by Enid Blyton
As the two girls walked off towards the school, Mrs Ryder-Cochrane said in a low voice to Amy, ‘Why don’t you ask little Bonnie to come out with us, darling? She seems such a sweet girl.’
‘Oh, Mummy, can I?’ said Amy, her eyes lighting up. She always enjoyed basking in her beautiful mother’s reflected glory, and had been thrilled by how impressed with her Bonnie had seemed. ‘I’ll go and tell her now.’
‘What about the other girl?’ said Mr Ryder-Cochrane. ‘It seems a bit mean to leave her behind. Amy, you had better invite her too.’
But Amy was already speeding off after Bonnie, and didn’t hear what her father had said.
‘Bonnie!’ she cried, catching up with the two girls. ‘Mummy says that you’re to come out to lunch with us. You’d better let Miss Peters know, or she might think you’ve gone missing, but do hurry up.’
Then she dashed back to her parents, while Bonnie went off in search of Miss Peters. Veronica was left alone, looking very forlorn, and Felicity, who was in earshot, felt sorry for her. ‘Really,’ she thought indignantly. ‘Amy might have asked Veronica along too!’
Something about the slump of the girl’s shoulders as she turned away went straight to Felicity’s heart and she made an impulsive decision. Without giving herself time to think about whether she would regret it later, Felicity ran over to Veronica and grabbed her arm, saying, ‘Veronica, go and get ready – you’re coming out with me and my people!’
For a moment Veronica thought that she had misheard Felicity, and she could only stand staring at her blankly. Felicity gave her a little shake and said, ‘You do want to come, don’t you? It’s nothing grand, just a picnic lunch and a walk along the beach, but it’s better than being here on your own.’
Veronica found her voice at last, stammering out her thanks, but Felicity cut her short, saying, ‘Never mind that! Go and fetch your coat, while I run and let Miss Peters know what’s happening. I’ll meet you back here in five minutes!’
If Mr and Mrs Rivers were a little surprised to find that Felicity had invited a strange girl to share their picnic, they were far too well-mannered to betray it, and did their utmost to make Veronica feel welcome.
As they were getting into the car, Amy, her parents and Bonnie drove past, the two girls looking most surprised to see Felicity and Veronica together.
‘How odd!’ remarked Amy. ‘I always thought that Veronica couldn’t bear Felicity.’
‘And I thought that Felicity couldn’t bear Veronica,’ said Bonnie, who felt quite jealous at seeing the two girls together. Why on earth had Felicity asked Veronica out instead of her, Bonnie? The girl brooded on it during the drive to the restaurant. Perhaps she had been spending too much time with Amy and neglecting Felicity. Although it had been Felicity’s idea for her to make friends with Amy in the first place, so she ought to understand. But Bonnie had, in her own way, become quite fond of Amy as their friendship grew, and she certainly enjoyed her company. Maybe Felicity had sensed this, and had gone off with Veronica to get back at Bonnie. Yes, that was the only sensible explanation, for Felicity couldn’t possibly like Veronica! Bonnie made up her mind that she would devote more time to Felicity when they got back to school, and show her that their friendship was still important to her.
Felicity, meanwhile, mercifully unaware of Bonnie’s intentions, was having a simply marvellous time. And so, for a wonder, was Veronica. The girl had been a little stiff and shy with Mr and Mrs Rivers at first, but they were such a charming couple that this very soon wore off. She took a particular liking to Mrs Rivers, whose warm, friendly manner put her very much in mind of her own mother. As she walked along the beach beside Mrs Rivers, watching Felicity and Mr Rivers looking for shells a little way in front, a pang of conscience smote Veronica. How could she have been so stupid and wicked as to wish that her parents wouldn’t be able to come today? Well, she had got her wish and now she had an overwhelming desire to see her mother, and speak to her. Her father too. She gave a sigh and Mrs Rivers asked kindly, ‘Is anything wrong, dear?’
‘I was just thinking about my parents,’ said Veronica with a rather wobbly smile. ‘And hoping that my mother isn’t feeling too poorly.’
