First Term at Silver Spires (School Friends #1) Read online

  About This Book

  Secrets, hopes and dreams… School friends are for ever!

  Starting at Silver Spires boarding school was really scary, especially sharing a dorm with five girls I’d never met. But now it’s like having a sleepover with my best friends every day!

  There is one girl who’s horrible to me though. She’d be different if she knew my secret, but there’s no way I’m going to tell her – or anyone else. Because if I did, my lovely fresh start here would be ruined before the first term is even over!

  For Lesley Hodgson, my best friend, and housemistress par excellence!

  My grateful thanks to Cally Fosbery and Emma Stone for all their help

  Contents

  About This Book

  Acknowledgements

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  School Friends Fun!

  Sneak Preview of Drama at Silver Spires

  About the Author

  Want to know more about the Silver Spires girls?

  Collect the whole School Friends series

  Copyright

  Chapter One

  “Not long now, Katy,” said Dad, taking his eyes off the road for a second to glance sideways at me.

  A shiver of excitement mixed up with big-time nervousness ran through me and I turned round to check on Buddy, my pet rabbit, who was lying in his basket on the back seat. He blinked his velvety eyes at me, just like he had done every other time I’d checked on him during this three-hour-long car journey.

  “Nearly there, Bud! Just think, you’re about to make lots of new friends!”

  Dad laughed. “I reckon he’d be saying exactly the same thing to you, if he could talk, Kates!”

  And that sent another of those shivers rushing through me because I was about to start a brand-new life and it suddenly seemed totally scary. I’d read plenty of books about kids at boarding schools, but I’d no idea what it would actually feel like to be at one myself, living in a boarding house, with a housemistress and a matron instead of a mum and a dad, sleeping in a dormitory with five other girls that I’d never met before, and walking to lessons every morning in less than a minute.

  For the last few days I’d done nothing but pack and unpack and repack my cases because I’d changed my mind so often about what clothes to take. Even now I wasn’t sure that I’d brought the right amount. “What if I’ve got too much stuff, Dad?”

  “Then you can just leave some of it in your trunk.”

  “But what if I’ve not packed enough?”

  Dad laughed. “Then you can collect more stuff at half-term. Stop worrying, Kates!”

  “I don’t want you to come up to the dorm, Dad.”

  “That’s fine.”

  “But what if you leave and then I wish you had come up to the dorm after all? I’ll be really sad.”

  “So maybe it would be best if I did come up to the dorm then.”

  “No because then I’ll definitely be sad when you’ve gone.”

  Dad laughed and patted my leg. “It’ll all be fine. Remember what Mum said. It’s only fear of the unknown that makes us worry. Half an hour after I’ve gone you’ll be right as rain.”

  I wasn’t so sure about that. And although I didn’t say anything else out loud, the questions kept going on inside my head. What if I don’t like the other girls in my dorm? What if they don’t like me? What if I can’t find my way around?

  There was only one thing that would calm me down and that was sketching, so I pulled my pad and pencil out of my backpack and before I knew it I’d covered a double page with designs for dresses and boots. They weren’t new designs though because I couldn’t concentrate on being creative when my mind was on school, wondering how long it would take me to get used to having all my meals in an enormous dining hall and doing my homework with lots of other people in the same room instead of on my own, often in front of the telly. That thought made me suddenly feel homesick, which was a bad sign as I hadn’t even arrived at school yet.

  I knew I was really going to miss Mum and Dad. Especially Mum. I don’t have any brothers or sisters so Mum and I are very close, but now I’m on my way to boarding school, America seems even further away than it did when Mum first went over there and it was just me and Dad living at home. At least Mum and I will be able to phone and e-mail each other, but I won’t see her again till Christmas.

