Disclaimer: Can anyone own St Trinian's? I certainly don't.
Summary: Second in my St. Trinian's series. What are Posh Totty, beneath the surface?
CHELSEA
A long time ago, I learned that a woman be one of two things, if she wants to get anywhere in life.
A woman can be intelligent, and be admired and respected, but not without having to prove herself over and over, to be thought half as good as a man. Or a woman can be beautiful, can be admired and even worshiped, with men knowing that they can never reach her, but be treated as a porcelain doll.
A woman cannot be both. An intelligent woman can be respected for her mind, while a beautiful woman can be admired for her body. A woman in possession of both will be feared and outcast, because men have never and probably will never accept that they are not the top of the food chain.
My mother used to read me the classics, before I left for school. One of my favourites was 'Northanger Abbey', and a particular quote swiftly became my first Rule To Live By: "A woman, especially, if she have the misfortune of knowing anything, should conceal it as well as she can."
A woman, if she have the misfortune of being in possession of both beauty and brains, should hide one behind a mask of the other.
St Trinian's, the school that my parents sent me to, is much the same. Government authorities see it as a menace, a place to send those who don't fit into any of their nice little moulds, an institution to be avoided at all costs. The staff and students of St Trinian's see it as a place to be themselves, a school where they can learn and grow in fields that suit them best, rather than be force-fed a curriculum put together by a bunch of stuffed shirts.
St Trinian's is a place that will prepare girls for the world. Women are slowly working their way to being viewed as equals in the world, but I don't know if they'll make it in my lifetime. If they do, I'll have very little time left to enjoy both at once.
So I focused on being beautiful.
I concealed my mind behind a mask of make-up and magazines became the leader of the popular crowd, who also had no intention of making their way through life on brains. I made sure to say something particularly idiotic on a regular basis, especially if I had just said something clever, and to act like a brainless twit when expected, even if my mind was running a thousand miles a minute.
I allowed myself to be treated as an object, or an ornament, because while people admire an ornament, they don't really notice it. Walls may have ears, but ornaments have ears, eyes, and an information/gossip network.
Some of the Geeks figured it out, using a misplaced hockey stick, or teddy bear, or dog collar as a way to plant spy cameras. But even Lily, smart enough to take over the world if she wanted, didn't realize the true potential.
Men pay little attention to a beautiful woman, and do not guard their words, more intent on what is in front of their eyes than what is coming out of their mouth. They say things in bed that they would never say in public. A smile and a flirtatious wink will almost always get you anything you want faster than any bribe in the world.
Sleeping with a member of the royal family won't get you into Parliament, but it will turn up a few juicy tidbits of information. A little 'alone time' with a young security guard at the British Museum got us most of the information we needed to pull off the Heist to save the school, and a little digging in the public records retrieved the rest.
We couldn't study the School Challenge answers beforehand like we did with Appleby, and after seeing what happened to Bedales, Eton weren't going near any food or drink before the show. An hour or so with Posh Totty, however, and they were lucky to remember their own names.
Queen Elizabeth the First and Queen Victoria ruled in their own names, and were two of the most powerful reigns in English history. They are the rarity, however. Other queens have been great, but they ruled from behind the scenes, or in the name of their children.
School Challenge saved our school, but it had other benefits, as well. If you've just come off a quiz show, then, as Ms. Dickenson pointed out, smart is cool and sexy, and killer looks are just a bonus.
These days, media coverage can be worth more than centuries of Noble Pedigree. I don't need to be in government to be powerful. All I need are Girlish Wiles, Saucy Ways, a healthy dose of Criminal Cunning, and the opportune moment on camera.
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A/N: Not too pleased with the ending, but it's the best I could come up with. Thanks to SophieeAnne for suggesting it.
As always, Constructive Criticism is appreciated, but no flames, please. The First Years are Arsonists-In-The-Making already, and don't need the encouragment.
