by Ann Bryant
I was concentrating hard on making my body as narrow and straight as possible, bringing my arms right over my head and cutting through the water with the side of my hand, while keeping my legs and feet strong. My parents wanted me to have swimming coaching during the holidays but in the end I only had three sessions because our lovely Christmas celebrations went on for so long this year, with lots of visitors and outings. It was hard leaving those hot sunny days of fun behind and coming back to the cold English weather.
When I got to the deep end I stopped and looked around. If I half closed my eyes the surface of the pool looked like pale green silk with loads of brightly coloured balls floating all over it. We have to wear hats for swimming and each boarding house here at Silver Spires has got its own colour. My five close friends and I are in one of the Year Seven dormitories in Hazeldean House and we’ve all got purple hats. The girls from Willowhaven wear green hats, Beech House wear blue, Forest Ash, red, Elmhurst, white and Oakley, yellow. I love it that girls from all the different houses are mixed together completely randomly for things like sport and music and art. Then for maths, science and English lessons we’re in top, second and third sets.
Mrs. Mellor blew her whistle to announce that we’d only got another two minutes of free swimming and I suddenly realized I was starting to shiver because I’d been still for a while and wasn’t fully warmed up. I set off back to the shallow end doing the fastest crawl I could manage and then turned round and headed straight back to the deep end, trying to do the proper breathing on every third stroke, but not managing it very well because breathing for the crawl stroke is my biggest weakness. I’d almost completed the second length when, through the blur of the water, I noticed a blue hat coming up on my left. Someone from Beech House was swimming really fast. We touched the side at exactly the same time and when she turned to face me, I realized it was a girl called Felissia Streeter. I smiled at her, but all I got back was a cold stare and I felt horrible shivers pushing through the lovely warmth I’d gathered during my hard swim. I didn’t know what that look was about and I don’t like it when I don’t understand things.
Mrs. Mellor’s whistle made me jump and I was glad that I had to concentrate on listening to instructions about lining up at the deep end because it took my mind off Felissia’s horrible look. The rest of the lesson was great fun because Mrs. Mellor always makes everyone feel so confident, and we had a go at all the different strokes, even butterfly, which I’m hopeless at. I loved all the other strokes and didn’t want the swimming lesson to end.
“That was good fun,” said Jess, in the changing room afterwards.
“I was rubbish,” said Georgie.
“So was I,” added Naomi. “I just didn’t seem to get warmed up properly.”
“I thought you were really good,” said Katy, who’s Naomi’s best friend. She grinned at me as she rubbed her hair with a towel. “But we knew you’d easily be the best of us lot, Grace.”
Jess shuffled closer to me on the bench. “We’re so lucky having you in our house,” she said.
“And we’ve got Katy too,” I quickly pointed out, because Katy’s a strong swimmer.
“Are you two joining the swimming squad?” Mia asked.
We weren’t sure whether just anyone could join the squad, because the squad isn’t a fun thing like a club. It’s much more serious. So Katy went to ask Mrs. Mellor. She came back with the answer that if you want to be in the swimming gala you have to join the squad, but anyone’s allowed to sign up for it and see how they get on. “But you’ve definitely got to join, Grace!” she added. “You’re the best!”
“With a bit of luck you can enter all the races, Grace, and the rest of us can just cheer you on. Then Hazeldean will be the winning house! Yay!” Georgie was pulling her sweatshirt over her head so we could only just make out what she was saying, but the others all laughed, apart from Jess. She probably guessed I’d be feeling a bit anxious about all this praise because I’d already told her I didn’t feel as confident about swimming as I did about athletics.
“There are some really good swimmers in the other houses,” I said quietly, and I couldn’t help glancing round for Felissia. I spotted her in front of the mirror scooping her hair up into a ponytail.
“Felissia Streeter’s good, isn’t she?” said Mia, who must have followed my eyes.
I nodded and suddenly felt tempted to tell the others about Felissia’s look, but I didn’t because it would have sounded like such a silly little thing. And as soon as I’d had that thought, I realized that actually, that’s exactly what it was – a silly little thing – and I told myself to stop being stupid and forget about it.
But just before bedtime it popped back into my head again. We were up in our dormitory admiring each other’s pinboards. Jess’s was covered with photos she’d taken during the holidays, but they weren’t the usual kind of photos of people or scenes; they were all of different sorts of trees, like close-ups of gnarled old bark, or thin bare trees silhouetted against the white sky. She’s got such a big imagination, Jess has, and I really love the way she looks at the world. We’re so different from each other and we both think that’s the very thing that makes us best friends.
