by Anne Digby
But it was Cliff who was in Rebecca's thoughts now, as she stared in vain at the mail board. He still hadn't written, the idiot. Had he done really badly in his mocks? She was starting to worry about him. And who was Jelly?
'How many letters do you want, Rebeck?' Tish was saying, in a teasing voice.
'Oh, lots and lots and lots,' Rebecca replied, lightly.
To her astonishment, Tish suddenly flung an arm round her shoulders.
'Hey, Rebecca. That's it!' she hissed.
'That's what?'
'Quick -- ' She glanced into the empty common room, then dragged Rebecca inside and shut the door. 'That's just what a nosey-parker would like!' she said.
'What is, Tish?'
'Lots and lots of letters, to poke through!' whispered Tish, in delight.
She took a running leap on to the sofa and jumped up and down on it.
She'd thought of a new plan, she said: what did Rebecca think? She then expounded it carefully.
Rebecca thought it was horribly devious but, yes, rather good.
'I'm sure the others will like it, Tish,' she said.
They couldn't risk having a meeting, of course. It was agreed that Rebecca would find Margot and Elf, while Tish looked for the other two.
TEN
AN IDENTITY CRISIS
'If you three don't give me some moral support this afternoon,' said Tish, 'I'll never speak to you again. Hillstone always bring coachloads of supporters - you know what they're like.'
The three As were sitting at their lunch table. Tish was positive that they'd be turning out to watch the match but she wanted to make quite sure, all the same.
'Of course we're coming, Tish!' replied Aba.
'Good, that's the whole floor then!' said Tish. She'd already spoken to Fiona, Jenny and Elizabeth, on the other table, 'And you promise, Sue?'
She caught Sue's eye and Sue played up nobly. It was all part of the plan.
'D'you think I'd miss it?'
'What about your violin?' asked Rebecca, joining in the charade.
'It's having a rest,' replied Sue, firmly. 'I need some fresh air, anyway.'
In fact Sue had only been intending to watch the second half; but all that was changed now.
Tish finished her fruit yoghurt and slipped off early. She had to be at the sports centre by half-past one. Alison wanted to talk tactics. The big match started at two o'clock.
'The entire floor's promised to turn out!' she reiterated - this time to Fiona & Co as she passed their table. 'Even Sue. Isn't it great?'
'And the rest of Court House too I expect, Tish,' commented Jenny, good-naturedly. 'Good luck.'
Jenny watched Tish hurry out of the hall after Joss and Laura, with a tiny pang of envy. She'd had an outstanding season in goal for the Second Eleven and yearned for a chance to play in the Firsts. But it didn't look as though it were going to happen; not this year. Kim Soo Lin, the First Eleven goalkeeper, was just too brilliant. Jenny had heard that the Korean girl had been shortlisted for a sports scholarship next year at a Canadian University! Well, the season was almost over. She longed to get her First Eleven colours but she'd have to wait until she was in the Sixth now. Alison Hissup, the school's head of games, had told her that if it weren't for Kim she'd have got them by now.
As if she, or any of them, would miss watching today's match against Hillstone! Whatever was Tish fussing about? She didn't usually care a fig.
After lunch, the entire top floor contingent hurried back to Court House to collect lucky mascots, hooters, warm sweaters and scarves. It was going to be chilly out on north pitch today. Rebecca decided not to take her mascot. Yet.
She waited by her cubicle, watching the door. Then -
'Rebecca!'
Katy Baxter, from the ground floor, was bursting in right on cue.
'Guess what I've found, Rebecca!' she shouted and every head turned. The Third Year girl, breathless from rushing up the stairs, was waving a thick, bulging brown envelope.
'There's a load of your private letters in here, Rebecca,' called Katy, as Rebecca advanced along the aisle to meet her. 'Don't worry, I haven't read them or anything.'
'Katy! Where on earth did you find them?' exclaimed Rebecca. 'I've been looking for that big brown envelope for weeks. Did I leave it somewhere?'
