Summer Term - Part iv
There was little competition for the front-row desks in IIIA, and Tim managed to persuade Rosemary Wright she should relocate to allow her to sit next to Nicola. Sandra Grigson, in the second desk which Tim was determined to bags for Lawrie, proved more troublesome.
“But I want to sit here. I sit with Miranda. I don’t see why I should move just because you say so.” said Sandra mulishly.
“Well, naturally, if you want me to tell Lawrie that you specifically didn’t want to move because of your unnatural attachment to Miranda,” began Tim.
“What do you mean, unnatural? We’re best friends” said Sandra.
“Yes,” said Tim gently, “but you know how Lawrie is. She does so easily get the wrong end of the stick. And she can’t keep secrets. If you want to stay so much, then of course I won’t make you move, but I can’t answer for the consequences.”
Sandra appealed to Miranda West for support, but Miranda had her head buried in her desk with, Nicola suspected, something like a reluctant grin. So Sandra had no choice but to move her books and sit down next to Jean Baker with a bemused look on her face, knowing that she had somehow been got the better of, but not quite understanding how.
Miss Miller, out of breath from the stairs with her round face a deep pink, was pleasantly surprised to find them all settled so quickly and proposed therefore that they elect their form officials without delay, beginning with Form Prefects.
“Miranda”, said Sandra, loudly and loyally.
“Nicola”, said Elizabeth Collins
“Tim” said Sally Burnett
“Well,” said Miss Miller after a short silence, writing the names on the blackboard, “if there are no more nominations for Form Prefect, than may I have your nominations for Games Captain”.
“Miranda” said Sandra again
“Sally”, said Nicola.
“Thank you. Now will you all write your vote on a piece of paper - not the fly leaf of your history book, Thalia, use your scribbling block - and hand them to me” A scrum ensued around the staff desk, as it often did in IIIA when Miss Miller forgot to think things through.
“Settle down, girls, please! There is no need for quite so much noise!” IIIA settled back at their desks, as Miss Miller opened and smoothed the votes and counted them.
“Well! We have two clear results: Games Captain Sarah Burnett” (Sally blushed pleasure) “Form prefect: Nicola Marlow” (Me?, though Nicola, how gruesome!)” and we have a tie between Miranda and Thalia for the second form prefect”
“Honestly Miss Miller, I don’t mind giving it up” appealed Miranda “I’ve done it to death already”
“No!” said Sandra, loudly and suddenly, “we have to vote. It has to be fair.”
Miss Miller looked a little lost as IIIA added their voices to the argument, some saying that if Miranda wanted to chuck it in, that was her beeswax, and others lobbying for a run-off.
Once she made herself heard above the fray, slapping a ruler on the desk for attention, Miss Miller decided to err on the side of democracy and decreed that they hold another vote.
“Good grief” muttered Mirada, rolling her eyes, “we shall be electing till doomsday at this rate”. Tim, however, was rather enjoying her first hour of IIIA, noting it was refreshingly like Third Remove in its tendency to distraction and rowdiness.
“She’s still harping on”, said Tim, sucking her apple core and nodding in the direction of Sandra Grigson, who had attached herself to Miranda as soon as the bell went for Break, and was talking convulsively at her in a corner of the indoor playground. “Anyone’d think we’d stolen the election by foul means. Anyway, this is rather a spanner in my quest for a quiet life. It seems all very weighty being form prefect.”
Nicola, who was secretly just a little pleased that she had finally (finally) done one Marlow thing, agreed that it couldn’t be more gruesome.
“What did Miller keep you back for?” asked Nicola curiously.
“Oh, she just wanted to impress on me that Form Prefect is a very important job, a leadership position and that I must be specially careful to take it seriously, given my family connections” said Tim “Honestly, she couldn’t have been more grotty. I’d not the heart to tell her I‘d be much happier if Aunt Edith vetoed the appointment altogether”
“But I want to sit here. I sit with Miranda. I don’t see why I should move just because you say so.” said Sandra mulishly.
“Well, naturally, if you want me to tell Lawrie that you specifically didn’t want to move because of your unnatural attachment to Miranda,” began Tim.
“What do you mean, unnatural? We’re best friends” said Sandra.
“Yes,” said Tim gently, “but you know how Lawrie is. She does so easily get the wrong end of the stick. And she can’t keep secrets. If you want to stay so much, then of course I won’t make you move, but I can’t answer for the consequences.”
Sandra appealed to Miranda West for support, but Miranda had her head buried in her desk with, Nicola suspected, something like a reluctant grin. So Sandra had no choice but to move her books and sit down next to Jean Baker with a bemused look on her face, knowing that she had somehow been got the better of, but not quite understanding how.
Miss Miller, out of breath from the stairs with her round face a deep pink, was pleasantly surprised to find them all settled so quickly and proposed therefore that they elect their form officials without delay, beginning with Form Prefects.
“Miranda”, said Sandra, loudly and loyally.
“Nicola”, said Elizabeth Collins
“Tim” said Sally Burnett
“Well,” said Miss Miller after a short silence, writing the names on the blackboard, “if there are no more nominations for Form Prefect, than may I have your nominations for Games Captain”.
“Miranda” said Sandra again
“Sally”, said Nicola.
“Thank you. Now will you all write your vote on a piece of paper - not the fly leaf of your history book, Thalia, use your scribbling block - and hand them to me” A scrum ensued around the staff desk, as it often did in IIIA when Miss Miller forgot to think things through.
“Settle down, girls, please! There is no need for quite so much noise!” IIIA settled back at their desks, as Miss Miller opened and smoothed the votes and counted them.
“Well! We have two clear results: Games Captain Sarah Burnett” (Sally blushed pleasure) “Form prefect: Nicola Marlow” (Me?, though Nicola, how gruesome!)” and we have a tie between Miranda and Thalia for the second form prefect”
“Honestly Miss Miller, I don’t mind giving it up” appealed Miranda “I’ve done it to death already”
“No!” said Sandra, loudly and suddenly, “we have to vote. It has to be fair.”
Miss Miller looked a little lost as IIIA added their voices to the argument, some saying that if Miranda wanted to chuck it in, that was her beeswax, and others lobbying for a run-off.
Once she made herself heard above the fray, slapping a ruler on the desk for attention, Miss Miller decided to err on the side of democracy and decreed that they hold another vote.
“Good grief” muttered Mirada, rolling her eyes, “we shall be electing till doomsday at this rate”. Tim, however, was rather enjoying her first hour of IIIA, noting it was refreshingly like Third Remove in its tendency to distraction and rowdiness.
“She’s still harping on”, said Tim, sucking her apple core and nodding in the direction of Sandra Grigson, who had attached herself to Miranda as soon as the bell went for Break, and was talking convulsively at her in a corner of the indoor playground. “Anyone’d think we’d stolen the election by foul means. Anyway, this is rather a spanner in my quest for a quiet life. It seems all very weighty being form prefect.”
Nicola, who was secretly just a little pleased that she had finally (finally) done one Marlow thing, agreed that it couldn’t be more gruesome.
“What did Miller keep you back for?” asked Nicola curiously.
“Oh, she just wanted to impress on me that Form Prefect is a very important job, a leadership position and that I must be specially careful to take it seriously, given my family connections” said Tim “Honestly, she couldn’t have been more grotty. I’d not the heart to tell her I‘d be much happier if Aunt Edith vetoed the appointment altogether”