Katy’s pinboard was artistic too, but in a different way. Hers was covered with fashion pictures, because that’s Katy’s biggest passion. Naomi’s had photos of elephant and deer roaming across stretches of scrubland with barely anything growing. That’s because she comes from Ghana in Africa. In fact, it’s easy to forget that Naomi is actually a real live African princess. She’s so modest and never boasts about it at all. Her family lives in London now but she still thinks of herself as Ghanaian and I knew she’d been back to Ghana over the holidays because she mentioned a charity that she’s working for called Just Water, which helps the people of Ghana to have access to clean water. Naomi and I had also talked together about how far from home we both felt, and how cold England seemed compared to our own countries. We’re not the only ones who come from far away though. There are girls from all five continents at Silver Spires.
Georgie was admiring the way Mia had made photos of her pets and her family into a collage.
“When I tried to do that with my pics, I chopped off half the heads!” she said, frowning. “And what’s the point of having the best actors in the world right over your bed if they’re headless?”
“Do you want me to rearrange them a bit for you?” asked Mia.
But Georgie was standing in front of my bed by then, hands on hips, pretending to be disapproving. “Don’t say we’ve got to look at a load of athletes again, Grace! Is that all you think about – sport?”
“You’re only jealous, like the rest of us, Georgie!” said Jess.
Georgie’s eyes shifted from my pinboard to me. “Yes, I am jealous! Why can’t I look like Grace? I’d love to be slim and fit. I wish I could run like a deer and jump like a…like a…kangaroo.”
I laughed. “I hope I don’t look like a kangaroo when I’m jumping!”
Georgie ignored me. “And I’m very jealous of your brilliant swimming too!”
Naomi put her arm round me. “Yes, we’ve definitely got the best swimmer in Year Seven in our house!”
Katie rubbed her hands and grinned like a cheeky little girl. “I bet the other houses are green with envy!”
“Don’t say that,” I quickly told them, feeling myself getting anxious again. “I’m not all that good at swimming, you know. There are lots in Year Seven who are better than me. I’ll have to train like mad.”
“Rubbish!” said Katy. “You’re just as brilliant at swimming as you are at every other sport!”
All this praise was exactly what I’d been dreading. That’s why I’d felt tense every time I’d thought about the swimming gala during the holidays. It was due to take place at the end of the first half of term, and with all the training I wanted to do, that didn’t seem far enough away. It’s a horrible pressure when people expect you to do well at something, a
nd it’s not only my friends, but my parents and the teachers here too. You see, I came to Silver Spires on a sports scholarship, which means that my fees for the school have been paid because the school thinks I’m going to do really well at sport, so that when we have inter-school competitions I’ll win and that will make other schools admire Silver Spires. I don’t feel so much pressure when it comes to athletics and netball and things, because I’m confident about them. But swimming’s different. I’m not so good at swimming.
I had to make the others realize. “No, honestly, I’m not just saying it. At home my sports coach says that swimming is my weakest thing, so I’ve made a resolution to train hard. Only, it might not make much difference, you know.”
“You can only do your best, can’t you?” said Naomi, who’s the wise one of the group. “And remember you’ll have swimming squad as well.”
I looked round hopefully. “I’m not going to be the only one doing swimming squad, am I?”
“Well, don’t look at me!” Naomi laughed. “I’m allergic to cold water.”
“Me too,” said Mia, wrinkling her nose.
“The trouble is, it clashes with fashion club,” said Katy, “because it’s on Wednesdays. Oh, by the way, Mrs. Mellor said there isn’t a swimming squad session this coming Wednesday though, because she’s away.”
Then Jess surprised me. “I might come,” she said, her eyes looking dreamy as they so often did. “I quite enjoyed floating on my back and staring at the ceiling in the lesson today. It’s got an incredible pattern on it, you know, like an optical illusion.”
I had to smile. “You’re such an artist, Jess! Fancy noticing the swimming-pool ceiling!”
“Right, that’s enough swimming talk for one day!” Georgie suddenly announced. “I’m off to the computer room.”
Everyone decided to check their e-mails then, so we all trooped down two flights of stairs to the computer room.
“Good, we’re the only ones here!” said Katy. “One computer each.”
