by Judi Curtin
‘It’s like being on the telly!’ she said in the end, as she sat back with a happy sigh.
Soon we got to Whitehaven Road, and we climbed down from the bus and looked around.
‘I wonder where the school is,’ said Ruby. ‘Jenny said it’s near the bus stop.’
I grabbed her arm, and pointed, unable to speak. I was staring at an absolutely huge red-bricked building with turrets and pointy windows and flags fluttering from the roof.
‘OMG,’ said Ruby. ‘It couldn’t be. Could it?’
Then I pointed at a brass sign set into the wall – Whitehaven School. ‘If this isn’t the right place,’ I said, ‘then it’s a very elaborate hoax.’
‘But it’s like Hogwarts!’ she said.
‘No it’s not. It’s way cooler than Hogwarts. You are so totally lucky, Ruby. Imagine! This could be your school for the next few years.’
She shrugged. ‘I’m not going to get worked up about it. There are loads of people coming for these assessments, and there are only a few scholarship places. I’d probably have a better chance of winning X-Factor.’
‘I hope not,’ I said. ‘I’ve heard you sing, and no offence, Ruby, but I don’t think you’ll be winning X-Factor any time soon.’
‘Thanks a bunch,’ she said, pretending to be hurt. ‘Anyway, I’d better go inside and register. Have you decided what you’re going to do for the day?’
‘Sure,’ I said. ‘I’m going to go to the library.’
‘The library? I don’t understand.’
‘You know, it’s a big building full of books, and signs telling you to be quiet.’
Ruby punched me lightly on the arm. ‘I know what a library is,’ she said. ‘I’m just wondering why you want to visit one on your holidays in London.’
‘Libraries are very educational,’ I said primly. ‘Now you’d better go or you’ll be late. See you back here at four?’
Ruby nodded, then we had a quick hug and she ran in for her interview.
‘So how did it go?’ I asked Ruby when we met outside the school later.
‘It was good – I think.’
‘You think?’
Suddenly her face broke into a huge smile. ‘Actually it went really, really well,’ she said. ‘The interviewers were tough, and they asked heaps of hard questions, but I think they were happy with my answers. I think they really “got” me.’
Ruby is usually cautious and sometimes even a bit pessimistic, so seeing her so happy and positive was amazing.
I gave her a big hug. ‘So I can come and stay with you as soon as you’ve settled in to your incredible new life?’
‘Don’t go booking your flights just yet,’ she said, as she hugged me back. ‘I’ve still got fitness tests and swimming trials to go.’
But I wasn’t listening. I was already planning heaps of wonderful long weekends in London.
That evening, we were all invited over to Andrea’s place for pasta. The food was delicious, and his three flatmates were all really nice.
After dinner, Ruby described the principal of the school.
‘Her name is Mrs Armitage,’ she said. ‘And she is totally scary. Every time she issues an order everyone jumps – and that’s just the other teachers!’ When we’d stopped laughing she continued, ‘She has these cold grey eyes, like sea water on a freezing day. She looked at me once, and even though I hadn’t done anything wrong, I thought I was going to start crying, I was so scared. I soooo wouldn’t like to get on the wrong side of her.’
‘That would never happen,’ said Jenny loyally. ‘As soon as she sees you swimming she’ll love you forever, I’m certain of it. Now we’d better get home, you need to be wide awake for your fitness tests tomorrow.’
Andrea walked us the short distance home. He and Jenny walked ahead, and Ruby and I walked behind them.
‘I’m having such an amazing time,’ I said. ‘Thank you so much for inviting me.’
‘Thank you so much for coming,’ said Ruby. ‘I wouldn’t have dared to come without you. I hope you’re not missing anything too important or exciting in Seacove.’
I hesitated. I still hadn’t told Ruby about what was happening to Kate. I knew she’d be kind and sympathetic, but something made me hold back. I felt like this was her special time, and telling her about Kate’s problems wouldn’t be fair. So I just smiled and said, ‘No. I’m not missing anything at all in Seacove.’
