayer she could think of makeing was for the ability to carry of her bluff.

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by Marianne on Aug 20^th, 2003, 2:32pm

Chloe fell asleep alomost as soon as her head hit the pillow, she slept soundly untill about two O'clock when she woke up suddenly. Chloe cursed her bladder that was not used to cocoa before bed, putting on her dressing gown and bedroom slippers for the bare floor was cold she set out to find the bathroom.

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by PatW on Aug 20^th, 2003, 3:26pm

To her horror, when she tried to leave the bathroom, the door refused to open. She twisted the knob and pulled hard - and the handle came off in her hand! She stood looking at it in dismay. Now what was she to do?

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by Jennie on Aug 20^th, 2003, 3:47pm

She had reckoned without Matey's sixth sense where the girls were concerned.

She heard a low but commanding voice ordering her to say what was wrong.

When she had explained the problem to Matey, she was told to stay where she was, and not to make a fuss that would wake the other girls.

With that she heard footsteps retreating from the door.

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by PatW on Aug 20^th, 2003, 4:07pm

Presently Matey returned with Gaudenz, the man of all work (or did he only appear in Switzerland?!). He quickly had the door off its hinges and Chloe was free.
Matey escorted her back to her Cubey.
"Settle down and I'll bring you a nice drink of hot milk. That will help you get back to sleep" said Matey.
"More likely make me throw up" thought Chloe, but she sisn't say anything, and dutifully choked the revolting stuff down when Matey brought the cup.
"Sleep tight" said matey quietly as she shut the door.

Morning came too soon, and Chloe faced her first cold bath. she stood in front of it, thinking. Then sheswished her hand around in the water and splashed some of it over her face, before pulling the plug out. she cleaned her teeth while the bath emptied, and started it filling for the next girl before dashing back to the dormy. She realised that there was non too much time to get eveything done before Fruhstuck.

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by Rachael P on Aug 20^th, 2003, 4:19pm

(LOL - only Switzerland but perhaps he was also time-travelling ;) I guess it would need to be Eigen)

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by Marianne on Aug 20^th, 2003, 8:41pm

Chloe set about making her bed, now she understood the fuss the pupils in 'that'll teach 'em' made about hospital corners, it really was much harder than it looked. Nevertheless she managed and all things considered she went down to breakfast in a fairly jolly mood, that, however didn't last long. At the end of breakfast Miss Bettany stood up, her face grim,
'Ladies, i have some bad news, last night one of the juniors Pauline macduff was taken to the sanatorium and was diagnosed with small pox. She is very ill and you are all in quarantine, i will hand over to matron who will explain further.'

The girls were all shocked and worried none more so than Chloe, 'But i thought that was eradicated from the globe!' she excalimed at first. Thankfully noone payed any attention to her, they were waiting with bated breath for what matron had to say.
'Girls, want to make it clear that if you feel in the least bit ill you must come straight to me, it is a very serious disease, many children have died in the village just recently. You are all in quarantine. As the disease has a fairly long incubation period there is nothing useful about separating different age groups. That is all.' said Matron before sitting down again.

(me and my predeliction for tradgedy, hehehehehehehehe :D!)

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by PatW on Aug 21^st, 2003, 9:14am

Miss Annersley stood again.
"In the meantime girls, we must continue with our work as usual. School stand. Dismiss."

Chloe went back to her classroom with the others feeling worried. Her mother had thought she had covered all possibilities with the course of immunisations she had arranged, including the dread White Man's Plague, but had completely forgotten the threat of smallpox.

Chloe's first lesson that morning was science. She looked at the overall she was expected to wear in disbelief. It made her look dreadful. The most horrifying thing was the absence of goggles to protect her eyes. However, as all the girls were happily putting their overalls onChloe did the same and went along to the Science Lab. Again, the teaching was totally different. Miss Wilson took them through an experiment and then gave them an exercise to carry out in pairs.

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by Esmeralda on Aug 21^st, 2003, 10:46am

Very entertaining, but surely Chloe's mother is even worse than Prof. Richardson in that she acres mor for her science than the welfare of her child - at least the professor didn't try to send his three into space, whereas Mrs Summers has pitched her daughter into one of the most dangerours envirnments on earth!

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by Marianne on Aug 21^st, 2003, 1:23pm

Chloe surprised herself and Miss Wilson for she was actually very good at experimental science, she had been well taught, if differently and she was aware of the dangerous nature of chemicals. The lesson therefore went well.

