you?’
‘Unlike you, you mean?’ said April, sulkily.
‘Well, yes actually. Like Simon, like Ling. We’re all brain-boxes; why fight it?’ said Caro matter-of-factly. ‘Face facts, April, you’re going to be up against people like us if you want to get into one of the super swanky unis, so why not use all the leverage you can?’
‘Uni?’ said April with a laugh, ‘If I’m still alive when I’m eighteen, I’ll worry about it then. My CV isn’t really a priority right now.’
‘Yeah, well Herr Doktor has out-manoeuvred you on that one too,’ said Caro. ‘He probably guessed you wouldn’t give a monkeys about it, but knows you could never go home to Grampa Thomas and tell him that you turned down Head Girl. Your grandad would blow a gasket.’
April groaned – she hadn’t considered that aspect of it, and she wouldn’t put it past Charles Tame to call her grandfather and tell him the news. Caro was right: she had been completely out-flanked. She had underestimated Dr Tame. She mustn’t make that mistake again. ‘So now I’m trapped – is that it? Now I’m part of the Ravenwood machine?’
‘But it’s brilliant, don’t you see?’ said Caro. ‘They’ve played right into our hands and they don’t even know it. Tame thinks he’s keeping you where he can see you, under control as his little lapdog. But he doesn’t know we want to get on the inside, we want to be part of the Establishment. Now you’re the face of Ravenwood, maybe they’ll let you in on their secrets. We don’t know how deeply our new leader is involved, but you’ve got to guess he’s pretty connected to get this job. And, at the very least, you’ll probably get to meet the governors.’
‘Yes, but ...’
‘No buts about it, April,’ said Caro firmly. ‘You’ve got to do it, especially after this morning.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘What do I mean ? – the hero worship of Dr Tame. It was as if the whole assembly had been brainwashed.’
‘It’s not that bad yet – is it?’
‘God, April, sometimes I wonder if you walk around with your eyes closed. Not only have they replaced the headmaster, we have three new teachers, all of whom look decidedly vampy, especially Miss Holden’s replacement.’
‘They’ve replaced her already?’
Caro nodded. ‘Miss Marsh. Pale skin, gorgeous black hair, knee-high leather boots, like a walking Sucker cliché. But that’s not the half of it.’
She crooked a finger towards April as she jumped down off the sink. ‘Come on, it’s better if I show you.’
April followed Caro back into the main school building. As they walked along the corridor, April was aware that people were turning to look at her. She was used to that, of course; they had been gawking at her since her first day. But this time, it did seem different. Girls were standing in little huddles talking, and the glances they threw towards April and Caro as they walked past weren’t the usual gossipy “hey look, that’s the girl who found a dead body” whispers. Now they seemed to be having their own secret conversations, exchanges they didn’t want April and Caro to hear, as if they regarded the two girls as outsiders.
‘They’re like little witches’ covens,’ aren’t they?’ murmured Caro. ‘They’ve already bought into Tame’s “new world order” rubbish. It’s like he’s invented electricity or something.’
‘That was damn quick,’ said April.
‘Yeah, well – it’s not just Tame,’ said Caro. ‘Remember I was telling you about Miss Holden’s replacement? Come and see.’
Caro led April towards the refectory and, halfway down the corridor, they turned the corner and saw a group of students gathered around a classroom door. Joining the group at the back, April craned her neck to see what they were looking at. Inside the classroom Miss Marsh – it had to be her from Caro’s vivid description – was sitting on the edge of the desk holding court.
‘... and I think it’s
‘Unlike you, you mean?’ said April, sulkily.
‘Well, yes actually. Like Simon, like Ling. We’re all brain-boxes; why fight it?’ said Caro matter-of-factly. ‘Face facts, April, you’re going to be up against people like us if you want to get into one of the super swanky unis, so why not use all the leverage you can?’
‘Uni?’ said April with a laugh, ‘If I’m still alive when I’m eighteen, I’ll worry about it then. My CV isn’t really a priority right now.’
‘Yeah, well Herr Doktor has out-manoeuvred you on that one too,’ said Caro. ‘He probably guessed you wouldn’t give a monkeys about it, but knows you could never go home to Grampa Thomas and tell him that you turned down Head Girl. Your grandad would blow a gasket.’
April groaned – she hadn’t considered that aspect of it, and she wouldn’t put it past Charles Tame to call her grandfather and tell him the news. Caro was right: she had been completely out-flanked. She had underestimated Dr Tame. She mustn’t make that mistake again. ‘So now I’m trapped – is that it? Now I’m part of the Ravenwood machine?’
‘But it’s brilliant, don’t you see?’ said Caro. ‘They’ve played right into our hands and they don’t even know it. Tame thinks he’s keeping you where he can see you, under control as his little lapdog. But he doesn’t know we want to get on the inside, we want to be part of the Establishment. Now you’re the face of Ravenwood, maybe they’ll let you in on their secrets. We don’t know how deeply our new leader is involved, but you’ve got to guess he’s pretty connected to get this job. And, at the very least, you’ll probably get to meet the governors.’
‘Yes, but ...’
‘No buts about it, April,’ said Caro firmly. ‘You’ve got to do it, especially after this morning.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘What do I mean ? – the hero worship of Dr Tame. It was as if the whole assembly had been brainwashed.’
‘It’s not that bad yet – is it?’
‘God, April, sometimes I wonder if you walk around with your eyes closed. Not only have they replaced the headmaster, we have three new teachers, all of whom look decidedly vampy, especially Miss Holden’s replacement.’
‘They’ve replaced her already?’
Caro nodded. ‘Miss Marsh. Pale skin, gorgeous black hair, knee-high leather boots, like a walking Sucker cliché. But that’s not the half of it.’
She crooked a finger towards April as she jumped down off the sink. ‘Come on, it’s better if I show you.’
April followed Caro back into the main school building. As they walked along the corridor, April was aware that people were turning to look at her. She was used to that, of course; they had been gawking at her since her first day. But this time, it did seem different. Girls were standing in little huddles talking, and the glances they threw towards April and Caro as they walked past weren’t the usual gossipy “hey look, that’s the girl who found a dead body” whispers. Now they seemed to be having their own secret conversations, exchanges they didn’t want April and Caro to hear, as if they regarded the two girls as outsiders.
‘They’re like little witches’ covens,’ aren’t they?’ murmured Caro. ‘They’ve already bought into Tame’s “new world order” rubbish. It’s like he’s invented electricity or something.’
‘That was damn quick,’ said April.
‘Yeah, well – it’s not just Tame,’ said Caro. ‘Remember I was telling you about Miss Holden’s replacement? Come and see.’
Caro led April towards the refectory and, halfway down the corridor, they turned the corner and saw a group of students gathered around a classroom door. Joining the group at the back, April craned her neck to see what they were looking at. Inside the classroom Miss Marsh – it had to be her from Caro’s vivid description – was sitting on the edge of the desk holding court.
‘... and I think it’s
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