Playing her way - Chapter 2
© D.L. 2014

Arnold Bridges sipped his coffee, savouring his first hit of caffeine for the day and working week. He had just finished eating his serial when he heard the sound of footsteps approaching down the stairs. He had gotten used to having breakfast alone. His wife, Marilyn was currently in the bathroom, having made his pack lunch while he showered, shaved and dressed. They swapped places, and he would briefly see her again as he left for work.

This particular Monday was the first day of the new school term, so the person walking into the room was his thirteen year old son, Jason. Usually his son didn't come down until after he left for work. Arnold worked in Southampton and commuted to work via train. He had to leave promptly at 7:15 in order to catch the 7:30 train. This would get him into the city about an hour later where he would switch to a bus for the short journey to the factory where he worked as a shop steward. Previously, Jason didn't need to leave for school, a twenty minute walk, until half past eight, so usually got up just has his father left for work. However, with the change of schools, the boy would need to commute by train, a forty minute ride, bringing his total commute to close to an hour, and therefore get up earlier.

Arnold didn't get along very well with his only child. As moody teenagers went, Jason seemed to be one of the worst. Barely seeming to communicate with anybody, the boy was becoming virtually reclusive. His wife assured him that this was only when he was around, and that he opened up a bit more when Arnold wasn't about.

The atmosphere had been considerably frosty over the last few months. His son's behaviour was such a concern the school had recommended taking him to a shrink. That had not gone well. The so called professional that there family doctor had referred him to turned out to be a waste of time. In Arnold’s opinion, the boy needed to grow up and get his head together, not be filled with stupid ideas such as trying to connect with his feminine side.

There had been some argument over where his son should attend school. Boarding school had been one suggestion, and while the experience may have been character building, Arnold didn't like this idea for two reasons. Firstly it didn't sit well with his working class background. He simply did not believe in paying for schooling that the state should be providing. Secondly was simply he couldn't afford it. While his income was enough to live comfortably, it wouldn't stretch to that kind of expense. After initially going along with the idea that changing school would be a good idea, he had second thoughts about allowing it. However, they had reached a compromise over him going to a school in the neighbouring county.

St. Mary's High School was a prestigious school on the outskirts of Taunton. One of his younger colleagues, Geoff, had attended the school until only a few years ago, and he had received nothing but good reviews of the establishment. It would mean his son would also be catching a train; however his would be south-west bound instead of south-east. They lived a short distance from Westbury station, which is where the London to Exeter line crosses the Bristol to Southampton line.

Arnold observed his son enter the room. The boy was dressed in black trousers. The knot of a blue tie and white shirt could be seen peeking through the top of a light grey hooded sweatshirt.

"What are you doing wearing that?" the farther asked. "And why do you insist on having the hood up indoors."

The school uniform called for a dark blue blazer. That was something that had recently been introduced to make the students look more businesslike than the previous relaxed look of polo shirts and fleeces.

"I've put my blazer in my sports bag so it doesn't get crumpled, dirty, or soaked on the way to school. It might rain. Besides, this is warmer. I'll swap once I get to school," Jason replied, grabbing the lunch his mother had prepared. Unzipping his large black rucksack, he slipped the plastic container into the bag.

Putting his empty cup into the sink, Arnold rose and entered the hall. Checking his tie was straight in a mirror; he took his coat off the hook, and put in on.

His day would be slightly different than usual, as he would be meeting with a couple of colleagues and then travelling north to a training course in Birmingham. Arnolds case was packed and waiting for him in the hall. He would be gone for several days.

Jason followed his father into the hall. As the older man picked up the red suitcase waiting for him, Jason picked up the large green sports bag, putting the long wide strap over his shoulder so the bag hung by his hip. The two family members left the house and started walking down the street, waving to the women waving back from an upstairs window.

The younger of the two remained several steps behind the elder. Their postures were almost the opposite of each other. The adult stood straight up while walking briskly and confidently, the youngster was adopting a slouched pose, head down and hidden beneath the hood of his sweater.