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by Clare on Aug 21^st, 2003, 8:13pm

"Well it seems that we've found something that you're really good at!" exclaimed Miss Wilson at the end of the lesson. "Keep up the good work."
Outside the classroom, some of the girls ran over to Chloe (remind me of her peers someone please!). "Where did you learn so much chemistry?" asked one fair haired damsel. "Bill NEVER gives so much praise!"

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by Marianne on Aug 22^nd, 2003, 12:51pm

'I did't know i did know so much chemistry Margia (i'm sure she didnt actually study science but hey -ebdism!) i'm sure glad to be good at something though!' exclaimed Chloe, thoroughly delighted.

That evening brought prayers and Joey came up to her seeing that Chloe was highly confused,
'What are you then?' she asked.
'Huh, i mean, i don't understand?' replied Chloe thinking Joey was winding her up.
'You Catholic or Protestant? most of the pupils are Catholic of course but a lot of the English ones are Protestant.' Joey said cheerfully.
'But i'm neither, i'm an atheist, i suppose im Jewish but my Grandma was the last person to ever to to the synagogue my mum dosn't beleive and neither do I!' was Chloe's curt reply.
'Cripes. You don't beleive in God?! Well thats just insane!' Joey said frankly.

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by Ally on Aug 22^nd, 2003, 1:11pm

'Bother' though Chloe to herself. Why was it so difficult to remember to say the right things, but then what were the right things. The one thing her mother had not thought of was religion, and this was the result.

However, Chloe had enough sense to realise the strength of emotions she had roused in Joey, and so tried her best to make amends.

'I'm sorry Joey, it's just that being Jewish has caused such problems, what with the Holo... I mean the attitude of some, we try not to draw attention to ourselves' Again Chloe inwardly cursed herself, and wondered if things would ever get easier.

As for Joey, for once she decided to do the sensible thing and keep her opinions about Chloe's religion to herself. But it didn't solve the problem of prayers.

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by PatW on Aug 22^nd, 2003, 1:14pm

"You'll have to go to one or the other" said Joey. It would look very strange if you didn't. Anyway, someone would come to get you. you'd better come with me to the Proetestant ones. Most of the English girls will be there."

Chloe sighed and followed Joey to the Hall.

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by Marianne on Aug 22^nd, 2003, 3:16pm

She was greatly amused by the almost fatalistic (is that a word, i'm scared of freudian slips now! ;)) attitude held by the girls and the staff, she would have been even more amused had she gone to the Catholic prayers. Miss Annersley spotted a her wry smile and lack of attention to what was going on, she also realised that the girl wasnt joining in the recital of the Our Father or the creed.

At the end Miss Annersely dismissed her pupils and pulled Chloe aside.

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by PatW on Aug 22^nd, 2003, 3:22pm

"Will you come to my office please, Chloe" she said. Chloe followed her down the corridor and into the office. Miss Annersley sat down behind her desk and motioned Chloe to stand in front ofher.
"Now Chloe, I want you to tell me why you were behaving that way in Prayers. It is most disrespectful, and also distracting for the other girls and the staff to have someone fidgiting. You weren't joining in the prayers either. Why not?"
Chloe loked a little discomforted. "I don't know the prayers Miss Annersley. My family is Jewish, but we don't practice."

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by Marianne on Aug 22^nd, 2003, 7:46pm

Hilda took a sharp intake of breath, 'I see, then you had no business being in prayers did you, it is most hypocritical. Next prayers you shall take a book and study judaism.'
'I have no wish to do that miss Annersely, i am an atheist, i do not beleive in God or a god of any kind.' Chloe replied cooley. (she's a very mature eleven year old isnt she!)

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by crashbb on Aug 22^nd, 2003, 7:48pm

***She must be Canadian - you know that EBD says we are more grown up than you Britishers***

For once Miss Annersley's calm demeaner was dropped before a student. She had never been faced with this before. With an inward prayer for help, Miss Annersely began

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by Marianne on Aug 22^nd, 2003, 8:04pm

