said.
Susie waited. The words were on Laura’s lips but she struggled to say them. Would Susie believe her? Would she think it was wrong or stupid?
"I was in his classroom earlier, and…" It was so hard to articulate. Putting it into words, the enormity of what had happened.
"And?"
"We kissed."
"Christ!"
Susie was silent for a moment, absorbing the news, and Laura dug her nails into her thumbs.
"I take it that this was ok? I mean he didn’t force himself on you?"
God no. How could he? Laura started to explain. Briefly, without too much detail. How he looked at her. How he had sat and spoken with her several times. How it had just happened in the German classroom. How he had suddenly told her to leave.
Then it was all too much, the brief exhilaration and the fear and the anxiety, and the isolation she felt. Bottling up how she felt about him for weeks had been hard enough. Then today, and having to keep it from everyone. And not knowing where she stood now, what he felt, what she could expect next time she saw him. Now it was all out and she couldn’t stop the tears.
Susie put her arms around Laura and hugged her. "It’s going to be ok. It’ll work out."
11. On edge
Laura couldn’t touch breakfast the next morning. The others noticed her loss of appetite and how pale and tired she looked. She had barely eaten anything the evening before so she was able to attribute it to still being unwell. Susie cast her a sympathetic look but kept her confidence.
It was two more days until Monday and the next German lesson. She had the whole weekend to wonder if she would bump into Mr Rydell. But she felt deep down that he would avoid her.
It was torment. Everywhere she went she found herself surreptitiously looking out for him. Wondering, hoping beyond hope, that he would appear.
Concentrating on Saturday morning lessons was hard enough at the best of times because the weekend had pretty much arrived, and everyone was longing for lunch after which they would finally be at leisure. Hockey teams would play home matches or be driven off in the school coach to play away games but everyone else could do what they wanted.
This particular morning was agony. Laura could only stare at the clock, wondering if she might see him between lessons, or after lunch.
She would have liked to spend some time with Susie but unfortunately Susie had detention.
"Let’s talk later this afternoon," she told Laura at lunch. "I’m in the clink for Geography yet again, but they’ll surely let us out before nightfall."
* * *
In the history of Francis Hall there had never been hostilities as venomous as those that had broken out between Mrs Ayers and Susie Clarke.
It was Mrs Ayers’ fault for starting it. She had been in a particularly foul mood the first time Susie came into her Geography lesson, and attempted to give the girl a demerit for not having the right textbook. When Susie quite rightfully and politely pointed out that it was her first day and no one had given her any books yet, Mrs Ayers shrieked at her for answering back and tried to give her a detention as well.
Most girls would have backed down, but Susie did not. The matter escalated to Mrs Grayson, who was forced to find a resolution that was fair to Susie without enraging Mrs Ayers. There was no way to do this without revoking the demerit and the detention, effectively meaning that Susie had won. No amount of Mrs Grayson phrasing it as an "unfortunate misunderstanding" could save Mrs Ayers’ humiliation. She had never lost before.
From that moment Mrs Ayers hated Susie with every fibre of her being and poured forth the full force of her venom upon her. As a result, Susie decided that Mrs Ayers would have to be destroyed for once and for all, but knew she was going to have to play a very long game to achieve this. The alleged blood of Machiavelli didn’t run in her family’s veins for nothing, so she was prepared to take her time.
To start her campaign, Susie
Susie waited. The words were on Laura’s lips but she struggled to say them. Would Susie believe her? Would she think it was wrong or stupid?
"I was in his classroom earlier, and…" It was so hard to articulate. Putting it into words, the enormity of what had happened.
"And?"
"We kissed."
"Christ!"
Susie was silent for a moment, absorbing the news, and Laura dug her nails into her thumbs.
"I take it that this was ok? I mean he didn’t force himself on you?"
God no. How could he? Laura started to explain. Briefly, without too much detail. How he looked at her. How he had sat and spoken with her several times. How it had just happened in the German classroom. How he had suddenly told her to leave.
Then it was all too much, the brief exhilaration and the fear and the anxiety, and the isolation she felt. Bottling up how she felt about him for weeks had been hard enough. Then today, and having to keep it from everyone. And not knowing where she stood now, what he felt, what she could expect next time she saw him. Now it was all out and she couldn’t stop the tears.
Susie put her arms around Laura and hugged her. "It’s going to be ok. It’ll work out."
11. On edge
Laura couldn’t touch breakfast the next morning. The others noticed her loss of appetite and how pale and tired she looked. She had barely eaten anything the evening before so she was able to attribute it to still being unwell. Susie cast her a sympathetic look but kept her confidence.
It was two more days until Monday and the next German lesson. She had the whole weekend to wonder if she would bump into Mr Rydell. But she felt deep down that he would avoid her.
It was torment. Everywhere she went she found herself surreptitiously looking out for him. Wondering, hoping beyond hope, that he would appear.
Concentrating on Saturday morning lessons was hard enough at the best of times because the weekend had pretty much arrived, and everyone was longing for lunch after which they would finally be at leisure. Hockey teams would play home matches or be driven off in the school coach to play away games but everyone else could do what they wanted.
This particular morning was agony. Laura could only stare at the clock, wondering if she might see him between lessons, or after lunch.
She would have liked to spend some time with Susie but unfortunately Susie had detention.
"Let’s talk later this afternoon," she told Laura at lunch. "I’m in the clink for Geography yet again, but they’ll surely let us out before nightfall."
* * *
In the history of Francis Hall there had never been hostilities as venomous as those that had broken out between Mrs Ayers and Susie Clarke.
It was Mrs Ayers’ fault for starting it. She had been in a particularly foul mood the first time Susie came into her Geography lesson, and attempted to give the girl a demerit for not having the right textbook. When Susie quite rightfully and politely pointed out that it was her first day and no one had given her any books yet, Mrs Ayers shrieked at her for answering back and tried to give her a detention as well.
Most girls would have backed down, but Susie did not. The matter escalated to Mrs Grayson, who was forced to find a resolution that was fair to Susie without enraging Mrs Ayers. There was no way to do this without revoking the demerit and the detention, effectively meaning that Susie had won. No amount of Mrs Grayson phrasing it as an "unfortunate misunderstanding" could save Mrs Ayers’ humiliation. She had never lost before.
From that moment Mrs Ayers hated Susie with every fibre of her being and poured forth the full force of her venom upon her. As a result, Susie decided that Mrs Ayers would have to be destroyed for once and for all, but knew she was going to have to play a very long game to achieve this. The alleged blood of Machiavelli didn’t run in her family’s veins for nothing, so she was prepared to take her time.
To start her campaign, Susie
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