Rivalry at Silver Spires (12 page)

Jess didn't seem to know what to do. She hovered around me for a few seconds, then said, “I'd better go to art club… I'll…see you later.”

I saw Bibi heading towards the pool and asked her to tell Mrs. Mellor that I wasn't well.

“Oh no!” said Bibi, looking devastated. “What's the matter with you? Please don't say
you
won't be in the swimming gala either!”

I shrugged, “Dunno,” and started to walk off, but Bibi stopped me.

“What's the matter?” she asked quite sternly. “Something's really wrong, I can tell. You're not acting normal.”

I closed my eyes, then opened them slowly, wondering if I could be bothered to tell the whole horrible story again. In the end I sighed and just gave her the bare facts in a flat blah-blah voice, about the messages and how they connected to things which had actually happened. Bibi's eyes widened when I said the words
missing link
, and
I'm missing you.
Her hand flew to her mouth. “Oh no, and Hannah's costume went missing!” she murmured, looking pale. I didn't say anything to that, but just finished off with how I'd wanted to prove to myself that it was definitely Felissia and then it would all have been sorted. “Only it didn't exactly work out like that,” I said heavily, “because even though I proved it to
myself
, it doesn't actually prove a thing to the teachers, and anyway Felissia is basically saying she doesn't know what I'm talking about, so that's the end of that.”

Bibi stayed still as a statue for a few seconds, then suddenly put her hand on my arm and gave me an urgent look. “Did you tell anyone the bit about why you thought Hannah's costume had gone missing?”

I shook my head. “You told me not to mention it, so I didn't.”

“Right! See you later!” And with that she was gone, so I turned and trudged slowly back to Hazeldean, wondering if there really was something wrong with me, I had so little energy.

The rest of that day was a bit of a blur. My brain seemed to shut down and my body ached. I went straight to bed, and when Jess got back from art club she got Matron to see me. Then Miss Carol came along too. I had my temperature taken twice and they both asked me lots of questions about what exactly was the matter with me, but I didn't even have the energy to speak, and I could feel my eyes balancing tears that I knew would drop onto my cheeks if I dared to blink, so I turned away and let them roll onto the pillow.

It was only six o'clock but I was already sliding into sleep, dreaming that I was locked in the swimming pool building and all the teachers were saying that unless I got in the pool and swam sixty lengths straight away I wouldn't be allowed out. It was a relief to wake up after that nightmare, but in no time at all I found myself in another dream where I was locked out of the swimming pool building, banging on the door and screaming, “Let me in!” But Felissia was behind the door, laughing and pointing at me, saying, “No, Grace! No race!” over and over again.

Sometime later Jess leaned over me and whispered, “Night, Grace.”

I managed to say “Night” back and she told me in her gentlest voice that I didn't have to worry because Miss Carol was sorting everything out. And then Miss Carol was patting my arm and saying, “Sleep well. You'll feel better in the morning.” So then I dreamed that Miss Carol was going round the whole school looking for Hannah's costume, but she never found it.

It was dark when I next woke up. By the light of my little bedside lamp I saw that my watch said six thirty-five. I felt wide awake, and it was no wonder because I'd been asleep for ages. I sat up in bed and thought about everything that had happened the day before. I also remembered with a shock that this was the day of the swimming gala. I was expecting to feel depressed, but in fact I felt fine and couldn't work out why that was. Then I remembered what Jess had said to me about Miss Carol sorting everything out. I was desperate to wake Jess up and ask what exactly she meant by that, but it would be cruel to cut off her sleep when she had another twenty-five minutes to go.

I got up to go to the loo, noticing that the lead weights seemed to have left my legs and my whole body felt lighter. On the way back I saw Matron coming out of her room. She asked me how I was feeling and I said I thought I was all right, but I couldn't tell for sure yet. She nodded and said, “Good!” Then her eyes lit up. “We want our best swimmers on fine form today.”

