Party at Silver Spires (5 page)

Even though I hadn't seen what Izzy was planning on wearing, I guessed it would be something just as amazing as Sasha's and Antonia's outfits. Somehow I couldn't imagine Emily and Bryony wanting to dress up quite so much, but all the same, I wasn't going to risk asking them, because I was scared of finding I was wrong. I suppose it was obvious they'd have something suitable in their wardrobes, because who would dream of coming away to a lovely boarding school like Silver Spires without taking any special party clothes? I was really cross with myself for being so stupid that I hadn't asked Mum for just one dress.

By Wednesday, I found out that I'd been put in top sets for maths, science and English. I was really pleased, because my parents had drummed it into me that I had to keep working hard throughout my time at Silver Spires, otherwise there was a chance I might have my scholarship taken away. And it was only because of the scholarship that I was at the school in the first place. I remember when we were buying my uniform, Mum kept on biting her lip and frowning as she looked at the prices of the different items, because it all seemed so expensive and we still had the PE kit to buy. Poor Mum. I was determined never to do anything except my total best in lessons, so then I wouldn't risk losing my precious scholarship.

Of the girls in my dorm, I was the only one to be put in all top sets. The others were in a mixture of top, middle and bottom, except for Antonia, who was in all bottom sets. That was only because of her problem with the language though. I'd heard Mrs. Pridham explaining to her that as she got better at English, her teachers would be able to assess her better and she might find she changed sets. In the meantime she would get lots of extra help with her English. And it was true, she was already understanding much more of what we all said. Suki wasn't in the same set as me for anything, thank goodness, so that was one worry I could strike off my list.

And soon I was able to strike off another one. As far as lessons were concerned, I felt as though I was fitting in fine, and I certainly wasn't the only one to be in all top sets. I still didn't want anyone to find out about my scholarship, though, but at least no one thought I was geeky or odd. And then once, when the six of us were in our dorm together, all sitting cross-legged on our beds, Izzy actually said to the others, “Isn't it great that we've got Nicole in Emerald? I'm very proud of your big brain, Nicole!”

“Yes, we've got our own personal factfinder and problem solver!” said Bryony.

I felt a bit embarrassed. “As long as you don't think I'm showing off or anything…” I mumbled.

“No!” they all chorused loudly.

“No way,” added Emily.

Then Antonia echoed, “No way,” and we all laughed, because it was the first time we'd ever heard her use such an English phrase. I probably laughed the loudest, because I was so happy that she was joining in, especially with a kind of compliment to me.It was difficult to work Antonia out. Most of the time she seemed quite aloof with everyone, but I couldn't help feeling it was
all
of the time that she was aloof with me, and I felt anxious again that we'd got off to a bad start in the dining hall.

Meanwhile, the big problem about what to wear for the party wouldn't go away, although there was one piece of good news that I was clinging to like mad. At lunchtime on Thursday, Sasha suddenly started talking about a shopping trip at the weekend.

“It'll be really cool. We get to go in the school minibuses and we're free to wander round on our own as long as we've got at least one other person with us. I'm going to buy some shoes for the party, because I don't like the ones I've got all that much.”

“How do you know about the shopping trip?” I asked.

“Yes, why didn't we know anything about it?” asked Bryony.

“It's on the noticeboard,” said Izzy. “But Sash and I also heard some of the Year Eights talking about it in the common room last night. They said there are shopping trips just about every weekend, and the Year Sevens are always desperate to go, but by the time you get to Year Eight, you're not that bothered any more.”

“I'd love to go,” I said, thinking that this was the perfect solution to my problem. I'd simply buy a new dress or new trousers or a new top. Immediately after I'd had the thought I started to feel guilty, though, because I didn't have all that much spending money and I knew I must make it last for the whole term. Buying clothes on the very first weekend wasn't a good idea. But, really, I had no choice. I'd just have to stay away from all shopping trips for the rest of the term.

“I'm going riding on Saturday,” said Emily firmly. “I can't wait. I just wish I could magic my own pony here to Silver Spires.”

“Where are the stables?” asked Bryony.

“Haven't a clue. All I know is that Miss Stevenson says there are riding trips every weekend.”

“I think I'll spend Saturday afternoon exploring,” Bryony said. “Horses and me don't really mix, and neither do shopping and me.”

“Will you be all right on your own?” Emily asked her.

“Yes, I quite like being on my own sometimes. I'm going to find out about every inch of this place, including all the other boarding houses – then I can be sure that Forest Ash really is the best!”

We laughed, then Izzy turned to Antonia and spoke slowly. “What about you? Do you want to come on the shopping trip?”

Antonia nodded. “Yes. I like to,” she said quietly.

As we carried on eating and chatting, I found myself relaxing. I was really enjoying the halloumi salad. I'd never heard of halloumi cheese before today, but I was definitely going to tell Mum about it so hopefully we could eat it at home sometime. It looked as though it had been cooked, and I was desperate to find out if that's what you're supposed to do with halloumi cheese, but I didn't dare ask in case everyone thought it was pathetic not knowing the answer to such a simple question.

“Thees ees Greek cheese,” Antonia suddenly said to no one in particular. “Papa likes all things Italian, but he also likes to cook halloumi, because eet doesn't melt.”

I felt happy that my question had been answered just like that and I decided to have another try to get Antonia to be friendly towards me. “It must be great to taste so many delicious foods all the time,” I said as clearly as I could.

