Last Term at Malory Towers Page 6

  Darrell glowed with pleasure. Yes, Felicity was all light. Felicity would make good - and yet, June would be twice as good as even Felicity, if she only took the · rouble!

  'Well - it will be interesting to see what happens,' said Moira. 'Very, very interesting. The confident cocksure Amanda - and the confident cocksure June. My word, how ! do dislike them both!'

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  When Amanda had made up her mind to do something, she did it immediately. As soon as she had got outside the door she looked out for a second-former, and she saw Susan.

  'Hey, you - what's your name - Susan!' she called. 'Go and find June, tell her f want her, and send her up to my study/

  Susan sped off, wondering what June had done. As a lule the second-former^ were only sent for when they needed lecturing about something. She found June and delivered the message.

  June was surprised. Amanda, as far as she knew, hadn't even bothered to know her name, though she had seen the big sixth-former watching the lower-form tennis practice and swimming several times. She looked at Susan.

  'I'm sure it's not me she wants,' she said. 'It's someone else. Anyway, I haven't done anything wrong - and if somebody was going to tick me off, it wouldn't be Amanda. It would be Sally or Darrell. I'm not going. I don't like Amanda.'

  'But you must go/ said Susan, shocked at the idea of June disobeying a sixth-form order. 'Even if it's a mistake, you ought to go and find out.'

  'I'm busy/ said June. 'Leave me alone. I'm the one that will get into trouble for not going, not you. But I shan't, don't worry! Amanda meant someone else, not me.'

  Susan went oil All riizht - let lime disobey Amanda

  TcS

  il she wanted to. Susan had delivered the message. It was just like June's silly obstinacy. She hated being ordered about by the bigger girls.

  Amanda went to her study and waited. She had no real interest in June beyond the tact that she had certainly noted June's decided gift for games. She just wanted to coach her to prove her point. She sat and waited lor the second-former to come.

  She waited five minutes, patiently, knowing that it might take Susan a little time to find her. Then, most impatiently, she waited another five minutes. She got up, annoyed,, and went to the door to see if by any chance June was there and had knocked, and she hadn't heard her.

  The passage outside was empty. Amanda went to the window and looked. Down in the garden she saw June, walking with two or three others, talking animatedly, she yelled out of the window.

  'June! Come here! Didn't Susan give you my message?'

  June pretended not to hear. Amanda yelled again. The others nudged June and pointed to the shouting Amanda. June reluctantly detached herself and went under the window.

  'Come up to my study at once/ ordered Amanda. I've already been wailing ten minutes and more!

  The other second-formers laughed at June's annoyed lace. 'Now you're for it!' called Katherine. 'What have on been up to, June? You're in for a good old wigging!'

  June couldn't think of anyxhmg she had done. She had hated being hauled indoors in front of all the others. >he went in sulkily and stood outside Amanda's door, she knocked sharply. Amanda had expected a soft, rpologetic knock and she jumped.

  'Come in,' she said. June went in and shut the door ioo loudly. She would show Amanda she didn't stand in ■uc of sixth-formers, however high and mighty they

  thought themselves!

  It was not a good beginning lor any co-operation between them. Amanda was annoyed, June was cross

  'I suppose Susan didn't give you my message?' said Amanda.

  'Yes, she did,' said June.

  'Then why on earth didn't you come?' demanded Amanda.

  I thought you'd made a mistake,' said June. 'I didn't know you even knew my name.'

  'What a feeble excuse!' said Amanda and, indeed, it did sound rather feeble, even to June, as she said it.

  June scowled. She waited to hear what she had done wrong. She half expected to see a Punishment Book ready on the table, but there was none. All the sixth- formers had Punishment Books, in which they wrote down anv punishment they meted out to lower-formers who had offended in some way. Usually the punishment was lines to learn and repeat.

  I wish she'd tell me what I've done, thought June, eyeing Amanda aggressively. Actually Amanda, finding June so exasperating, was debating whether or not to change her mind about offering to coach her. She decided to go on with it. She couldn't bear the idea of Moira sneering at her if she didn't.

