Read Online Party at Silver Spires by Ann Bryant - Free Book Online

assess what we were like, but I still felt really nervous.”
    â€œYes, me too,” said Izzy.
    I felt myself blushing. We were getting dangerously near to the topic of scholarships and I didn’t like it at all. My secret was still safe, but I wanted it to stay that way, because I still didn’t know whether it was only people who couldn’t afford the fees who were awarded academic scholarships. I wouldn’t be able to bear it when it came to the party if everyone looked at me with pitying eyes in my ordinary black trousers and boring top, and realized that I had nothing to wear because I’m a poor person.
    â€œI’m just going to the loo,” I said, feeling suddenly stifled in the common room, scared that my secret might be revealed if I didn’t get out straight away. “Start without me. I’ll give myself an average score, okay?”
    And as I hurried out I heard Emily say, “Average score? That girl thinks of everything. I wouldn’t be able to give myself an average score any more than I’d be able to give myself a back massage.”
    A big eruption of laughter followed her comment, and I had to admit it was really witty of her. I loved the way Emily came out with things like that. So why was I feeling uncomfortable again? Then it hit me. It was because I’d heard Antonia laughing loudly too. She probably didn’t understand what Emily had said but she was just joining in the fun. And I suddenly realized she never did that when I was around. For the first time I had the horrible thought that maybe it was me who stopped her being happy. It was almost as though she was free to be happy now I’d gone. I felt a stab of sadness. I’d wondered whether Antonia ought to swap dorms, but now it seemed like it should be me swapping.
    I was still in a state about that as I went back into the common room a couple of minutes later, and my spirits sank even lower when the first sound I heard was Antonia giggling.
    â€œYou can’t put a yellow eight on a blue four!” Emily was spluttering.
    â€œI know! I do not know why I deed eet!” came Antonia’s laughing voice. Then she added, “I ’ave only a joker so I will play eet and you will ’ave to pick up four cards, Bryony!”
    â€œThanks very much, Antonia!” said Bryony, pretending to be cross, and there was another eruption of laughter.
    It took quite a lot of courage to go round the corner and take my place at the table now I’d heard all my dorm mates getting on so well without me, and I hoped and hoped that the laughter and chatter would continue, otherwise I’d know that I was the problem.
    â€œHow’s it going?” I asked as brightly as I could.
    But no one answered me because Emily was just slapping her last card down triumphantly. “Out!” she screeched. “I can’t believe I’ve actually won at something! Hallelujah!”
    Everyone started adding up their scores and calling them out to me, and for a minute I had to concentrate hard to take them all down correctly and then add them together and divide by six to find the average for myself.
    â€œOkay your turn to deal, Bry,” said Emily.
    But she’d hardly started dealing when Miss Stevenson appeared with two Year Ten girls.
    â€œOh no, it’s not bedtime already, is it?” asked Emily.
    â€œNo, don’t panic,” said Miss Stevenson. “What’s this?” She looked at the cards. “Aha, Uno!”
    â€œI played that last Christmas with my family,” said one of the Year Tens. “It was hilarious!”
    â€œDo you want to join in?” said Emily.
    The girl glanced at my grid. “No, don’t worry, that’ll ruin your scoring.”
    â€œNo, it’s okay because Nicole can work you out an average score,” said Bryony. “She’s such a superbrain!”
    The other girl glanced at me. “Oh yes, Nicole Williamson.