The next day Ruby’s fitness tests went really well. When I met her afterwards she was flushed and excited, and I thought she was going to float away with happiness.
‘When I came off the running track, Mrs Armitage actually spoke to me,’ she said. ‘She patted my arm and said “well done”. It was totally scary, but kind of amazing too.’
‘Why wouldn’t she say “well done” to you?’ I asked. ‘I bet you’re one of the best candidates there.’
I half-expected Ruby to contradict me, but she didn’t. I turned and saw a slow smile spreading across her face.
‘You know, Eva, I’m beginning to think I can do this,’ she said.
‘Of course you can do this,’ I said, suddenly realising that even though I’d always believed in her, believing in herself was a totally new feeling for Ruby. I began to name items, pretending to tick them off an imaginary list, ‘Passport, tickets, phone, cool clothes, more cool clothes, some—’
‘What are you on about?’ asked Ruby, as I knew she would.
I grinned. ‘I’m planning what to pack for the first weekend I come to visit you in London,’ I said.
And Ruby just smiled, like that wasn’t a crazy dream – like it was really and truly going to happen.
Chapter Twelve
On the last day of the trials, though, Ruby’s excitement had completely evaporated. When we walked into the hallway that morning, we noticed that someone had slipped an envelope through the letterbox.
‘Oh, look,’ I said. ‘It’s got your name on it.’
She ripped the envelope and pulled out a handmade card. She opened it and I read the caption inside – Good Luck, Ruby. I know you can do it. Love from Andrea.
‘That is so totally sweet,’ I said, but Ruby just shrugged.
‘Mmmm,’ she said vaguely, as she put the card down on a shelf.
As we sat at the breakfast table, she was really uptight and nervous. She barely touched the cereal Jenny had left out for her, as she anxiously tapped her fingers on the table.
‘You’ve got to eat,’ I said. ‘You need the energy – especially today.’
So she took another spoonful and spent about ten minutes chewing it.
In the end I gave up.
‘Come on,’ I said. ‘Start getting your stuff ready, or you’ll be late.’
‘Oh,’ she said, almost like she’d forgotten where she was supposed to be going and what time she was supposed to be there.
I had no idea what was going on, but there was no time for a lengthy discussion. Ruby watched as I packed up her swimming bag for her, and then she followed me down to the bus stop. This time we sat downstairs on the bus. Unlike the other days, Ruby seemed bored and distracted and the journey seemed to take forever.
At last we were outside the school. Ruby stood at the gate, almost like she’d been turned to stone.
‘Today is the swimming test,’ I said. ‘You’re amazing at swimming, Ruby. You could probably swim in your sleep. I don’t understand why you’re so nervous now.’
‘The interviews and fitness tests went really well,’ she said. ‘And I’m fairly sure I’ve passed those parts of the assessment. Now it’s all down to the swimming. What I do today could change my life forever.’
‘And that’s a good thing, isn’t it?’
Her face was pale and her eyes looked huge.
‘This is all too big and scary for me, Eva. I’m not sure I can do it.’
While we were talking, other girls and boys were walking past us into the school. Some of them smiled and said ‘hi’ to Ruby, but she
barely glanced at them. She just pulled at the strap of her swimming bag and looked like she’d rather be anywhere else in the whole wide world. I had a horrible feeling that if I walked away, she might never go into the school at all.
‘Would you like me to come in with you?’ I said in the end.
For the first time that morning she smiled; ‘Would you, Eva?’
‘Sure,’ I said. ‘Anything for a friend.’
The inside of the school was amazing – all stained glass and high ceilings and squeaky polished floors. I followed Ruby down a long corridor until she stopped at a huge green door.
‘This is the changing room,’ she said. ‘But only competitors are allowed in. You can go to the viewing gallery. I think it’s up those stairs there.’
I gave her a quick hug. ‘You’re going to be brilliant,’ I said. ‘I know it.’