'It was stuffed down the side of the sofa in the common room!' said Katy, her cheeks flushed with excitement. Was she doing it right? Fancy Mara Leonodis paying her a fiver just to do this and not tell anybody. 'I was looking for the remote control and found this instead!'
Everybody was listening and watching. It was impossible not to. You'd think Katy Baxter had found the crown jewels or something!
'You angel!' said Rebecca, taking the bulky envelope and holding it close. 'Now I can catch up on some letters. I must have had them downstairs and then started watching TV and . . . oh, how stupid of me! Thanks, Katy.'
As the younger girl departed, the three As crowded round Rebecca.
'Hey, could your history chart be in there, too?'
'Have a look.'
Rebecca squinted into the envelope and riffled the contents.
'No, not here. I'd never have taken that downstairs.'
'Oh, what a shame!'
Then Margot popped up, grinning.
'Come on, Rebecca! For goodness sake put that stuff in your locker or somewhere.'
'Yes,' said Elf. 'Time to go. Put it away, Rebecca.'
'We want to be early, don't we?' added Sue.
Rebecca dived into her cubicle, put the envelope safely away; then reappeared. Everyone agreed it was time to get going to the match.
The top floor of Court House emptied, with Rebecca & Co the first to leave.
Halfway along the path through the shrubbery, Mara glanced behind then gave Rebecca a quick push and whispered 'Good luck!'
Rebecca peeled off from the others, ducking low into the bushes.
She knelt there in hiding, peering through the leaves, waiting and watching for the rest of the floor to go by. As soon as all six girls had passed safely by, she slipped out of the bushes -
And raced back to Court House.
All was still and silent on the attic floor.
She entered her cubicle and then sat on the bed for a few moments, to recover her breath.
The bait had been put down. Would the unknown person come after it?
'Or will I just be stuck here all afternoon, missing the hockey match ?' wondered Rebecca.
Then her scalp started to tingle.
She could hear footsteps coming up the stairs.
Already. It was unbelievable. The person was coming! They'd be here in a minute
In panic, Rebecca hurled herself under the bed, snapping her necklace as she went. The big green beads of her favourite necklace rolled under the bed with her.
She lay flat on her stomach completely hidden. She was facing the entrance to her cubicle. Her eyes were fixed firmly on the hems of the curtains, which were partly closed.
The person was on the top floor now.
She could hear their footsteps coming this way. The footfalls, quite heavy, came nearer and nearer . . . Then stopped.
She heard a hand brush against her curtains and then found herself staring at a large pair of feet, planted there, stolidly, at the entrance to the cubicle. They were shod in white and green Nikes and looked vaguely familiar.
The person moved into the cubicle, puffing a bit.
Rebecca lay frozen, holding her breath.
As soon as she heard the drawer of her work table being opened, she surfaced from under the bed. 'Got you!' she yelled. The tall figure stopped rummaging through the open drawer and spun round in horror.
'Jenny!' gasped Rebecca, in shock. In fury.
Jenny stared at Rebecca in astonishment, her mouth open, her face slowly turning red.
'You wretch!' said Rebecca. Her heart was still thumping with shock. 'So you fell for it? You thought there'd be some more private letter
s for you to read?'
She lifted up a corner of the mattress and pulled out the bulging brown envelope. Then she threw it. Hard.
'Here you are then, have a good read!' She spoke with contempt. 'Except there's just a few old envelopes stuffed with some English essays. Hope you enjoy them. Sorry to disappoint you.'
Jenny was almost speechless with dismay. She had great difficulty in getting any words out at all.
'I - I haven't been reading your private letters, Rebecca.'
But there was a strained expression on her face that Rebecca recognised. She'd seen it once before.
'Oh no?'
'I thought I'd try to find your Time Chart for you,' Jenny said, lamely.
'Come off it. Come off it.' Rebecca snorted. 'You've been going through all my private stuff and reading it. Why? What sort of a hobby is that?' She stared at Jenny with mixed feelings of embarrassment and total incomprehension.
