malory towers fic | complex | chapter 4
Title: Complex, Chapter 4 (Chapter 1 here)
Fandom: Malory Towers
Pairing: Darrell/Sally, I think.
Rating: None
Disclaimer: Characters belong to Enid Blyton, or her estate or publishers or whatever, not me.
Words: 3200 approx.
Spoilers: The whole Malory Towers series.
Notes: Malory Towers post-fic, with Darrell, Sally, Alicia and Betty at St Andrews university.
Chapter 4, under the influence
Neither girl knew it of the other, but both Sally and Darrell slept badly that night. Darrell was preoccupied with Sally - she wasn't a girl prone to emotional outbursts, and here were two in the space of a week! Was she all right? Was she being too stressed by her exams? Was there anything more Darrell could do?
Sally lay awake for a long time, eyes open, staring at the wall in front of her. Every time she closed them she saw Darrell in Alicia's arms.
* * *
Mhairi's Raisin Lunch looked wonderful. Like Stuart, Mhairi had five academic children (although not the same children!), so she'd made simply tons of sandwiches with all sorts of fillings, with cakes and biscuits to follow. Darrell and Sally arrived right on time, carrying bags containing their costumes and two bottles of white wine.
"Why 'raisin', Mhairi?" Sally asked as she handed over the wine. It hadn't occured to her to enquire before.
"Apparently the tradition originally involved presents of a pound of rasins to the academic parents," Mhairi explained, grinning. "These days we prefer wine."
"Can't think why," one of the other girls commented dryly, looking as though she'd perhaps had a little too much wine herself the previous night.
"Anyway," Mhairi continued, "that's why I give you a 'raisin receipt'. And yours and Darrell's receipts are in the kitchen - come and see."
The kitchen? Darrell thought to herself as they followed their 'mother' there, what could possibly... oh...
Sally and Darrell found themselves staring at an enormous platter, sitting on the kitchen table, housing an equally enormous, quivering, lime jelly. There was something - no, there were two somethings - suspended inside the dessert. Darrell went closer, tipping her head to see...
"Our receipts!" she exclaimed. Their 'raisin receipts', written in latin on stiff card, were inside the jelly!
"But... aren't we supposed to take them to the quad?" Sally said, not yet quite grasping the point of the excercise. "How will we take them there when they're inside the jelly?"
Mhairi grinned mischeviously. "With some difficulty, I imagine."
After lunch, Darrell and Sally changed into their costumes, as did the other three students. The other two girls had both chosen to be Lady Macbeth, much to each other's dismay, and Sally was very glad that Darrell hadn't allowed her to fall into the same trap. Mhairi's one academic son had decked himself out in a toga, was wearing a laurel wreath on his head, and had a fake bloody knife-wound - complete with knife - in his chest. There's was no mistaking that he'd decided to dress as Caesar.
Darrell and Sally had been lucky in that one of Darrell's classmates, Katie, was a member of an amateur Dramatics group. A Victorian-era guardsman costume for Darrell ("It really doesn't matter what era it's from," she had commented, "after all, Shakespeare is timeless"), and an simple Elizabethan style dress for Sally, and they were almost set. They added to that a false moustache for Darrell, and a black undergraduate gown (borrowed from a divinity student they knew, as the other undergrads wore red) for Sally, to identify her as Portia in the court scene of The Merchant.
"You've outdone yourselves as usual, girls!" Mhairi said approvingly. "I particularly like your handsome moustache, Darrell - you'll be fighting young ladies off before the day's out." Sally flushed slightly, though no one seemed to notice.
"Let's get going," she suggested. "Won't people be at the quad by now?"
Mhairi checked her watch, and her eyes widened. "Oh, gosh, yes, let's go. Don't forget your receipts, everyone!"
Darrell and Sally saw now that their three siblings had also been made 'jelly receipts', on plates of their own. Sally felt sure, though, that hers and Darrell's jelly was more than twice the size of theirs, and wondered not for the first time whether Darrell's talent for making an impression on people was necessarily always a good thing. Lifting the platter between them, they began the careful task of making their way to the quad with their receipts intact.
St Salvator's Quad, or "Sallie's", as it was usually called (to Darrell and Sally's amusement), was a large square enclosed on all four sides by big old university buildings. It was mostly cobbled, with grassy areas in the middle. The main entrance was from an arch on North Street.
