by Enid Blyton
The new girls settle in
The three new girls each settled down in their own way. Freddie had a quick brain and could have done extremely well at lessons, but she preferred to follow June’s lead and put her brains to work in planning ingenious jokes and tricks. She quickly became popular with the third form, for she was sunny-natured and shared June’s mischievous sense of fun. But she was not quite as bold and daring as June, nor did she have the hardness and malice that were such flaws in the other girl’s character.
‘I like her tremendously,’ said Susan to Felicity one day, as the two of them chatted about the new girls. ‘I just hope that June’s don’t-care-ishness doesn’t rub off on her.’
‘Perhaps Freddie’s good-heartedness will rub off on June,’ suggested Felicity. ‘I must say, she’s the only one of the three new girls that I’m really keen on.’
Certainly Amy was far too stuck-up to be popular, while the teachers found her extremely trying as well, for her work was far below the standard of most of the form.
‘I can’t decide whether she’s lazy, or stupid, or both!’ an exasperated Miss Peters said to Miss Potts in the mistresses’ common-room, after she had struggled to mark one of Amy’s essays. ‘She doesn’t seem to understand the basic rules of grammar, she’s hopeless at maths, not the slightest bit interested in history, and – according to Miss Maxwell – won’t exert herself at all when it comes to games and swimming, for she doesn’t like getting red-faced and untidy! The only thing Amy is any good at is French.’
Having spent so many holidays in France, Amy did, indeed, speak the language very well, which pleased both Mam’zelles enormously.
Bonnie was not much better than Amy at lessons but, having spent most of her time with adults, she had become extremely clever at ‘twisting them around her little finger’, as a disgruntled Nora put it. Poor Nora had had her nose pushed very much out of joint by Bonnie’s arrival. She had always taken for granted that she was Mam’zelle Dupont’s favourite, making a joke of it and using her position to advantage when it suited her. But now she found that she didn’t like to see another girl taking her place. Mam’zelle Dupont positively doted on Bonnie, although her French was poor, while Miss Simmons, the quiet little needlework teacher, was thrilled to find a member of the third form who could sew well. Miss Linnie, the art mistress, and Mr Young, the singing teacher, were also charmed by Bonnie, and gave her a very easy time indeed.
But not all of the teachers were fond of Bonnie. The blunt, downright Miss Peters considered her an emptyheaded little creature, with far too many airs and graces, while Mam’zelle Rougier, who made it a habit to dislike those girls who were favoured by Mam’zelle Dupont, remained unmoved by either Bonnie’s tears or her smiles. As for Miss Maxwell, the games mistress, she was driven to distraction by the girl.
Bonnie had never been swimming in her life, and her shrill squeal as she entered the cold water for the first time made everyone jump, including Miss Maxwell.
‘Bonnie!’ she said angrily. ‘I thought that you were in difficulties, judging from the noise you’re making, but the water is barely up to your waist!’
Then Susan swam past and accidentally splashed water in Bonnie’s face, which caused her to scream again.
‘Baby!’ said June scornfully to Felicity. ‘Honestly, anyone would think that Susan was trying to drown her. I’ve a good mind to duck her – at least then she wouldn’t be able to scream!’
Felicity grinned, but the smile was wiped off her face a few moments later when, as she was poised to dive into the pool, Bonnie let out an ear-splitting yell, because Veronica – whether deliberately, or by accident, nobody was sure – barged into her and almost knocked her over. Distracted, Felicity lost her balance, and instead of swallow-diving gracefully into the pool she did an undignified belly-flop and almost landed on top of a very surprised Pam!
‘I have had quite enough of this!’ said Miss Maxwell, losing her temper. ‘Bonnie, I really can’t allow you to disrupt the third form’s swimming like this any longer. Please get out of the pool at once and get dressed!’
‘Yes, Miss Maxwell,’ said Bonnie meekly, hurrying to climb out of the pool.
Only Felicity caught the tiny little smile on the girl’s face just before she turned to walk back up to the school, and she gave a gasp.
‘The little monkey!’ Felicity thought to herself. ‘I believe that Bonnie played up deliberately to get out of swimming!’
