Author note: Hey! Thanks for whoever reviewed! I'm really grateful! Here's the next chapter! I didn't copy the speech that Miss Grayling makes in the real books, but I adapted it so it wasn't as long…but it certainly isn't mine! Enjoy and review,
Peace out
Chapter three
Miss Grayling
Supper was a delicious mix of cold hams, salads, jugs of lemonade, hard-boiled eggs, tongue and apple crumble with cream for afters. It was delicious and Katie and Suzanne ate nearly all of it, hungry from their journey. They cleaned their plates and drank their drinks before lying back in their chairs contently. The school seemed to be staring at them sometimes, amused and interested by the fact that there were twins in the school. Identical twins. Suzanne got a bit embarrassed and was glad when they were called for the end of supper.
The first formers had to go to bed immediately after dinner on their first night, because they were supposed to be very tired from their journeys. As much as Katie wanted to stay awake, she couldn't help but feel pleased to be going to bed. She was very tired and also couldn't wait to try sleeping in her new home! She brushed her teeth in the sinks at the end of the room and put on her nightgown, before tumbling into bed. Suzanne was still brushing her long brown hair when everyone else was in bed. She put down the brush and scrambled under the covers. Matron came in a few minutes later to close the curtains, as it was still light outside, and check that everything was in order. She turned off some dripping taps, smoothed down the covers of some bedclothes and then went to turn the light off. "Night girls. No talking!" she said briskly, smiling round at them, before clicking off the light and walked out the door. The door shut behind her with a soft click and Katie settled down to sleep.
She lay awake for a while, staring at the pictures on her side table. One was of her with her family at the beach, one was her when she was younger, another was her with Suzanne horse riding and the last one was of her mother when she had gone to Malory Towers. She looked happy by the swimming pool, her long brown hair flowing in the wind behind her and the pool a beautiful blend of green and blue. Her best friend, Sally Hope, was standing next to her. There was then a tiny photograph of her mother with her class in the classroom. The photos were all very small, so they fitted on the side table well. Suzanne had the same photos on her side table as well. Katie stared at her mother by the pool and thought I will make you proud mum. I'll be just like you and try and become the head girl and be the best I can be!
The next day a loud bell awoke the girls. They jumped and sat up, rubbing their eyes. "I forgot where I was for a moment!" said Rachel, laughing and jumping out of bed. There was soon a loud noise in the dormitory as the girls got up and ready. Suzanne and Katie brushed their hair and plaited it neatly with a clip to keep it tidy. They put on their school uniform proudly and walked downstairs with April to breakfast, which was porridge and toast. They ate hungrily, talking to the rest of the form, and then they were called to Miss Grayling's room for a new girl talk. They felt a little nervous as they approached the cream door with the other new girls. A few of the girls were from higher forms, but they were mostly from the first form. The sixth former, who was taking them, knocked on the door and a deep voice answered: "Come in."
The sixth former opened the door who was, Katie realised, the head of the school. They entered the room and a deep blue-eyed woman with greying hair sat at a desk, working quietly. She looked up at them and Katie warmed to her. She looked kind and sturdy, a good person to be a head. "I brought the new girls to you, Miss Grayling." Said the head of the school.
"Thank you Lily." Said Miss Grayling in her deep voice. She looked at the girls in turn, taking them in one by one. Katie remembered what Darrell had said. "The speech that Miss Grayling gives you will never leave you. I haven't forgotten any of the words and it was a long time ago she told me."
She listened intently as Miss Grayling gave her long speech.
"One day you will leave this school as young women. You should each take with you eager minds, kind hearts and a will to help. These things can be learnt at Malory Towers, if you will." She started. Everyone listened, hardly breathing.
"I do not count our successes as those who have won scholarships, but these are good things to. I count the successes as people who have learnt all the skills I told you about. Our failures are those who do not learn these things whilst you are here." Miss Grayling's eyes rested on Suzanne and Katie.
"You're mother is Darrell Rivers, am I correct?"
Katie nodded and stammered an answer, "Yes…um…Darrell Franklin now."
"Ah yes. You're mother was our biggest success. And her sister, Felicity Rivers. You're auntie I suppose?"
Suzanne and Katie nodded, feeling proud to have such a mother and auntie.
"You should follow in the footsteps of your family, and I hope you do. The River's family are good people. And I do not mean that everyone else in this room isn't. All families can be the best if you try. And I hope you do and make your families proud." She said, turning her attention back to the others.
She said a few more things and then dismissed the girls.
Katie and Suzanne joined their class after the speech with Miss Potts. The class were making timetables at that moment, and Katie and Suzanne walked up to Miss Potts nervously.
"Ah yes, the new twins. Katie and Suzanne Franklin, Darrell's daughters. You can sit in the middle row there, next to April Gold and Penelope Reef." Said Miss Potts, who was a grey haired woman with eyes that twinkled and a very determined mouth, so you could tell that she could deal with naughty girls very quickly. Katie and Suzanne made their way to the adjoined desk next to the other form members and set out their things. The class wasn't just their East Tower form, but was full of other Tower's first formers as well, so it was a fairly big class. The lesson started and Katie and Suzanne listened, longing to be one of the successes that Miss Grayling had told them about, just like their mother and auntie!