“Yes, I like very much,” she replied, looking right at me. She didn't smile or anything, but I was pleased that she'd looked at me properly. Then, just when I thought how well this whole lunch was going, Suki came and sat at our table and my spirits sank. I'd seen her trying to squash in with some Hazeldean girls and I don't think she was very impressed that there wasn't any room and she'd had to sit with the Forest Ash lot.

“What are you talking about?” she asked rather abruptly, as soon as she'd sat down.

“Antonia's restaurant,” said Izzy.

“What? You've got a restaurant?” Suki asked in a loud voice, as though Antonia was stupid or deaf.

Antonia nodded. “In Milan.”

“In Milan, right. I've been there. What's the restaurant called?”

“Ristorante Alessandro – my papa's name.”

“Is your father the manager or the owner?”

It really annoyed me that Suki wanted to know the answer to that question. What difference did it make to her?

“He owns the restaurant.”

Suki smiled. “I'll tell my parents. They're often in Milan on business.”

Antonia smiled back but she didn't make any comment.

“I love halloumi cheese,” went on Suki. “My dad goes to Greece quite often too. That's where it comes from, you know.”

“We know,” said Emily, a bit snappily.

Suki didn't seem to notice Emily's tone, because she went on, “I had a real craze on anything to do with Greece at one stage. My dad taught me quite a few Greek words.”

“Oh, I had to learn the Greek alphabet for school. Alpha, beta, gamma, delta…” spouted Bryony. “That's the first four letters. I can't remember what comes next. Do you know, Suki?”

Suki laughed. “How should I know? People who can recite things like the Greek alphabet and the kings of England and the periodic table of elements are really sad, in my opinion. They ought to get a life!”

I felt my shoulders rising with tension and my face getting hot. I was one of those people who Suki thought was sad, because I could recite the Greek alphabet
and
the kings of England. I just love learning things like that and memorizing them. I know quite a bit of the periodic table too, but not the whole lot. It's really difficult. Thank goodness I hadn't jumped in with
epsilon, zeta, eta, theta
when Bryony had asked what came after the first four Greek letters.

As soon as I'd wolfed down my pudding I got up to go, because Suki's presence just made me feel uncomfortable, and I went to the break-out room on my own before prep.

The silence in prep is one of my favourite moments of the day. There's hardly ever any silence when you're at a boarding school, apart from in some lessons. You're just surrounded by a buzz the whole time. I don't mind that, because it makes you feel as though you're a real part of something big and exciting. But it's lovely for just five short times a week to be able to bury yourself in silent work for a while. The only trouble is, I always get through my prep really quickly and even when I've checked and checked it, there's often time left over and I get a bit bored. But I don't want to bring a book in, or people might think I'm showing off.

This evening the prep was quite tricky because it was chemistry, and funnily enough, after we'd only just been talking about it, there was a big question about the periodic table. When I finished my own work I happened to glance across at Antonia's. I could see that she'd been given nearly the same prep as mine even though we're in different sets. I noticed she hadn't filled in the grid of the periodic elements at all, and I don't know whether she sensed me looking, but she suddenly turned to me and pointed to her empty grid, then gave a huge shrug, rolling her eyes as if to say,
This is impossible! Don't you agree?

Before I even knew it, I'd given her the same look, followed by a big smile to show just how much I agreed. I don't know why I did that when I'd actually filled my whole grid in without any problem. I think it was just that I hadn't been expecting Antonia to be smiling at me, and I wanted to make the most of this little moment between us, trying to pretend we had something in common. I shut my book as subtly as I could to make sure Antonia didn't see that I'd actually filled in the whole grid, but she nodded at my closed book and mouthed, “Can you do it?” – her expression changing to an anxious one.

I had to think quickly. Should I show her my work and let her copy it? Or would she wonder then why I'd given her that look as though she and I were in the same boat, when we clearly weren't? Suddenly I could hear Suki's voice loud and clear as though she was sitting right here in the room with us.
People who can recite things like the Greek alphabet and the kings of England and the periodic table of elements are really sad, in my opinion. They ought to get a life!

I quickly made a decision and mouthed back, “Sorry,” to Antonia. Then I gave another friendly smile and a shrug, and got such a warm smile back that I thought at last there was a tiny chance that Antonia and I might become friends. I hoped so, because Sasha and Izzy always seemed to sit next to each other in class and at lunch, and so did Bryony and Emily. It would make sense for Antonia and me to kind of pair up, because I still didn't have a best friend. But in my heart I never really thought that could happen.

When prep finished, the six of us went along to the common room together, discussing the work on the way.

“That question about the periodic table was impossible!” said Emily. “I didn't get what the stupid thing was on about.”

“I know,” agreed Bryony. “And when are we ever going to need to know about it? I'm not going to be a chemist when I'm older.” She stopped and looked at us all. “Anyone round here planning on being a chemist?” Then, before we could answer, “No? Well, there you go!”

“Nicole might,” said Izzy. She sighed. “You're so clever, Nicole. I bet you understood that question easily, didn't you?”

“No she deed not understand,” said Antonia, with a smile.

I could feel the others looking at me. “No, I didn't… Not really… I mean, I've written something or other, but I'm sure it's all complete rubbish.”

Still, I felt their eyes on me, and for the second time since I'd been at Silver Spires, I told myself off.

I woke up on Saturday morning with mixed feelings. There are always lessons till lunchtime on Saturdays, which I don't mind as the teachers are a bit more relaxed. And today it was the shopping trip after lunch. A part of me felt nervous, because the party was only one week away now and I knew I was about to spend more money than I ought to. But then I told myself to stop worrying. There were sure to be plenty of clothes left in the late summer sale. There were always sales around. I just needed to search for a bargain.