They arrived at the station where they parted and headed to separate platforms. They spent the next few minutes looking across at each other until Jason's train arrived. Arnold watched his son take a seat on the train opposite. The boy gave him the thumbs up, but before the father could respond, his own train arrived blocking his view.

~o~O~o~

"Come along Wendy, we don't want to be late", Mrs Spencer called to her daughter as she came round from the passenger side of their car.

"We have over half an hour until the train gets here," Wendy replied. "It isn't until quarter past nine."

They had picked the earliest train available after the price drop, commuter trains being more expensive than trains during the day. Mrs Spencer was escorting her daughter, and one of her friends, to London. There they would meet with a group of other students all going to the same boarding school. In the past she had driven her daughter to school, but it was a long trip, and this new arrangement should be more convenient. Also, she wouldn't be travelling alone, so should be a lot safer. It also gave Mrs Spencer the opportunity to hit the west end shops for the afternoon, possibly even getting last minute tickets for a matinee at one of the shows.

It wasn't hard to spot the other girl that would be travelling with them. Emily was dressed the same way as Wendy. As they would be meeting up with a school teacher and a group of other students, the school had requested that all the student’s travel in uniform, as it would make it easier for the teacher to keep track of her charges.

Emily was sat on one of the benches, her light blue pleated skirt neatly arranged to cover her modesty. The matching blazer was neatly folded and sat on top of a large green sports bag. The weather was still warm when the sun got out, despite summer being at an end.

On seeing Wendy and her mother approach, Emily stopped brushing her short brown hair, styled into an attractive pixie cut, and returned the comb to her rucksack sat at her feet.

After exchanging pleasantries, Mrs Spencer headed to the ticket machines to collect the tickets she had reserved earlier over the internet.

"Everything going to plan?" Wendy asked, after her mother was out of earshot.

"So far so good," Emily replied, "I was able to find a secluded spot in a corner of a field down the road to change. I'm glad I was able to finally ditch the wig. Having to wear that stupid thing over the weekend, pretending my hair is a lot shorter, has been so annoying. I was almost tempted not to put it on this morning, but I knew my Dad would moan at my hood. I actually got away with not pulling it down."

"I'm still amazed that trick worked," Wendy shook her head, "Most people wear wigs to make their hair longer. Winding your hair up and hiding it under a short boy's wig can't be comfortable. I know how hot I get when my mother insists on an up-do."

"Is she still annoyed about you cutting it short?"

Wendy nodded, but didn't answer as her mother returned and sat down beside the two girls.

~o~O~o~

The journey to London was uneventful. The train was only partially full, and the girls were able to relax and play wireless multiplayer games on their tablet computers while Mrs Spencer read eBooks on her Kindle.

Emily grew nervous as she travelled across the capital. Given the number of bags they were carrying, Mrs Spencer had opted for a taxi rather than the underground. Wendy squeezed her friends hand in reassurance when her mother wasn't looking.

Once at Liverpool Street station, the threesome walked into the large main concourse in search of the train heading north out of the city. The wisdom of having all the students all in uniform was of immediate benefit, as the group girls stood together at the east end of the station was easy to find.

A lady with a clipboard approached the newcomers. "Hello, I'm Mrs Jackson, and I assume by the uniforms these two must be headed for St. Mary's."

"Hello, my name is Audrey Spencer. This is my Daughter Wendy, and the other girl is Emily Bridges," Mrs Spencer replied, shaking the other woman’s hand.

Mrs Spencer signed the clipboard, acknowledging that care was being transferred to the school for the girls. After hugging her daughter goodbye, much to Wendy's embarrassment, she headed in the direction of the underground to catch the tube to the west end.

Introductions were quickly made to the other students. Most of the students were returning, but one of the others was also going to be a newcomer to the school, but was a year younger that Emily. It was not unheard of for a girl to start in one of the higher years. Given the financial climate, some families could only afford to send their daughters for the last few years before graduation. In the past year, the school had lost five students midyear, due to families no longer being able to pay the fees.