When the six students reached the quad it was already in a flurry of activity. It didn't take long to realise that a huge food-fight of some kind was going on. Students were chasing each other with eggs, paper-plates of whipped-cream, and even the occasional real-live custard pie.
"We're late," Mhairi commented.
"Oh Good Lord," Darrell exclaimed as they made their was through the outskirts of the crowd, still carrying the platter between them.
"I'll see you all later!" Mhairi called, grinning and waving from the entrance.
* * *
"Well, I know now why the drama group were so determined that we should take costumes that were washable," Darrell commented as they walked back towards Hall later sometime later. The had both been liberally covered with whipped cream, and Darrell had been hit full in the front with a custard pie. Mercifully, they had avoided the boys wielding eggs, as being egged would have been 'quite the very end' as Darrell had put it.
"And what shall I do with Mary's gown? I suppose I'll have to have it dry-cleaned..." Sally pulled the gown off from around her shouders to examine it. It had some blobs of cream on it, but all in all was not too badly soiled. "I think it will come out all right."
"I shall just see what I can do with this myself," Darrell commented idly, stopping to examine the damp, sticky sleeves of her uniform.
Sally stopped too, looking over at her friend, and stifled a giggle. "Oh Darrell, you do look funny with that moustache. And it's starting to come off at one side, too, look-" she pressed her finger on the side of Darrell's false moustache where it had come loose, but the corner peeled back again as soon as she dropped her hand.
Darrell tugged at the loose corner, and winced. "This is going to hurt coming off. You know how I hate plasters and that sort of thing... You remember how you always used to listen to me moan about it, then rip my plasters off when I wasn't looking?" She grinned at the memory.
Sally smiled in return, lifting her hand to Darrell's face again, pushing a stray strand of her short, wild, curly hair away from her eyes. For some reason, whatever it was Darrell had been going to say next flew quite out of her head at that very moment. But she didn't get a chance to think about that before Sally spoke.
"Darrell?"
"Yes? OW!" Suddenly Darrell's upper-lip was burning, and Sally was holding her false moustache, a wicked smirk on her face.
"Never let it be said that I don't take good care of you," she said.
Darrell's fingers went to her stinging upper-lip, her eyes watering a little. "That really smarts! I think we were overenthusiastic with the glue. D'you think it will bruise?" Darrell's face was suddenly a picture of absolute horror. "Oh, Lord, Sally, what if it does bruise? What a fright I shall look!"
"Let me see." Sally stepped a little closer, and cupped Darrell's jaw with one hand "-hold still-", prising her friend's hand from in front of her mouth with the other. She leant closer to examine the reddened skin.
"It only looks red. I don't think there are any burst capillaries or anything." Sally found herself holding her breath. She placed the cool back of her forefinger against the inflamed skin. Darrell sighed at the relief, and Sally felt a sudden curious rushing sensation that seemed to go right through her.
"You always take care of me," Darrell said warmly, breaking the silence as Sally dropped her hand. Then she frowned. Sally looked rather unsettled. "Sally are you all right? You look hot. Your cheeks are a little pink."
Sally did feel hot. She could feel a blush spreading across her neck. Her hands felt shaky and she was glad they were now hidden in the folds of her gown.
"I'm fine," she answered. "It's actually quite cold." It was a chilly day, and they were both damp from the food fight.
"It must be that, then. Let's get back to Hall."
* * *
On Tuesday evening, Alicia appeared in the Wardlaw Wing common room. Darrell was there, reading some Literary Theory, and writing laborious notes in pencil in the margins of her textbook. Sally had been highly-strung about her studies, and couldn't seem to concentrate with Darrell in the room any more, and Darrell had been secretly grateful for the time to herself.
Darrell was surprised to see her sharp-tongued friend so soon after their disagreement on Saturday night, but she greeted Alicia pleasantly enough. Alicia, for her own part, seemed to be in a peculiar mood, curiously cheerful, but also very sincere.
"You must come to the Tudor with me," she said emphatically. "I think we should have a chat. You know, like old times." She waved her hands a little. "All this arguing rubbish - we really oughtn't to, you know..."
Darrell had to agree - they should talk - but she shook her head. "Alicia, I have to study."