'In this establishment we have firm routes in religion. In this part of the word you will find that the majority of people are devout Roman Catholics and you will feel the power of this devotion when you dicuss the topic with any villager. In a land where the people rely on the growth of crops of the raising of animals, God is a most important aspect of peoples lives, hence, my dear girl, you have no right to be mocking such traditions.' Hilda paused, studying the young face of the girl sitting before her, looking for the usual reaction.
'I havn't been mocking Miss Annersley.' she replied.
'Do Not lie to me! I saw the smiles that crossed your face when we were parying and worshiping, the whole process amused you!' excalimed Hilda, her voice slightly raised in her anger.
'Miss Annersley the process amused me because people seem to think that God is everything, that there is nothing besides God! But there is, there is much much more, people are the important thing, what we can do for people miss Annerdly.' Chloe almost shouted in exchange. Chloes back chat prooved almost too much for the headmistress, she could cope with defiant unruly girls but this child was strange, she had been badly taught in some areas and she semed to have little respect for her elders and betters.
'Do not raise your voice to me child. You shall be in solitary confidment untill you have come to your senses and accepted that God exists. Come along.'

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by Lesley on Aug 22^nd, 2003, 8:38pm

on 08/19/03 at 18:32:05, Rachel wrote:

Rachel - in answer to this - ask anyone who has a large arse!

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by Ianswythe on Aug 22^nd, 2003, 8:52pm

Another pedantic person shoves her oar in.

I really think that if the school had been faced with an aetheist that it would have been suggested to the parents that the child would maybe do better at another school(i.e. less religious school) I don't think they would keep her in case she had an undesirable effect on the other girls, I also don't believe they would try and force her to their way of thinking.

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by Lisa_T on Aug 23^rd, 2003, 8:12pm

Pedantic person number three-
I thought Joey was supposed to be a middle in this drabble. In that case shouldn't it be either Madge or Mademoiselle who's Head?

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by Rachel on Aug 23^rd, 2003, 9:36pm

*Pedantic Rachel with a large rear nods wisely at Lesley*

Glad to see my pedantic-ness (pedantry? pedantism? where the heck is the dictionary when one is trying to be both pedantic and a smart arse?) is catching ;D

Think Chloe's mum ought to call off the experiment now - it obviously isn't working! ;) Wouldn't mum have made sure Chloe would have been an awful lot better prepared for an experience of this kind?

Rachel ~ conveniently overlooking the fact that time travel isn't, actually, yet possible :D

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by Clare on Aug 24^th, 2003, 1:34pm

(*Ok - it's a conference with Mademoiselle and Miss Annersley - Miss Annersley has been expounding on her views, now Mademoiselle shoves her oar in!)

"I'm sorry Miss Annersley if I appeared to be mocking prayers, I wasn't!"
"Perhaps it would be best if we wrote to your mother and asked her to send you to a school where religion is not considered so vital to its being?" Thus Mademoiselle spoke for the first time.
Chloe turned her eyes to her and pleaded, "oh no! Anything but that!" Tears were starting to well up in her eyes, and Chloe had a hatred of tears. She dashed a hand against her eyes and said "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but I can not help my upbringing. Please don't write to my mother!"
Mademoiselle looked at Chloe carefully. The girl was genuinely upset, and Mademoiselle had an idea of how to handle her. "Chloe, are you willing to try and discover God's love?" Chloe nodded. "Then what I will suggest, is that you attend our Roman Catholic service this evening, and tomorrow before Prayers, you will tell me which service you would like to attend until the end of the year."
Chloe grasped at this offer and thanked Mademoiselle heartily. She knew that she had overlooked a number of factors when she agreed to be her mother's test subject for the time machine. She was determined not to make any more mistakes.

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by Marianne on Aug 24^th, 2003, 2:53pm

That day she wrote her second long article for the times newspaper detailing all the scary events that had occured as well as the funny ones. No one had banked on Joey Maynard's ability at problem solving - despite her advanced years Joey kept up the news and was an avid reader of the Times newspaper.
'I say Jack - come and have a dekko at this!' she said after she had scanned the latest article from the school girl in the past.' He did,
'What?' he asked blankly, for he was older than Joey and very tired.
'What - don't be such a block head she's talking about our school of course, she's with me, when i was about 15!'