  It was less than a year ago when Mum and Dad first brought up the idea of boarding school, and I remember how I was instantly filled with excitement at the thought of every single day being like a sleepover. Mum had laughed and put her hands up like a policeman. “Whoa there! It’s not decided yet, Kates! Dad and I are just thinking you might be happier in a boarding school than being at home now I know I’m going to be away filming more and more.”

  Everything had happened so fast. One minute Mum was an actress who nobody had really heard of, and the next minute she’d got the part of Lee Brook in an American sitcom that just about everyone in the world watches – The Fast Lane. It was only a small part at first, but then it gradually got bigger because the director and lots of other important people loved the way Mum acted it. In the end they wanted Mum’s character to become one of the main parts in the new series, but it meant Mum would have to live in America, and that’s when she’d started to think I might be happier in a boarding school.

  So here I am, on my way to a new life, remembering how Mum hugged me tight before she went off to America two days ago, and said, “We’ll be together for the whole of the main holidays, Kates!” But right now the Christmas holidays seem an eternity away.

  Dad threw me another glance. “What’s that you’re sketching?”

  “Nothing much.” I snapped the book shut and sat up straighter than straight.

  “Oh! Right! Something I’m not supposed to see.” He pretended to be upset.

  “Course not!” I laughed. “It’s just that I’m going to watch where we’re going from now on.”

  I was quiet after that, staring out of the window at the houses and shops flashing by, then the trees and fields as we went further out into the country. It’s weird having a mum who’s so famous. When she first appeared in The Fast Lane, I thought it was the coolest thing ever, especially when some of the kids at primary wanted my autograph, as though having a famous mum made me famous too. And they kept asking me if Mum knew other famous people, and I liked the feeling I got when they all gasped and said, “Wow! That’s so cool!” And some of the younger ones at school would point me out to their mums in loud voices in the playground. “Look, that girl’s mum is on telly! She’s Lee Brook!” And suddenly everyone wanted to be my friend so I got loads of invitations to people’s houses, and even the teachers used to tell me when they’d watched The Fast Lane the night before.

  It was great getting all this attention, just like suddenly being allowed as much chocolate as I wanted, until one day the chocolate made me feel sick. You see, that’s when I realized the attention had nothing at all to do with me. The kids at school only invited me to their houses because they wanted to get an invite back to my place so they could see Mum. And it grew really annoying when people asked me if Mum could get other famous people’s autographs for them. In fact I started to wonder whether I’d got any real friends at all, and that was a great big scary thought, which made me wish I could switch the clocks back and just have an ordinary mum.

  So then I tal
ked to Mum and Dad about it lots, and Dad was always joking around, saying that he knew how I felt because it was the same for him at work – everyone being extra nice to him, just because he’d got a famous wife. Mum said she thought it would settle down when people got used to it, and then everything would be back to normal. She was wrong, though. It never went back to normal and I was never ever sure whether people liked me for myself, or just because I’d got a famous mum. There wasn’t anything I could do to change things back to how they were before, but at least I could try my best not to make the same mistake again.

  From the moment I knew I was going to boarding school miles away from home, I realized I had the chance for a brand-new start, so I made a great big decision. My plan is to keep Mum and her job a secret from everyone. Well, nearly everyone. The Head of the whole school, Ms. Carmichael, knows who my mother is, and so does Miss Carol, the housemistress of Hazeldean, the boarding house that I’ll be in. But they’re both keeping the information totally confidential. So from now on I can be quite sure that no one will know about Mum. That means I’ll be able to tell for certain who my real friends are.

  A feeling of determination went zapping through me just as we rounded a bend in the road and came across an arch of overhanging trees. I sat up straight and spoke in a gabble. “I remember this bit of road from when I came on my introductory day. It reminded me of a tunnel. We’re nearly there, aren’t we, Dad?”

  “Just around the corner if my memory serves me right,” said Dad.

  And next minute we came across the big blue sign with silver lettering…

  Silver Spires Boarding School

  For Girls Aged 11–18

  “This is it!” I squeaked, as Dad turned into the long drive and I tried to catch my first glimpse of the Silver Spires main building.