When I got back to the dorm, Naomi and Mia were both sitting up in bed, and Jess woke up a moment later at the sound of Naomi's voice asking me how I was feeling.

“Guess what!” said Jess as soon as she saw me. Then she tumbled into the fastest gabble I'd ever heard her use. “Bibi told Hannah what you said about Felissia and everything, and Hannah went straight to Mrs. Ansell. We all met up at supper and Bibi told us Mrs. Ansell's lent Hannah her own swimsuit and Hannah's over the moon because it's a really trendy one. And Mrs. Ansell came to see Miss Carol during prep – we saw them saying bye to each other when we came out at the end. So then I asked to see Miss Carol and I went mad and said it wasn't fair that no one believed you about Felissia and now you were ill because you were so upset. And Miss Carol said I wasn't to worry any more because it had all been sorted out, and I said that I didn't care about
me
worrying, I only cared about
you
worrying, so that's why she came to see you last night…” Jess suddenly stopped talking and looked at me carefully. “You do remember her coming in when you were half asleep, don't you?”

I nodded but couldn't reply because she was rattling away again, and I noticed that Georgie and Katy were wide awake and tuning in too. “Anyway, this is the best bit, because Georgie went to the loo during prep and she actually heard Miss Carol and Mrs. Ansell talking, so she stayed out of sight round the corner and listened in!”

“Let me tell her this bit!” said Georgie, who looked as though she was bursting.

Jess's eyes gleamed. “Go on, then. Quick! I can't wait for Grace to hear this!”

“Drum roll!” said Georgie. She grinned at me.

The excitement in the dorm was infectious. I couldn't wait to hear what was coming.

“We-ell…” Georgie went on slowly and dramatically, emphasizing all the names, “Mrs.
Ansell
told Miss
Carol
that Mrs.
Mellor
had been to see her about Hannah's swimsuit, because Mrs. Mellor found it!”

“Where?” I gasped.

Georgie looked over-the-top mysterious and I knew she was loving spinning out the tale, but I was wishing she'd get on with it now. “In Felissia's hands!”

“What?”

“Apparently Mrs. Mellor was in that little storeroom at the other end of the pool and she happened to see Felissia come creeping into the pool, fully dressed and carrying something black, so she watched and she saw Felissia furtively make for the spectators' area and put the black thing down in the furthest corner under a seat. Then, fast as anything, Felissia rushed out of the pool area and out of the whole building. So then Mrs. Mellor went straight over and found that the black thing was a swimsuit, and she asked around and discovered that Hannah had lost her swimsuit, so she went to see Mrs. Ansell, and then Mrs.
Ansell
went to see Miss
Walton
and hey presto! Felissia's nicked!”

I gasped, then sighed. “That's good – for Hannah – but I still wish there was a way of proving I didn't just make up the chat-room stuff.”

“Aha! There
is
!” said Jess, giving me a tight hug. “You see, Bibi told us that Evie was really quiet at swimming squad, and she admitted to Bibi that she was one of the people online when Felissia wrote that you were a
dis
grace and that you'd never be able to prove it was her saying stuff about you. And Evie knows Felissia's username. She said she'd wanted to tell a teacher but she was too scared of what might happen if Felissia found out it was her. But Bibi persuaded Evie to tell Mrs. Mellor and Mrs. Mellor promised not to mention any names when she reported it to Miss Carol and Miss Walton.”

I took a deep breath and let it out. “The truth. At last.”

The others were all nodding vigorously.

“And the most important thing,” said Katy with a twinkle in her eye, “is that Felissia's not allowed to swim in the gala! Which means Hazeldean are in with a much better chance!”

It was as though the muddled mess that was my life yesterday had been completely untangled and straightened out, and my world sparkled with happiness and relief. In fact, for the first time ever, I found myself actually looking forward to the gala.