Alicia sat down heavily next to Darrell on the couch. "Oh, Darrell, do be a sport. Tomorrow's Wednesday - a half day. We can handle a later evening than usual before a half day, surely? I so want to make things right with you."
Darrell was somewhat taken-aback at the other girl's frank confession - any show of remorse was very unusual for Alicia. She couldn't help but be rather touched. "Well... I shouldn't, you know. But all right. We mustn't stay long, though."
Alicia elbowed Darrell in the side, grinning. "I'll have you in bed with a hot cocoa before you know it!" She said. She pushed herself up off the couch, nearly tripping over her own feet, and chuckling at her own clumsiness.
Darrell couldn't help but grin back. How could she waste the chance to talk to Alicia when she was in such a good mood?
As it was a week night, The Tudor was rather quieter than Darrell was used to. She found altogether refreshing the ease with which they weaved past the few people milling around the bar area, finding a quiet table near the back. Alicia bought a round of gin & tonics - a change from Darrell's usual half of cider.
"What was your raisin lunch like? Did Mhairi put out a good spread?" Alicia asked as she sat down. "Jenny's was simply divine."
"Oh it was jolly nice. Mind you, our raisin receipts were inside an enormous jelly, so we paid for it."
Alicia chuckled. "Mine was written on the side of a cushion. But I saw two boys carrying an old armchair as we were heading to Sallie's, so I think we both got off lightly."
"You seemed to be having a great time in the quad," Darrell commented, "and what were you dressed up as?"
"I have no earthly idea what I was supposed to be - Jenny dressed us," she answered. "Did I tell you about the night when Jenny and her flatmates had a huge party in their dorms and invited half the course? Oh, golly, wait 'til you hear..."
Alicia talked about the parties she'd been to that term, and they talked about the summer as well. Darrell had spent some time in France, and Alicia had both travelled in Italy and had an eventful camping trip with her brothers. Fully an hour flew by - they'd finished their first round, and Darrell had bought a second for them, by the time they got back around to the events of the weekend.
"I was beastly, Darrell, I am sorry," Alicia proclaimed in a rather uncharacteristic fashion. "You should just ignore me when I get like that, really..."
"There's no need to apologise," Darrell said, her leftover irritation deserting her as it always did when things seemed to resolve themselves. "I suppose it's as much my fault for not making sure we spent some time together."
Darrell was beginning to wonder if perhaps she did spent a little too much time with just Sally alone and no one else. Perhaps they ought to make more of an effort with other people. They barely saw Alicia and Betty - and as for Darrell's friends from her classes; Katie, and Molly, and Tom...
"Are you interested in Tom?" Darrell asked suddenly, her train of thought arriving at Alicia's attentions to him on Saturday night. "You talked a lot to him at Stuart's party..."
Alicia chuckled. "We were talking about you. He rather likes you I think."
"Don't be silly!" Darrell said, brushing off the idea, flattering though it was. "He likes Sally!"
Alicia took a sip of her gin & tonic and shook her head. "Of course he does. But a man can like more than one woman - particularly when neither is biting. And besides, everybody likes you, Darrell, hadn't you noticed? Curly haired, dark-eyed, witty, pretty Darrell - why, there's not a boy on campus who'd refuse you!"
Darrell felt a slow blush rising in her cheeks. Alicia was being awfully nice this evening - she was glad that they'd come out, for all that Sally would be annoyed. It was so nice to sort out their differences. "That's all very nice - although I'm sure you're wrong-" she said, "but I'm just not really interested in any of the boys on campus - or any boys at all, really. I think perhaps I'm just not meant to meet my future husband at university..."
Alicia chuckled. "Perhaps not," she said after a moment's pause. She finished her drink and waved it at Darrell. "Shall we have another?"
Darrell shook her head. "I never have more than two. Well, rarely - special occasions, you know."
Alicia stood up. "And you and I having our first proper evening's chat in simply forever isn't a special occasion?" she said, prodding Darrell lightly on the shoulder and flashing her charming smile.
Darrell felt a slow smile creep across her own face. Alicia and she were getting on wonderfully tonight, it would be a shame to end it so soon - and they could hardly stay in the Tudor and drink nothing, could they?
"One more then," she agreed.