She didn’t answer. She just pushed open the door, and for a second I could hear the sound of laughing, chatting girls, before Ruby slipped inside and the door slammed behind her.
I knew the swimming wouldn’t start for a while, so I took my time going up the stairs she’d pointed at. I spent a long time looking at scary pictures of ancient people, and then I walked down another wide corridor, peeping into any rooms that had open doors.
I had just come out of a huge dining area, when I thought I heard a noise from the room next door. The door was closed, and I was busy convincing myself that I’d been imagining things, when I heard the noise again. This time there was no mistaking it. It was a woman’s voice, and she didn’t sound happy. ‘Help,’ she said in a weak, scared voice. ‘Please, someone help me.’
I looked anxiously up and down the corridor, but it was completely empty. If anyone was going to help her, then it had to be me.
But what if the poor woman was being murdered or something?
How could I possibly save her all on my own?
But how could I just go away and leave her?
I tapped on the door, suddenly feeling stupid. I was probably just hearing a TV, and I was going to look like a complete idiot when I rushed into the room trying to save someone from a movie.
But a voice answered my tapping, ‘Come in, quickly. Whoever you are. This is an emergency!’
I turned the big brass knob, and very slowly pushed the door open.
A small, skinny woman was crouched on top of huge wooden desk, like a bird getting ready to fly. She looked really funny, but I decided that this probably wasn’t a time for laughing.
‘Oh, thank goodness,’ she whispered, looking at me like I was her favourite person in the world.
There was no one else in the room, and I couldn’t figure out what was going on. Maybe she was afraid of heights and couldn’t get down off the desk.
But if she was afraid of heights, why would she climb up on the desk in the first place?
‘Er, are you stuck up there?’ I asked, as I walked towards her. ‘Do you want me to help you down?’
‘No,’ she said, in a weird mixture of a scream and a whisper. ‘Don’t help me down. I’m afraid of …’ Instead of finishing the sentence, she pointed to the floor on the other side of the desk. ‘It’s down there,’ she said. ‘It’s watching me, and it won’t go away.’
I looked over towards the door, checking that I’d left it open. I wanted to be sure that I could make a quick escape if necessary. Then, not sure if I was being very brave or very stupid, I tiptoed ever so slowly around the desk.
As I got closer I saw that the woman was shaking. ‘Don’t make any sudden moves,’ she said.
I could feel my heart thumping madly as I took the last step around the desk, ready to turn and run if necessary.
Then I stopped.
And I laughed.
I was getting ready to laugh for a very long time, when I realised I was being a bit mean. The woman really was terrified.
‘It’s a mouse,’ I said. ‘It’s only a tiny little mouse.’
I’m not an expert on mice, but by the looks of things the poor creature was probably a baby. He was totally cute with a smooth grey coat, and bright black eyes. He’d backed himself into a corner, and was crouched there, looking just about as scared as the quivering woman on the desk.
Now the woman pointed to a brush in the corner of the room. ‘Get rid of him,’ she said. ‘Please.’
I knew she meant me to kill the mouse, but I couldn’t do it. For one thing, he was totally cute – and for another, my summer with Kate had made the idea of killing a wild animal a very bad thing.
‘Just hang on there,’ I said. ‘I’ll be back in a sec.’
I raced around the nearby rooms and soon came back with a small wooden box, and a piece of cardboard. After a few scary minutes, I managed to get the mouse into the box, and fastened the lid shut.
The woman looked at the box like it contained a wild tiger who could escape any second, and eat her in two quick bites.
I put the box out in the corridor and went back into the room.
‘You’re safe now,’ I said.
The woman relaxed slightly, and climbed down from the desk. She fixed her hair and stood as tall as her tiny body would let her.
‘You must think I’m very foolish,’ she said.
‘Not at all,’ I said.
She stared at me with piercing eyes, and I knew that she knew I was lying.