Wendy made the introductions. Emily started to relax. She had been nervous that her secret might not have been kept, or that she would be outed as male. So far, nobody had seemed to react badly or suspiciously at her presence. She had kept Mrs Spencer unaware of her secret up to this point, and was worried that the teacher might let something slip. Thankfully that had not happened, possibly due to being in open earshot of the other students.

If Mrs Jackson knew, then she was keeping that knowledge to herself.

"This is so boring," Jane, one of the younger students remarked. "I wish I didn't have to be here so early. Nothing exciting ever happens at train stations."

"That isn't true," Mrs Jackson replied. "There was a flash mob filmed here a few years ago."

One of the other girls called the clip up on her mobile. After the third time through the clip, the phone being passed round the girls so that they could all see, one of the girls, Jessica, pulled a flute out of her suitcase.

"Jane, get ready to have some fun," Jessica stated, "If the tweet Anna forwarded me this morning is true, we might just get something similar to what you just saw. Mrs Jackson, please may I go stand in the centre of the station."

Emily grinned widely as a second girl, Abby, unzipped her bag just enough to pull out a harmonica, "I wouldn’t mind joining you, if you don't mind the competition."

"What is going on here?" Mrs Jackson asked suspiciously. Jessica handed her phone to the teacher. "Very well, but only start playing if other people also do so; it looks like there is a busker standing waiting as well."

The two girls walked over to the centre of the station, where five other musicians had now also gathered.

"What's going on?" Jane asked the teacher.

"It would seem that a certain minor internet celebrity come game developer tweeted they would give away Steam discount codes for their new game to anybody taking part in singing and dancing at exactly one o'clock here. Apparently, they will hand the codes out to musicians first."

Wendy shot a glance at Emily who was deliberately avoiding eye contact from both her and the teacher, by watching the goings on under the main signs.

A small crowd had formed as the musicians started to perform an impromptu performance of YMCA. A number of people had gathered and started dancing to the music.

"Why not?" Mrs Jackson sighed, "If any of you want to join in, go ahead and get dancing, just remain close to the bags, we don't want anybody to nick them while we are distracted."

"I'll stay with the bags if you want to join in," Wendy offered, "I'm a beta tester, so already have the game."

On hearing that, most of the other girls rushed over to join the large group of dancers now performing the Macarena.

Emily pulled her out her compact camera, and joined the large number of people doing the same, taking photos of the group and themselves. While she could have used her phone, she was deliberately keeping it hidden.

A large man with a large Viking helmet walked to the centre of the station pulling a trolley with a large box of what looked like business cards.

Once the music and dancing had stopped, he started to hand out the cards to whoever wanted them. He was soon surrounded, as the hoard of people all wanted one of the cards.

Emily watched as Jessica and Abby both received some of the first cards handed out. After the initial rush had dwindled to a trickle, Emily approached the man. Mrs Jackson had also come across with Jane, who was frightened to go across on her own.

Emily allowed the teacher and other student to go first.

"Are you Mr CrazyVikingMan47?" Jane timidly asked.

"Why I certainly am," the bloke replied, "You know, not many people have worked that out. Are you one of my subscribers?"

Jane nodded, "I'm CutieKitten: you named the cat on your series after me. Can I take a photo with you?"

"Sure, and if you send me a copy with the email address you used to subscribe, I'll send you back an extra special code. Would you mind if I tweet the photo as well? I know some people are sensitive about having their faces online."

"Go ahead, just don't give out my real name," Jane replied, turning and offering her camera to Mrs Jackson she asked, "Would you mind?"

The teacher quickly snapped a few shots of the pair, before handing the phone back to the young girl.

"And who might you be," the man asked Emily.

"You might not remember me, John, my name is Emily Bridges. We met at the March Moonlight Meet up in Weymouth."

A momentary flash of recognition crossed the man's face, to be joined by a huge smile, "I didn't recognise you, Emily. You have certainly changed since we last met. Can I offer you a code, or are already one of the beta testers?"

"Jenny and Tango already emailed me, thanks. I just thought I would pop across and say hello. I won't keep you from your other fans, having already gotten a photo and autograph last time."

