Chapter one

Serena was bored – bored to death, bored to tears, and she had had enough of those two lately. She knew she couldn't have stayed in Holby a moment longer – for God's sake, she had tried to strangle a colleague ! But her choice of the South of France might not have been an inspired one. She had been there several times with Edward and with Eleanor, for holidays spent basking in the sun beside the pool, tasting the rosés and generally idling about, but Provence was not quite the same alone and in the middle of the summer. Tourists had invaded the little town where she had rented a small house, and even the pool lost its appeal after a while. She had chosen St Maximin because it was close to Aix-en-Provence, smaller, but with enough shops and activities not to be totally dead. When she had arrived in April, she had spent nearly a month just pottering about her new home, watching series on Netflix, and wallowing. She had made a token visit to the basilica, admired it splendour, and never darkened its doors again.

Yet, she had soon got tired of doing nothing. She had always been hyper-active – something her mother couldn't stand about her. "Sit still! Well- behaved little girls do not tear around like hooligans!" "Don't run about like that, it's not safe!" "Stop pestering me and go to your room and find something to do!" had been her mother's continuous complaints. At school, she had been a totally nightmare – she knew that now, although obviously, at the time, she felt like the teachers blamed her for anything and everything. But to be honest, she had mostly been in trouble for good reasons – like when a boy had tried to steal her marbles, and she'd punched him in the nose. Or when she had led a food fight in the cafeteria with rock-hard buns. Or when she had painstakingly soaked all the chalk before the history lesson… Lessons mostly bored her, because despite her wild behaviour, she had a quick mind, and she understood thing faster than the rest of the students. And when she was bored, she fidgeted, chatted with her neighbours or beset the teachers with questions. She was a little know-all too, and woe betided the teacher who made a mistake – she never hesitated to point it out! She had been close to expulsion a number of times, and her mother had finally had enough of being asked to come to see the headmaster for her troublesome daughter….

Therefore, at thirteen, Serena was sent to boarding school – it would have been an unaffordable expense for her mother, but a childless relative of her father had stepped in and offered to pay the fees. The school was not far from her home, but it was a different universe. It had been impressed upon her that being sent there was not a reward for bad behaviour, but a unique chance to make a fresh start. Finding life at home with her mother unbearable, Serena had accepted without qualms. She did not reform at once, obviously. Several girls were all too ready to be led into mischief by the newcomer. She was quieter during lessons, as the level was higher than at her previous school, and so she was less bored. Moreover, some of the teachers actually encouraged debates and she enjoyed that. Outside, however, was another story. They were taken to the nearby town at least once a week, and they were allowed to go shopping in small groups. Serena decided it would be fun to have a dormitory cocktail party …During one of the shopping trip, she managed to ditch her uniform, and to convince the shopkeeper she was buying whisky and rum for her mother, who lived down the road. She had enough money, and she looked older than her age – the cashier was a young man who thought her very attractive, and wouldn't have minded asking her for a date – he didn't take much convincing to sell her the alcohol and cans of soda.

It seemed as if she was going to get away with it, as she got the bottles safely into the dorm, and at midnight sharp, she and her three roommates, equipped with toothmugs, began sampling odd concoctions of rum, whisky, Lucozade and Ribena. The drinks tasted vile, but the thrill of the illicit adventure was enough to cover their awfulness. Now, Serena had tasted alcohol at home, and although she had not particularly liked it, she had seen the consequences it had had on her mother; Adrienne after a few glasses became a much nicer person, alcohol softened her, made her happy. Serena was quite eager to get to that rose-tinted world herself, and so she drank glass after glass, encouraging her roommates to do the same. What she had not planned on was that it could make others maudlin – two of the other girls began crying softly, while she remained annoyingly sober. If she had not, her behaviour might have had severe consequences. As it was, when the third girl's face began swelling, and she began to pant, as if she couldn't breathe, Serena had enough wits left to run for the matron, who understood the situation quickly enough to inject the girl with epinephrine in time to prevent real anaphylaxis. Then, on the morning after, Serena's friend found herself in hospital, and Serena and the other two were sent for by the headmistress.

