malory towers fic | complex | chapter 7
Title: Complex, Chapter 7 (Chapter 1 here)
Fandom: Malory Towers
Pairing: This chapter is definitely Sally/Darrell, for once. In the long term, who knows anymore?
Rating: None
Disclaimer: Characters belong to Enid Blyton, or her estate or publishers or whatever, not me.
Words: 1600-ish.
Spoilers: The whole Malory Towers series.
Notes: Malory Towers post-fic, with Darrell, Sally, Alicia and Betty at St Andrews university. I last updated this in early 2006. Here, three years later, is a continuation. Let's see if I can keep it up this time.
Chapter 7: a well-earned break
Lying in bed the night before she and Sally were to leave for home, Darrell made some decisions. She was quite determined that she and Sally should sort out their differences, whatever they were - they'd been friends for far too long to just drift apart like this now.
Of course, first I'll have to figure out what's wrong with Sally...
Darrell had never known Sally to brood like this before - not since that term in third year when she and Alicia had been spending all that time together. Of course, she and Alicia were spending quite a lot of time together now, but it wasn't as if Sally knew that.
Or did she? Darrell sat up suddenly as this thought struck her, bolt upright. Sally stirred a little in her own bed, a tiny sound escaping her throat, but she didn't wake, only curling up into a tighter ball than before.
Frowning, Darrell replayed the last few weeks over in her mind. Was there any time when Sally might have known where she was? She knew Betty had some idea of what was going on but was obviously keeping it to herself, and certainly wouldn't have said anything - Betty could be as cruel and sharp as Alicia when the fancy took her but neither of them were 'sneaks'.
No, Sally didn't know, she was sure of that. She felt her stomach tighten a little as she thought of this, a wave of guilt washing over her. It was a long, long time since she'd kept any secret at all from Sally. Although Darrell had tried to tell her about the whole confusing affair several times back in the first week, more recently she had instead begun to take measures to conceal it - sneaking off, making excuses. This whole 'keeping secrets' thing is a bit of a vicious circle, she thought grimly.
I must find a way to talk to her... They simply couldn't go on like this, having their funny little conversations about nothing at all. And she wasn't sure whether it was down to Sally's actions or hers but they seemed to stay physically further away from one another now, too - never sat close, never touched hands or arms, never leaned their heads together when they talked as they used to. With another guilty twinge Darrell realised that perhaps she was afraid that if Sally got too close she'd know somehow what she'd been up to with Alicia - that she, Darrell, might, oh, smell different, or that she'd touch Sally in a different way than she used to.
Something deep inside Darrell tingled slightly at this thought. For all that this whole... thing... with Alicia had hardly made her feel like a very good person, it had made her look at the world in a whole different way that she couldn't seem to feel bad about, however often she told herself that she ought to. She noticed things that she never had before about the women around her - hands, necks, legs, other areas that she now felt that she ought to be very careful not to look at. She knew that her gaze strayed across people, including Sally (perhaps especially Sally - but she dismissed the thought), in a different way now. Her explorations with Alicia had never become any less chaste than they had been on the first day in her room, for all the other girl's occasional attempts to push her a little further, but that didn't stop her mind from wandering where her hands did not.
Darrell lifted a hand to rub her nose furiously, feeling her cheeks burning as she lay resolutely back down, flat on her back. This was not helping her sleep at all.
It's Christmas at home, she decided. It will be lovely. Whatever I have to do to make it all work out in the end, I'll do it.
The train journey down to Darrell's home in Kent was a long one, and she and Sally were both well-stocked with books to keep them occupied, though Darrell at least dearly hoped that she wouldn't have to spend the whole trip reading. Perhaps sheer boredom will help us get back to the way we were...
Sally looked about as well-slept as Darrell felt, her face drawn and a little paler even than usual. She did manage a smile, though, when Darrell directed a warm grin as her, daring even to link arms with her as they boarded the train at St Andrews.* "Well, this is going to be jolly," Darrell said in a jaunty tone. "I don't know about you but I'm in bad need of a holiday, even if we do have to keep up our studies while we're away." Both girls had an essay to write for English Lit over the break and exams after it. It was a far cry from Malory Towers, where every break was a blessed respite from all studying - for girls who kept up during class-time, at least.