  'Look here. June,' she began, abruptly. 'I've been watching you.'

  June was startled. 'Watching me!' she said, on the defensive at once. 'What for? I'm no! aware thai I've been worth watching - I've been fairly harmless lately.'

  'Don't talk in that silly way/ said Amanda. 'I've been watching you at tennis and swimming. You could be good. In fact you could be better than anyone in the second form c?r the third form. And if you worked at your games, instead of playing the fool, you'd soon beat anyone in the fourth form too/

  June gaped. This was so very extraordinary and unexpected that she couldn't think of a word to say.

  Amanda went on.

  'So I propose to coach you myself, June. I've told sally and Darrell and Moira my views about you, and ! ve said I could make you good enough to put you in the second tennis team and second swimming team before the end of the term. 1 want to prove that I'm right.'

  Still June stared at Amanda, overcome with astonish¬ment. She couldn't understand Amanda picking her out like this. June had no illusions about herself - she knew she could be outstanding if she tried - but it was too much trouble to try! Still, it was very very flattering to be told all this!

  'Well?' said Amanda, impatiently. 'Why don't you say something? I propose to begin coaching you right away ■his afternoon, if possible.'

  June hesitated. She was torn between two alternatives. She disliked Amanda, and wanted to throw her offer back in her face, because it had something hard and condescending about it. On the other hand - what lun to lord it over the other second-formers, and tell litem that Amanda, from the great sports school, Trenigan Towers, had actually picked her out from all the vu her lower-formers - and considered it worth while to spend a great deal ol time on her!

  All right,' said June, at last. 'Did Sally say I could have special coaching from you?'

  Amanda gave a snort. 'Don't be silly. And I think you might at least show a spark of gratitude. I'm going to give :;p a lot of my time to you/

  'Well - you're really only doing it to prove yourself : ight, aren't you ?' said June, with her devastating l^)arpness. 'Not because you're reaily interested in me? : don't mind. It suits me, if it suits von!'

  manda restrained her tongue with an effort, ft

  wouldn't do to put this cheeky youngster in a hostile mood at the beginning, or there would he no co¬operation between them, and no good results. But how- she did dislike her!

  'Very well,' said Amanda, crisply. 'We'll have the whole thing on a business basis. / want to prove I'm right, atid you want to he in the second school teams. At least, I imagine you do. It would be a tremendous thing tor a second-former.'

  'All right,' said June, in her maddeningly casual way.

  'But there's just one thing you must understand,' said Amanda, 'or the whole thing's off. You have jolly well got to tome at the times f set for coaching in swimming and tennis. Got that?'

  'That's fair enough,' said June. And so the bargain was struck between them, a cold sort of bargain with no liking in real interest on either side, June went off jauntily What a shock for the other second-formers to hear her news!

  As soon as she appeared in the second-form common-room the others called out to her.

  'What was it, June? What did she want you for?'

  'How many lines have you got to learn (his time?'

  'Did you cheek her? What did you say?'

  'She sent for me because sh
e said she wanted to coach me in tennis and swimming,' announced June.

  This was so astonishing to the others that they were struck into silence. Felicity gasped.

  'Amanda - coaching yew, June! Whatever for?'

  'Well, she appears to think I could be in the second tennis team and the second swimming team by the end of the term if I watit to,' said June, airily.

  'You couldn't. You always fool about too much,' said Susan at once.

  'Right. Amanda appears to think so, I said,' answered June. 'I've no doubt your opinion is more correct, though. Susan.'

  'Look - don't bo so exasperating,' said Felicity. 'Tell us what really happened.'

  'I've told you,' said June. 'Amanda wants to coach me every day, and I've agreed. That's all.'

  There was another silence. The second-formers iound all very hard to believe. But they knew June was speaking the truth. She alwavs did.

  'Well, all I can say is, I wish you joy ol being c< iclied ;>v that awful, loud-voiced creature,' said Susan. 'She'll order you about like anything.'