Alicia returned to the table in moments with another G&T for Darrell, and a whisky and soda for herself.
"The barman looked at me as if I was mad when I asked for this," she said, sitting down and taking a sip. "He refused to use a malt for it, too." She wrinkled her nose. "Snob."
Darrell chuckled at Alicia, with her refined accent and (often) manner, calling Robbie, the beefy, down-to-earth Scottish barman, a snob. "No G&T for you this time round?"
"It makes me maudlin," Alicia answered shortly, leaving it at that.
And so the evening wore on. The two girls chatted as they hadn't since before leaving Malory Towers, talking about their plans for the future, next term, next year - even after university.
"Well, I'd still like to write, of course," Darrell said, sipping slowly at her drink, as she was beginning to feel it go to her head. "Although I'm honestly not sure how to start. They say to write what you know, so it's hard to write when you haven't really done anything."
"Whereas I've done lots of things and have no desire to write about them," Alicia commented, chuckling again. "We should team up, you and I, we'd make quite a pair."
Darrell grinned. They did make a good pair, Alicia and she. Not like her and Sally, of course, but Alicia had such a presence about her - it was really rather hard not to be swept away by it.
"And on that note, I have to get to bed," said Darrell, with an air of finality, suddenly noticing the time.
Alicia nodded slowly. "Yes, yes I suppose we should go," she admitted reluctantly.
They stood and moved - possibly slightly unsteadily? - out of the pub and into the street. Alicia slipped her hand into Darrell's as they walked back together in the direction of University Hall, winding down the evening's conversation as they went.
"I am glad you came out tonight," she said, squeezing the other girl's hand as they neared the entrance to her part of Hall.
Darrell grinned. "You said that twice already."
"I did? Oh, I suppose I did..." Alicia giggled a little. She stopped walking and turned to face Darrel. "I mean it a lot, obviously," she laughed again, sounding rather giddy.
"Well, me too, come to that!" Darrell said, feeling light-headed herself.
"I know that I get sore about you and Sally sometimes," Alicia added, suddenly sounding very serious. "And, and I don't mean to be so catty, honestly I don't. But it's just, I envy her, I suppose, having you." Alicia's words were slightly slurred now, and Darrell began to worry that the fresh air had sent their mild inebration straight to their heads.
"Whatever are you talking about, Alicia? I think perhaps we should both go home. I don't want to talk about Sally again."
"Yes, yes, let's not talk about Sally," Alicia agreed. "Let's talk about me. Do you like me, Darrell? I mean, honestly."
Darrell shook her head a little in confusion. "Of course I like you Alicia, don't be silly."
"No, I mean. Oh, hang it all..." Alicia trailed off, looking anywhere other than at Darrell. She seemed upset, or frustrated perhaps? Darrell wasn't sure.
"Alicia?" She leaned towards her friend, trying to meet her eyes. "Alicia, are you quite sure you're all right?"
"No. No I'm really not sure at all," Alicia said in a small voice. A moment later, she had tipped her head, and her lips were on Darrell's.
Alicia kissed her right on the mouth, and a second later drew back, looking almost as shocked as Darrell felt.
Darrell's eyes widened. "Golly." They stared at each other, dumbfounded, for what seemed like an awfully long time. When Alicia went to kiss Darrell again, to both their surprise she didn't pull away. In fact, her hands somehow tangled in Alicia's hair, smoothed across her back, rested on her hips.
When they pulled apart they were both out of breath, but it was Darrell who gathered herself together enough to speak.
"I think," she said carefully, "that we're both frightfully tired, and should probably have stayed in tonight."
Alicia just looked back at her, her face carefully devoid of emotion. It was impossible to tell what she was thinking. Darrell tried again.
"Sally will be worried about me," she said, not at all liking the new unpleasant fluttering in her stomach when she mentioned her best friend. "And I'm sure Betty will be wondering where you've got to."
"I'm sure she will," Alicia said in an unpleasant tone.
"Well."
"Well?"
"Goodnight, Alicia."
"'Night."
Darrell watched Alicia trudge up the path towards Old Hall. She wrapped her arms around herself for warmth, suddenly noticing the bitter wind coming in off the sea. She frowned, wondering not for the first time why life at university seemed to have to be so jolly complicated. Wondering however she was going to sort this one out.
