Joan Baker had perked up when she heard that the Prefects would be organising some entertainment for Saturday night. After a week in this place she could do with some male company and a chance to tart herself up a bit.
However, Mary Lou and her merry band of drips and gasped with horror when she emerged from her cubicle; drawing the attention of the form prefect who had ordered her down to the splashery to ‘wash that muck’ off her face and brush her hair properly. Then she had handed her a dress. “This will be more suitable than that thing you’ve got on. It used to belong to Betsy Lucey when she was at school here, but she left it behind. You’re about the same size. Put it on and follow us downstairs. And be quick”.
The dress was navy blue velvet with a cream lace collar. No wonder Betsy whatsit had left it behind. Well, no way was she going downstairs in that. She’d just have to settle for an early night with her mills and boon novel.
She changed into her pyjamas, and settled into bed with her book. She had just got to the bit where the nurse’s heart was beating faster as the hunky doctor took her in his manly arms when, wouldn’t you know it, in plodded Matron – looking even sourer than usual if that was possible.
After giving Joan a piece of her mind and ordering her out of bed and into her dress she turned to leave. Then she turned back and grabbed the Mills and Boon off the locker. “I’ll just ..er.. confiscate this rubbish. Not suitable at all” and off she went clutching the book to her bosom.
Joan marched furiously downstairs. She looked ridiculous and the thought of being seen like this by a load of hunky schoolboys was mortifying. She pushed open the door and realised she needn’t have worried. Everyone was in the middle of an exciting game of consequences and there wasn’t a male to be seen – just pupils, staff and a tall gangly looking woman Joan had never seen before, who was rushing excitedly around poking her nose into what everyone was doing and howling with laughter every five seconds. Obviously some social misfit from the village that the school had taken pity on, she decided, sitting down at the nearest table.
“You look so much nicer in that feminine frock” said Vi Lucey, “and your face is so much prettier when it’s not all hidden behind that common powder”. Joan was about to tell her to fuck off, but decided that was probably a hanging offence in this place, so she contented herself with a dirty look.
The head girl was now announcing that they had hidden a slipper belonging to each girl in a big box. Every girl had to find her own and then hop around the room without falling over. The village idiot nearly died with excitement and went galloping up to the box, laughing like a maniac.
“Who’s that”? Joan asked Vi Lucey.
“Oh that’s Aunty Joey” said Mary Lou “Well, Mrs Maynard to you”.
To Joan’s horror the misfit suddenly came cantering across the room, making directly for her.
“You must be the new girl” she said, smiling broadly “I’m Mrs Maynard. I expect you’ve heard loads and loads and loads about me and have been simply dying for me to ask you over for English tea so you can admire my babies and listen to a patronising lecture. Well, my lamb, Monday’s your lucky day. Mary Lou, you’re coming too. Half past fifteen, after last class”. And off she galloped to attack the box again, slippers flying randomly in the air, poor Miss Wilson almost being hit between the eyes by a pink fluffy mule.
Well she’d definitely be getting out of that, Joan decided. The woman was as mad as a box of frogs. And the less time she spent with that awful Mary Lou the better.
Thankfully the evening was soon over and they all sat down to a special supper. The food wasn’t bad here, Joan had to admit. Not as good as chips and cider behind the youth club wall with Nige and the gang, but still. She took a long drink of warm milk and began to feel very sleepy and a bit dizzy. Matron was watching her closely and seemed to be giving the thumbs up to someone.
Miss Annersley stood up and announced in shocked tones that it was nearly 22 o’clock and everyone was to go immediately to bed. The girls gasped in astonishment and ran quietly up the stairs. Joan still hadn’t got the hang of continental time but assumed, from all the shock and astonishment, that it must be about 2 or 3 in the morning. No wonder she was feeling totally knackered.
Up in the dorm the girls chattered excitedly as they got ready. Joan, however, felt as if someone had knocked her over the head. She really was feeling very strange. The room seemed to be going around and around.
She fell into bed and began to fall into a deep, deep sleep. Little did she know that when she awoke, the old Joan would be gone forever and a new chalet girl would be born.