"Would you mind if I took a photo before you go?" John asked.

"Not at all, and you can tweet it as well if you like," Emily smiled and posed next to larger man as he took a photo before saying goodbye and stepping aside so he could speak to the next person waiting.

The two students and the teacher walked back to the group. Wendy was looking increasingly nervous, something that didn't go unnoticed.

"Is something wrong?" Mrs Jackson asked.

Wendy briefly glared at Emily, making eye contact just long enough to let Emily know the cause of her agitation, but without anybody else realising. "It’s nothing," she replied.

"You’re worried people might think you're Generation2K," Abby reasoned, "after all she did say she would be here, and like us, she is supposed to be on her way to a girls boarding school. You are letting your mothers comments get to you again. You don't look like a boy, so stop being so self conscious."

"We are the only group of school girls standing around here," Wendy retorted, "does the thought that people might be wondering if you are a boy in drag not bother you? Or are you perhaps thinking that they are more likely to suspect the beanpole in the corner."

"This should put your mind at ease," Jessica said, handing her phone to Wendy, "Generation2K has just tweeted a photo of herself dancing in the crowd. She was the girl with pigtails in the grey pinafore dancing on the balcony up to our left. If you look closely, I think that is you in the lower left of shot; you had your back to her. You obviously didn't turn round at any point to notice her. Being centre stage, as such, I was keeping my eye out to try and spot her."

"Hey, she's just tweeted again, it’s a picture of us jamming," Abby squealed, "She says she wishes her school uniform was as cool as ours, instead of boring grey."

Emily walked over to Wendy to look at the picture she was holding. The photo appeared to be of a young girl in a grey pinafore school dress playing air guitar. From the way her pigtails where flying, she was obviously nodding her head to the beat. The camera had caught her mid-motion, as you could mainly see the top of her head instead of her face. A slight motion blur was further obstructing her features being recognisable.

Wendy handed the phone back to its owner, and the conversation moved on to how cool it would be to be able to earn a living out of playing games and making videos while the group waited for the last few girls to arrive.

~o~O~o~

"Watch out, here comes trouble. Queen Bitch is back," Jessica muttered as she spotted two more students crossing the concourse.

Mrs Jackson shot Jessica a glance in warning. Although she had to issue the non-verbal reprimand, she couldn't help but agree with the girl’s assessment.

Svetlana Gurevich was one of biggest spoilt brats ever to attend the private school. The daughter of an influential Russian businessman who also happens to be the owner of one of the major premier league football teams, and a board member and part owner of St. Mary's Academy. Her father's influence being the only thing keeping her from being expelled, a fact she knew and relied upon.

She radiated superiority as she strode across the station like a catwalk supermodel. In her wake, a smaller Asian girl struggled to keep up, weighed down with several cases and bags. The only bag Svetlana carried being a small designer handbag barely big enough to hold some lipstick and a few credit cards.

It was no secret that the only reason for Anna Kwon, or Kwon Anna if following to Korean naming convention of family name first, being at the school was to act as a servant for Svetlana. Slave would probably be the more appropriate definition if the school didn't intervene. The teachers were instructed to make sure that both girls were treated equally, and to make sure there was no open bullying taking place. However, Anna was always willing to fall into role and would even go as far as defending Svetlana rather than standing up for herself. Anna taking the opinion that having to serve the stuck up brat was a worthwhile price to pay in order to receive a world class education, and all the benefits that would simply not be available to her otherwise.

Svetlana paused briefly, allowing Anna to catch up. Not out of concern for her companion, but instead to pause to look at the overhead display listing the arrivals and departures.

"Is that our train running late?" she said with disdain upon reaching the other students.

"Unfortunately, yes," Mrs Jackson replied. "I just hope it doesn’t run so late it gets cancelled like last time. Its only 7 minutes behind so far, so we should be okay. Are you two travelling alone? I thought your father arranged for someone to travel with you."

"One is usually perfectly safe travelling in first class, it isn't an issue. There are enough people milling about here that I don't think anybody would try anything," Svetlana brushed the teachers concerns off.