Chapter 5
Fandom: Malory Towers
Pairing: Darrell/Sally, I think.
Rating: None
Disclaimer: Characters belong to Enid Blyton, or her estate or publishers or whatever, not me.
Words: 3200 approx.
Spoilers: The whole Malory Towers series.
Notes: Malory Towers post-fic, with Darrell, Sally, Alicia and Betty at St Andrews university.
Chapter 4, under the influence
Neither girl knew it of the other, but both Sally and Darrell slept badly that night. Darrell was preoccupied with Sally - she wasn't a girl prone to emotional outbursts, and here were two in the space of a week! Was she all right? Was she being too stressed by her exams? Was there anything more Darrell could do?
Sally lay awake for a long time, eyes open, staring at the wall in front of her. Every time she closed them she saw Darrell in Alicia's arms.
* * *
Mhairi's Raisin Lunch looked wonderful. Like Stuart, Mhairi had five academic children (although not the same children!), so she'd made simply tons of sandwiches with all sorts of fillings, with cakes and biscuits to follow. Darrell and Sally arrived right on time, carrying bags containing their costumes and two bottles of white wine.
"Why 'raisin', Mhairi?" Sally asked as she handed over the wine. It hadn't occured to her to enquire before.
"Apparently the tradition originally involved presents of a pound of rasins to the academic parents," Mhairi explained, grinning. "These days we prefer wine."
"Can't think why," one of the other girls commented dryly, looking as though she'd perhaps had a little too much wine herself the previous night.
"Anyway," Mhairi continued, "that's why I give you a 'raisin receipt'. And yours and Darrell's receipts are in the kitchen - come and see."
The kitchen? Darrell thought to herself as they followed their 'mother' there, what could possibly... oh...
Sally and Darrell found themselves staring at an enormous platter, sitting on the kitchen table, housing an equally enormous, quivering, lime jelly. There was something - no, there were two somethings - suspended inside the dessert. Darrell went closer, tipping her head to see...
"Our receipts!" she exclaimed. Their 'raisin receipts', written in latin on stiff card, were inside the jelly!
"But... aren't we supposed to take them to the quad?" Sally said, not yet quite grasping the point of the excercise. "How will we take them there when they're inside the jelly?"
Mhairi grinned mischeviously. "With some difficulty, I imagine."
After lunch, Darrell and Sally changed into their costumes, as did the other three students. The other two girls had both chosen to be Lady Macbeth, much to each other's dismay, and Sally was very glad that Darrell hadn't allowed her to fall into the same trap. Mhairi's one academic son had decked himself out in a toga, was wearing a laurel wreath on his head, and had a fake bloody knife-wound - complete with knife - in his chest. There's was no mistaking that he'd decided to dress as Caesar.
Darrell and Sally had been lucky in that one of Darrell's classmates, Katie, was a member of an amateur Dramatics group. A Victorian-era guardsman costume for Darrell ("It really doesn't matter what era it's from," she had commented, "after all, Shakespeare is timeless"), and an simple Elizabethan style dress for Sally, and they were almost set. They added to that a false moustache for Darrell, and a black undergraduate gown (borrowed from a divinity student they knew, as the other undergrads wore red) for Sally, to identify her as Portia in the court scene of The Merchant.
"You've outdone yourselves as usual, girls!" Mhairi said approvingly. "I particularly like your handsome moustache, Darrell - you'll be fighting young ladies off before the day's out." Sally flushed slightly, though no one seemed to notice.
"Let's get going," she suggested. "Won't people be at the quad by now?"
Mhairi checked her watch, and her eyes widened. "Oh, gosh, yes, let's go. Don't forget your receipts, everyone!"
Darrell and Sally saw now that their three siblings had also been made 'jelly receipts', on plates of their own. Sally felt sure, though, that hers and Darrell's jelly was more than twice the size of theirs, and wondered not for the first time whether Darrell's talent for making an impression on people was necessarily always a good thing. Lifting the platter between them, they began the careful task of making their way to the quad with their receipts intact.
St Salvator's Quad, or "Sallie's", as it was usually called (to Darrell and Sally's amusement), was a large square enclosed on all four sides by big old university buildings. It was mostly cobbled, with grassy areas in the middle. The main entrance was from an arch on North Street.
