WHAT'S A DICTATOR? ASK MOIRA, DON'T ASK – ME
June felt a sense of satisfaction as she finished writing her letter. It was the shortest one yet, but as hateful as all the others. She had been very careful to write all the letters in capitals and not sign her name on any of them. She felt like she'd be an idiot if she didn't. Alicia probably would, she thought with some scorn. That was what set her apart from her cousin. While both were brazen and sharp-tongued, Alicia was a lot more honest. If she wanted to let someone know what she thought about them, she'd say it to their faces. From what June heard, she had already given Moira enough tongue lashings. June almost wished she had been there to see.
She'd probably call what I'm doing hateful and cowardly, June thought as she smoothed down the hypocrite. Well, it is hateful, but not cowardly. I'm just saying what everyone else thinks. If anything, I'm doing Moira a favor by letting her know what everyone thinks about her. Besides, if I was a coward, would I be writing in one of the higher form's music rooms?
But deep down, June knew she was being cowardly. It was the shortest letter she had written, because she was beginning to worry they might discover it was her. It was the same reason she was writing in an empty music room instead of her dormitory, where Felicity or Susan could peek over her shoulder. She hadn't told anyone in her form. They definitely wouldn't approve, especially not Felicity. She didn't know why she had ever been friends with Darrell's goody-goody sister. Actually, she did. It was just to spite Darrell, not out of any genuine liking for Felicity. The same reason she was writing these messages. She wondered what the other girls in the fifth would think. Alicia wouldn't approve, and neither would most of them, especially that pious Catherine and the overly kind Mary-Lou. But they were all hypocrites if they didn't. They all thought the same thing about Moira. They can't even disagree with what I wrote, June thought as she began to fit the letter into the envelope.
Just then, she froze as she heard footsteps from outside. She frantically tried to shove the letter into the envelope, but just then, the door opened. June closed her eyes with a groan, hoping whatever fourth former had showed up would leave quickly. But she didn't.
"Oi, you first former! What on earth are you doing in here?" June turned around. To both her relief and dread, it was only Bridget, Moira's younger sister. She desperately tried to hide the envelope, realizing Moira's sister definitely wouldn't approve. "Why, it's you, June Johns. Aren't you Alicia's younger cousin?"
"Yes, to my utter dread," June muttered spitefully. She tried to change the subject, hoping Bridget wouldn't notice she was in the fourth form's music room or what she was writing. "I wish anyone else was my cousin. Even that awful Darrell or doormat Mary-Lou would be better."
"Oh, really?" Bridget asked, accepting the subject change. "Well, I know how you feel. I'm not happy with my older sister Moira, either. At least your cousin is popular. How do you think it feels being the younger sister of the most unpopular girl in the fifth?"
"It must be awful," June agreed eagerly. "At least Alicia isn't a domineering dictator, though she acts like one sometimes."
Bridget scoffed. "Dictator? That's a good one." Then she narrowed her eyes at June. "I must say, you have some nerve, being in the fourth form's music room. I see you're just as brazen as Alicia. I've heard enough about her from my friend Connie from when she used to be in the fourth with her twin."
June scowled, hating to be compared to Alicia. "And I suppose you're going to report me, being a fourth former? Well, as long as you don't take out your punishment book and give me lines to recite. My dear cousin Alicia certainly has often enough."
"So has my dear sister Moira," Bridget admitted. "Only the fifth formers can do that. I actually thought she was going to last time I was in one of the fifth form's music rooms with Connie."
"What? You were?" June asked, surprised.
"Instead, she reported me. I warned her not to, but she didn't listen." Bridget seethed, looking so furious that even the brazen June was taken aback for a moment. "Well, I suppose I'd be a hypocrite if I reported you, June. Then again, I think Moira is one too. The fifth formers are allowed to wail and holler as loudly as they like, but heaven forbid if we do the same!"
"You don't know half of it," June quipped, feeling slightly relieved. "At least you aren't a first former. We can't do anything without those beastly fifth formers jumping down our throats about it. Your dear sister told me it was no wonder I wasn't chosen for the team, just because I rightfully pointed out that Darrell only chose Felicity out of favoritism." She scowled thinking about it, gripping the letter tightly in her hand.