The adrenaline pumped round my body as I walked with the rest of the competitors from the changing room into the pool arena. A wall of noise hit us from the spectators' area. All the girls from Years Seven, Eight and Nine who weren't swimming in the gala sat squashed up on the tiered benches, their excited chatter ringing round the pool and zinging off the walls. Even the teachers and house staff in the second row looked excited. The Year Eight and Nine competitors went to sit in the front row of the spectators' area with their towels around them, while we Year Seven competitors filed neatly into the rows of plastic chairs which had been put along each side of the pool. As soon as I was sitting down, I looked over to try and spot Jess and the others. It wasn't hard. They were jumping up and down, giving me big two-armed waves. My glance skimmed over the rest of the Year Sevens and I saw Felissia, shoulders hunched and looking sulky, a couple of rows in front. No one was talking to her and she happened to glance up. Our eyes met, but she dropped her gaze instantly. It was weird. I almost felt sorry for her at that moment.

At precisely two thirty, Mrs. Mellor blew her whistle three times and there was instant silence.

“Good afternoon!” she began, and for some reason everyone burst into applause. “This year's swimming gala promises to be a hugely exciting event and I know you're all dying for the action to begin. But first, Ms. Carmichael has something to say!”

There was another burst of applause, peppered with cheering, as the Head came down from the spectators' benches to the side of the pool. I saw Jess bite her lip and I knew she was feeling that mixture of excitement and nervousness that I was feeling myself, because Ms. Carmichael was about to announce the winner of the programme design. I had no idea what Jess's design was, because she'd kept it a secret, even from her friends. I crossed my fingers on both hands and tried to catch Jess's eye, but she was looking down.

“Ladies and gentlemen of the staff,” said Ms. Carmichael, in her most head-teacherly voice, “would you kindly raise your programmes to reveal the picture on the front cover…” The thunderous applause spread like wildfire from the competitors around the pool, who saw the programmes first, to the rest of the spectators, as the teachers slowly turned to hold up the programmes for everyone to see. “Jessica Roud of Hazeldean has produced the winning design. Very well done to you, Jessica!”

Mia and Katy, who were on either side of Jess, gave her a huge hug, and then Mrs. Mellor gave Jess a signal to go down and shake hands with Ms. Carmichael. On the way she looked across at me and gave me a double thumbs up, which made everyone laugh. I was wishing I could see the picture a bit more clearly but it was just too far away to make out what it was, so I'd have to wait till afterwards to look at it properly.

At precisely two forty I stood on my starting block, waiting. The Year Seven fifty metres front crawl was the very first race. On the starting block to my right stood Hannah, wearing Mrs. Ansell's swimsuit. Bibi had told us in the changing room earlier that although Mrs. Ansell had only lent it to Hannah at first, she thought Hannah looked so much better in it than she did herself that she wanted Hannah to keep it.

I glanced nervously at Hannah and she pulled a face, as if to say,
Are you as scared as I am?
Then we both snapped back to staring straight ahead and getting into position, as Mrs. Mellor's voice echoed into the silence. “Take your marks…” At the stark sound of the starter gun my nervousness vanished completely and as I dived I felt my competitive spirit flooding in. There were six of us doing front crawl as hard as we could, and for a while I couldn't see any of the others at all, as I was concentrating so hard on driving myself forwards. The screams of the supporters rose above the splash of the water and gave me a new strength as we forged our way along the lanes. I managed a perfect tumble turn, overtaking Evie and three of the others. There was just me and Hannah in the lead and we stayed exactly level all the way down the second length, stroke after stroke after exhausting stroke. Then, just when I thought I'd die if I had to do another single one, I touched the side and heard the sound of the whistle. A single whistle. I looked to my right. Hannah lifted her goggles and her eyes danced. “We drew!” she said reaching out to give me a hug. And I thought how different this was from that other time we'd drawn, when I'd been too eaten up with worry even to smile, and Hannah had looked away, convinced I didn't like her.