Read Online A Perfect Gentle Knight by Kit Pearson - Free Book Online Page B

Gawain’s, fervently wishing it could be true.

5
    Sir Perceval
    M r. Zelmach was the best teacher Corrie had ever had. Her other teachers hadn’t seemed to like children very much. The meanest was Miss Laird. In grade four she had beaten one of the boys over the back with a pointer while the class watched in terrified silence.
    Mr. Zelmach was always kind. He called them “ladies and gentlemen,” which made them feel important. He was more enthusiastic about music and reading aloud than arithmetic and science. Several times a day he would stop everything and lead the class in a sea shanty or a ballad, whether it was music period or not. They had already begun rehearsing songs for next year’s Centennial. “ Bri tish Co lum bia, from the moun tains to the sea !” they shouted. Corrie’s favourite was “My Country Is My Cathedral.”
    Twelve of the girls in grade six were appointed monitors. To Corrie’s great surprise, Mr. Zelmach told her she was to be one. That meant she wore a yellow badge and stood in the hall with the rest of the monitors, trying to get all the kids to be quiet as they walked in from recess or lunch. No one ever listened to them, and Juliet stuck her tongue out at Corrie whenever she saw her.
    All the other monitors were the popular girls: the Five, plus six girls in 6B. Boys were never monitors; they were considered too irresponsible.
    Every morning Corrie had to come into the school early and join the circle of the Five in the hall while they waited for the bell to ring. Corrie never said a word unless someone spoke to her. This was usually Darlene. A long time ago, in grade three, Darlene had been Corrie’s best friend. Now she seemed to want to be friends again, as if Corrie’s new status made her one of them.
    â€œI really like your kilt, Corrie,” she told her one day. Corrie glanced down in surprise. She had two skirts for school that she alternated, this one and a grey pleated one. The kilt had once belonged to Roz; it had moth holes in it, but Darlene didn’t seem to have noticed that.
    â€œI really want a kilt, but my mother says she’s bought enough clothes for me this fall. Plaid is cool!”
    â€œ I want a perm, but Mum says I have to wait until grade seven to get one,” complained Sharon.
    â€œGrade seven!” exclaimed Gail. “Won’t that be great? Is everyone going to Laburnum?”
    â€œI have to go to Ashdown Academy,” said Marilyn.
    â€œSo do I,” said Sharon.
    â€œYou poor things!” said Gail. “I’d hate to go to a girls’ school. I want to be with boys! Older boys, not the stupid ones in this school.”
    Corrie wished she could walk away from this disturbing chatter, but she had to wait because she was a monitor.
    â€œDoesn’t Meredith wear babyish clothes?” said Donna. “Puffed sleeves and jumpers, as if she was six!”
    â€œAnd she gets too excited. ‘Oh, Mr. Zelmach, that’s so interesting!’” mimicked Sharon.
    Corrie forgot to be shy. “That’s not fair! Meredith can’t help getting excited, and it’s not her fault how her mother dresses her. I think you should be nicer to her! She’s my friend, and she’s new to this school.”
    To Corrie’s astonishment, they all looked ashamed. “Sorry, Corrie,” mumbled Darlene. “We forgot she was your friend, okay?” The others nodded.
    The bell rang and Corrie ran to her post. Sebastian would be proud of her—she had been as brave as Sir Gareth!
    C ORRIE ’ S FAVOURITE SONG from school was “Men of Harlech”—it sounded like a knights’ song. “ Hark! I hear the foe ad van cing!” she and Meredith shouted on their way to Meredith’s house. They kept stooping to collect shiny chestnuts; by the time they arrived their pockets were heavy with them.
    â€œSebastian likes to use these for our