The head's secretary knocked at the study door, and let the three girls in. The head was sitting behind her desk, and she gestured for them to come and stand on the carpet. Then, she looked at then in silence with an undecipherable expression for what seemed liked ages, but was probably not more than three or four minutes. However, the atmosphere in the room was so heavy that Serena thought she would scream if it lasted any longer. She did not, but she blurted out: "Please say something! Tell us off, but say something!". The other two girls looked at her aghast. The head, however, began writing on a sheet of paper, as if she had not heard anything. She remained in silence for a few minutes longer, and by then Serena felt almost hysterical – this was much worse than any lectures she had had at her previous school, or when she had been in trouble before and got dealt with by the housemistress. Then, the head spoke at last:

"If I were you, Serena Campbell, I would refrain to tell the others what to do. Especially if the "others" are older, more experienced and in charge of your education."

Serena hung her head. The head went on : "But since you obviously want to speak, maybe you could tell me who was responsible for last night's little drink party ?"

Serena gulped, but she was no coward: "I was, Miss Ferrars. I bought the drink, and brought it to the dormitory. Helen, Janet and Clare had nothing to do with it."

- Well, I beg to differ – you probably did not pour the drink down their throats by force.

- No, I didn't, of course, but …I kind of encouraged them…

- I see. I'd like you to go out right now, please, while I talk to Janet and Clare. I'll see you right after."

Serena went out to stand behind the study's door. She was feeling sick – partly from fright, partly from the nauseating concoctions of the night before. She would get expelled …what would her mother say? Where would she go – no school would take her after that! For maybe the first time in her life, she realized that actions had consequences.

The door opened, and her two roommates walked out. Both were crying. Serena stepped back in, shutting the door carefully behind her, and stood in front of the desk as before, eyes downcast.

"Look at me", said Miss Ferrars. Serena couldn't quite make out her tone. It was stern, obviously, but it held something else. Anger ? It sounded more like …pity…sorrow, even.

"When I accepted you into this school, I knew you were mischievous, disobedient, wilful, but I did not think you were stupid or malicious, Serena. Was I wrong ?"

Serena did not answer – what could she say.

"I'll take your silence for an agreement. So, if you are not stupid, how could you possibly ignore the rules in such a blatant way, betray the trust the school puts into you, and endanger a classmate in that way ?"

- I'm sorry, Miss Ferrars."

- I have no doubt you're sorry. Anyone with an ounce of intelligence, of common sense even, would be!"

- Am I going to be expelled?

- You should be. Your roommates have not been – I've taken away their privileges, and given them lines. You have had those before, but apparently, it was not enough. Moreover, your actions have put another girl's life into danger. What would you do if you were me, Serena?

Nothing but honest, Serena replied: "I guess I would expel you, Miss Ferrars. I mean me." And she waited for the verdict to fall.

There were another few minutes of silence, almost unbearable for Serena. Then Miss Ferrars spoke again: "Well ? Should I call your mother?". The tension was too much for Serena, who burst into tears. The head handed her a tissue, and waited for her to calm down. "I could expel you, Serena, but I think it would do great damage. I believe in second chances – although in your case, it is more like a tenth or eleventh chance, but I think you could be a credit to St Bride's if you applied yourself and stopped behaving like a naughty child. Do you think you can do that?"

Serena's throat was still too full of tears for her to say anything, but she nodded.

"Very well then. We agree. I'm not going to call your mother and send you packing. However, I think you'll also agree that you have earned a punishment?"

Serena murmured an almost inaudible "yes".

"As I've already said, it does not look as if lines, detention or loss of privileges have had any impact on you. Therefore, and although I very much regret it, I am going to do something I have not done to any of my pupils for the last ten years. I'm going to cane you." Serena looked up, eyes wide open – she knew, of course, that the head was the only member of the staff to occasionally apply corporal punishment, and stories circulated in the school of previous pupils who had been thus chastised, but it all seemed like ancient history….Miss Ferrars went on: "I hate to inflict pain on anyone, and at thirteen, you are almost too old for this, but I hope the memory will help you remember this day. Hold out your right hand, please." The cane fell twice on Serena's right palm, and twice on her left. The blows were not severe – they stung, but less than the humiliation of getting the cane.

Three years later, Serena Campbell, Head Girl of St Bride's, passed her Higher certificate with flying colours, and was accepted at Birmingham University School of Medicine…

(to be continued)