When the six students reached the quad it was already in a flurry of activity. It didn't take long to realise that a huge food-fight of some kind was going on. Students were chasing each other with eggs, paper-plates of whipped-cream, and even the occasional real-live custard pie.
"We're late," Mhairi commented.
"Oh Good Lord," Darrell exclaimed as they made their was through the outskirts of the crowd, still carrying the platter between them.
"I'll see you all later!" Mhairi called, grinning and waving from the entrance.
* * *
"Well, I know now why the drama group were so determined that we should take costumes that were washable," Darrell commented as they walked back towards Hall later sometime later. The had both been liberally covered with whipped cream, and Darrell had been hit full in the front with a custard pie. Mercifully, they had avoided the boys wielding eggs, as being egged would have been 'quite the very end' as Darrell had put it.
"And what shall I do with Mary's gown? I suppose I'll have to have it dry-cleaned..." Sally pulled the gown off from around her shouders to examine it. It had some blobs of cream on it, but all in all was not too badly soiled. "I think it will come out all right."
"I shall just see what I can do with this myself," Darrell commented idly, stopping to examine the damp, sticky sleeves of her uniform.
Sally stopped too, looking over at her friend, and stifled a giggle. "Oh Darrell, you do look funny with that moustache. And it's starting to come off at one side, too, look-" she pressed her finger on the side of Darrell's false moustache where it had come loose, but the corner peeled back again as soon as she dropped her hand.
Darrell tugged at the loose corner, and winced. "This is going to hurt coming off. You know how I hate plasters and that sort of thing... You remember how you always used to listen to me moan about it, then rip my plasters off when I wasn't looking?" She grinned at the memory.
Sally smiled in return, lifting her hand to Darrell's face again, pushing a stray strand of her short, wild, curly hair away from her eyes. For some reason, whatever it was Darrell had been going to say next flew quite out of her head at that very moment. But she didn't get a chance to think about that before Sally spoke.
"Darrell?"
"Yes? OW!" Suddenly Darrell's upper-lip was burning, and Sally was holding her false moustache, a wicked smirk on her face.
"Never let it be said that I don't take good care of you," she said.
Darrell's fingers went to her stinging upper-lip, her eyes watering a little. "That really smarts! I think we were overenthusiastic with the glue. D'you think it will bruise?" Darrell's face was suddenly a picture of absolute horror. "Oh, Lord, Sally, what if it does bruise? What a fright I shall look!"
"Let me see." Sally stepped a little closer, and cupped Darrell's jaw with one hand "-hold still-", prising her friend's hand from in front of her mouth with the other. She leant closer to examine the reddened skin.
"It only looks red. I don't think there are any burst capillaries or anything." Sally found herself holding her breath. She placed the cool back of her forefinger against the inflamed skin. Darrell sighed at the relief, and Sally felt a sudden curious rushing sensation that seemed to go right through her.
"You always take care of me," Darrell said warmly, breaking the silence as Sally dropped her hand. Then she frowned. Sally looked rather unsettled. "Sally are you all right? You look hot. Your cheeks are a little pink."
Sally did feel hot. She could feel a blush spreading across her neck. Her hands felt shaky and she was glad they were now hidden in the folds of her gown.
"I'm fine," she answered. "It's actually quite cold." It was a chilly day, and they were both damp from the food fight.
"It must be that, then. Let's get back to Hall."
* * *
On Tuesday evening, Alicia appeared in the Wardlaw Wing common room. Darrell was there, reading some Literary Theory, and writing laborious notes in pencil in the margins of her textbook. Sally had been highly-strung about her studies, and couldn't seem to concentrate with Darrell in the room any more, and Darrell had been secretly grateful for the time to herself.
Darrell was surprised to see her sharp-tongued friend so soon after their disagreement on Saturday night, but she greeted Alicia pleasantly enough. Alicia, for her own part, seemed to be in a peculiar mood, curiously cheerful, but also very sincere.
"You must come to the Tudor with me," she said emphatically. "I think we should have a chat. You know, like old times." She waved her hands a little. "All this arguing rubbish - we really oughtn't to, you know..."
Darrell had to agree - they should talk - but she shook her head. "Alicia, I have to study."