"Gosh, I hope I won't be so high-and-mighty when I go up into the fifth," Bridget remarked. "Hopefully Moira will have left the school by then. I don't think anyone will miss her, not even her form. That's why she was let down, wasn't she? She was so unpopular, not even the girls now in the sixth form could stand her. I can't say I'm surprised. Even I can hardly stand her."
"You must have it worse than anyone," June remarked. She remembered how Felicity had ended her friendship with her after she badmouthed Darrell, but Felicity admired and respected her older sister, while Bridget only held contempt for hers. "Being her sister and all. At least I only see my cousin occasionally. Gosh, I can't imagine how horrid it must be to live with the dictator!"
Bridget grinned. "It definitely isn't easy," she agreed. "Do you know that time she threw one of my toys out the window?"
June continued speaking with Bridget, having great fun commiserating about their relatives in the fifth as well as the other fifth formers. June decided Bridget was a lot more fun than any of the other goody-goody first formers. She almost forgot about the spiteful letter in her hand as she told Bridget about how Darrell had fiercely shaken her last term while she was practicing at the piano just like the one in the music room, leaving out the reason why the then fourth former had lost her temper.
"After that, she was no longer head girl of the fourth," June said. "And can I say that I'm glad! I never liked her, especially after she gave me lines to learn this term..." June trailed off, remembering Felicity's reaction when she had said the same thing.
But Bridget only grinned. "Moira does the same thing. I'd like to shake her as well. But we'd better be going. The other fourth formers will have your head if they see you in here." Bridget glanced at June. "Why were you here, anyway? I'm sure it isn't to make fun of the upper formers, as Connie and I did. Is it to write letters to home?" She glanced at the letter, the spiteful words in capital letters for anyone to see.
June frantically tried to hide the letter, realizing she had been careless to leave it out on a stool, but Bridget picked it up. "What's a dictator? Ask Moira, don't ask me," she read with a grin. "That's brilliant. I'd love to say that to Moira's face."
"So would I," June admitted, deciding it was alright to tell Bridget. She was getting sick of not having anyone to share the letters with, other than Moira herself. She was sure there was a great uproar among the fifth formers when they discovered the letters. June would've loved to see it, them exclaiming in shock over the hateful words and blaming each other, but she never got the chance, being in the first form. "But it's even better to write it to her, don't you think?"
"What?" Bridget glanced at June. "You aren't going to send it to her, are you?"
"Not by post, no," June said. "In her prep book, perhaps. Or in her desk. It'll be difficult to do that, being in the first form, but I've managed before. And since I haven't signed it, or shown my handwriting, she won't even know it was from me. She didn't before, or at least, none of the teachers have called me out on it."
Bridget stared at June in surprise, and June winced. For a moment, she thought she had gone too far, been too careless with her tongue, like she always did. As much as Bridget resented Moira, she was still her older sister. Now she was going to call her a beast like Felicity did and run off to warn Moira, or one of the teachers.
But instead, Bridget laughed. "You mean, you're the one who's been sending Moira those letters? We were all wondering who it was."
"You know about that?" June exclaimed.
"Connie overheard the fifth formers discussing it when she went to check on Ruth," Bridget explained. "Frankly, I think it serves my dear sister right. It's about time somebody told her exactly what they thought about her. I wish I had gotten an idea like that. I do so want to get back at her for reporting me."
She grinned at June, who let out a sigh of relief. Bridget was so different from Moira, she couldn't believe they were related. "It does feel satisfying, writing them all," June admitted.
"Tell me about the others," Bridget insisted while walking out of the music room. "I'd love to know what you've written to dear Moira."
June followed her, shoving the letter into her pocket. She told Bridget the spiteful words she had written, causing the other girl to snicker and laugh cruelly at her older sister's expense.
"If you left by the end of term, it wouldn't be too soon for me!" Bridget exclaimed in delight. "It wouldn't be too soon for me, either. I wish I could've seen Moira's face when she received those letters."
"So do I," June admitted. "But unfortunately, I didn't get the chance. I'm sure she and the other fifth formers are having a great row over it, blaming each other. They'd never suspect someone from the first form."
