Naughtiest Girl 9: Naughtiest Girl Wants To Win

by Enid Blyton

  ‘Hallo!’ said Julian suddenly, as he looked down the corridor. ‘What’s going on? There’s quite a crowd round the notice-board.’

  Elizabeth and Julian hurried over and pressed forward to get a good look. There was a buzz of excited chatter all around them. Everybody was gazing at the election list for head boy and girl.

  Miss Belle and Miss Best would be taking the notice down tonight. But another name had been added, at the last moment!

  A third nomination for head girl had been added to the list. The name was written clearly, in a senior boy’s bold handwriting:

  KERRY DANE [Paul Kirk]

  Elizabeth backed away from the notice-board, laughing out loud in shock.

  Julian whistled to himself.

  ‘There’s your answer, Elizabeth,’ he said. ‘All is explained.’

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  A very close result

  ELIZABETH LISTENED to the babble of voices all around her. Everyone seemed to be talking at once. There were many conflicting opinions.

  ‘Paul persuaded her! She shouldn’t have listened to him!’

  ‘She didn’t really want to stand. She says she’s too new.’

  ‘And she is. Much too new! If she’d been here a while, and been a monitor, I’d definitely vote for her. She’d make a marvellous head girl. But—’

  ‘But why not? Paul says the important thing is just to get the very best person. If people were so sure about Emma, why would Nora bother to stand?’

  ‘Yes! And seeing there’s going to be an election anyway . . .’

  ‘I say, wouldn’t Hickling Green be envious if we had Kerry Dane for head girl! They’re such a lot of stuck-up snobs! And you know, I can just see her on the platform, taking the Meetings with Thomas. She’s got such presence!’

  ‘Yes, she has. But it wouldn’t be right – it’s got to be a real Whyteleafean. It’s got to be Emma or Nora.’

  ‘I agree with you, Candida!’

  ‘Yes! I’ll be voting for one of the old stagers.’

  ‘Me, too. Emma, in fact . . .’

  ‘But she would have made a marvellous head girl.’

  Elizabeth and Julian walked away.

  ‘A marvellous head girl?’ exploded Elizabeth. ‘She’d be a disaster! Oh, Julian, do you think she’s been planning this?’

  ‘I’m sure she has,’ frowned Julian. ‘From the moment she saw the chance to provoke an election and unsettle things. What a schemer!’

  ‘Julian, you don’t think . . .’ The idea filled Elizabeth with horror. ‘You don’t think there are enough people who’d be silly enough . . . to get sort of carried away and vote for her on the spur of the moment? So that she ends up being elected?’

  It was like looking into the abyss.

  ‘There’ll be some,’ said Julian, thoughtfully. ‘But not a majority, I’m quite sure. You heard what everyone was saying. Most people feel strongly that she’s much too new. They may be dazzled by her but they are going to vote for Emma or Nora.’

  ‘Good! Then we’ve got to make sure it’s Emma!’ said Elizabeth fervently. ‘Let’s have one last parade tomorrow, Julian. The best parade yet! Straight after breakfast. Just before the election!’

  Voting was at ten the next morning. The school Meeting would follow at eleven.

  At bedtime, Jenny looked unhappy.

  ‘I am surprised,’ she said, ‘that Kerry’s allowed her own name to go forward! She came to talk to me about it. She said she didn’t want it to happen but other people were insisting. And, after what she’d said to me about Nora standing, she couldn’t really refuse, could she? But she told me not to worry. She’s promised to vote for Nora herself, and she’s going to tell everyone she meets to vote for Nora, as well! Isn’t that sweet of her?’

  Elizabeth didn’t believe a word of it. But out loud she said, ‘So what’s the matter, then?’

  ‘Oh, nothing!’ Jenny replied quickly.

  Jenny was too proud to admit to Elizabeth that Kerry Dane had forgotten her name already. She’d kept calling her Jane! It had left Jenny feeling rather uneasy. There was something odd about the whole thing but she couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was.

