A/N: So this is the Trish Gimlet story I've been promising. I hope it lives up to expectations and that you enjoy reading it. Disclaimer: I am not Jill Murphy and I do not own any of the characters mentioned in The Worst Witch story. I only own Patricia Gimlet and any other OCs that are mentioned.
Patricia Gimlet woke with a yawn as her alarm clock went off. She hit it forcefully and rolled out of her large bed and onto the stone floor of her bedroom, or den. It was hard to tell which it was really. The walls were plastered with posters of musicians and pink fluffy decorations covered every surface. There were empty crisp packets under the bed and a rather scrawny black cat licking itself precariously on the window ledge. The bed, despite its size, was the traditional iron bedstead that was given to most of the teachers and students at the school and had a very plain grey quilt cover.
"Well that's one way to wake yeself up I suppose," she laughed to herself, pushing herself off the floor as she carefully selected her outfit before jumping in the shower.
Her bedroom, one of the larger rooms in the staff corridor, was just opposite the bathroom so it was only a quick run across the ice cold floor until she jumped into the arctic torrent of water that blasted down upon her scorched skin. It was refreshing on such a warm morning. It was June, one of the hottest Junes she had ever experienced at Cackle's.
After she washed her platinum blonde hair and rinsed her body she dried herself with a click of her fingers and wrapped herself in a fluffy white dressing gown, walking back into her bedroom where she pulled on her brilliant blue blazer and a black and white striped dress. She thought she looked amazing, cutting edge if she did say so herself. With a little wink to herself in the mirror after applying a few generous layers of makeup she trotted downstairs and greeted the third years.
Caitlyn Shepherd had grown taller and had had her long red hair cut up to her shoulders. Now that she was in the third year at the school she wanted to look more mature. Her rival Delia, however, had not changed a bit. Her face was just as sharp, her eyes just as narrow and her blonde hair just as long and just as curly.
"Good morning, Trish," Smiled Caitlyn, "Are we going to be making dresses today?"
Patricia shook her head, "It's far too early to be askin' me that, man. I haven't even had me coffee yet," she said as she marched off to the staff room to pour herself a cup of milky coffee.
The staff room was apparently empty but Patricia knew differently. She knew that her friend Davina Bat, the chanting mistress, would be hiding in her cupboard. She tapped on the cupboard door and called out to Davina as she sat down by the door, awaiting a response. She made herself a cup of coffee and listened out for any mumbling from the cupboard. Apparently Davina was still asleep.
She had yet again been having a disagreement with Constance Hardbroom, the formidable potions mistress and unofficial second-in-command to Amelia. It was over a student in the second year who was struggling keeping up with the curriculum. Constance had argued to expel the girl but Davina had pleaded for the girl to stay, causing Constance to explode into a rant of how poor the student was at almost every single subject.
Despite her youth she knew how to run a school properly and Amelia appreciated her help though she wasn't ready to make her deputy status official quite yet. Constance apparently didn't mind, so long as she was in control, at least that's what Davina and Patricia thought.
The stationary cupboard door creaked open revealing a rather sleepy looking Davina with her conductor's baton pierced precariously through a large clumped up curl at the crown of her head.
"Good mornin', flower." Patricia smiled as she poured her friend a cup of nettle tea.
Davina took the tea and plonked herself on the seat closest to Patricia, apparently planning her exit route to the cupboard in case Constance made an appearance.
"Another night in the cupboard then?" Patricia chuckled as she helped herself to a scone that had been put to one side by Amelia, "Ye know it's not a silent protest, ye can come out and chat."
Davina furrowed her eyebrows, "Well she got on my nerves yesterday and I wanted some time alone," she replied as she ripped a small chunk off the corner of the scone, making a satisfied little noise as she tasted the cream and jam filling.
Patricia placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. There was no need for words. Patricia just gave a sympathetic smile and Davina returned it with a little lift of her shoulders just as the staff room door crashed open.
"Well speak of the devil and she may appear," Patricia chuckled, watching Constance as she poured herself a glass of water and sat down opposite them, "How are ye today?"
Constance narrowed her eyes, "Very well thank you, Patricia. I have your second years later. Have you any tips for maintaining control of Wendy Nielson and her cronies?" She looked over at Davina who was obviously having one of her palpitations. Though Davina was in fact the form mistress of the third year class she seemed to have a very close relationship with Patricia's second years.
"If there are any problems though, let me know. I am their form mistress, there's no need to target Davina." Patricia said softly, seeing that Davina was looking to flee into the cupboard.
Constance rolled her eyes as she carried her glass of water out of the staff room, no doubt to go and prepare her timetables in the potions lab.
After breakfast Patricia had a class with the third year students, Davina's year group. Isla Moonshine and Caitlyn Shepherd thoroughly enjoyed Jewellery Design and were trying to bargain with Patricia to allow them to begin working on textiles. Of course Patricia was adamant that Jewellery Design was purely for jewellery design but she was willing to show the girls how to sew and make their own clothes in their spare time.