"I say, I wouldn't be surprised if Moira suspected me," Bridget remarked. "I did threaten her after our row earlier. I said I'd get my own back at her."
"Well, she must suspect several people," June assured. "I can think of more people who don't hate her enough to write these letters to her. I know Alicia isn't pleased with her, and neither is everyone else working for the fifth form's pantomime. I hear she's an awful dictator, the way she bosses them around on stage. It's only a matter of time until somebody resigns."
"Yes, I suppose you're right," Bridget agreed. "All the same, I don't care tuppence whether Moira suspects me."
"Where do you think I should put this letter?" June asked, beginning to place it inside the envelope.
"I don't think you should leave it in an envelope," Bridget said. "If you have sent a few already, Moira will start keeping an eye out for them, if I know anything about her. She'll probably throw it into the fire right away. Just put the letter there without the envelope, so she'll have to read it right away. And it's short and the words are in capitals, so she can't help reading what's written."
June grinned while taking the letter out. She hadn't even thought of that. "Maybe you're right. I say, you're alright, Bridget. I can hardly even believe you're Moira's sister. Even Alicia seems tolerable compared to her."
"Anyone would," Bridget quipped. "Actually, I know where to put the letter. Stuff it into Moira's lacrosse locker. She can't miss it there. For all of her faults, Moira is as passionate about sports as anyone else. I'll show you where it is."
"Good idea. But aren't you afraid you'll get caught, like before?" asked June.
Bridget shrugged. "Who cares if I do? It wouldn't be the first time. Moira told me she knows all about how I sneak out at night to speak with the third formers. She definitely wouldn't approve of me fraternizing with a first former, but I couldn't care less what she thinks."
Bridget showed June to Moira's locker in the changing room, and June neatly stuffed the letter into her boot. It was much easier without an envelope.
"This is kind of thrilling," Bridget remarked. "It feels like I'm getting my revenge on Moira, too. Oh, how I'd love to snap one of her lacrosse sticks!"
"Don't," June insisted, grabbing her arm. "She'd definitely notice that. Sending her anonymous letters is one thing, but destroying her things is another."
"I suppose you're right," Bridget agreed as June led her away. "She'd suspect me right away, like that time I broke all of her dolls."
"Still, sometimes I feel tempted to do the same," June admitted. "She told me she wouldn't choose anyone for the team who plays for themselves instead of for the school. As if she's one to talk! I hear she's just as horrible when leading the fifth form pantomime."
"You can say that again," Bridget agreed. "Only cares about being the top in everything and bossing everyone around. I think she ought to be the Demon King instead of your cousin. She'd make a great one, much better than she is as the producer. A bossy, domineering, scowling Demon King, or queen."
June laughed. "Maybe I should put that in my next letter."
"Oh, yes, do," Bridget pleaded. "I'd love to see her face when she reads that. Speaking of lacrosse, I was just going to have a game. I was going to ask Connie, but she's busy trying to get Ruth's attention, though I don't know why she bothers. Why don't you join me instead, June?"
"Really? You'd play against a mere first former?" June asked in surprise.
Bridget shrugged. "I'll go easy on you. I'd understand if you don't think you could beat me, a fourth former. After all, you didn't even make the team."
"I should've," June retorted, scowling. "It's only because Darrell Rivers favors her sister. Alright, you're on, Linton."
As they played, June forgot all about not being chosen for the team. She thought about how she didn't have a single friend in the first form. She never would've guessed Moira Linton's sister might be one of them.
I thought it was a missed opportunity not to have June and Bridget interact in canon, even if they're in different forms (June and Moira being in different forms didn't stop them). They're both described as defiant and obstinate, both have older relatives in the fifth they don't get along with, June sends hate messages to Bridget's older sister (which Moira worries was done by Bridget herself), and Alicia and Moira even compare them at one point. I actually saw their friendship explored in another fanfic called June's Diary, which I absolutely loved even though they weren't entirely in character compared to the book counterparts (their friendship was so hilarious and adorable, I loved them planning pranks against Alicia and Moira and complaining about their relatives together). I might publish another chapter about what happens after the drama of June nearly being expelled.