But, as much as she exasperated the others, Bonnie did have her good points. She was extremely loyal to those she considered her friends, as Veronica found out when she made the mistake of criticising Felicity to Amy in front of her.
‘I can’t think what made Miss Peters choose Felicity Rivers as head-girl,’ Veronica said, in a sneering tone. ‘I don’t think she’s a good leader at all, for her character is far too weak. If you ask me, she only got the position because her sister was Head Girl last year.’
Amy opened her mouth to reply, but before she could speak, a furious Bonnie confronted Veronica, saying angrily, ‘You take that back at once! How dare you say things like that about Felicity? I think that she’s a jolly good head-girl, and she’s my friend, and I won’t have you making spiteful remarks about her!’
Both Veronica and Amy were quite taken aback, and since Veronica – who preferred to make her criticisms behind people’s backs rather than to their faces – didn’t want her remarks getting back to Felicity, she did not retaliate.
But Julie, who had been sitting nearby, had overheard the whole conversation, and had, in fact, been about to leap to Felicity’s defence when Bonnie stepped in, and the new girl at once went up in her estimation.
Bonnie’s loyalty came to the fore again a few days later, in the French lesson – and this time she surprised the whole form!
Mam’zelle Dupont was not in the best of tempers, for the first form, who she had just left, had played her up quite dreadfully. Which was unfortunate for June, who – feeling a little bored – had also chosen that morning to act the goat.
Lifting the lid of her desk to hide from Mam’zelle’s view, she ripped a page from her exercise book and swiftly folded it into a paper aeroplane.
‘Freddie,’ she whispered. ‘I bet I can hit the back of Amy’s head from here.’
‘And I bet you can’t!’ answered Freddie at once, with a grin. ‘She’s too far away.’
Bonnie, who sat across the aisle from the two girls, didn’t hear this exchange, but she caught the sudden movement as June raised her hand and launched her paper aeroplane on its journey. Mam’zelle, who had turned her back to the class while she wrote something on the blackboard, remained in blissful ignorance, until a few giggles broke out as the aeroplane glided gracefully over Amy’s head and, much to her surprise, landed on her desk. Amy picked the aeroplane up and Mam’zelle, who had whipped round upon hearing the giggles, glared at her furiously.
‘So!’ she said angrily. ‘You are so good at French that you can waste the class’s time in this way, Amy?’
Poor Amy looked horrified and protested, ‘But Mam’zelle, I didn’t throw the aeroplane! I was just –’
‘Be silent!’ cried Mam’zelle, her black eyes snapping coldly. ‘How dare you interrupt me? You are a bad and disrespectful girl, Amy, and you will be punished. Tonight you will learn the whole of the French poem we have just started, and you will say it back to me tomorrow.’
Amy, stung by the injustice of this, longed to argue but didn’t dare. When Mam’zelle was in this sort of mood, she was quite likely to make her learn two poems! Why didn’t the mean beast who had thrown the aeroplane own up and get her out of trouble? In fact June, at the back of the class, was about to do just that. She might have her faults, but she wasn’t about to allow someone else to be punished for her joke. Before she could do so, however, Bonnie got to her feet and piped up, ‘Mam’zelle! It wasn’t Amy who threw the aeroplane – it was June. I saw her.’
The third formers, w
ho had very strict ideas about telling tales, gasped, looking at one another in horror, and at Bonnie in disgust. Felicity gave a groan. Of course, never having been to school before, Bonnie probably didn’t realise that it wasn’t done to tell on one’s form-mates. And, as head-girl, it was up to Felicity to put her straight!
‘June, is this true?’ said Mam’zelle, looking sternly at the girl. ‘And you did not have the courage to tell the truth, even when la pauvre Amy was about to be punished?’
‘It’s true that I threw the plane, Mam’zelle,’ said June, going very red as she stood up. ‘But I was about to own up, truly I was.’
‘I don’t believe you!’ cried Amy, who disliked June intensely and felt very grateful to Bonnie for coming to her rescue. ‘You probably did it on purpose to get me into trouble.’