The day was cold and crisp, with a harsh wind but clear blue skies, and with the beautiful Fife countryside out of the train window the hour or so from St Andrews to Edinburgh, over the Forth Rail Bridge, simply flew by, both girls staring out of the window at their surroundings. After a short stop in Edinburgh they were settled in a quiet booth on the southbound train for the long journey home. Sally immediately pulled out her copy of Orlando, while Darrell seemed to have decided that the train was just the place to tackle Middlemarch.
After what seemed like hours to Darrell, there was a knock at the door to their carriage and a plump, jolly looking woman slid the door open to enquire as to whether they'd like "anything from the trolley, dears?" It wasn't until they were both settled back down with their books in one hand and their bottles of ginger beer in the other that they realised - almost at the same moment - how exactly alike this was to their journeys to school back in their days at Malory Towers. When Sally looked up, Darrell was already looking at her, grinning from ear to ear. She took a swig of her ginger beer and then, as always, was overcome a moment later by a loud sneeze.
Sally threw her head back and laughed as she hadn't in months.
"You know..." Darrell began tentatively, once the tickling in her nose from the strong, fizzy ginger beer had abated. "I have a pack of cards in my bag. If you'd like a break from Virginia Woolf that is..."
Sally, who was rather fond of Virginia Woolf, nonetheless ventured a smile and placed her book, open, face-down, on her lap. "I suppose I could take a quick break. Rummy?"
Darrell's grin widened. They were only on the train, and the thaw had already begun. And thank goodness for that. Oh, dearest Sally. How I've missed you!
The rest of the journey was considerably more enjoyable than the first couple of hours had been. The girls played a good deal of cards, played various pen-and-paper, word and guessing games, and generally passed the time in ways they hadn't since they'd left school, thoroughly enjoying the regression. Darrell, for her own part, could hardly keep from bursting out laughing with relief on the odd occasion, so glad was she that things seemed to be back to normal so quickly. I knew just getting away from uni would do the trick! She meant to make it stick, too, she decided, determined that she would do whatever it took to keep Sally from closing off again - and to keep from doing so herself. There was, of course, the niggling problem of Alicia at the back of her head, but for now, she pushed it aside. Alicia was in St Andrews - or, well, home herself by now. Either way, she's not here. And a good thing too.
They'd been lucky enough to plot out a route that only required one more changeover, so the trip was more or less uninterrupted by the logistics of travel, but it was still a very travel-weary pair of girls that were greeted by Mr Rivers and Darrell's younger sister at Kings Cross station that evening.
"Well, would you look at this pair?" Darrell's father commented to Felicity, nudging her conspiratorially. "What a bedraggled couple of lambs gone astray. Clearly fallen out of a passing hedge. Shall we take them home with us, d'you think?"
Felicity chuckled. "Well, I was looking for my sister and her good friend Sally Hope but seeing as they haven't appeared..."
Darrell groaned. "Oh, Lord, spare us the double-act, would you? We want to sit in a chair that doesn't jiggle us about sooner rather than later." But she grinned, and hugged both her father and sister warmly, Sally echoing the gesture a moment later.
The drive from the station to the Rivers' home took around an hour, but with Felicity chattering away about her term at Malory Towers, with amusing commentary from Darrell's father, it seemed only half as long. Indeed, Darrell almost wished it would take longer, as there was a strange serenity to be had from simply sitting in the back-seat of the car, Sally's warm presence beside her, nodding and smiling, just letting the happiness of the setting wash over her. Sally seemed to feel the same way, as at one point she found Darrell's hand with hers and gave it a quick, delighted squeeze. When they got into the house there'd be unpacking to do, mothers to fuss over them, Sally's increasingly boisterous younger sister to entertain, food to eat and stories to tell. But at that moment, they were perfectly content.
( Chapter Eight)
*The St Andrews branch line, of course, closed in 1969, and the nearest station to the town is now six miles away at Leuchars. The author was pleased to discover that she didn't have to worry about getting the girls to Leuchars station before they could begin their train journey!
