Chapter Text
“Golly! It seems like just yesterday we were pipsqueaks of twelve in Potty’s first form classroom, and now we’re eighteen, and going off to university!” exclaimed Darrell Rivers, sitting on her overstuffed suitcase while her friend Sally Hope did her best to strap it down. The large brown suitcase was filled to bursting with her clothes, stockings, shoes, and hats—all purchased in town over the previous month. She had grown up in Reddington, a charming town about two hours’ drive away from Cornwall, where she had attended a day school till she was twelve, and then attended Malory Towers—a fine boarding school for girls on the blue Cornish coast—where she had met and befriended Sally. The girls were quite different to look at—where Darrell had a slim, boyish figure, her father’s dark eyes and thick eyebrows, and curly black hair that was cut little longer than a boy’s, Sally was shorter and sturdier, with hay-blonde hair and laughing brown eyes. Both girls had turned quite brown from all the hours they had spent playing tennis in the sun over the summer hols, and Sally in particular had a liberal sprinkling of freckles over her small, upturned nose.
“Yes,” agreed Sally, standing up, panting slightly from the effort of closing the suitcase, “But I don’t expect it will be too different from old Malory Towers—Alicia and Betty are coming, too!”
Darrell laughed.
“Thank goodness for that!” she exclaimed, looking around for her overnight bag and her tennis racquet, “At least we will have a few familiar faces!”
“I don’t suppose we will have too many classes together, though,” mused Sally. While Darrell was going to work towards a BA in English Literature with the aim of becoming a writer, Sally meant to study Physical Education, and join a good school like Malory Towers as a games mistress. Quick-minded, sharp-tongued Alicia Johns was going to study Journalism—she meant to become a famous reporter some day—and Betty Hill was going to study Chemistry.
“You’re right,” said Darrell, “It’ll be jolly strange after having shared a classroom for six years! I say, Mother, have you seen my new tennis racquet?”
“Don’t tell me you’ve lost it already!” said the exasperated Mrs Rivers, walking into the room to check if the girls were ready, “You bought it only yesterday!”
“It’s here, it’s here!” cried Darrell’s little sister Felicity, appearing suddenly, holding the racquet aloft. As much as Darrell resembled her father, Felicity looked like their mother, with her soft brown curls, cinnamon-brown eyes, and even smile. She was growing into quite a little beauty—but she couldn’t care less, choosing to spend most of her time tearing madly about the lacrosse field instead. Privately, Darrell thought it was a good thing her sister was unconcerned about her looks—she had come across a few girls at Malory Towers who had thought no end of their hair and nails, and had been quite unbearable at first.
“I had borrowed it to show Mary,” said Felicity, referring to her friend next door, “Here you are, Darrell!”
“I think that’s everything,” said Darrell, taking the racquet and looking about her little bedroom. Sally had come to spend the last week of the hols with her, and the pair had done most of their university shopping together. They had stayed up after dinner almost every single day, excitedly discussing what life would be like at St Andrews.
“Right. Here are your train tickets, girls—be careful not to lose them. I gather you’ll be meeting Alicia and Betty on the train?” enquired Mrs Rivers.
“Yes, and then we’ll all go up to Scotland together!” exclaimed Darrell, putting away her ticket carefully, “I do hope we’re all in the same hall!”
“I hope so, too,” said Sally, thinking of the halls of residence at St Andrews—not very different from the Towers at Malory Towers. She, Darrell, and Alicia had been in North Tower, while Betty had been in West Tower—something she and Alicia had groaned no end about!
“I’ve heard the halls are quite nice,” said Mrs Rivers, smiling at the girls, “Since you’re new, you’ll likely be allotted a roommate—only senior students have the privilege of a single room. However, you’ll see all the students in your hall in the common room!”
“Golly, we’ll be among the small fry again, won’t we!” said Darrell.
“Yes,” piped up Felicity mischievously, “After being Head Girl and Games Captain respectively at Malory Towers, you and Sally will have to mind your Ps and Qs at St Andrews!”
“No cheek from you, young Felicity,” said Darrell to her young sister, who was fourteen and going into the third form. Felicity gave the older girls an impish grin and disappeared.
“I wonder what the other students at St Andrews will be like,” said Sally after Mrs Rivers had left the room, “I wonder if we’ll have any horse-mad creatures like Bill and Clarissa, or snobs like Gwendoline!”
“I do hope so!” said Darrell, “Life would be rather boring if we were surrounded by staid, scholarly students who never put a foot out of line!”