  Saturday morning dawned bright and sunny. The election campaign for Emma reached its climax. Elizabeth organized the final parade with great flair. Sophie came with her flute and all the juniors brought tambourines. And Richard agreed to strum his guitar! For the last hour before the voting began, Elizabeth marched her band around and around the outside of the school buildings, holding the banner aloft.

  Each time they passed below dormitory windows, Harry banged the drum and Julian shouted, ‘Wake up! Wake up! Don’t forget to come and vote!’

  And the juniors chorused, ‘VOTE FOR EMMA! VOTE FOR EMMA! ROLL UP, ROLL UP AND VOTE FOR EMMA!’

  Cheerful faces appeared at windows. There were smiles and waves.

  Elizabeth found the whole thing very exhilarating. Afterwards, she said, ‘I’m sure Emma’s going to win, Joan. I just feel it in my bones!’

  ‘Let’s hope so,’ replied Joan gently. ‘At least there should be a good turnout now! Come on, Elizabeth. We mustn’t forget to cast our own votes. It’s nearly ten o’clock.’

  Miss Belle and Miss Best were in charge of the election, which took place in the dining-hall.

  As Elizabeth joined the queue of people waiting to cast their vote, her confidence grew. What an excellent turnout! If most of these people were voting for Emma, then Kerry Dane was in for a big disappointment.

  When she reached the head of the queue, Miss Belle ticked her name off a list and Miss Best handed her a voting paper. Elizabeth then walked through to a special table, picked up one of the pencils there and firmly marked a cross against Emma’s name. As she carefully folded her ballot paper, she squinted along the table and saw that a third former was marking his cross in the same place. Good!

  Under the watchful eye of the joint headmistresses, Elizabeth posted her voting slip into the big ballot box. It was a very satisfying feeling, to have cast her vote. The Beauty and the Beast, as the children called the heads, both smiled at her warmly.

  ‘I wonder if they know I’m going to be made a monitor today?’ wondered Elizabeth. ‘I seem to be in their good books.’

  She met up with Joan and Julian outside the hall and the three friends wandered along to their common room together. Some fourth formers, walking along the corridor ahead of them, were talking loudly.

  ‘I was going to vote for Kerry,’ one of them was saying, ‘but I changed my mind this morning. Kerry persuaded me to vote for Nora. She’s just so positive she’d be best!’

  ‘Oh, how funny. She said something to me, too. She’s very persuasive, isn’t she! I really had to fight with myself to stick to my guns and vote for Emma.’

  ‘Isn’t it decent of her not to expect people to vote for her but to ask them to vote for Nora instead?’

  The three friends heard this in some surprise.

  ‘So it’s true, then!’ said Elizabeth. ‘Jenny told me that Kerry had promised to campaign for Nora. I didn’t believe she really would.’

  ‘How very odd,’ said Joan.

  Julian said nothing. He looked worried.

  ‘Well at least Kerry Dane can’t possibly win herself now!’ declared Elizabeth.

  While the votes were being counted in the hall, all the boys and girls had morning break. Then they went to their rooms to get spruced up for the Meeting. Elizabeth was in a state of high excitement by now.

  Kathleen came and brushed some fluff off the collar of her blazer for her. She was smiling and rosy-cheeked as usual.

  ‘Well, the suspense will soon be over!’ she said. ‘I’m sure Emma will have won. And we know Thomas has, because nobody stood against him. And th
en we’ll be able to get on with all the proper business of the Meeting. You’re still quite happy about being a monitor again, Elizabeth?’

  ‘Kathleen, need you ask!’ exclaimed Elizabeth, with a happy laugh.

  The Meeting had arrived at last. She was looking forward to it.

  They filed into the school hall and took up their new places on the second form benches. Elizabeth sat next to Julian. Joan left them and took her place up on the platform, with the other monitors. The hall was filling up very quickly. Elizabeth glanced across to the senior benches. Emma was sitting there, next to John and Philippa. Kerry Dane was sitting beside Paul, her hair brushed to a beautiful golden sheen.