Alicia sat down heavily next to Darrell on the couch. "Oh, Darrell, do be a sport. Tomorrow's Wednesday - a half day. We can handle a later evening than usual before a half day, surely? I so want to make things right with you."
Darrell was somewhat taken-aback at the other girl's frank confession - any show of remorse was very unusual for Alicia. She couldn't help but be rather touched. "Well... I shouldn't, you know. But all right. We mustn't stay long, though."
Alicia elbowed Darrell in the side, grinning. "I'll have you in bed with a hot cocoa before you know it!" She said. She pushed herself up off the couch, nearly tripping over her own feet, and chuckling at her own clumsiness.
Darrell couldn't help but grin back. How could she waste the chance to talk to Alicia when she was in such a good mood?
As it was a week night, The Tudor was rather quieter than Darrell was used to. She found altogether refreshing the ease with which they weaved past the few people milling around the bar area, finding a quiet table near the back. Alicia bought a round of gin & tonics - a change from Darrell's usual half of cider.
"What was your raisin lunch like? Did Mhairi put out a good spread?" Alicia asked as she sat down. "Jenny's was simply divine."
"Oh it was jolly nice. Mind you, our raisin receipts were inside an enormous jelly, so we paid for it."
Alicia chuckled. "Mine was written on the side of a cushion. But I saw two boys carrying an old armchair as we were heading to Sallie's, so I think we both got off lightly."
"You seemed to be having a great time in the quad," Darrell commented, "and what were you dressed up as?"
"I have no earthly idea what I was supposed to be - Jenny dressed us," she answered. "Did I tell you about the night when Jenny and her flatmates had a huge party in their dorms and invited half the course? Oh, golly, wait 'til you hear..."
Alicia talked about the parties she'd been to that term, and they talked about the summer as well. Darrell had spent some time in France, and Alicia had both travelled in Italy and had an eventful camping trip with her brothers. Fully an hour flew by - they'd finished their first round, and Darrell had bought a second for them, by the time they got back around to the events of the weekend.
"I was beastly, Darrell, I am sorry," Alicia proclaimed in a rather uncharacteristic fashion. "You should just ignore me when I get like that, really..."
"There's no need to apologise," Darrell said, her leftover irritation deserting her as it always did when things seemed to resolve themselves. "I suppose it's as much my fault for not making sure we spent some time together."
Darrell was beginning to wonder if perhaps she did spent a little too much time with just Sally alone and no one else. Perhaps they ought to make more of an effort with other people. They barely saw Alicia and Betty - and as for Darrell's friends from her classes; Katie, and Molly, and Tom...
"Are you interested in Tom?" Darrell asked suddenly, her train of thought arriving at Alicia's attentions to him on Saturday night. "You talked a lot to him at Stuart's party..."
Alicia chuckled. "We were talking about you. He rather likes you I think."
"Don't be silly!" Darrell said, brushing off the idea, flattering though it was. "He likes Sally!"
Alicia took a sip of her gin & tonic and shook her head. "Of course he does. But a man can like more than one woman - particularly when neither is biting. And besides, everybody likes you, Darrell, hadn't you noticed? Curly haired, dark-eyed, witty, pretty Darrell - why, there's not a boy on campus who'd refuse you!"
Darrell felt a slow blush rising in her cheeks. Alicia was being awfully nice this evening - she was glad that they'd come out, for all that Sally would be annoyed. It was so nice to sort out their differences. "That's all very nice - although I'm sure you're wrong-" she said, "but I'm just not really interested in any of the boys on campus - or any boys at all, really. I think perhaps I'm just not meant to meet my future husband at university..."
Alicia chuckled. "Perhaps not," she said after a moment's pause. She finished her drink and waved it at Darrell. "Shall we have another?"
Darrell shook her head. "I never have more than two. Well, rarely - special occasions, you know."
Alicia stood up. "And you and I having our first proper evening's chat in simply forever isn't a special occasion?" she said, prodding Darrell lightly on the shoulder and flashing her charming smile.
Darrell felt a slow smile creep across her own face. Alicia and she were getting on wonderfully tonight, it would be a shame to end it so soon - and they could hardly stay in the Tudor and drink nothing, could they?
"One more then," she agreed.
Alicia returned to the table in moments with another G&T for Darrell, and a whisky and soda for herself.