  A few seconds later the lane curved round to the right and there it stood, solid and grand in the distance, with its sweeping arches and dark old walls, its diamond-shaped windowpanes and enormous front door, and best of all its tall spires that glinted and gleamed like silver in the sun. The sight of the building drowned my nervousness in the most magicky feeling of excitement that I was about to become part of a new and brilliant, buzzing world. But a few seconds later the nervousness sprang back as we began to pass boarding houses with cars parked outside and girls and parents and houseparents milling around, and occasionally a man in overalls carrying cases.

  And before I knew it the road had forked off to the left and there was Hazeldean.

  “Looks like we’ve come at a good time!” said Dad. “Not many cars here. I guess we’ve missed the rush.”

  I looked at my watch. Twenty-five to five. In the letter it said you could arrive at any time between three and five, so we must be among the last people. I undid my seat belt, feeling suddenly relieved that I’d decided to wear my jeans because most of the girls I could see were in either jeans or tracksuit bottoms. I’d so nearly worn my swirly layered skirt, which I got from the Oxfam shop, and my new brown boots, and the beautiful blue dangly earrings, because those are the kinds of things I love wearing. But I absolutely did not want to stand out, especially not on my first day. All the same, my top half wasn’t exactly plain because I was wearing one of Mum’s tops. It shrunk in the wash, so it’s too small for her but it fits me perfectly. It’s made of what I call crinkly silk with a lacy bit round the top and the cuffs, and it’s brown but it looks as though it’s faded in the sun. Mum says it looks great with my dark skin and hair. I think Mum might be a bit biased though and I was beginning to wish I’d just worn a plain T-shirt.

  “Hello, it’s Katy, isn’t it?” I’d only just opened the car door and there was Miss Carol, the housemistress, giving me a big smile. “Lovely to see you again!” she said. I remembered her clearly from my visit last term and really liked the way she made you feel so welcome. She shook hands with Dad. “Hello, Mr. Parsons. You’ve arrived at a good time. It’s all been a bit mad, but it’s quietened down again now.” Then she spotted Buddy in the back. “Aha! A customer for Pets’ Place. I’ll find someone to show you where to take him.” She chuckled. “Or is it her?”

  “It’s him,” I answered, as a man with a luggage carrier appeared by the car.

  “Good timing, Tony! This is Katy Parsons. I think she’s in Amethyst dorm.”

  The man nodded at me then put my cases on the luggage carrier. “I’ll check on the noticeboard, Miss C.”

  “You’re welcome to go up to the dorm, Mr. Parsons,” Miss Carol said to Dad. “Lots of parents have been settling their daughters in, though most of them have gone now.”

  Dad looked at me and I shook my head, the decision suddenly made. “It’s okay, I’ll go up on my own, actually.”

  Miss Carol nodded. “That’s fine. Let’s introduce you to one or two of the other Year Sevens.” She steered me away from Dad and towards the entrance to Hazeldean. “There’s Mia Roberts. Perfect! Mia was one of the first to get here and she’s in the same dorm as you, Katy, so she can take you up when you’ve registered with Matron.”

  The girl standing by the door was smaller than me, with a pale serious face and long blonde hair in a ponytail. She looked nice but I still felt a bit anxious because everything was moving so fast and what if I didn’t get the chance to say bye to Dad? Miss Carol must have realized. “Don’t worry, Katy, you’ll see your dad before he goes.” She patted my shoulder, and I thought again how kind she was. Then she introduced me to Mia who broke into a big smile.

  “Hi, Katy! You’re in Amethyst dorm with me.” She went a bit pink. “There are only two other girls from our dorm here so far – Jessica and Grace…except I seem to have lost them.”

