It was stuck.
My heart started beating wildly—if this panel didn’t open, I didn’t think I had enough battery power to get back through the tunnel to the other end with my phone torch. I needed the panel to open now.
I banged on it, trying to loosen it a bit. Then I took a breath to calm myself, placed my palms flat against the panel and pushed.
‘Come on,’ I whispered.
The panel moved a millimetre.
I tried again. And again.
Finally, the panel shunted across its skirting and flung open with a bang. I looked into the bathroom, hoping nobody was in there. If someone saw me peeking out of the wall, they would have had the fright of their lives! And my secret would have been revealed.
Luckily, nobody seemed to be around. I climbed out and gently slid the panel back into place. Then I crept out of the bathroom, back towards my dorm room.
That night, I lay in bed looking up at the ceiling. I couldn’t sleep. I hadn’t spoken to Zoe, Violet or Grace all night. By the time I had gotten back to the dorm after escaping the tunnel, they had already gone to dinner, and at dinner I refused to sit with them or make eye contact. I could see them whispering and looking at me in a weird way. I bet they were talking about how jealous I was of them. Even though I wasn’t. AT ALL.
It reminded me of the time that Olivia and I had a massive fight. Mum had given me a super special top with a unicorn on the front for my birthday. The horn had glittery crystals all over it and Olivia immediately said she wanted one of her own. I was going to wear it to the school disco that weekend, but when the weekend arrived, the top had disappeared. Where on earth does a t-shirt go? I asked Mum if she’d put it in the wash and she said no.
I was sure Olivia had taken it. She’d already asked to try it on and I’d said no, multiple times. I yelled at her and told her I was never going to talk to her again if she didn’t give it back. Olivia cried and said she didn’t take it. So I stopped talking to her.
Later that day, Max and I were playing in the garden when I saw something glistening in the bushes. I went over and there was my unicorn top, half buried in the dirt. Also in the hole were Max’s missing dinosaur toys, Olivia’s scrunchie and Bob’s bone.
Turned out the dog had taken my top and buried it in the garden. Mum and Dad said I was too quick to accuse Olivia and I’d ‘really gotten the wrong end of the stick’. I didn’t know what stick they were talking about at the time, but now I think they meant I’d made a big mistake.
When I went to say sorry to Olivia, I found her in her bedroom. She had a plain white t-shirt sitting on her desk, and she was carefully gluing sparkly crystals to it. She said even though she didn’t take it, she wanted me to have something sparkly to wear to the disco.
I guess people can be wrong sometimes.
I thought about this as I lay in my dorm room, listening to the deep breathing and light snores of my friends.
Had I got this wrong, too? Were my friends right?
I drifted off to sleep and dreamt about secret tunnels with magical sparkly unicorns and muddy dinosaurs.
Chapter 13
× −
From:
Ella
Sent:
Friday, 8:10 AM
To:
Olivia
Subject:
Disaster
Hi Oliva,
It’s a bit of a disaster here. Don’t tell Mum—I don’t want her to worry. But I’ve had a fight with my roommates. Yesterday, they accused me of being jealous of them. Jealous because they are all going to this stupid lunch, called the Alumni Luncheon, and jealous because Grace and Zoe have been hanging out more. Can you believe it??!! It’s like when you and Matilda had that fight last year.
I’m not really speaking to them. And I can see them whispering all the time, and glancing at me with secretive eyes. Probably talking about their precious luncheon. Or how I’m a jealous baby.
The problem is, when you LIVE at school you can’t just go home and not worry about it.
What should I do?
I wish you were here.
Love, Ella
xx
I finished my email to Olivia, then went back up to my dorm room to get my things for school. I had Art for the first lesson of the day. This is usually an awesome thing—I love, love, LOVE art! But today it was not such an awesome thing, no, it was not. That’s because Grace, Zoe and Violet are all in my Art class, and I had been trying to avoid them. This is hard to do when you live with the people you are trying to ignore.