"She got in an argument with her bodyguard when he insisted she carry her own bags at the airport, so she sacked him," Anna stated.

"I ought to sack you as well," Svetlana snorted.

"You can't, I answer directly to your father," Anna replied, "Besides, my school fees are already paid and non-returnable, so it would cost him extra to send me home early. You are stuck with me for the whole of the term, so stop trying to make empty threats, unless you want to do your own laundry this term."

"Way to go Anna," Wendy cheered, "It’s about time you stood up for yourself".

This earned Wendy a bitchy stare from the taller Russian girl.

"So, what did I miss? Did you manage to get autographs? I saw the tweets and am totes jelly," Anna excitedly asked Jessica and Abby.

Svetlana remained aloof to the other girls, choosing to file her nails rather than joining in the conversation.

~o~O~o~

It was nearly four in the afternoon when the train finally pulled into Norwich Station.

Svetlana was still refusing to carry more than the smallest and lightest of the bags, in case she broke a nail. The other girls, taking pity on Anna, took her bags while she carried Svetlana's. The school mini-bus was waiting for them when they arrived and they were soon leaving the city for the town that was the home to St. Mary's Academy for Girls.

"I'm afraid we may have some trouble getting through the gates," the bus driver announced as he got close to the school, "we have had a bunch of reporters hanging round all morning."

"Which student are they after?" Mrs Jackson asked worriedly, "Do we need to have any of the girls duck as we enter?"

"Miss Morgan decided to break her restraining order and visit her daughter. Unfortunately she was either drunk or high and managed to crash her beamer into the old stables. We'll find out which in tomorrow’s tabloid headlines."

"Oh no, poor Berry," Abby exclaimed.

"Who's Berry?" Emily asked Wendy softly.

"Gooseberry Dagenham Morgan," Wendy whispered back. "Don't laugh, that is her real name and she hates it. She's the daughter of the singer Alicia Morgan and a good friend of mine."

"Oh, that Miss Morgan," Emily realised, "The one constantly in and out of rehab. I guess her mother couldn't decide whether to name her after the trend of fruit, Like Peaches Geldof, or place names, like Brooklyn Beckham."

"Berry reckons her mother was probably drunk when she came up with those names. You will meet several girls with famous parents here, but we usually just ignore such things wherever possible," Wendy explained, "Also, you may be wondering why I never mentioned that one of my friends is famous. It's not something we ever talk about. Any scandal or gossip regarding students or their families stays on school grounds. No matter how many skeletons you might have in your closet, you can guarantee that they don't go outside these walls."

The bus slowed as it swung through the entrance to the school grounds, pulling up momentarily as the large iron gates rolled back out of the way. A police car had parked on the grass verge opposite, and a news van was then pulling away, but other than that the road was deserted. The bus continued up a tree lined drive until an old manor house came into view.

"Speaking of walls, that one seems to have a rather large hole in it," Emily pointed out as they drove up to the main doors of the school.

"Oh dear," Mrs Jackson stated looking across at Emily, "I'm afraid this could be trouble. We are short on accommodation already. I think we may have just lost some bedrooms."

The bus pulled up, and a tall thin gentleman approached accompanied by one of the older students, climbed on board.

"Good Afternoon ladies," he greeted the new arrivals, "As you can see, we have had a slight accident this morning. Most of you are in the same rooms as last term, but we have had to do some shuffling. There is a list of room numbers posted up in the canteen. Please collect your belongings and find your rooms. Emily, Francine here will take your bags for you as your presence is needed in the office. Don't worry; you're not in any trouble. We just need to get your security pass arranged and there is some paperwork to sort out."

"Ah, the dreaded health and safety lecture doubled with the privacy and respect talk, “Wendy exclaimed as the other girl’s groaned. "Go ahead; I'll make sure Francine picks up the correct bags."

~o~O~o~

Mr Jennings took Emily to one of the side rooms in the school offices, closing the door behind them.