  I nearly laughed because it sounded so funny, as though Mia thought it was her fault that the girls had gone missing. Miss Carol must have been thinking the same thing. “I’m sure they’ll turn up!” she chuckled. Then more cars pulled up and off she rushed to greet them, talking over her shoulder. “I’ll tell your dad you’re just registering, Katy.”

  I nodded and saw that Dad was talking to another lady who I thought I recognized from my visit last term.

  “That’s Miss Fosbrook,” said Mia, following my gaze. “She’s the assistant housemistress.”

  The hall at Hazeldean was filled with chatter and laughter. It was obvious who were the older students because they were hugging each other and talking loud and fast, sharing their holiday news with shining eyes, and leaning forward to whisper their secrets.

  “It feels funny being new, doesn’t it?” said Mia, quietly to me.

  I nodded. “I wish I could press a fast-forward button and know everyone, and be used to all the rules and everything.”

  Mia giggled. “Me too.” Then she led me over to a noticeboard and pointed at the list with the heading Amethyst. “Look, these are the girls in our dorm.”

  We read the names out loud together. “Mia, Grace, Katy, Jessica, Naomi, Georgie.”

  Then Mia giggled again. “I remember Georgie from when I visited the school last term. She was totally mad and didn’t seem worried about anything. She told me she was growing her hair and that next time we saw each other it’d be long enough for a ponytail. But she probably won’t even remember me,” Mia added in a bit of a sorrowful voice.

  I was just about to say that I was sure Georgie would remember her straight away when a great boom came from across the hall. “Have you two girls registered?”

  I turned round to see a stern-looking lady sitting at a table on the other side of the hall. She was peering at us over a pair of glasses with no rims.

  “Miss Jennings, the matron,” whispered Mia out of the corner of her mouth. “I registered earlier. Come on.” She hurried over to the table and I followed her.

  Miss Jennings hardly glanced at me. “Join the queue while it’s nice and short,” she said, then carried on registering the girls in front of me.

  “Scary!” mouthed Mia, rolling her eyes.

  “You’re not kidding!�
� I whispered.

  At the back of the line we started talking in our normal voices. “Have you got a pet?” Mia asked.

  “Yes, a rabbit…called Buddy.”

  “That’s a cool name. I’ve got two guinea pigs, Porgy and Bess. I’ll take you down to Pets’ Place when your mum and dad have gone.”

  “Oh…I just came with my dad actually… Mum’s away.”

  Something tightened inside me because this was the first time Mum had been mentioned.

  “Hope your dad doesn’t drive off with Buddy by mistake. That’s what my parents did. We said our goodbyes really quickly so we wouldn’t be too sad, only then they realized they’d driven off with Porgy and Bess so they had to come back and go through it all again!”

  “Oh, poor you.”

  “Your turn next,” she added.

  At first I thought she meant that it was my turn to be sad, but then I saw that she was talking about the line I was in. I’d come to the front, and now that I could see Matron up close I thought she looked even scarier, her face was set in such a stern expression.

  “Katy Parsons,” I said quietly.

  She smiled and nodded. “Right, Katy, you’re in Amethyst dorm.” Then she looked over her glasses at Mia. “Good. You can look after Katy. Two of the others are already here.” She ran her finger down the list. “So…just Georgie Henderson and Naomi Okanta still to come. Remember the code?” Matron suddenly whipped her glasses off and opened her eyes wide as if Mia was a spy who’d been captured and was getting a grilling.

  “Two one two seven.”

  Matron nodded and said, “You’ll need to remember that too, Katy. It opens Hazeldean’s front door. Now, off you go.”

  Mia and I went across the hall towards the staircase.

  “Amethyst is a jewel, isn’t it?” I said.

  “Yes, the Year Seven dorms in all the boarding houses are named after jewels, like Ruby and Topaz and Emerald…”

  Before we reached the stairs, Dad suddenly appeared. He smiled at Mia then turned to me. I know my dad and I knew he was trying not to show he was sad. “I’ll say bye then, Katy.”