When the bell rang, we went to roll call, then headed straight off to the art studios. One of the great things about Eden College is the amazing facilities, and the art studios are no exception. They are big open rooms with huge square tables and stools sitting all around them. We have all sorts of equipment in there, too, like a kiln to bake our pottery and even a 3D printer!
As I walked into the classroom, I saw that Grace, Zoe and Violet were already sitting in our usual place. Grace whispered something in Zoe’s ear and Zoe looked at me. Violet waved to try and get me to come and sit with them, but I didn’t want to. They were clearly whispering more secret things about me. Maybe this time it was about me being mean, as well as jealous. How was I to know?
I went and sat with my other friends, Ruby and Annabelle.
Mrs Hodges blew into the classroom in a flurry, her long skirts billowing around her ankles. Even though Mrs Hodges’ hair was completely grey, it looked more like shining silver. It was long and thick and just like I would imagine the mane of a unicorn. She always wore brightly patterned skirts and big interesting earrings. Today, her earrings looked like melting clocks, as if the clocks were going to drip right off her earlobes and land in a puddle on the bench. She also always wore multiple bangles up each arm, which jingled and jangled whenever she moved.
‘Good morning, girls,’ she said breathlessly.
‘Good morning, Mrs Hodges,’ we chorused.
‘Today, we are doing something a bit different! We are going to take our sketch books out into the surrounding bushland so we can practice our nature drawings!’ she exclaimed.
Everybody started to chatter with excitement. It was always fun to go outside during class time.
‘Grab your hats and we will walk out the back gate of the school. There are some lovely quiet areas out there where we can sit and draw and contemplate.’
We all put our hats on and trotted out the door in single file. We followed Mrs Hodges out of the music, art and drama centre and back down towards our dorm. Just ahead of me, I could see Zoe, Grace and Violet talking. I wanted to hear if they were talking about me, but I didn’t want them to think I was listening. So I walked up to Saskia, Portia and Mercedes, who were walking just behind them.
‘Oh, Ella,’ Saskia said in surprise. It wasn’t often I approached her just to hang out.
‘Hi, Saskia. Hi, Portia and Mercedes,’ I said cheerily.
‘Hey,’ Portia and Mercedes said in confused unison.
‘What are you up to?’ Saskia asked, still surprised.
‘I just wanted to hear about who you are bringing to the Alumni Luncheon again—it ties in with my Eden Press story,’ I said.
Saskia gushed. ‘Oh, of course,’ she said.
I knew this would keep Saskia talking—she loved telling everyone about her ‘Eden Family’ and how important they all are. So, I could walk along beside her and listen in on Zoe, Grace and Violet’s conversation easily.
‘Zoe, your anklet is showing! You’d better pull your socks up before Monty sees it,’ I overheard Violet saying to Zoe.
‘Thanks, Violet,’ Zoe replied. ‘It’s actually a bracelet from my Nonna, but it fits around my ankle. I had to wear it today because it’s lucky. I always wear it to public speaking events, and I’ve got a debate at lunch. It stops me from getting stage fright.’
‘Well, keep it hidden,’ Grace warned. ‘You know how Monty feels about jewellery.’
�
��So, are we all good for our plan later?’ Zoe asked, lowering her voice a bit.
That was interesting. What plan? Sounded like something else I’d been left out of.
‘Yep,’ Violet said. ‘I’ve got the supplies. Grace, have you—’
Grace turned and saw me standing directly behind them and quickly shushed the others. I raised my eyebrows accusingly. Grace went to say something, but I walked back to Annabelle and Ruby.
‘Ella, wait!’ Saskia called after me. ‘You haven’t heard the end of my important story about my aunt!’
‘Maybe later, Saskia,’ I said, annoyed. I was too upset to deal with Saskia right then.
Out past the back gate of the school, we wound our way through the bushland, along a thin weathered track. The summer sun beat down on our hats and, despite only being early morning, I could feel a sticky sweat gathering on the back of my neck.