"Mrs Rogers was hoping to speak to you herself, but she has been distracted. I'm sure she'll be along shortly, but in the meantime, I'll make a start," the teacher explained.

"Firstly, I am one of only five people here that know your secret. Six if your friend Wendy is the know. I'm a board member, so was present when your application was discussed. Obviously Mrs Rogers knows. So does her personal secretary, Mrs Milligan, but none of the other office staff. You will meet the school nurse tomorrow; she has had to go with one of the students to the hospital. The other person who knows is Mrs Jackson. She will also be your house mother while you stay here and will be your primary point of contact should any problems arise."

"None of the other teachers know for certain that a transgender student is in attendance. They were asked their opinion on the matter, but the headmistress wouldn't confirm or deny if such a student would be attending, making it clear it would be on a need to know basis."

"Won't they guess?" Emily asked, "Surely you are inferring that there must be a transgendered student, otherwise why ask?"

"Confidentiality is important here. Everybody accepts certain facts are on a need to know basis. We have dealt with other issues in the past, such as teen pregnancies and HIV. Such information can have a detrimental effect on students, so is sometimes kept secret. The staff respect this, and we teach the students to do the same. Those lessons Wendy mentioned are real and would normally be given in the first few weeks. Given the events of this morning, we are actually speaking to all new students individually as they arrive. I won't bore you with the talk, as given your circumstance, I think you already realise the importance of confidentially. I'll just leave you the notes to read at your own leisure."

Emily took the offered sheet.

"The reason I took you aside," Mr Jennings continued, "is that we have a slight issue. This school is overcrowded. We are cramming in as many students as possible to make the budget stretch. This means that very few students have the luxury of their own rooms. Unfortunately we have had to close down part of the building and it is going to be several weeks, possibly months, before repairs can be made. Therefore the number of students with single rooms has to be reduced."

"I need to share with another student?" Emily asked. "Wendy may be willing to do that. I don't have an issue with her seeing me in a state of undress, but I've never been in a position where she would need to undress with me around to know if she would be comfortable with me."

"Does Mrs Spencer know your secret?"

"No, and I don't think it would be a good idea for her to find out," Emily replied. "I guess she would have to be consulted."

"We would be running a big risk if we didn't. However, as it stands, you still have a room to yourself."

"So what is the problem?"

"You will be the only student with a room to herself. That makes you unique and could start rumours. For the moment, it looks like Miss Jones may have to spend a few nights in hospital, so she is nominally your roommate. However, that excuse is only going to last a few days. It is likely we will have her stay in the infirmary when she gets back so she doesn't need to climb the stairs with her leg in plaster, so we may be able to extend that a short while, but we will need to come up with another solution fast. We just wanted to warn you. We will be playing this by ear, so we will see how this goes."

"I see," Emily replied thoughtfully, "I may have to arrange a second diversionary tactic."

"Would the first be the stunt at the station earlier" Mrs Rogers asked entering the room, "That was quite a risk you took, potentially drawing attention to yourself and making the other girls think about Generation2K."

"I knew David, John's nephew, would be there pretending to be me. By appearing at the same time in the same place, means that all the girls on the station with me now think that I can't be Generation2K. Also, I knew there were at least a couple of Moonlight fans here, and I now know who they are, and who I may need to avoid so that they don't recognise my voice."

"That was a photo of a boy?" Mr Jennings asked.

"Why do you find that surprising? If I, as an average looking boy, can manage to pass myself off as a girl, then I suspect a lot of boys can. Especially as David’s a couple of years younger than me, and is therefore further away from puberty."

"Dare I ask what you might be planning for your next tactic?" Mrs Rogers enquired.

"By using some ice packs and some super glue, it’s possible that my genitalia can be manipulated into a state where I could pass as female while naked," Emily replied softly while blushing, "I was seriously considering doing that before I came here, but it requires two pairs of hands, one to manipulate and the other to glue. I'm too embarrassed to ask any of my friends or relatives for help. I figure the school nurse may be an option. I assume she is a trained medical professional."