‘It’s an irrational fear,’ she said. ‘My brain tells me the mouse can’t hurt me, but that doesn’t stop me from feeling absolutely terrified.’
Suddenly I felt sorry for her. Now that she wasn’t a helpless, shaking wreck any more, she looked like a woman who wasn’t scared of much. I realised she was embarrassed about me seeing her like that.
Luckily I knew exactly how to make her feel better.
‘My mum’s totally afraid of earwigs,’ I said. ‘She goes completely crazy when she sees one.’
The woman smiled gratefully, like I’d given her a present. ‘The mind is a funny place. I’d face a million earwigs before I could stand up to a single small mouse.’
I tried to block out a sudden picture of my mum in a room full of earwigs, as the woman walked towards the door.
‘Thank you for rescuing me from the monster,’ she said. ‘Now I need to go. I have a job to do.’
I followed her to the door, and watched as she gingerly edged past the wooden box. As soon as she was gone, I picked up the box, and went to find a safe place to release the monster.
It was still only ten o’clock, and already it had been a very long day.
Chapter Thirteen
I made my way to the viewing gallery and found a single empty seat in the front row. All around me were doting parents and grandparents, there to support their little darlings. There was an excited, nervous buzz in the air.
At last the swimmers came out through a side door. There were boys and girls of all ages from about ten up to sixteen. Ruby looked young and lost, kind of like she had wandered into the area by mistake, and didn’t really understand what was going on. Most of the swimmers were chatting and laughing together, but Ruby stood on her own looking pale and worried. Two girls in front of her waved up to their parents in the gallery, like this was just any old swim on any old day.
Ruby saw me and came over.
‘I feel sick,’ she said.
I leaned over the barrier and gave her a hug. ‘That’s just nerves,’ I said. ‘You’ll be fine once you get into the water.’
Before she could answer, the side door opened again, and a hush spread across the room.
There were so many people milling around, at first I couldn’t see who had come through the door. Ruby had a better view though.
‘It’s Mrs Armitage,’ she said, with a note of fear in her voice.
I took a little step backwards. If this woman was half as scary as Ruby said, there was no way I wanted to meet her.
‘She’s coming this way,’ said Ruby, looking even more nervous than before.
Then the c
rowds parted, and for the first time I could see the great Mrs Armitage.
I gasped. ‘But that’s …’
‘You know her?’ asked Ruby.
But before I could answer, the woman was standing in front of me.
Ruby now looked scared and embarrassed, and for a minute no one said anything. Then Ruby found her voice – or a frightened squeaky version of her voice.
‘Er, Eva, this is Mrs Armitage,’ she said.
Mrs Armitage looked at me with piercing eyes, and I figured this wasn’t a good time to say – but we know each other. Just a few minutes ago I rescued you from a vicious mouse.
‘Oh … mice … I mean nice to meet you,’ I said.
Mrs Armitage gave me a funny look, and then she smiled, ‘Mice … I mean nice to meet you too.’
Then she walked quickly to the top of the room.
‘What was that all about?’ asked Ruby. ‘Did you notice that Mrs Armitage actually smiled at you? I didn’t know she even knew how to smile.’
I grinned. ‘I guess she just likes me,’ I said. ‘Some people do, you know.’
Ruby rolled her eyes, and then jumped to attention as Mrs Armitage blew a whistle. We had another quick hug.
‘Good luck,’ I said and then Ruby hurried to the edge of the pool with the other swimmers.
Mrs Armitage spoke into a microphone, explaining what was going to happen next.
‘Swimmers will be put into groups of six,’ she said. ‘When your turn comes, you must swim four lengths – one each of front crawl, back crawl, breast stroke and butterfly.
Remember these aren’t races. You’re all different ages, and have different experience. We’ll mostly be watching out for technique and potential. Now, first group to the blocks, and let’s get started.’
The first group lined up and bent forwards, ready to dive. Behind each swimmer stood a person holding a pen and a clipboard.