‘I did not!’ said June indignantly. ‘It was just a joke, but –’
‘Enough!’ shouted Mam’zelle, stamping one of her little feet crossly. ‘June, méchante fille, you will have the punishment that I was going to give the poor, innocent Amy. You will learn that poem, and you will recite it to me tomorrow. And, as a second punishment for not owning up, you will go to bed half an hour early this evening!’
The girl was horrified, and smarted at the injustice of the second punishment. But, bold as she was, even June did not dare to argue with an angry Mam’zelle Dupont, so she said meekly, ‘Yes, Mam’zelle,’ and took her seat again. But she glared angrily at Bonnie, and Felicity, turning in her seat to give June a sympathetic look, saw it. ‘Oh dear,’ she thought. ‘There’s going to be trouble!’
And Felicity was quite right, for June marched up to her at break-time, a stormy expression on her face as she said, ‘I say, Felicity, what are we going to do about Bonnie? She simply can’t be allowed to get away with sneaking like that.’
‘No, I suppose you’re right and something will have to be done about her,’ said Felicity. ‘There’s no time now, but we’ll hold a form meeting in the common-room at lunchtime.’
So as soon as lunch was over, the members of the third form trooped into the common-room. Only one person was missing, and that was Bonnie.
‘Where is she?’ demanded June, her eyes flashing angrily. ‘I suppose the little coward doesn’t have the courage to face me.’
‘Actually, June, Miss Peters wanted to see Bonnie about some prep,’ said Amy coldly. ‘She’ll be here shortly.’
Felicity, who didn’t want to be too hard on Bonnie, was quite glad that the girl wasn’t there yet, and she clapped her hands together for silence, before saying, ‘June, I quite understand that you’re angry, but please let’s not forget that Bonnie hasn’t been to school before and doesn’t quite understand all our ways.’
‘Oh, you would stick up for her, Felicity!’ said June, a harsh note in her voice. ‘Just wait until the little sneak shows her face! My word, won’t I tell her what I think of her! The silly baby is always turning on the waterworks over something or other – and this time I’ll give her something to cry about!’
This was exactly what Felicity was afraid of. June in a rage was not a pleasant sight, and little Bonnie would never be able to stand up to her.
‘No, June!’ said Felicity firmly. ‘I am head-girl, and I am running this meeting, and Bonnie will be given a chance to have her say. Then the form as a whole will decide if she is to be punished, and how.’
Just then the door opened and Bonnie herself entered. Felicity moved forward to speak to her, but June got in first. Throwing Felicity a mocking look, she stalked up to Bonnie and said menacingly, ‘What do you mean by sneaking on me to Mam’zelle Dupont, you horrid little beast?’
The third formers watched with bated breath, some of them hoping that Bonnie would get what she deserved, others hoping that June would not go too far, and all of them waiting for Bonnie to burst into noisy tears. A worried expression on her face, Felicity braced herself, ready to step in if the need arose.
But June had underestimated the new girl. Bonnie wasn’t used to being spoken to in such a way, and she didn’t like it one little bit. She didn’t much like June either, and was quite shrewd enough to realise that tears would not work with her. So she met the girl’s angry gaze squarely and said coldly, ‘Don’t be ridiculous. I did nothing of the sort.’
June gave an outraged gasp. ‘So you’re a liar, Bonnie, as well as a sneak! The whole form heard you tell Mam’zelle that it was I who threw that paper aeroplane.’
There were murmurs of agreement from the listening girls, but Bonnie said quite calmly, ‘Yes, that’s right. Amy was going to be punished for something you had done, so I stepped in and told Mam’zelle the truth. But I did not sneak! You see, my dear June, sneaking means just that. It means going behind someone’s back, doing something sly and secretive and underhand. I spoke up in front of the whole form, so I really don’t see how there was anything sneaky about it!’
Felicity stared at the girl in surprise, for what Bonnie had said was quite true – she had told tales, but she had been perfectly open about it.
June swiftly recovered and said, ‘Very well, perhaps “sneak” is the wrong word in this case, but you did tell on me!’
‘Yes, to get a friend out of trouble,’ retorted Bonnie, just as quickly. ‘And I must say, June, I would have thought better of you if you had owned up yourself.’