"You can speak with the nurse tomorrow," Mrs Rogers stated. "I don't know how appropriate the procedure you describe is, but if it helps your self esteem and isn't detrimental to your health, then I'm sure the nurse will consider helping you. For the record, we are not banning you from entering any of the changing rooms or bathrooms here on campus. However, we do ask that you refrain from entering if at all possible. I do understand how peer pressure could mean that you may need to enter there if you don't want to be singled out. Mrs Jackson is the head Gym teacher, so will keep an eye on what is happening regarding you entering the changing rooms. Everyone is being encouraged to change for P.E. In their own rooms, so the only people using the changing rooms will be day students and those too lazy to walk back to the dorms. The only exception is the swimming pool. You will never be asked to go swimming. If anybody asks, then you are allergic to chlorine."

Mrs Rogers then asked if the security badge had been issued, to which Mr Jennings replied that he was then going to arrange it. A photograph of Emily was then taken and printed on a special label for sticking to a security pass. Mr Jennings left to make the pass up while Mrs Rogers took Emily through the various school rules, including the health and safety introduction.

"Keep this on you at all times," Mrs Rogers told Emily as she handed over the plastic pass. The white plastic rectangle was about the size of a credit card except for being around three times thicker. "We use these for attendance recording, and for unlocking doors. It’s a proximity pass. Hold it against any of the sensors to unlock a door. None of the doors here have conventional locks. We find it easier to use this system. Staff members can unlock any door if needed. Also, in the case of a fire all the doors unlock."

~o~O~o~

The northwest corner of the canteen was occupied by a swarm of girls inspecting the large notice board to find their room assignments. Most had the same rooms as before. However, a few of the girls who had previously been assigned to the rooms near the crash site had been moved until the structural integrity of the building could be guaranteed.

Svetlana regarded the notice board with disdain. As, in her own opinion, the most important student at the school, she felt the need to make sure she still had the best accommodation available. Having first established which room she would be in, Svetlana then visualised all the larger bedrooms and noted how many girls would be in each. It was apparent that while there were larger rooms than hers, they all contained more than two students.

However, one of the rooms looked to be preferential to her own. Although the same size, it was closer to the baths. Each room had its own on suite toilet and shower cubicle, but if any of the girls wanted to soak in a proper bath, then they had to book and use one of the shared bathrooms. Also, the names of the occupants stood out: Emily Bridges and Julia Jones. According to the rumours, Julia had to dive out of the way of the out of control car and didn't quite make it, getting hit in the legs. At the very least this would mean plaster casts; although, if the rumours were in any way accurate, then a wheelchair might be a more likely. If this was the case then she would end up boarding with Teresa, a girl paralysed from the waist down and staying in a specially converted room next to the infirmary on the ground floor. This meant that Emily would be alone. Given some of the paperwork she had seen come across her father’s desk, there was another possibility for the identity of the individual in question.

On spotting Emily entering the room, Svetlana immediately turned and asked loudly, "How come she gets to have a room on her own, while the rest of us have to share?"

"You didn't want a room to yourself," Anna immediately responded, "as you wanted me here to do your laundry and make your bed so you don't have to do it."

"Being in a different room wouldn't stop you doing that anyway," Svetlana brushed off Anna's response, "She still gets a room to herself, what makes her so special that she gets her own room? Unless she isn't really —"

"Ostanovit! Pomnite, chto otets skazal vam!" Anna shouted forcefully, interrupting Svetlana mid sentence.

"Fine, I won't say it. If it’s true it will become apparent to everyone else anyway," Svetlana angrily turned to face Anna. "I don't like you attitude. You don't want sleep in my room, fine. You can sleep in Julia's bed until she is well enough to return. I may even talk to father to make it permanent."

Svetlana turned and stormed out of the room in the direction of the dormitories, leaving a shocked audience in her wake.

"What was that all about, Miss Kwon?" Mrs Rogers asked the young Asian.

Looking around and the group of girls gathered, Anna replied, "May we speak in private?"

"Very well, please come with me."

Anna followed the headmistress out of the room. Emily also slipped out of the room, circling back to the office in case she was needed.