  At the back of the hall sat Mr Johns and the Beauty and the Beast, as always, although they would take no part in the Meeting.

  When everybody was seated, Thomas walked into the hall.

  A cheer went up as the tall, fair-haired boy mounted the platform and stood behind the special head boy and girl’s table. He held up his hand for silence. In his other hand, he held a piece of paper.

  The election results!

  A hush descended over the hall as Thomas started to speak. Elizabeth realized that she was clenching her hands into tight little fists and that her heart was beating faster than usual.

  ‘I am very proud to be the new head boy of Whyteleafe School,’ he told them, in his clear, pleasant voice. There was a deadpan expression on his face. It gave nothing away. ‘And now, without further ado, I am going to read out the results of the election for our new head girl. She will then be able to take her place on the platform beside me and the business of the Meeting can commence.’

  He opened up the piece of paper. Elizabeth held her breath.

  ‘The number of votes cast for each candidate was as follows: Nora – 29 votes. Emma – 34 votes. Kerry – 35 votes.’

  Elizabeth gasped. Was she having a bad dream?

  Thomas was giving a signal to someone on the senior benches.

  ‘I declare Kerry Dane the new head girl. Would you come up on to the platform, please, Kerry? And would everybody give Kerry a round of applause, please.’

  The school buzzed with surprise and then began clapping.

  What a close result! It could hardly have been closer. But as Kerry ran lightly up to the platform, many of the first formers and juniors looked crestfallen. They had never seen Kerry Dane’s film. She was such a remote figure to them – not like Emma.

  Elizabeth turned and looked at Julian in disbelief.

  ‘It isn’t possible,’ she whispered, in horror.

  Julian was busily doing some calculations on his fingers.

  ‘I’m afraid it is, Elizabeth,’ he whispered back. ‘How very clever of her. Very cunning indeed.’

  Elizabeth tossed her head. She wasn’t listening. She was glancing across at Emma. The senior girl was trying to smile but was fighting back the tears. It would have been such a privilege, such an honour, to serve Whyteleafe School as its head girl. She had so longed to be chosen. John Terry placed an arm round her shoulders to comfort her. There was an angry expression on his face.

  Suddenly Elizabeth was incandescent with rage. Her temper boiled over.

  She got to her feet.

  ‘It’s not fair! I don’t know what’s happened but it’s not fair!’ she hissed at Julian. ‘I’m going!’

  She marched off towards the exit.

  Julian didn’t hesitate. He jumped up and followed her. ‘Me, too, Elizabeth,’ he said, catching her up.

  Trembling and upset, Joan scraped her chair back and left the platform with quiet dignity.

  With Elizabeth leading the way, the three friends walked out of the Meeting.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  New monitors have to be found

  ‘SILENCE, PLEASE, everyone,’ said Thomas, banging loudly on the table with the gavel that William and Rita had always used. ‘Will you settle down at once and pay attention?’

  It was Thomas’s first big test as head-boy. The hall was in something of an uproar. The Naughtiest Girl had marched out of the Meeting, with two of her friends! What a surprise.

  Thomas could have turned to the Beauty and the Beast for advice but he had no intention of doing so. He must handle this himself. He thought hard about what William or Rita would have done. They would have handled it with a light touch. He must follow suit.

  ‘That’s better,’ he smiled, as the Meeting came to order. ‘I’m afraid that elections can make people very emotional sometimes, especially when the result is extremely narrow. Let us take no notice of what has happened. Elizabeth and her friends will soon calm down and come back to join us. But now I want the Meeting to get straight down to business . . .’

  However, Kerry Dane had other ideas. She was not going to be deprived of her moment of glory by those three people walking out, or by Thomas wanting to get on with the silly Meeting. She had a speech all prepared!

  ‘First of all, I’d like to say a few words, if I may, Thomas.’

