Rebecca had always found the Trebizon house system slightly odd, having to move again after settling in to Willoughby in the lower 6th. Nonetheless it looked like an even nicer building than before. Sally rather embarassingly had a shabby Lada saloon car, it was parked outside. Once again, the house held about 25 pupils and she hoped to grab an attic room. The front door was unlocked, and as Rebecca opened it, she almost ran into Miss Bridle, the Parkinson housemistress and a chemistry teacher. She had never taken this subject, though had occasionally encountered the mistress on cross-country runs.

"How are you, not looking very happy?"

"Oh I'm ok thanks" she replied, attempting a smile.

"How are your A-Levels going?"

"Not too bad,but Latin is becoming a real pain, much harder than GCSE"

"Oh dear. Well I better let you unpack then"

Rebecca headed up to the top floor. There was music coming from another room. Unlike in Willoughby, it was the rooms at the front that faced the sea, and she got one next to the fire escape. The rain was somewhat less now, she opened the window for fresh air before putting on her blue cape and heading over to the school's trunk store with Tish to fetch their trunks which had been delivered in a lorry, and obviously required two people to carry them. Unfortunately Claire was there, and scowled at them. Though her friend Roberta who had been very attractive since her hair was let down many years before, smiled warmly but saying nothing.
When they got back, Becca began unpacking. After putting her two formal dresses in the wardrobe, she plugged in and turned on her small stereo, fixing the radio aerial to the wall with blu-tack.
Initially it was playing classical music, but then the news said that there had been a pile-up on the motorway in the wet conditions, and two people had been killed. She prayed that Mara was OK despite being one of the few to have a modern vehicle thanks to her shipowner father. Sue's father had recovered his business somewhat, but like Margot she only had a dodgy old car. At that moment Sally and Tish burst in, looking fairly cheerful. Rebecca decided not to mention the news for the moment. Instead, she addressed Sally.

"How are you doing, then?"

"Not too bad, I've been doing a lot of ice skating inbetween revising, or just roller skating on the street" She did look noticeably thinner.

"Is'nt the weather dismal?"

"Indeed, hope it gets better"

Tish noticed something in Rebecca's expression, but just asked to borrow a book of notes on a French set text before they went into the downstairs kitchen and shared cocoa and a chocolate cake. Sally was the deputy head girl, Mara and Margot prefects. Sue was on the magazine committee, but had chosen not to be any kind of prefect, partly because she'd developed a strongish interest in gymnastics. Even though another gymnast, Lucy Hubbard, was surprisingly head girl.

"Another slice, Becca?" said Tish.

"No, I'm fine thanks"

"What shall we do now?" said Sally. It being the first day of term, they could unpack later.

"Go down to the beach?" said Rebecca, it had finally stopped raining. Lucy also entered and decided to join them. They passed through the gate at the back of Juniper House, and all had a paddle in the sea.
It was quite cold but they all decided to have a bracing swim before drying themselves on the sand.