There was just enough scorn in the girl’s tone to throw June on the defensive and she said hotly, ‘I was going to own up, as I tried to explain to Mam’zelle! But I didn’t get the chance, thanks to you!’
‘Well, how was I to know that?’ said Bonnie, opening her eyes wide. ‘I’m the new girl, don’t forget. I don’t know anything about your character, June – whether you’re the kind of person who will keep quiet and let someone else take her punishment, or the kind of person who will come clean and take the consequences.’
‘I’m no coward!’ said June indignantly. ‘I would never let anyone else take the blame for something I had done.’
‘I’m very glad to hear it,’ said Bonnie with a little smile. ‘It’s just a pity that you weren’t a bit quicker in taking the blame, then all of this unpleasantness could have been avoided. I hope that this will be a lesson to you, June. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go and speak to Matron.’
And with that, Bonnie swept from the room with her little head held high, leaving behind her a stunned silence. Susan, who was doing her best not to smile, nudged Felicity and nodded towards June, still standing in the middle of the floor, with her mouth open like a goldfish. Felicity bit her lip hard to stop herself from laughing. Pam and Julie, meanwhile, were clinging to one another as they tried to stifle their laughter, while Nora’s shoulders shook uncontrollably with mirth. Even Veronica, jealous as she was of Bonnie, had relished seeing June rendered speechless, while Amy had enjoyed the scene tremendously.
Suddenly, a loud burst of laughter broke the silence, and the girls were amazed to realise that it came from June herself!
‘My goodness!’ she gasped, when she was able to speak. ‘Who would have thought that little scrap would be able to stand up to me like that? But she did, and I must say that I admire her for it!’
And the third formers, joining in June’s laughter, admired her for being able to admit so honestly that someone had got the better of her. You could always rely on June to do the unexpected, thought Felicity wryly, feeling quite relieved that the row was over. But, when she thought about it later, she felt a little uneasy. June had flouted her authority by refusing to allow her, Felicity, to run the meeting her way, and by confronting Bonnie when she had been told not to. And Felicity, anxious to avoid a row, had allowed her to get away with it. What would Darrell have done in that situation, she wondered? The answer to that was easy, for Darrell was such a frank, forthright person that she would have had no hesitation at all in putting June in her place. Well, if June continued to flout her, Felicity would have to find the strength of character to deal with her in the same way. A
fter all, she was head-girl, and the third formers needed someone strong to lead them, and set an example, not someone who shrank from difficult or unpleasant tasks. Felicity made a promise to herself, there and then. It wouldn’t be easy, and no doubt she would make mistakes along the way, but she would become a strong leader.
A dirty trick
June felt sore with Mam’zelle Dupont for some time after the ‘aeroplane affair’, as it became known. She had felt extremely humiliated at going to bed half an hour before the others, and, the next morning, had recited the French poem to the mistress in a sulky tone. Mam’zelle, who had begun to feel a little sorry that she had been so hard on the girl, noticed the tone, and June’s petulant expression, and hardened her heart. Ah, she was a bad girl, this June, and a little punishment would be good for her.
Freddie, who admired June tremendously, also felt angry on her friend’s behalf, and wished that she could think of some way of getting back at Mam’zelle Dupont.
Then June came up to Freddie one break-time and, taking her arm, said, ‘I’m bored. Nothing ever happens around here! I think it’s time we played the magic soap trick on Amy.’
‘Super!’ giggled Freddie. ‘Shall we let the others in on it?’
June thought for a moment, then said, ‘No, let’s plan it out between ourselves – just the two of us! Then we can surprise the others.’
Freddie nodded happily and said, ‘But how can we be certain that Amy will use the right soap? If she doesn’t it will simply ruin the whole trick.’
‘I’ve thought of that,’ said June with a grin. ‘Amy has a bar of very expensive soap that her mother sent her, and it looks very like our special soap, so I’m simply going to switch the bars. She’ll never notice the difference, and there’s no fear of anyone else getting a dirty face, because dear Amy would never let anyone else use her precious soap!’
Freddie chuckled. ‘Oh, June, it’s going to be simply marvellous! And the whole of North Tower will be able to share in the fun, because Amy’s face should start to turn muddy at breakfast-time. When are we going to do it?’