Fandom: Malory Towers
Pairing: This chapter is definitely Sally/Darrell, for once. In the long term, who knows anymore?
Rating: None
Disclaimer: Characters belong to Enid Blyton, or her estate or publishers or whatever, not me.
Words: 1600-ish.
Spoilers: The whole Malory Towers series.
Notes: Malory Towers post-fic, with Darrell, Sally, Alicia and Betty at St Andrews university. I last updated this in early 2006. Here, three years later, is a continuation. Let's see if I can keep it up this time.
Chapter 7: a well-earned break
Lying in bed the night before she and Sally were to leave for home, Darrell made some decisions. She was quite determined that she and Sally should sort out their differences, whatever they were - they'd been friends for far too long to just drift apart like this now.
Of course, first I'll have to figure out what's wrong with Sally...
Darrell had never known Sally to brood like this before - not since that term in third year when she and Alicia had been spending all that time together. Of course, she and Alicia were spending quite a lot of time together now, but it wasn't as if Sally knew that.
Or did she? Darrell sat up suddenly as this thought struck her, bolt upright. Sally stirred a little in her own bed, a tiny sound escaping her throat, but she didn't wake, only curling up into a tighter ball than before.
Frowning, Darrell replayed the last few weeks over in her mind. Was there any time when Sally might have known where she was? She knew Betty had some idea of what was going on but was obviously keeping it to herself, and certainly wouldn't have said anything - Betty could be as cruel and sharp as Alicia when the fancy took her but neither of them were 'sneaks'.
No, Sally didn't know, she was sure of that. She felt her stomach tighten a little as she thought of this, a wave of guilt washing over her. It was a long, long time since she'd kept any secret at all from Sally. Although Darrell had tried to tell her about the whole confusing affair several times back in the first week, more recently she had instead begun to take measures to conceal it - sneaking off, making excuses. This whole 'keeping secrets' thing is a bit of a vicious circle, she thought grimly.
I must find a way to talk to her... They simply couldn't go on like this, having their funny little conversations about nothing at all. And she wasn't sure whether it was down to Sally's actions or hers but they seemed to stay physically further away from one another now, too - never sat close, never touched hands or arms, never leaned their heads together when they talked as they used to. With another guilty twinge Darrell realised that perhaps she was afraid that if Sally got too close she'd know somehow what she'd been up to with Alicia - that she, Darrell, might, oh, smell different, or that she'd touch Sally in a different way than she used to.
Something deep inside Darrell tingled slightly at this thought. For all that this whole... thing... with Alicia had hardly made her feel like a very good person, it had made her look at the world in a whole different way that she couldn't seem to feel bad about, however often she told herself that she ought to. She noticed things that she never had before about the women around her - hands, necks, legs, other areas that she now felt that she ought to be very careful not to look at. She knew that her gaze strayed across people, including Sally (perhaps especially Sally - but she dismissed the thought), in a different way now. Her explorations with Alicia had never become any less chaste than they had been on the first day in her room, for all the other girl's occasional attempts to push her a little further, but that didn't stop her mind from wandering where her hands did not.
Darrell lifted a hand to rub her nose furiously, feeling her cheeks burning as she lay resolutely back down, flat on her back. This was not helping her sleep at all.
It's Christmas at home, she decided. It will be lovely. Whatever I have to do to make it all work out in the end, I'll do it.
The train journey down to Darrell's home in Kent was a long one, and she and Sally were both well-stocked with books to keep them occupied, though Darrell at least dearly hoped that she wouldn't have to spend the whole trip reading. Perhaps sheer boredom will help us get back to the way we were...
Sally looked about as well-slept as Darrell felt, her face drawn and a little paler even than usual. She did manage a smile, though, when Darrell directed a warm grin as her, daring even to link arms with her as they boarded the train at St Andrews.* "Well, this is going to be jolly," Darrell said in a jaunty tone. "I don't know about you but I'm in bad need of a holiday, even if we do have to keep up our studies while we're away." Both girls had an essay to write for English Lit over the break and exams after it. It was a far cry from Malory Towers, where every break was a blessed respite from all studying - for girls who kept up during class-time, at least.