  'She'll have to mind her Ps and Qs,' said June, smoothly, '! don't take kindly to being ordered about. II she wants to prove she's right, and get me good enough for the second teams, she'll have to go about it :he right way.'

  'You're a pair,' said Harriet. 'A real pair! I shall come md watch the coaching.'

  'I don't want you to,' said June, hastily.

  'Oh, but we must,' said Felicity, winking at the others. After all - with coaching marvellous enough to push ou into the second teams so soon, even we might pick up a lew hints.'

  'Just a few crumbs from the rich man's table!' giggled Susan. 'Well - what a bit of news!'

  V

  On tlte tennis ccurt wk in ike p&ol

  The news about the special coaching soon flew round the school. The games-mistress looked a little doubtful when she heard it. Too much special attention devoted to any one lower-former was not really good.

  On the other hand, June could be brilliant at games if she was interested enough. Perhaps this offer of Amanda's would really jerk her into working hard at tennis and swimming. If she only worked hard at .something it would be a help to her character!

  'She's a maddening child/ Miss Parker, the second- form mistress, remarked to Mam'zelle. 'All that ability of hers for practically everything - and she's just not interested enough to take the trouble to shine. Except at making the others laugh.'

  'Yes - she is too good at that/ agreed Mam'zelle, who had suffered from this ability of June's far too often.

  'She's superlative at playing the donkey/ said Miss Potts, who had had June in the first form. 'She's about the only child I've ever had in my form that I really would have liked to see the back of!"

  They laughed. 'Well, if Amanda can make her keep her nose to the grindstone, it will be very interesting,' said Miss Parker. 'We'll see!'

  Amanda drew up a most intensive time-table for lime. June gasped when she saw it. A time was set aside

  every single day for coaching in swimming and in tennis. Inne wondered whether she should protest or not. No - ii Amanda was as much in earnest as all thai, all right, lime would keep her part of the bargain too.

  The coaching began. An interested crowd of first- and econd-formers came to watch. Amanda was astonished to see the crowd, and June didn't like it at all. She didn't want to be laughed at, or barracked all the time.

  'What's all this?' said Amanda, waving her hand towards the onlookers sitting round the court on the grass.

  They've come to watch us,' said June. 'They would, of course.'

  Amanda addressed the crowd at once.

  'ii you've come to pick up hints, all right, ii not, clear oil. Anyone who interrupts the coaching, or disturbs it in my way, can think again. I've got my Punishment Book vilh me as usual.'

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  This was greeted by a dead silence, and then, as Amanda turned away, a low and discreet murmur arose. Amanda was decidedly not popular. She was even less popular than the domineering Moira. A few of the girls uot up and went away. They had only come to call out sunny things to June. Now that it meant their names -loing down in the Punishment Book, there didn't seem much point in staying. June wished fervently that every¬one would go. To her great annoyance and surprise she ;'Hind that she was nervous!

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  Amanda began with playing pat-ball, keeping a sharp ■ve on June's returns and placing. She noted that June tsed her head as well as her hands. She watched the way .he swung her racket right back, and kept her eye on the '·all. She look in every single detail. There really wasn't inch that Amanda didn't know about tennis! She had ii ready played in school-girl championships, and she was t born teacher as well as a born player.

  '1 say how long's this going on lor?' complained

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  June at last. 'This pat-ball, I mean.'

  There was a ripple of laughter lrom the onlookers. They sat up, hoping that June would begin to be funny.

  Amanda didn't answer. She sent another ball over to June. June pretended to miss it, almost iell over and, by a seemingly miraculous recovery, hit the ball from behind her back, and stood up again. This was the kind of clowning she did superlatively well.

  There was a wave of laughter from the watchers. 'Go it, June!' called Harriet.