"The barman looked at me as if I was mad when I asked for this," she said, sitting down and taking a sip. "He refused to use a malt for it, too." She wrinkled her nose. "Snob."
Darrell chuckled at Alicia, with her refined accent and (often) manner, calling Robbie, the beefy, down-to-earth Scottish barman, a snob. "No G&T for you this time round?"
"It makes me maudlin," Alicia answered shortly, leaving it at that.
And so the evening wore on. The two girls chatted as they hadn't since before leaving Malory Towers, talking about their plans for the future, next term, next year - even after university.
"Well, I'd still like to write, of course," Darrell said, sipping slowly at her drink, as she was beginning to feel it go to her head. "Although I'm honestly not sure how to start. They say to write what you know, so it's hard to write when you haven't really done anything."
"Whereas I've done lots of things and have no desire to write about them," Alicia commented, chuckling again. "We should team up, you and I, we'd make quite a pair."
Darrell grinned. They did make a good pair, Alicia and she. Not like her and Sally, of course, but Alicia had such a presence about her - it was really rather hard not to be swept away by it.
"And on that note, I have to get to bed," said Darrell, with an air of finality, suddenly noticing the time.
Alicia nodded slowly. "Yes, yes I suppose we should go," she admitted reluctantly.
They stood and moved - possibly slightly unsteadily? - out of the pub and into the street. Alicia slipped her hand into Darrell's as they walked back together in the direction of University Hall, winding down the evening's conversation as they went.
"I am glad you came out tonight," she said, squeezing the other girl's hand as they neared the entrance to her part of Hall.
Darrell grinned. "You said that twice already."
"I did? Oh, I suppose I did..." Alicia giggled a little. She stopped walking and turned to face Darrel. "I mean it a lot, obviously," she laughed again, sounding rather giddy.
"Well, me too, come to that!" Darrell said, feeling light-headed herself.
"I know that I get sore about you and Sally sometimes," Alicia added, suddenly sounding very serious. "And, and I don't mean to be so catty, honestly I don't. But it's just, I envy her, I suppose, having you." Alicia's words were slightly slurred now, and Darrell began to worry that the fresh air had sent their mild inebration straight to their heads.
"Whatever are you talking about, Alicia? I think perhaps we should both go home. I don't want to talk about Sally again."
"Yes, yes, let's not talk about Sally," Alicia agreed. "Let's talk about me. Do you like me, Darrell? I mean, honestly."
Darrell shook her head a little in confusion. "Of course I like you Alicia, don't be silly."
"No, I mean. Oh, hang it all..." Alicia trailed off, looking anywhere other than at Darrell. She seemed upset, or frustrated perhaps? Darrell wasn't sure.
"Alicia?" She leaned towards her friend, trying to meet her eyes. "Alicia, are you quite sure you're all right?"
"No. No I'm really not sure at all," Alicia said in a small voice. A moment later, she had tipped her head, and her lips were on Darrell's.
Alicia kissed her right on the mouth, and a second later drew back, looking almost as shocked as Darrell felt.
Darrell's eyes widened. "Golly." They stared at each other, dumbfounded, for what seemed like an awfully long time. When Alicia went to kiss Darrell again, to both their surprise she didn't pull away. In fact, her hands somehow tangled in Alicia's hair, smoothed across her back, rested on her hips.
When they pulled apart they were both out of breath, but it was Darrell who gathered herself together enough to speak.
"I think," she said carefully, "that we're both frightfully tired, and should probably have stayed in tonight."
Alicia just looked back at her, her face carefully devoid of emotion. It was impossible to tell what she was thinking. Darrell tried again.
"Sally will be worried about me," she said, not at all liking the new unpleasant fluttering in her stomach when she mentioned her best friend. "And I'm sure Betty will be wondering where you've got to."
"I'm sure she will," Alicia said in an unpleasant tone.
"Well."
"Well?"
"Goodnight, Alicia."
"'Night."
Darrell watched Alicia trudge up the path towards Old Hall. She wrapped her arms around herself for warmth, suddenly noticing the bitter wind coming in off the sea. She frowned, wondering not for the first time why life at university seemed to have to be so jolly complicated. Wondering however she was going to sort this one out.
Chapter 5