by Anne Digby
'Sounds like filthy luck to me,' laughed Robbie.
'Oh, Robbie!'
'So you've got her seat, then? Wednesdays and Saturdays for the rest of the term –?'
'Court House has!' nodded Rebecca. 'Mr Douglas said okay – Amanda was in Court, after all. When I can't use it maybe Tish can. Well, somebody can. I mean, Robbie, I haven't got my tennis schedule yet. But we'll make sure we hang on to the seat somehow, don't worry!'
'I bet Biffy's pleased!' said Robbie.
'Biffy is very pleased.'
'Hey, how did Tish get on today?' Robbie remembered. 'Somebody said there was an election after all.'
'She lost.' Rebecca told Robbie all about it, keeping her voice low.
'What, that list she was messing about with at home?' he asked in amazement. 'She put it up on display, before she'd even been voted in?' He whistled. 'Phew. Sometimes wonder if my sister's thick.'
'I'm sure she didn't,' said Rebecca.
'Well, who did? Got any ideas?'
'No!' Rebecca said sharply. It was too upsetting even to think about, let alone discuss.
Margot and Elf had no such qualms. They lay in wait for Mara and grabbed her as soon as she got back.
'Where've you been?'
'You realize Tish lost, don't you?'
'I don't believe you!' said Mara, looking suddenly panicky.
'Nobody voted for her, just as you wanted!' exclaimed Margot.
Mara looked so guilty, she must be the culprit!
'What's the matter with you, Mara?' asked Elf. 'What a crazy thing to do!'
'I – I –' Mara burst into tears.
Tish came out into the hall, with Rebecca and Sue just behind her.
'Leave Mara alone,' she said. 'What makes you think she did it? I might have put the team list up myself, for all you know.'
'But Tish. When we asked you that, you –' began Elf.
'I didn't reply, did I?' said Tish.
They all looked at her wonderingly.
'You mean you did put it up?' Sue exclaimed. 'You chucked everything away, just like that? You blew it?'
The very idea made Rebecca's senses reel.
But Tish was looking at Mara.
'You thought I should, didn't you Mara? It was the right thing to do, wasn't it?'
Margot and Elf were acutely embarrassed.
'Oh, Mara, sorry . . .'
'We didn't mean to accuse you.'
For the second time that day Mara flew into a rage. She lashed out in all directions.
'You did mean to accuse me! Of course you did! I don't know what you're talking about – I just know I don't like you any more, any of you! You have secrets from me now!'
She pushed past them and reached the foot of the staircase.
'Nothing is the same now you are all together, without me. It is like –it is like –'
Ingrid Larsson came gliding down the stairs, calm and lovely in a blue dress.
'Excuse me. Sssh, please. I am going to watch the TV.'
'– like the new Ice Age or something!' exclaimed Mara, running up the stairs to her room.
'Well, I like that!' exploded Rebecca. 'You did what she wanted, Tish, and she acts like that!'
'You fool, Tish!' said Sue. 'What on earth did you take any notice of Mara for? She doesn't know anything about hockey! Now you'll never ever be Head of Games because Joss will come back –'
'And we'll never win the seven-a-sides!' said Rebecca. 'Oh, Tish. It was going to be such fun trying.'
'Don't talk to me about Mara,' said Tish coldly.
The temperature was dropping fast.
TWELVE
TIME PASSES
'Tish, the whole idea was to keep it secret! Then you'd have won!' said Sue, at bedtime. 'Wouldn't she, Rebecca?'
They were perched on Rebecca's bed, eating peanuts. Tish had just had a shower and her damp curls lay flat to her head. In the next bed, Ingrid was trying to read a book and had her hands over her ears.
'But would that have been honest?' asked Tish. 'Mara didn't think so!'
'Oh, come on!' said Rebecca. 'Mara was just upset. She didn't really care!'
'She thought it was all wrong!' exploded Tish. 'That's obvious!'
'Obvious –?' protested Rebecca.
'Look, does it matter?' asked Tish. 'The point is maybe she was right. They tore me into tiny pieces, didn't they?' It had been a chastening experience.
'And us, too!' said Sue, with feeling. 'It's just great being made a laughing stock!'