‘Poor child,’ said Felicity’s mother, taking her hand. Then an idea occurred to her. ‘Why don’t you ask Miss Grayling if you can use her telephone to call them tonight? I’m sure that she wouldn’t mind, under the circumstances. And you’ll sleep better tonight after you’ve had a little chat with your parents, knowing that your mother is being looked after.’
Veronica brightened at once and said, ‘Oh, that would be simply marvellous. Do you really think the Head would let me?’
‘Well, if you like, Veronica, I will come along to Miss Grayling’s office with you when we get back to Malory Towers,’ offered Mrs Rivers. ‘I am quite sure that she won’t refuse.’
‘Thank you, Mrs Rivers,’ said Veronica simply. ‘You have been so kind to me today.’
Veronica went up to Felicity in the dormitory that evening and thanked her too.
‘It was jolly decent of you to invite me,’ she said. ‘I had a wonderful time – and I think you’re very lucky to have such super parents.’
‘I think I am too,’ said Felicity with a smile, marvelling at the change in Veronica. Mrs Rivers had stuck to her word and asked Miss Grayling if the girl might telephone her parents. The Head had agreed at once, of course, and Veronica had felt much easier in her mind after talking to her father, and learning that her mother was feeling a little better. She had come into the common-room afterwards with a beaming smile on her face, and the third formers had looked at her in surprise.
‘I’ve seen a different side to Veronica today,’ Felicity had said to Susan. ‘She seemed much – oh, I don’t know – much softer and more humble somehow.’
June, sitting nearby, had given a scornful snort and said, ‘Don’t let her fool you, Felicity. You’re too softhearted for your own good!’
‘So you keep telling me!’ said Felicity, nettled. ‘But I think that only a hard-hearted person could have failed to feel sorry for Veronica today. It must have been dreadful for her being alone, when most of us had our people here.’
‘She’s putting on an act to gain sympathy,’ scoffed June. ‘Of course, what she really wanted was Amy‘s sympathy – and lunch in a fancy restaurant. But that didn’t work, so she had to fall back on you, Felicity. Veronica will be back to her old self again before long, you mark my words!’
‘Perhaps the two of you should agree to disagree,’ said the sensible, steady Susan, looking from Felicity’s troubled little face to June’s mocking one. ‘Come on now – it’s been a super day. Let’s not spoil it with a silly argument.’
‘Dear Susan!’ said June with a laugh. ‘Always pouring oil on troubled waters. No, don’t glare at me like that, Felicity, for I have no intention of arguing with you. As Susan has so sensibly suggested, we’ll agree to disagree.’
And the matter was left there, though Felicity still felt a little cross with June. The trouble was, she thought, June was always so sure of herself that she made those less confident – like Felicity – doubt their own opinions! So when Veronica came over in the dormitory and thanked her, Felicity felt heartened.
But the next day, Sunday, saw Veronica at Amy’s side again. Bonnie’s parents arrived to take her out, so Amy graciously invited Veronica to spend the day with her and her parents.
Felicity, unaware of this invitation, sought out Veronica and said generously, ‘You know, Veronica, you’re most welcome to come with me and my people again today.’
‘That’s awfully kind of you, Felicity,’ said Veronica, blushing and looking a little awkward. ‘But, you see, Amy has already invited me to spend the day with her and I’ve accepted.’
‘Oh, well, that’s up to you, of course,’ said Felicity, with a careless shrug. Inwardly, though, she wondered how Veronica could have such little pride that she tagged along with Amy after the girl had so callously abandoned h
er yesterday.
Still, it was none of her business really, and it would be nice to have her parents all to herself. All the same, she hoped that June wasn’t going to be proved right about Veronica. She was far too cocksure as it was!
Trouble in the third form
‘Everything seems so flat after half-term,’ complained Nora, as the third formers stood in the courtyard one break-time. ‘I need cheering up! June, can’t you play another trick?’
‘No, you’ve had two this term already,’ answered June. ‘I don’t want to spoil you. Besides, if we play too many tricks they just end up becoming commonplace and people don’t appreciate them as they should.’
‘Spoilsport!’ said Nora, pulling a face. ‘How about you then, Freddie? Can’t you come up with something to give us all a laugh?’
But Freddie, who seemed to be in a world of her own, hadn’t been listening to the conversation and didn’t even realise that Nora was addressing her until June gave her a nudge.
