Chapter 2 – Off we go!
"Darrell! Get up! It's half past 5!" The sound of her fathers' voice came echoing up the stairs. "We need to leave at half past 6." Darrell woke up with a jump and scrambled out of bed. "I'm coming!" she called down the stairs to her father.
Lying on the floor was her school trunk with Malory Towers, North Tower written on the top in gold lettering and on the front was Darrell Rivers written in the same gold lettering. She went over to the trunk and crouched down. On top of it was her new school uniform. She picked it up, put it on and stood in front of the mirror. Darrell hugged herself in delight. "It's jolly nice" she said out loud. She was wearing a brown tunic with an orange belt, a brown coat and hat with a pretty orange ribbon. Darrell spun around to see herself from all angles, nearly falling over. "Oh, mother do come and see, my new uniform really is wizard!" She called, and her mother came up the stairs and into her room. She looked admiringly at her daughter. "You look like a proper school girl Darrell! I am proud of you!" Darrell went and gave her mother a big hug. "I shall miss you, Daddy and Felicity very much. I will write whenever I can and tell you all of the exciting things that have happened!" Her mother left and Darrell sat down on her bed. "I do so hope that I will find a special friend there. I would jolly hate to be on my own and watch everyone else with their friends." She thought to herself.
Darrell picked up her tennis racket and her night case and went downstairs ready to pack everything into the car. "Darrell, come here will you?" called Mrs Rivers from the kitchen. Darrell went into the kitchen to see her mother who was sat at the table sealing an envelope with Darrell's name on it. "Give this to the matron of your tower when you get to school this evening" Mrs Rivers handed Darrell the brown envelope and she looked at it curiously. "What is it mother?" asked Darrell. "It's your health certificate, every girl has to take one in at the beginning of every term to show that they haven't been ill or around anyone else that has been ill for a period of time before coming to school." Darrell smiled and put it into her night case.
Felicity came into the kitchen to find Darrell. "Are you going to say goodbye to everything before you go?" asked her little sister. "Of course, will you come round with me?" Darrell took Felicity's hand and smiled at her mother before turning away with her sister.
Mrs Rivers went into the sitting room where she found Mr Rivers sitting in front of the fire waiting for them to be ready to leave. He smiled at her and took her hand as she sat down next to him. "Our little Darrell really is growing up quickly. It still seems as though just last year she was learning to walk and talk and now look at her." Mrs Rivers Nodded, "yes, she really is a young lady now."
5 minutes later Darrell came back in with Felicity and looked at the clock. "It's 6:25 Daddy, is it time to go?" Darrell now had an enormous grin on her face. She was very excited. "Oh, yes I believe we really should be going, well remembered Darrell. Come on then, into the car. I have already packed all of your things in the boot; just don't forget your tennis racket."
Darrell jumped into the back of the car and pulled the rug over her legs. Mr Rivers got into the driving seat and Mrs Rivers into the passenger seat. Mr Rivers started then engine and put the car into gear. "Goodbye Felicity darling! Don't forget to answer my letters when I write! I shall miss you very much! Goodbye house, goodbye garden! At last we're off to Malory Towers!"
It took half an hour to get to the train station at which all the school girls that arrived by train were collected from. Mrs Rivers shook Darrell knee as she had just fallen asleep. "We are here Darrell" she said quietly. Darrell woke up at once and sprung out of the car. She looked around at the large groups of chattering girls and parents. At the each of the platform stood a train that was so long you couldn't see the end of it. The front of the train was brown and gold and all the carriages matched, except, 4 carriages evenly spaced apart said North Tower, South Tower, East and West.
"Come along Darrell. You're in North Tower. The Head Mistress of your tower is Miss Potts and we better go and let her know that you've arrived." Said her mother and they went off down the crowded platform to a woman that was marking names off a long list. "Miss Potts, this is Darrell Rivers" said Mrs Rivers. Miss Potts looked up and smiled, "Alicia! Come and take charge of this new girl will you?" Bounding over, came a very strong and determined looking girl with a wicked glint in her eye. Darrell liked the look of her at once. "This is Alicia Johns, Darrell. You are in her form and will be in her dormitory as well. Alicia, this is Darrell Rivers, will you take her to get a seat in my carriage please."
"Come on, I have to go and find two other new girls to take to the carriage also. We need to hurry up to get the best seats!" Alicia obviously knew what she was doing and took charge of Darrell immediately. Darrell said goodbye to her parents sensibly and gave them both a hug and a kiss and with that she was being hauled off down the platform. The two girls came to a sudden halt. "There's one of the new girls now, and that is how not to say goodbye. It must be Gwendoline Lacey." Alicia scowled over to where a girl stood with a tall woman crouched over her. Darrell stared in surprise. They were both making a ridiculous noise and tears were pouring from their eyes. Alicia walked up to the tearful pair and took Gwendoline Lacey by the arm. "Come along! There's no time to stand here all day crying when there's a train to catch." said Alicia and a spiteful tone. It was soon becoming obvious to Darrell that Alicia had a very wicked tongue. The tall woman held tight on to her darling daughter determined not to let go. Alicia pulled at Gwendolines' arm very hard until the pair separated. "Hey, Sally Hope, come here we have to go." shouted Alicia to a girl the same age as Darrell just a few yards away. The third and final new girl came running over and they all followed the outspoken Alicia into one of the North Tower carriages. The whistle blew and a sudden flood of girls came streaming in to the carriages. Alicia, Darrell, Gwendoline and Sally all ran to a window seat around a table. Alicia and Darrell sat next to the window, Sally next to Darrell and Gwendoline sat on her own facing away from the others. The doors closed and there was the sound of excited chattering girls all around. The trained pulled away from the platform slowly and Mrs Lacey was running along the platform, still crying, shouting for Gwendoline to come to a window to say goodbye. Her daughter just ignored her and sat there sulking. The train picked up speed and the sound of Mrs Laceys' voice could no longer be heard. They were off, at last.