'It was supposed to be a secret! You said you were going to keep it secret!' said Rebecca. She had never been so mystified. 'If you'd been made Head of Games, everything would have turned out all right. Can't you see that?'
'Yes, maybe it would.'
'It's no use looking sorry now!' said Sue.
Tish looked angry. She was about to say something.
But Ingrid suddenly took her hands from her ears and addressed them plaintively: 'Hockey. Always hockey!'
Tish then got up very slowly from the end of Rebecca's bed.
'I agree with you, Ingrid,' she said. 'As a topic of conversation it gets very boring.' She turned and looked at the other two, coldly. 'I really don't want to talk about it any more.'
After they were all in bed, Ingrid turned her head on the pillow and said:
'Was Titch serious about that, do you think, Rebecca?'
'Yes, I think she was.'
Ingrid gave a little sigh of relief. But Rebecca was still mystified.
After that, although it turned into an exciting term for Rebecca, things never quite settled down into the happy, easy-going pattern of previous terms. Tish felt cool towards Mara. She tried her best to hide it, but she couldn't. It made things awkward for all of them.
Mara, really such a warm person, began to draw apart from them. She was in the school choir and became very involved in a joint choral production with Garth College. At least this enabled her to see a lot of Curly, who was in the Garth choir. She began to get careless about her work, and keeping up with the Alpha stream. Her poor marks began to worry the others, but she tended to shrug off offers of help from Margot and Elf, preferring to spend more time on her own this term, playing her favourite tapes over and over again in the single room.
Tish was very busy. She threw herself into hockey with great energy. She'd now been made centre-half in the Trebizon Second Eleven, Laura Wilkins having come in at Tish's former wing–half position, and it was her secret ambition to get into the First Eleven before she was fifteen, something that only Joss Vining had ever achieved. Laura had a similar ambition.
Both girls were in the seven-a-sides squad, of course, and there were a lot of practices. These were going badly and secretly Tish raged at Laura's choice of team. 'It's hopeless!' she told Rebecca one weekend. 'It's just going to be a waste of time even going to Gloucestershire.'
Laura had offered Sue (but not Rebecca) a place in the squad. It was a sub's place and it was only on condition that she came to every practice. As this was quite impossible for Sue, she had to turn it down, bitterly disappointed. She threw herself into extra orchestra activities instead and spent most of her spare time at the Hilary Camberwell, the school's music block. This was because Ingrid wouldn't have Sue practising the violin in the room at any price, in spite of what she'd said at the beginning.
Rebecca herself played more tennis this term than she could ever have imagined.
So, all in all, the six seemed to drift apart for a while, which made Rebecca sad.
For Rebecca personally, there was one other shift in the pattern – quite a dramatic one. In a totally unexpected way she formed a bond with Ingrid Larsson. It was to do with Robbie and the fact that Ingrid became Rebecca's 'eyes and ears' as far as Robbie was concerned.
It was because of the tennis.
Mrs Devenshire, the school secretary, met Rebecca in the corridor on the morning after the election. She was smiling.
'Your father's telephoned,
Rebecca. From Saudi Arabia! He agrees to you starting tennis coaching at once, and he'll pay the extra.'
'Oh! Then Mum and Dad got my letter!' said Rebecca, in delight.
'Miss Darling wants to speak to you about it in the lunch hour. She'll be at the sports centre.'
Greta Darling, a lady with short grey curly hair and a ramrod back, was a qualified tennis coach and also a Wimbledon umpire. She'd joined the games staff at Trebizon back in the summer term. Rebecca ran over to the sports centre immediately after lunch, feeling very excited.
'I've looked at my timetable, Rebecca, and I've looked at yours. It'll have to be Wednesday afternoons. We'll start this week.'
Rebecca's heart dropped to her boots. Robbie's rugby matches!
'Oh, that's my half–day –' she began.
'Well, it's mine as well!' said Miss Darling. 'But the intention is to take your tennis seriously. I'm going to find you some Saturday matches as well. I've been in touch with the Club in the town and they're finding you some adults to play against.' As Rebecca's face fell still further, she added: 'Don't be alarmed. It'll do your game a power of good. Exactly what you need at this stage. You'll be an Under-16 next year, remember. You've got to catch up!'