As we walked deeper into the scrub, all the human sounds started to ebb away and were replaced with the songs of the bush. A magpie warbled cheerfully and a kookaburra cackled. The dry eucalyptus leaves crunched beneath our feet and every now and then we’d hear a loud SNAP as somebody stood on a stick on the path. We eventually reached a clearing, which had a view out over a parched creek bed. It looked like water had not flown down the creek in many years.
‘Stop here, everyone,’ Mrs Hodges sang. ‘Now, find a quiet spot and start sketching! You can sketch the wider landscape or you can focus your drawing in on something small, like a gumnut or a bottlebrush.’
I saw Zoe, Grace and Violet sit down near each other. My eyes met Zoe’s and it looked like she tried to smile at me, but I turned away before we had time to interact.
As I looked around, I realised we were not too far from the secret tunnel exit, which was just on the other side of the creek bed. It couldn’t be seen from where we were sitting, but I was certain it was there, as I had seen this part of the track when I’d come out through the tunnel just a couple of days ago. I squeezed my dress pocket, where the Italian sparrow brooch was sitting safely. It felt cold through the cotton material.
I pulled out my pencil tin and opened my sketchbook. Just as I was about to start sketching the gum tree, a huge cockatoo flew down onto a branch right in front of me. It fanned out its bright yellow comb and looked directly at me, as if to say, ‘What are you doing here in my world?’.
It stood so still, its dark grey claws clutching the branch and its beady eye searing into me. So I quickly began to sketch it. I wanted to get its curious expression down in my sketchbook.
As I sketched away, I couldn’t help but think of Elena. This was the area she liked to escape to—this was the place where she felt most at home. Without friends in the College, this was her refuge (that means her happy, safe place). Her friends were the birds and her music was the crunch of leaves underfoot and the hum of the cicadas in summer. This was her world. And here I was, some 80 years later, possibly sitting under the very same gum tree.
I glanced over to where Grace, Zoe and Violet were all sitting together. I felt a sting in my chest seeing them whispering together, as Grace threw her head back, laughing at her own joke. Is this how Elena felt every day? I wasn’t sure. But I was certain of one thing: it wasn’t a good feeling. Not at all.
Chapter 14
I awoke early on Saturday morning. We were allowed to sleep in on the weekend if we didn’t have any sport matches. Breakfast was open until the later time of 9.00 a.m., which meant we could have a slower morning.
So I was surprised when I woke up to find our dorm room empty. I knew the Year 7 cricket team had a bye, which meant Grace and Zoe didn’t have a match. Ordinarily, if they had nothing on they would sleep in, especially Grace. My watch blinked 7.45 a.m. and yet our room was deserted.
Maybe my friends just wanted to get away from me.
I decided to have my shower before breakfast today, to beat the rush later. That’s one downside to living with a whole bunch of girls—there’s always a line for the showers.
I padded up the hallway in my pyjamas and slippers, carrying my towel and my toiletry bag, which contained my shampoo, conditioner and body wash. I was enjoying the unusual silence around me. Everyone must be still asleep or already at breakfast.
As I entered the bathroom, which was completely empty, I couldn’t help looking across to the panel behind which the secret passage was hidden. It was like a quiet ghost calling me. I walked over to the panel and gently placed my hand on it. It was cold. When I put my ear to the wall, I could hear the faint whoosh of the wind sweeping through the tunnel.
Smiling, I hopped into the shower cubicle, turned on the warm water and let it wash over my head and face. It was nice not having a line of people yelling at me to hurry up, like on weekdays.
A million thoughts rushed through my head. I thought about my friends and where they could be. I thought about how I missed them, even though I was still mad at them.
Then I thought about Elena. I felt sad for her, that she didn’t even have friends to miss. And why wasn’t she in any of the Eden College records for 1940? Her journal clearly said 1940. Where had she disappeared to?
When I finished my shower, I grabbed my towel from the hook on the door and dried myself all over, before wrapping it around me. I slipped my feet into my slippers, gathered up my belongings and headed back up the hallway to my dorm room. I opened the door, expecting to see at least one of my roommates, but the room was still quiet and empty. I frowned.