  Amanda caught the ball in her hand and swung round to the lower-formers. 'One more shout and off you'll all go,' she announced. 'I can tell you straight away now that there is nothing whatever I can teach June in the way of playing the fool - she knows all the tricks there are - but she doesn't know much about playing real tenuis, I'm afraid. P<» you see how badlv she plays a backhand ball? She goes like this - instead of like this! And did you notice her feet when she played those balls off the right-hand side? All wrong!'

  June stood still, fuming. Why point out her faults to the audience? But she knew why, of course. It was Amanda's return for that bit of clowning. Every time she clowned, and a laugh came, Amanda would stop and point out other faults of June's!

  The next time a ball went near where the spectators were, June spoke lo them in a low voice.

  'I wish you'd clear off. It's jolly difficult trying to concentrate with you all looking.'

  But they didn't clear off, especially when Amanda stopped the pat-ball play and began to explain to June, in her loud, dominating voice, the few hundred things she did wrong. It was wonderful to see the don't-care June having to stand there like someone from the kindergarten and listen to all her tennis failings' The lower forms really enjoyed it.

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  June didn't enjoy it at all. If she had been a weaker character she would have made up her mind to call the whole thing off, and refuse to be coached again. But June was not weak - and besides, she couldn't help ealizing that Amanda really did know what she was ■aIking about. And Amanda also knew how to be patient and how to explain a thing simply and clearly.

  June found herself looking at Amanda with unwilling admiration as she illustrated, by various swings of her racket and placing of her feet, exactly what she meant.

  I've learned more in this one coaching than I've learned in a whole term, thought June. But she didn't sell Amanda that. She wasn't going to hand the loud- voiced Amanda any bouquets!

  Amanda didn't hand June any bouquets either. She merely said, 'That's enough for today. You've plenty of to think about, as you can see Get some of them right for next time. And be down at the swimming-pool lo the minute tomorrow morning. I've only ten minutes io give you, and I don't want a second wasted.'

  June was down to the minute. Amanda was there exactly on time too. She put June through a very gruelling ten minutes, and found as many faults with her swimming as she had done with her tennis. Darrell, Moira and Mary-Lou happened to be there too, and they watched in silence.

  'If June can stick it, this is going to do her a world of .4ood,' said Darrell. 'My word - what a driver Amanda is she never lets up for a mom
ent.'

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  'June can stick it all right. The question is - will she?' ntid Mary-Lou. 'I have a feeling she'll get very tired of all i'his soon - not the coaching, but the way it's done. So i uthless, somehow.'

  it'iih:

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  Three or four second-formers came down to swim, among them Josephine, fat and pasty-looking, airing her · -pinions as usual. They weren't worth anything, of

  course. They never were. Hut, like her father, she loved hearing the sound of her voice, and if she could boast about anything, she did.

  She had plenty to boast about. 'My lather has a whole fleet of cars! My mother has a diamond necklace she never wears because it's too valuable. We've a dog at home worth five hundred pounds. My aunt's sending me five pounds for my birthday. My brother's got . . .'

  These were the items of family news that Jo continually talked ol. There was no doubt at all that they were true.

  'Miss Parker is an old nosey! I meant to get out of swimming this morning, and ol course she must come and poke her nose in and send me out. I told her what I thought of her. I said . . .'

  'Shut up,' said Amanda, who was shouting instruc¬tions to June in the water 'Shut up. and get into the water. I'm coaching someone.'

  Jo gave a giggle. She hadn't at first recognized Amanda in her swimming-costume. 'Oh, it's Amanda. Oh, do let's watch this. It'll be as good as the tennis.'

  She happened to get in Amanda's way, and impatiently Amanda gave her a push. Into the water went Jo with an agonized squeal. The others yelled with laughter.

  But Jo had gone into a deep part, and she couldn't swim. She came up, gasping and terrified, trying to feel the bottom with her feet. But there was no bottom to feel. She went under again.

  'Look - quick - Jo's in the deep water!' yelled Darrell. 'She can't swim/

  June swam up to the struggling Jo, and began to life- save her. But Jo was now completely out of control, and so terrilied that she clutched hold of June and dragged her under too. She was fat and heavy, and June could do nothing with her.