‘Sorry, Nora,’ said Freddie, sounding distracted. ‘What did you say?’
Nora repeated her request, but Freddie shook her head and said ruefully, ‘I don’t seem to be able to come up with any jokes or tricks at the moment, I’m afraid.’
Felicity frowned at this. Freddie’s sense of fun certainly seemed to have deserted her lately. She said as much to Susan, when the two of them were alone in the common-room later.
‘She doesn’t seem like her old, jolly self,’ Susan agreed. ‘Perhaps she’s finding it a bit of a strain to keep up with June, who can do brilliantly at lessons and play the fool. But Freddie isn’t quite as clever as June, and she needs to concentrate more in class to get good results.’
‘Yes, you’re probably right,’ said Felicity, her brow clearing. ‘Darrell used to say that Alicia was just the same. Let’s hope that’s all it is, anyway.’
‘I saw you talking to Bonnie earlier,’ said Susan, changing the subject. ‘She seems to be hanging round you more and more since half-term.’
‘Yes, I had noticed,’ said Felicity wearily. ‘She keeps trying to persuade me to make up a three with her and Amy, and no matter how often I refuse, she always comes back. I must say, for someone so dainty and fragile-looking, she’s awfully thick-skinned!’
‘Well, thank goodness we managed to get her to spend some time with Amy,’ said Susan. ‘Otherwise I should never have you to myself.’
‘Yes, that little scheme worked a treat,’ said Felicity. ‘Though I don’t suppose Bonnie would be too pleased if she knew that I had only suggested she try to split Amy and Veronica up because we didn’t want her tagging along with us all the time! And Veronica would be simply furious too.’
‘Well, thank goodness neither of them will find out,’ said Susan complacently.
But she was quite wrong. For at that very moment, Veronica was standing on the other side of the common-room door! As usual, she hadn’t meant to listen, and had only been on her way to the common-room to collect something. But on hearing voices, the urge to listen in had been too much. And now her feelings were very mixed. On the one hand, the knowledge that Bonnie had only befriended Amy as a favour to Felicity would be very useful indeed. But she also felt hurt and angry that Felicity had set Bonnie to work to break up her own friendship with Amy. Since half-term her feelings towards Felicity had softened a great deal, but now the old feelings of bitterness and resentment came flooding back. Just who did Felicity Rivers think she was? Well, she was in for a shock – and so was silly little Bonnie!
Bonnie grew quite exasperated with Veronica over the next couple of days. The girl kept giving her strange looks, and odd, triumphant little smiles that Bonnie was quite at a loss to understand. Veronica, typically, was enjoying savouring her new-found knowledge and keeping it to herself, until the moment was right to break the news to Amy. And the moment came after art lesson one afternoon.
Miss Linnie, the art mistress, was very good-natured and easy-going, and the girls were allowed to sit where they pleased in her class. Amy took a seat by the window, and both Veronica and Bonnie moved towards the empty seat beside her. Bonnie reached it first and sat down, much to Veronica’s annoyance.
‘I always sit next to Amy!’ she protested.
‘Well, it will be a pleasant change for her to have me beside her instead,’ said Bonnie softly, looking up at Veronica with the innocent stare that always infuriated her. ‘Off you go, Veronica.’
But Veronica wasn’t giving up without a fight, and she said through gritted teeth, ‘I’m not going anywhere, you little beast. Move at once!’
Amy, who loved to have people fighting over her favours, took no part in the quarrel, but stared rather smugly out of the window. It was left to Miss Linnie to intervene, saying calmly but firmly, ‘That will do, girls! Veronica, there is a seat over there next to Julie. Please go and sit there.’
Veronica did not dare disobey the mistress, and reluctantly moved away to sit next to Julie, leaving Bonnie to enjoy her victory.
Miss Linnie’s classes were always very free and easy, and the girls chattered away to one another as they worked. Veronica scowled as she watched Amy and Bonnie, their heads together as they talked and laughed. Well, Bonnie would be laughing on the other side of her face very soon!
After the art lesson finished, Veronica caught up with Amy and Bonnie outside.