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by Emily the Strange on Aug 24^th, 2003, 7:44pm

Jack sighed, 'Joey, darling, I have no idea what you are talking about, this girl is 11, are you telling me she hasn't aged in 70 years? I know you're famed for that, but surely no-one else has managed it?'
Joey explained slowly and clearly to her elderly husband, 'Jack. A few years after Madge (maysherestinpeace, sorry, shades of Terry Pratchett there) started the school, a girl called Chloe Summers arrived. I was 15, she was about 11. Now I think about it, there were many odd little things about her, she was Jewish by birth, but an atheist, for example. This newspaper article is describing all that exactly, it must be her, but I just don't see how! Look at this-' Jo pointed out a particular line in the article which read, "I had no idea just how different school here would be. The surroundings, for example, far from being in a dreary suburb full of traffic fumes, are simply stunning. My breath catches every time I glance out of the window at the intense blue of the Tiern See. The lake, too, is different- there was no dam back then. The pupils are so friendly, as well, there doesn't seem to be any cattiness or cliquey behaviour like in the 21st century schools. One girl, Jo Bettany, seems to be liked by everyone, and no wonder, because she's kind and helpful and unassuming- characteristics that would cause her a great deal of resentment nowadays, I'm afraid."
Jack looked thoughtful...

*Please, I know Joey's amazing and all that, but even she cannot communicate with her childhood self in order to let her know what's going on. I know it's tempting, but do try to resist it!*

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by KB on Aug 25^th, 2003, 12:15am

I have to say that one idea grabbed me - wouldn't it be interesting if Chloe had come during the few months before Hitler came to power in Germany and somehow convinced the school to move and take many of their European pupils with them?

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by Marianne on Aug 25^th, 2003, 6:14pm

Jack removed the paper from Joey,'I am very tired Jo, you can follow the story in the newspaper, you can not communicate with your past or whatever.' said Jack yawning and confusing himself greatly.

What had happened was, althought the Chloe had not in reality been at the school in Jo's day, because she had interrupted her past, her memory had been altered, much to the distress of her doctor husband.

Back at the school Chloe was battling with her mind. her mother had repeated to her over and over that she must not attempt to change history for the consequences would have been disastrous but she didn't know what the future held for the kind doctors, the baby Robin and all the others and she couldn't risk their lives. She simply had to tell the school about the threat from Germany and she had to do it quick.

Chloe summers hurried from the common room, she new from the date that Anshluss (sp?) would be happening within that month. She arrived outside the door belonging to the headmistress's study, she knocked,
'Come!' said the head, not looking up for her pile of papers.
'Hello, umm, i must talk to you about something of vital importance.' said Chloe a grim look upoin her face that the head could do nothing but take seriously.
'All right Chloe, go on.' said the head, her eyes surveying her pupils face.
'Right. I am not who you think i am, my name IS Chloe Summers but i was not born in 1928, in fact i have not yet been born. You see, my mother is a clever, famous scientist belonging to the next century, she sent me back in time to see how i would deal with the past, its values, that kind of thing. I am not due to be born until 1992, in another 53 years.' she said doing quick sums in her head. The head looked pale and stunned,
'Chloe, i-i'm frankly shocked and confused. I will beleive your story, one knows nothing of what will be possible in another 53 years, but if your story is true, why are you telling me now?' asked the head, much to the releif of Chloe.
'You know of Hitler who became Chancellor of Germany in 1933?' she questinoned tentatively.
'Yes Chloe, i do.'
'Well, he's evil, in 1939 we, the British and French are going to go to war with the Germans. He will march his troops into Poland and his dream is to take over the world. Six million Jews, 30 Million Russians and many more will die at the hands of the Nazis.'

(this creates i major EBDism, i know - but perhaps we could jst ignore it!)

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by KB on Aug 25^th, 2003, 11:37pm

(*lol* I know this was my idea, but I can see Chloe being taken off by Matron for some soothing mixture and a lie-down in a dark room.

And if they ignore her, which they would be likely to do, it won't change anything!)

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by Ally on Aug 26^th, 2003, 12:52pm

*I have no idea when this book is set now (I'm going for 1935, so bare with me*

'My dear how dare you say such things, I would hope you had been at the school long enough to learn the value we place on truth' said a shocked Miss Annersley

'But I can prove it, truly I can, surely you must have noticed all the anti-semitic legislation in Germany, and this year there will be the Nuremberg Laws, just you wait' replied Chloe almost shouting in anger.

Miss Annersley looked at the girl curiously. She could see that she was genuinely upset by this, and her knowledge of poltical events was astounding for a girl of her age.

Title: Re: A Modern girl at the Chalet school
Post by Sarah_G-G on Aug 26^th, 2003, 8:18pm

*What about if Chloe were to warn Jem? She could tell him, but he wouldn't be able to act on it straight away because no-one would believe them, so he would just keep a close eye on things and then it would explain why he was so concerned about moving the school and everything in Exile.*