  She walked forward to the very front of the platform. She felt exultant, as she stood before the assembled school, her beautiful hair making a halo of golden light around her head. It felt so right, somehow, that she, Kerry Dane, should be up here, with all those faces gazing at her. Now she was mistress of all she surveyed. This was what she was used to, ever since becoming famous. This was how it should be!

  ‘I want to tell you all how humble I feel,’ she began. ‘I never, ever dreamt of being elected. I never expected an honour like this. You had two such fine candidates for the position of head girl. I am merely a new girl. I am so proud that, in spite of this, I am the person who has been elected – and I promise to serve Whyteleafe School to the very best of my ability. Thank you.’

  The children listened, mesmerized.

  She made an impressive sight and it was an impressive little speech.

  There was applause. Patrick, Arabella and Martin exchanged smug looks. They had all voted for Kerry, and some of their classmates had criticized them. How wrong they were. Even the first formers and juniors began to feel more cheerful. Kerry seemed a nice person. They would just have to get used to not having Emma as head girl . . .

  Kerry stood there, acknowledging the applause. She was in a happy state, wanting it to go on and on.

  The applause was dying away now with only the die-hards like Arabella continuing to clap.

  But still Kerry stood there.

  ‘Ahem,’ said Thomas, politely. ‘Time to start, Kerry.’

  She seemed not to hear.

  Looking a little cross, Thomas had to bang the gavel again to bring the Meeting to order. Only then did the newly-elected head girl come and take her seat beside him. She had almost forgotten where she was.

  ‘Right, first things first,’ Thomas told the Meeting. ‘Will you all give your money in, please? Richard will come round with the school box.’

  Kerry Dane watched in surprise as the wooden box was passed along the rows. Into the box went all the money that the children had brought back from home after the summer holidays.

  ‘At Whyteleafe School,’ Thomas explained to the new pupils below, ‘it is not thought fair for some children to have more money than others. You will find that at every Meeting, any money you’ve been sent will be collected up. After that, each child in the school receives two pounds pocket-money for the week. You are then allowed to make Special Requests if you need extra money for something important. Every request is listened to carefully and then the Meeting decides.’

  While the box was going round, Kerry pulled out her wallet and counted the banknotes inside. She saw Thomas glance at them.

  ‘Obviously, Thomas,’ said Kerry, sweetly, ‘this rule doesn’t apply to us? Not to the head girl and head boy of the school?’

  ‘I�
��m afraid it does, Kerry,’ he said tersely. ‘Seniors do have more calls on their purse than the younger children, so you will find that no reasonable request is ever turned down. But in the meantime –’ he looked at the banknotes hard ‘– all of those must go in the box.’

  Kerry managed to conceal her shock. What a ridiculous system! She would have to find some way of getting round it.

  In the meantime, when the box came to the platform, she had no choice but to place all her money inside under Thomas’s watchful gaze.

  Soon, the week’s pocket-money had been handed out to every pupil in the school and it was time to hear Special Requests for extra funds.

  Julian’s cousin was one of the first on his feet.

  ‘I think Patrick should be allowed the money for a new table-tennis bat, Thomas,’ Kerry decided. ‘He tells me he’s a very keen player.’

  She was beginning to enjoy herself again. It was lovely to have so much power over the other children. Some of them would find their requests refused, if she didn’t like the look of their faces!

  Thomas did not agree at all that Patrick needed a new table-tennis bat but he had to let it pass. Kerry obviously did not understand the rules about Special Requests. It would all have to be explained to her. Now Patrick had been given an unfair advantage over other children who were also hoping to get into Emma’s table-tennis squad.

  But it would not be right to have an argument with Kerry in front of the entire school. It would undermine her authority.

  As more Special Requests came and went, Thomas was keeping an eye on the doors at the back. Surely the Naughtiest Girl would have cooled down by now? He very much hoped so.

  She and her two friends should really come back to the Meeting quickly. He expected to see them slip quietly back into their seats and show that they had now accepted the verdict of the ballot box. However regrettable, thought Thomas, that verdict had turned out to be.