“We’ve only got a few minutes before we have to get ready for bed,” said Mia, who gets even more anxious than me about rules and regulations. I don’t know about Mia, but for me I think it’s because my parents brought me up quite strictly and always expect me to respect my elders.
“Yay! Loads of people online!” said Georgie, who’s really into the Silver Spires chat room at the moment.
The rest of us were quickly checking our e-mails. I had a long one from my mum, and although it was lovely to hear from her it made me feel a bit homesick too. Out of the corner of my eye I could see that Mia had finished on her computer and was leaning on Georgie, watching her screen.
I’d almost finished reading Mum’s e-mail when I suddenly heard a gasp from Mia.
“What?” I heard Katy ask.
There was no reply and I glanced round to see that Mia’s eyes were wide and worried.
“What are you looking at?” Naomi wanted to know, and a few seconds later we were all bunched round trying to read the message on Georgie’s screen.
Someone with the username Torpedo Gal had written, Shame about the big show-off who just has to be best at everything she ever does, including swimming.
“That’s not very nice. Who’s written that?” asked Mia.
Georgie didn’t answer at first, just started typing back. What big show-off?
We all watched the screen as the message came back. You should know. You’d better warn her that we don’t like show-offs and it’s about time she gave someone else a chance to win.
“So who is Torpedo Gal?” asked Naomi.
“I haven’t a clue,” said Georgie, in a surprisingly quiet voice. “I’ve got so many people on my contact list I don’t know who I’m talking to half the time.” Her voice faltered. “But whoever it is knows who I am.”
A horrible prickly feeling was creeping up my spine.
“But who’s she talking about?” asked Katy.
There was a small silence, and then everyone must have clicked that it could only be me. Georgie turned round and gave me a kind of apologetic smile, at the same time as Jess’s arm went round my shoulder, and the prickly feeling spread right up to the backs of my eyes.
To find out what happens next, read
About the Author
Ann Bryant’s School Days
Who was your favourite teacher?
At primary it was Mr. Perks – we called him Perksy. I was in his class in Year Six, and most days he let me work on a play I was writing! At secondary, my fave teacher was Mrs. Rowe, simply because I loved her subject (French) and she was so young and pretty and slim and chic and it was great seeing what new clothes she’d be wearing.
What were your best and worst lessons?
My brain doesn’t process history, geography or science and I hated cookery, so those were my least favourite subjects. But I was good at English, music, French and PE, so I loved those. I also enjoyed art, although I was completely rubbish at it!
What was your school uniform like?
We had to wear a white shirt with a navy blue tie and sweater, and a navy skirt, but there was actually a wide variety of styles allowed – I was a very small person and liked pencil-thin skirts. We all rolled them over and over at the waist!
Did you take part in after-school activities?
Well I loved just hanging out with my friends, but most of all I loved ballet and went to extra classes in Manchester after school.
Did you have any pets while you were at school?
My parents weren’t animal lovers so we were only allowed a goldfish! But since I had my two daughters, we’ve had loads – two cats, two guinea pigs, two rabbits, two hamsters and two goldfish.
What was your most embarrassing moment?
When I was in Year Seven I had to play piano for assembly. It was April Fool’s Day and the piano wouldn’t work (it turned out that someone had put a book in the back). I couldn’t bring myself to stand up and investigate because that would draw attention to me, so I sat there with my hands on the keys wishing to die, until the Deputy Head came and rescued me!
To find about more about Ann Bryant, visit her website: www.annbryant.co.uk
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First Term at Silver Spires
Drama at Silver Spires
Rivalry at Silver Spires
Princess at Silver Spires
Secrets at Silver Spires
Star of Silver Spires
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Party at Silver Spires
Dancer at Silver Spires
Dreams at Silver Spires
Magic at Silver Spires
Success at Silver Spires
Mystery at Silver Spires
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This ebook edition first published in the UK in 2016 by Usborne Publishing Ltd, Usborne House, 83-85 Saffron Hill, London EC1N 8RT, England. www.usborne.com
Copyright © 2016, 2008 by Ann Bryant
The right of Ann Bryant to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988.
Series cover design by Sally Griffin.
Cover illustration by Suzanne Sales/New Division
The name Usborne and the devices are Trade Marks of Usborne Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.
This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or used in any way except as allowed under the terms and conditions under wh
ich it was purchased or loaned or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.
This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogues are products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.
ePub ISBN 9781474917469
Batch no. 01564-09