By lawn tennis standards, Rebecca had come into the game very late.
'Trust Miss Dreadful!' said Tish sympathetically, when Rebecca told her the news. 'Why couldn't she have arranged for you to miss some lessons instead!'
'Just when I'd bagged the seat on the G C S C bus!' exclaimed Rebecca. 'Just when I had it all organized.'
'Cheer up,' said Sue. 'You'd never have lasted in the supporters' club. You'd have got fed up, just hanging around freezing cold rugby pitches.'
Robbie was very disappointed.
'I'll come to some Saturday matches, Robbie. I promise,' said Rebecca. 'Whenever Miss Darling hasn't fixed up any games for me, I'll come and watch you!'
'Oh, that's what you say,' said Robbie. 'I expect somebody else will get your seat now.'
Rebecca was alarmed. She mustn't let that happen.
'We've got to keep it amongst ourselves!' Rebecca begged her friends. 'Couldn't one of you go on Wednesday, for a start?'
But they were all doing other things.
At least, thought Rebecca, she must try and keep that seat in Court House. Or else, sooner or later, a girl from another House would want to bag it – and Court would lose it altogether.
She asked all the new Third Years, but they weren't interested.
'I'm going to Gym Club,' said Lucy Hubbard.
Eleanor, Wanda and Sheila were all playing in a Third Eleven match.
'Anyway, the weather's turned horrible,' said Belinda Burridge, who didn't like games at all – playing them, or watching them. 'Who wants to get all muddy watching an old rugby match!'
'I'm sick in minibuses!' piped up someone else.
Up in the little common room at cocoa time, just when Rebecca was in despair, Ingrid came in. She'd been over at Norris House, listening to tapes with some of her new ice-skating friends. She actually came and sought Rebecca out.
'Margot said you wish to keep the seat in the bus warm. Is that correct expression, Rebecca? Would you like me to go to the match? I would find that interesting.'
'Would – would you really?' asked Rebecca in surprise.
'Of course. The game is not much played in Sweden.'
'You – you'll freeze to death!' exclaimed Elf, who had just been stuffing a chocolate biscuit into her mouth. Rebecca shot her a warning glance. 'But – I mean – terrifically interesting, Ingrid.'
'In Sweden we are used to the cold. It is not cold, just a little damp after all the sunshine last week.'
'It – it could easily be fine again by Wednesday,' said Rebecca encouragingly.
At bedtime Ingrid said: 'Also, I will take Biffy for you, Rebecca. I will not leave him behind, like Titch did.'
'Oh, Ingrid, thanks!'
In the morning, Ingrid asked Rebecca for Biffy and she produced the battered old brown bear from her locker. 'What is the colour of the rugby tops they wear?' she asked. 'The team that Robbie and Edward play in?' She had heard Tish talking about Edward sometimes.
'Red and yellow stripes!' Tish called out from across the room.
'May I borrow Biffy today?' Ingrid asked Rebecca mysteriously. 'I shall make a surprise.'
Late on Tuesday evening, she brought the bear back to the room. Mrs Dalzeil had found her some scraps of material and she had been very busy with a sewing machine, over in the home economics centre in main school.
'Oh, Ingrid! Doesn't he look cute!' cried Elf.
They all gathered round, admiringly.
Biffy was now sporting a red-and-yellow striped Garth College rugby top, with a matching scarf wound round and round his neck.
'Terrific!' said Rebecca. She felt a renewed pang that she wouldn't be able to go and watch Robbie herself. 'You're a proper little Garth College mascot now, aren't you, Biffy!'
When they all went to bed, Sue whispered to Tish:
'Ingrid's getting a bit more human.'
Tish just grinned.
On Wednesday evening Rebecca met Ingrid off the minibus, at the back of Norris House.
'They won! Robbie scored a goal – no, a try, yes?' said Ingrid. She was still clutching Biffy.
Rebecca questioned her eagerly and Ingrid described in great detail how Robbie had run up the pitch, with three St Christopher boys trying to drag him down to the ground, had hung grimly on to the ball, finally breaking through and scoring. 'Oh, you should have been there, Rebecca!'