She stepped into the long classroom, watching as the girls had already set to work forming the hooks of their earrings and carefully placing beads on pale threads.
Like her bedroom, the classroom walls screamed Patricia. There were pictures of different adverts she had found appealing taped to the stone walls and lots of different drawings and designs done by both Patricia and the students that had been carefully displayed in frames.
She stepped up to the desk that had been placed on the podium at the front of the class and began sketching out an idea she had had over breakfast, nothing to do with her lesson but to do with her much younger colleague. She had drawn a cannon with a scragged up bun poking out of the top, hiding it under a file as a student approached the front of the classroom.
"Miss I'm struggling with my colour wheel."
Patricia stepped over to the student's bench and explained the rules of the colour wheel, how whatever colour is on one side, the corresponding colour will be exactly opposite it. Of course the student found this easy to understand and Patricia returned to her doodling, drawing Amelia eating a mountain of cream cakes.
Beating her pencil off the end of the table like a drumstick, she listened to the silence of her class concentrating so hard on their work. Soon the bell for the end of lesson rang and she remained sat waiting for her next class.
Eventually the lunch bell rang and Patricia rushed to the staffroom to see if there had been any mail. There had been and it was from her lovely boyfriend Daniel, who lived up in Eigg in the Inner Hebrides. She read through the letter and scribbled out a response.
Hello my little Munchkin,
How are things up in Eigg?
My day has been brilliant so far thank you. I've been teaching the third years, well I say teaching. They're pretty set doing their own thing when it comes to designing their jewellery. I'm just there in case they have any questions.
Constance has been winding Davina up again. You remember Davina? I brought her up with me last time I visited. She loved the house. Anyway Constance knows that Davina has a bit of a nervous disposition (big word!) so I think she's picking at that.
Anyway, I better go. I only have so long for break.
See ya later,
Trish xxx
She rammed the scrawled note into an envelope and then after writing down the address she placed it in the post out pile on top of the fireplace.
For lunch she and Davina indulged in a little trip out to the village for paninis in the café on the front street. It was a far cry from Cosie's but it was definitely an excellent alternative. It was more modern in design with ivory walls and wood flooring. They sat down at a table after they had ordered their food and began to have a chat. Davina asked about Daniel, Patricia asked about Davina's Mongolian chanting. She was falling a bit out of love with her undertone chanting but at least she had enjoyed it while it lasted. Amelia would appreciate it stopping, she had to replace at least forty roof tiles since Davina had started practicing her foreign chants.
"So when are you going to see Daniel next?" Davina asked after sipping her orange juice. She took a bite out of her cheese and onion panini as Patricia looked up at the ceiling, trying to think.
"Probably over the summer holidays.. Ye welcome to come with es if you have nought to do."
Davina nodded, "I did like meeting Daniel. He really seems very fond of you."
"He should do. I've been with him nearly two year!" Patricia exclaimed, raising her eyebrows in shock. She had been dating Daniel for two years in August. She was looking forward to seeing him again but she knew that she would end up getting boring, especially at her age. She was fifty-two now and nearly past her sell-by-date in the eyes of most men, though Daniel wasn't most men. He seemed to love her regardless of her flaws.
After she and Davina returned to the castle after lunch there were a few more lessons before tea time. The lessons with the first years and the double-lesson with the second years were well received, though the class with the second years was actually their tutor group session so they were writing their letters home.
After the final, longer bell rang out it was time for supper which meant Amelia had a chance to sit down with her staff over a nice plate of food (tonight's meal was a plate of boiled beef and mashed potatoes drowning in a lake of thick, greasy gravy) and a glass of wine, and a glass of water for Constance.
"What are you drinking, Davina?" Queried Amelia, looking at the green bottle beside Davina's dish.
Davina turned the glass to look at the label, "Elderflower cordial."
Constance pursed her lips, "You do realise you need to dilute that, Davina."
Davina narrowed her eyes, "I can drink it how I like, Constance HARDbroom!"
Patricia smirked to herself as she sipped her sherry. This was a perfect opportunity to wind up her gullible friend, "Did you know if ye drink fruit concentrate like that ye can turn into the plant it comes from?"
Davina and Constance looked around at her, both looking confused. Patricia signalled to Constance who nodded and sat down, willing to play along, but Davina remained stood.
"So I could turn into a tree?" Davina asked, "But what about my classes?"
Patricia was fighting back a chuckle, "Well maybe ye should add some water into it. It'll keep ye roots moist."
Davina rushed into her cupboard, squealing something about never touching fruit juice again and Patricia turned to her colleagues, Amelia and Constance, who both looked rather shocked.
"Why?" Amelia asked.
Patricia smiled into her sherry, "I felt like spookin' her. No harm done, I'll tell her in the morning." And as she went up to bed she curled up on the pillow, remembering the horrified expression on her friend's face as she imagined turning into an elder tree.
"Maybe just one more day of winding her up," and with that she rolled over and was absorbed by sleep, snoring loudly into the stone ceiling above her.