'WHY? I knew somebody was, but you're the last person – '
'I haven't been, not really - '
'What's the matter with you Jenny? Tell me why you do it, can't you?' exploded Rebecca. 'You haven't come creeping back here just to look for my chart!'
'How do you know?'
'I just know, that's all,' replied Rebecca.
But it was obvious Jenny had no intention of saying anything more, not even sorry. And Rebecca's temper now snapped completely.
She gave the big girl a hard push.
'Get out of my cubie!' she cried. 'Just GET OUT. Go and watch the hockey match.'
Jenny backed out into the aisle, edging away rapidly. She'd been caught in the act and she knew it.
'You won't tell the others?' she said suddenly. 'You won't tell the rest of the floor? Better all round not to make a big thing of this, Rebecca. It won't happen any more.'
'I don't know what I'll do!' retorted Rebecca. 'I'll have to think about it. Just GET OUT, Jenny. Don't ever come near my cubie again.'
She sat down at her work table, feeling weak. She just sat there, thinking worrying thoughts, long after the other girl had left. She'd written things in her diary occasionally about Jenny, amongst others; just little observations, not meant to be unkind . . . That last letter her parents had written her, it was so personal . . . Those shared confidences with Emmanuelle about wanting a sister and things . . .
She longed to believe Jenny had truly just been seeking the Time Chart, wanted perhaps to take Rebecca in hand. Katy's visit had made her look forgetful, after all.
But, no.
That stricken look on her face said it all. She'd looked like that when they met her at the top of the stairs that day. She and Mara had assumed that Jenny must have done really badly in the rnaths exam. But she hadn't - she'd got an A! Her look had been a guilt stricken one, Rebecca now realised. Like today's. After all, what had she been doing there? Nobody else taking the physics exam had gone back to Court House after lunch. There wasn't really any need. So why had Jenny?
Rebecca had been prepared to brace herself to learn the identity of the culprit.
She'd known it was never going to be pleasant. Discovering there was a nosey parker on their floor had been a horrible shock. And it had to be one of those six.
But why did it have to be Jenny? Jenny, of all people.
Yet Jenny it certainly was.
And as the truth sank in, a sense of crisis overwhelmed Rebecca. This was a disaster.
She'd been looking forward to the French trip with such joy. Even worrying about the big confession to Emmanuelle, still unmade, had never really dimmed that excitement.
But it was dimmed now. She and Jenny would be expected to go around in a foursome in Paris, with Emmanuelle and Anne-Marie. It was all settled. She didn't want to have to go around with Jenny, in Paris. Not after this.
Everything was spoiled.
Finally, Rebecca's thoughts turned to the Time Chart. She was beginning to doubt that the two things were connected, after all. Elf had said they mightn't be and nobody had listened to her. Because if Jenny had had that on her conscience, as well, she'd never have talked about it today. She'd still have thought up some feeble excuse for looking in Rebecca's drawer but she'd have steered well clear of that particular subject, surely?
Unless on top of everything else, she had a very peculiar sense of humour.
She hadn't. Elf was the only member of Action Committe to have got it right. There was no connection between the two mysteries at all.
Rebecca had a big surprise a few minutes later, as she wriggled along on her stomach under the bed, collecting up her green beads.
She realised that some of them must have rolled right across and gone under the bedside locker, which was raised off the floor on rubber stoppers.
She slid her hand into the narrow gap between the bottom of the locker and the floor, to feel for the beads. As she did so, her fingers closed over some paper.
She squeezed it out and stared at the colourful pages, all covered in dust and cobwebs.
And then she drew in a quick breath.
It was the long lost Time Chart. It had been in her cubicle all the time.
Cringing, Rebecca realised what must have happened. That night. When, through layers of sleep, she'd heard someone coming . . .
She thought she'd rammed the pages into the narrow shelf at the very bottom of her locker . . .
But she'd missed!
She'd rammed them into the gap beneath the locker instead.
A wave of embarrassment engulfed her. How stupid! And all the fuss she'd made about it - the awful fuss! There were going to be plenty of smiles at her expense, when people got to hear of it. She'd have to own up. How was she going to face them all?