‘I do so love Miss Linnie’s classes, don’t you?’ said Bonnie sweetly. ‘Amy and I just talked and talked throughout the whole lesson.’
‘Really?’ said Veronica, a smile on her face and a dangerous glint in her eyes. ‘And did you talk about how you have only been sucking up to Amy because Felicity Rivers put you up to it?’
Bonnie turned pale, while Amy gasped and said, ‘Bonnie, is this true?’
‘It – it’s true that Felicity asked me to try and make friends with you,’ stammered Bonnie. Then she threw a spiteful look at Veronica and went on, ‘She wanted me to try and get you away from dear Veronica’s unpleasant influence. But I did genuinely like you from the first, Amy, and now that I know you better I like you even more. Please say that we can still be friends!’
Amy was quivering with indignation. She was used to people vying for her friendship, and to hear that Bonnie had only palled up with her because Felicity had put her up to it, was very hard for her to bear.
‘I think I’ll stick with Veronica,’ she said, her tone icy. ‘At least I know that she is a true friend. Come along, Veronica.’
‘Just a moment,’ said Veronica. ‘Bonnie, there’s something I need to tell you. You see, the main reason that Felicity asked you to befriend Amy was that she and Susan were sick to death of you following them round all the time and making a nuisance of yourself. Quite honestly, I can’t say that I blame them.’
Stricken and longing to get back at Veronica, Bonnie snapped, ‘And just how did you find all this out, Veronica? Through spying on people and listening at doors, I expect.’ Veronica’s guilty look told Bonnie at once that she had hit the nail on the head, and she said scornfully, ‘I thought as much. You’re despicable, Veronica!’
‘Well I, for one, am extremely glad that Veronica did find all this out,’ said Amy haughtily. ‘Otherwise I should never have found out what a deceitful little creature you are, Bonnie.’
And with that, she took Veronica’s arm and the two girls walked away, leaving Bonnie alone with her thoughts. Alas, they were not happy ones. She had lost Amy’s friendship, and now it seemed that Felicity didn’t want her either. Poor Bonnie gave a little sob. Was that what Felicity really thought of her – that she was nothing but a nuisance? And did she honestly prefer the company of that dull, boring Susan? Well, there was only one way to find out for sure – and that was to tackle Felicity.
The third-form common-room was very crowded and noisy that evening. Nora had put a gramophone record on, and she and Pam were doing an idiotic dance to the music, keeping the others in fits of laughter. As the music stopped, Bonnie raised her
voice and said, ‘Felicity! I need to speak to you. Is it true that you only encouraged me to be Amy’s friend because you wanted me to leave you alone?’
Felicity bit her lip, seeing the hurt and anger in the other girl’s eyes. But it was no use beating around the bush. The time had come to be straight with Bonnie.
‘Yes,’ she said. ‘It’s true. I’m sorry if you’re upset, Bonnie, but I did try to let you down gently. You just wouldn’t take the hint.’
The rest of the third form had gone quiet now, all of them listening intently as Felicity went on, ‘Susan is my best friend, and you knew that from the start. And she always will be. No one can take her place with me.’ Then, seeing that Bonnie looked as if she was about to burst into tears, she added more gently, ‘You and I have very little in common, Bonnie, whereas you and Amy are interested in the same things. It’s right that the two of you should be friends.’
‘Excuse me, Felicity!’ said Amy angrily, jumping to her feet. ‘I prefer to choose my own friends, if you don’t mind. And I most certainly do not want to be friends with a girl who has only been nice to me as a favour to you!’
And Amy flounced out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
Susan, who had been listening to all of this with a frown, said, ‘Felicity and I never meant you to find out about this, Bonnie, and I’m sorry that you and Amy have fallen out because of it.’
‘How did you find out?’ asked Felicity, who had been puzzling over this.
‘Veronica told me,’ answered Bonnie, with a malicious glare in the direction of the culprit. ‘I’ll leave you to work out for yourself how she came by her information.’
Felicity rounded on Veronica at once, crying, ‘So, you’ve been snooping again, Veronica! I did think, after I was nice to you at half-term, that you might have turned over a new leaf, but you’re just as bad as ever.’
Several of the girls looked at Veronica in disgust and her cheeks burned – until she remembered something else that she had overheard.