I pulled out a pair of shorts and a t-shirt from my chest of drawers. Being a weekend, we could wear whatever we wanted, and I could see it was going to be another hot summer’s day. Maybe I would go for a swim in the school pool later today. I bundled my damp hair into a messy bun on the top of my head and slipped on my flip-flops. As I walked back into the hallway, it was still eerily quiet.
I went downstairs, out the main doors and across to the dining hall. Inside, there were plenty of girls chatting and eating, but it didn’t have the same busyness as a weekday. Some girls had taken their toast outside to eat in the morning sunshine, others sat at the long benches in the dining hall eating cereal, fruit or pastries (which were a weekend treat).
I grabbed a bowl and heaped some muesli and fruit into it, along with a splash of milk and a dollop of thick creamy yoghurt. Then I turned and saw Grace, Zoe and Violet sitting together at the end of one of the tables. I hesitated. Should I go over?
As I approached, I saw Zoe look up. She hurriedly nudged Grace and signalled to Violet to stop talking. All at once, they stood up and took their empty bowls and plates to the kitchen area, before bustling out the dining hall doors. My heart lurched in my chest. Was this how it was going to be from now on?
I sat by myself near a group of Year 8 girls, who chattered away happily, not even acknowledging my existence. My muesli felt heavy and unappetising. I scooped up a final mouthful, deciding I didn’t want the rest. I slowly took my bowl up to the kitchen area.
‘Not hungry today?’ one of the servers asked, as she scooped my leftover breakfast into the slops bucket.
I shook my head.
What was I going to do now? I had a whole weekend ahead of me and no friends to spend it with. I walked back into the dormitory and up the stairs. Grace, Zoe and Violet had probably already left to go do something together for the day. I turned the doorknob to my room and slowly pushed it open.
‘SURPRISE!’
I squealed with fright and jumped backwards into the hallway.
Inside, the room was decorated with streamers and balloons. Hanging over my bed was a homemade sign, written in glitter pens, saying:
We Ella!
‘Wha—what’s this?’ I stammered. ‘It’s not my birthday …’
‘We know,’ Zoe said, running over to hug me. ‘We just wanted you to know how much we love you and that we are sorry for calling you jealous.’
I looked up and Grace and Violet were nodding in agreement.
Beside Grace, on t
he desk in our room, was a plate of chocolate chip cookies.
‘Where did these come from?’ I laughed.
‘From my Food Tech class,’ Violet said. ‘We were making them as practice for the Alumni Luncheon. We got to take them with us though. So it’s officially a party,’ she laughed.
She offered us each a cookie and we all took one. Violet herself probably wasn’t able to have that much sugar in one go. I bit into the cookie, which had just the right amount of crunch while still being soft in the centre.
‘So, is this what you were secretly whispering about in Art class?’ I asked, suddenly feeling guilty.
‘Yes,’ Violet said. ‘We wanted it to be a surprise, but then we realised it was probably making you feel even worse! Sorry for that, too.’
‘You guys are the best,’ I said, my eyes becoming teary. I hugged each one of them and said I was sorry for storming off.
I really did have the best friends anybody could ask for. I felt guilty about comparing their behaviour to what Elena experienced in her journal. My experience of Eden College was nothing like hers.
Thinking of Elena made me suddenly realise that I’d never shared my big news about the secret tunnel with my friends. I blurted out everything I’d discovered over the last few days—from the mystery of Elena not appearing in any Eden records to her journal entries about a secret place. Zoe, Violet and Grace listened with wide eyes. The idea of a hidden passage somewhere in the school was as shocking and exciting to them as it was to me when I first read about it.
‘So, did you find it?’ Grace blurted.
I looked at them all with a very serious face.
Then I nodded.
All three of them squealed at the same time, bombarding me with questions about where it was and what it was like.
‘I could tell you,’ I said slowly. ‘But wouldn’t you prefer for me to show you?’
Secret Journal Page 6