Except that seemed quite a small problem, now. And as she thought of all her other problems - Jenny's behaviour and the blighted French trip; the fears about Cliff and the certain knowledge that Robbie was avoiding her - she decided it was a very small problem indeed.
She rolled the chart up and put an elastic band round it. She'd take it over to north pitch with her and show it to everyone straight away. They could all have their good laugh at her expense and get it over with. In fact Fiona was to think it was the joke of the year and talk about it for days.
Then she picked up Bonzo the dog, wrapped her school scarf round his neck, and set off to watch the rest of the hockey match.
As Mara observed later, Biffy the bear was right out of favour these days.
ELEVEN
PRETENCES
'So my brilliant plan didn't work, after all,' sighed Tish, handing round mini-cartons of fruit juice to the others. 'Here, help yourselves. There's a load left over.'
The Action Committee was having a quick meeting, hurriedly snatched in a changing room at the sports centre. The match had finished and the rest of the team had gone across to main school to offer Hillstone their hockey tea. Trebizon had held them to a 3 - 3 draw. Now everything depended on the match against Caxton High. Tish had played well and was feeling rather hungry but the other five had nabbed her. They'd now all locked themselves inside the empty changing room.
'But it did work, Tish. In a way, it worked!' said Mara, clapping her hands. 'If Rebecca hadn't gone back to Court House and hidden under the bed, then she would never have seen her Time Chart under the locker!'
Mara's relief at the reappearance of the chart was boundless. So there was no horrible, spiteful person after all. There was nobody who hated Rebecca enough to take her lovely chart from the locker one day and tear it into tiny pieces. There was just a silly nosey-parker.
'I said there might be a different reason, I mean about the chart, didn't I?' grumbled Elf. 'And nobody would listen to me.'
'Yes, you did. Clever Elf,' murmured Rebecca.
She was lying stretched out on one of the benches, hands under head, staring up at the ceiling. She preferred not to have to look the others in the eye. She'd never before deceived them like this! It was awful, Tish thinking her plan hadn't work
ed. But she felt it was necessary.
'We're back to square one,' said Margot. 'We're just going to have to think up something new.'
'If this plan didn't work, what will? ' asked Sue. 'By the way, great idea, Tish. Great performance by everyone concerned. You should have seen it.'
'Katy was brilliant,' said Mara.
They all murmured agreement. Tish, who needed to get to the hockey tea, looked impatient and said:
'We're not going to be beaten are we? There's got to be another ideas session. Let's go to Mick's Diner again tomorrow . . . '
'No!' Rebecca said, suddenly. She raised herself up to the sitting position and turned to face them all. 'I don't want us to!' she blurted out. 'It doesn't matter any more.'
They all looked at her in surprise.
But Rebecca put on a very convincing show. It didn't matter, she said, now she knew there wasn't a secret enemy. As they hadn't taken the chart, it wasn't so distressing any more. Besides, it was almost a week since the person had last been prying and snooping in the cubie again.
'It was the shadowing that did the trick, Tish!' she said, solemnly. 'It's frightened the person off for good. I don't think they'll come back again.'
'Yes, that must be it!' exclaimed Sue. 'That's why they didn't come and look at those fake letters this afternoon. That explains it.'
Sue felt pleased with the deduction. She didn't want to go to Mick's Diner, either. She wanted to go to St Mary's, the little church in the corner of Trebizon's grounds and then on to Fenners for coffee with Justy.
'So one of your plans did work, Tish,' said Mara, eagerly.
'But that means we'll never know who it was!' complained Margot, to nods of agreement from Elf and Tish. It was all very unsatisfactory.
'I've decided I don't want to know,' said Rebecca firmly. 'It's over with now. I just want to forget the whole thing.'
Tish looked at her oddly but that was that. The meeting broke up.
Rebecca and Mara walked back to Court House together and Mara glanced at Bonzo, his school scarf trailing comically, with a secret smile. Lucky Rebecca had two boy friends to choose from, she thought. It must be Cliff she liked best at the moment.