Robbie rang Rebecca later:
'It was Biffy coming that did it, Rebeck!' he said. 'But what about you? Coming Saturday? Can you make it? We're playing at home.'
'I'll be there, Robbie!'
But on Friday night Miss Darling told Rebecca that she'd arranged a singles for her with Mrs Doubleday on Saturday afternoon. Mrs Doubleday was a stout, formidable player who lived in the town and had won the area Women's Institute Tennis Cup for more years than anyone could remember. She would provide Rebecca with just the stern opposition she needed.
'She's absolutely delighted to be able to help, especially as you can play here on the staff court. I think we'll be able to count on her as a regular for you.'
Of course it meant that Rebecca once again couldn't go and watch the match.
'Did you enjoy it on Wednesday?' she asked Ingrid. 'You wouldn't like to go tomorrow as well, would you?'
'If you wish me to Rebecca. Certainly. I will take Biffy again for you.'
'Sure you wouldn't rather go to the ice rink, now you know a few people?'
'Another time, perhaps. It is very crowded. I much prefer to skate out of doors. If the ponds or the lakes freeze while I am at Trebizon – I shall teach you to skate out of doors, Rebecca. Without the crowds, you will enjoy it!'
'Not much chance of that before Christmas,' smiled Rebecca. 'And you have to go back to Sweden then.'
She felt grateful to Ingrid. She so much wanted to hang on to the seat in the bus, so that she could go and watch Robbie sometimes. She'd rather feared that one rugby match would be enough for Ingrid, and that she'd decide that the whole muddy mess was rather boring. And as nobody else in Court House wanted to take advantage of the seat, they'd easily lose it. Some of the girls in Sterndale this term were now clamouring to go, Rebecca had heard. Of course, Sterndale had a seat already but they'd love to be given another one!
However, as term went on, not only did Ingrid turn out dutifully for Rebecca time after time but she became a fervent rugby fan. Furthermore, after the matches she would describe to Rebecca, with patience and in some detail, every move that Robbie had made. It was a great comfort to Rebecca. It was the next best thing to being there herself, and it formed a special bond between her and Ingrid.
'They're getting quite thick, aren't they?' some people commented. But of course Rebecca's friends understood what it was all about.
For ther
e was no longer any question of Rebecca herself having the chance to go to rugby matches. As far as Rebecca Mason, tennis player, was concerned, it was the most exciting term so far. The two hours coaching every Wednesday and the tough games with adults that Miss Darling arranged for her at weekends were starting to transform her game.
Just before half-term, after one of the Sunday county tennis training sessions in Exonford, Rebecca at last forced Ginny Powell to accept a challenge match.
The members of the county junior Under-14 'A' squad were subjected to a continuous process known as 'sifting', playing against each other to determine their ranking. Rebecca had come in at Number 5 but she had to get to Number 4 to play for the county. She'd been feeling for some time that she was now playing better than Ginny Powell, the current Number 4, and Ginny had been reluctant to give her the chance to prove it. But the pressure on Ginny to give Rebecca a match gradually mounted until she was forced to agree.
After a long, exciting struggle Rebecca won! The score was: 6–4, 6–7, 6–3.
She was then officially ranked at Number 4 in the county, Under-14 girls.
'Oh, Rebecca, I am so pleased for you!' said Ingrid, when she arrived back at school on the Sunday evening.
On the Monday morning, Miss Welbeck read it out in assembly and Rebecca's cheeks went hot with pride.
'Rebecca is now in the county team and will play for them after half-term. I'm sure she knows that we are all very proud of her and wish her great success now that she is making her very first appearance for the county.'
It was all very heady for Rebecca.
But after she'd spent half-term at her grandmother's and the coach passed Queensbury Collegiate on the way back she remembered the seven-a-sides.
Her grandmother, who had no car and didn't drive, had been rather sad when she'd kissed her goodbye: 'To think you'll be playing for the county and your Mum and Dad won't be in England to watch you. If only I could come and watch you myself, Rebecca! But I can't manage it, not at my age. It's too far. All these exciting things you're doing now, and no family to watch you!'
Rebecca remembered the forthcoming seven–a–sides tournament so close to her Gran's home, and she thought wistfully of what might have been.