The day was cold and crisp, with a harsh wind but clear blue skies, and with the beautiful Fife countryside out of the train window the hour or so from St Andrews to Edinburgh, over the Forth Rail Bridge, simply flew by, both girls staring out of the window at their surroundings. After a short stop in Edinburgh they were settled in a quiet booth on the southbound train for the long journey home. Sally immediately pulled out her copy of Orlando, while Darrell seemed to have decided that the train was just the place to tackle Middlemarch.
After what seemed like hours to Darrell, there was a knock at the door to their carriage and a plump, jolly looking woman slid the door open to enquire as to whether they'd like "anything from the trolley, dears?" It wasn't until they were both settled back down with their books in one hand and their bottles of ginger beer in the other that they realised - almost at the same moment - how exactly alike this was to their journeys to school back in their days at Malory Towers. When Sally looked up, Darrell was already looking at her, grinning from ear to ear. She took a swig of her ginger beer and then, as always, was overcome a moment later by a loud sneeze.
Sally threw her head back and laughed as she hadn't in months.
"You know..." Darrell began tentatively, once the tickling in her nose from the strong, fizzy ginger beer had abated. "I have a pack of cards in my bag. If you'd like a break from Virginia Woolf that is..."
Sally, who was rather fond of Virginia Woolf, nonetheless ventured a smile and placed her book, open, face-down, on her lap. "I suppose I could take a quick break. Rummy?"
Darrell's grin widened. They were only on the train, and the thaw had already begun. And thank goodness for that. Oh, dearest Sally. How I've missed you!
The rest of the journey was considerably more enjoyable than the first couple of hours had been. The girls played a good deal of cards, played various pen-and-paper, word and guessing games, and generally passed the time in ways they hadn't since they'd left school, thoroughly enjoying the regression. Darrell, for her own part, could hardly keep from bursting out laughing with relief on the odd occasion, so glad was she that things seemed to be back to normal so quickly. I knew just getting away from uni would do the trick! She meant to make it stick, too, she decided, determined that she would do whatever it took to keep Sally from closing off again - and to keep from doing so herself. There was, of course, the niggling problem of Alicia at the back of her head, but for now, she pushed it aside. Alicia was in St Andrews - or, well, home herself by now. Either way, she's not here. And a good thing too.
They'd been lucky enough to plot out a route that only required one more changeover, so the trip was more or less uninterrupted by the logistics of travel, but it was still a very travel-weary pair of girls that were greeted by Mr Rivers and Darrell's younger sister at Kings Cross station that evening.
"Well, would you look at this pair?" Darrell's father commented to Felicity, nudging her conspiratorially. "What a bedraggled couple of lambs gone astray. Clearly fallen out of a passing hedge. Shall we take them home with us, d'you think?"
Felicity chuckled. "Well, I was looking for my sister and her good friend Sally Hope but seeing as they haven't appeared..."
Darrell groaned. "Oh, Lord, spare us the double-act, would you? We want to sit in a chair that doesn't jiggle us about sooner rather than later." But she grinned, and hugged both her father and sister warmly, Sally echoing the gesture a moment later.
The drive from the station to the Rivers' home took around an hour, but with Felicity chattering away about her term at Malory Towers, with amusing commentary from Darrell's father, it seemed only half as long. Indeed, Darrell almost wished it would take longer, as there was a strange serenity to be had from simply sitting in the back-seat of the car, Sally's warm presence beside her, nodding and smiling, just letting the happiness of the setting wash over her. Sally seemed to feel the same way, as at one point she found Darrell's hand with hers and gave it a quick, delighted squeeze. When they got into the house there'd be unpacking to do, mothers to fuss over them, Sally's increasingly boisterous younger sister to entertain, food to eat and stories to tell. But at that moment, they were perfectly content.
( Chapter Eight)
*The St Andrews branch line, of course, closed in 1969, and the nearest station to the town is now six miles away at Leuchars. The author was pleased to discover that she didn't have to worry about getting the girls to Leuchars station before they could begin their train journey!