Chapter 27

Wednesday morning, we packed a couple of small overnight bags into the boot and the girls piled into the back seat. It’s almost 90 miles to school, so we set off fairly early to give Pixie the maximum time to look around the school site, which makes up around ⅓ of the town that surrounds it.

We stopped half way for breakfast, and so the girls could stretch their legs, I so wish I’d thought about hiring a car for the day, my back seat really isn’t suitable for journeys of more than an hour.

We pulled off the motorway a few miles from school, the last 5 miles of the journey are an absolute joy, narrow twisting roads, blind corners with sharp drops off the side, driving this route in the Macan is great, in Kelly’s Mini it would be even better, although 4-wheel drive is needed in winter.

At 10am on the dot I drove through the school gates and down the short tree lined driveway and Pixie got her first look at her new school, and she wasn’t disappointed.

Whilst the school is almost 500 years old, most of the buildings only date back to the late Victorian period, when like most other boarding schools, they experienced a growth in pupil numbers as wealthy industrialists chose to send their sons to school in the countryside well away from the dirty cities.

Even though the buildings weren’t that old, they were still a lot more impressive than Pixie’s last school, which was built in the 1980’s and was already falling apart and in need of constant maintenance. I’m pretty sure there’s lightbulbs here that pre-date her old school.

As there was nobody around to witness Pixie’s overexhuberance she felt free to express her absolute joy and excitement at the thought of attending school in this beautiful location, overlooked by the imposing fells on one side and valleys spread out on the other side of the school site.

“This is amazing, all this stone, and stained glass, it looks like a cathedral.”

Our first call was the admissions department, which unless it’s moved since I was at school, is in an old wooden hunting lodge nestled behind the science buildings, Kelly confirmed it was as she set off walking in that direction, Pixie and Naomi held hands as they skipped ahead of us, Kelly took my hand in hers, giving me a light squeeze, “she seems to have fully recovered from yesterday’s trauma.”

“For the moment,” I replied, “she’s a strong girl, but I really want the welfare officer to keep a close eye on her.”

“Agreed, I’ll have a word with her before we leave.”

As Pixie skirted around the edge of the Maths block she stopped dead, now the trees had ended she got the full view of the fells beyond the town, and in front of her, the County Cricket standard pitch.

“Where’s our boarding house?” Pixie asked.

“You can’t see it from here. See that big stone building, that’s the library, past there can you see a black and white building?”

“Yes, I can see it...”

“We’re next to that building, it’s really nice, you’ll love it, although where the bedrooms are it’s a bit of a maze, you will get lost a few times.”

We walked alongside the cricket pitch until we reached the Admissions offices where Amanda was waiting at the door to great us.

“Ahh Pixie, you’re here, come in, I’ve just put a pot of coffee on, you know where my office is Kelly, make yourselves comfy, I’ll be through in a second.”

I’d been counting backwards on my way round, and it’s 22 years since I left the school, therefore 27 years since I started school on this site, so 27 years or thereabouts since I’d last entered this office, and it hadn’t really changed. The desk now had a computer with two screens, and there was a big printer in the corner, but the wooden filing cabinets were the same, the big world map was the same, and the two heavy leather sofas were the same.

Amanda bustled in with a tray holding a coffee pot and five mugs, we helped ourselves to drinks and biscuits and Amanda sat herself down in an armchair.

We drank in silence for a moment, it was good coffee, it deserved attention.

“You know, I nearly didn’t recognise you at first Pixie, you look so different,” Amanda started.

“Well I decided to make an effort, after all Tom is spending a lot of money sending me here, and it’s only right I should take my studies seriously, and so a fresh start is needed.”

“You look very nice, you did before, I loved your pink hair. We may not be the strictest school, but we do try to maintain certain standards, even if some of our pupils stretch our tolerance to the limit. I’m glad you’ve got into the school spirit so fully right from the off.”

“I’ve got an arm full of tattoos though,” Pixie said as Amanda started to drink her coffee.

Amanda’s eyes bulged and put her mug down before she spat her coffee everywhere.

“I’m only kidding, look,” Pixie laughed, rolling her sleeves up.

“Ahh, brilliant, I think you’ll fit in here perfectly. So, after our conversation last week Kelly, I spoke to Naomi’s house mistress, and we’ve switched her room. You would have been moving this year anyway, as Year 11 get bigger rooms, we’ve put you in a double room instead of a triple.”

“Oh that’s great news, not that sharing with a third would be a problem,” Naomi said.

“We spoke to your last school Pixie and they’ve kindly sent your records, state schools often refuse to send their records to Independent schools, which is annoying, but we’ve got yours, don’t look like that, we see you missed a year, and I’ve read the reasons why, so we’re just going to ignore that, because I’ve also seen your test scores, the maths department are very excited to have you.”

Naomi looked at Pixie, “you never said you were a maths genius.”

“Well, I don’t think I am.’

“I beg to differ,” Amanda said, “Dr Hughes, our head of maths, said your end of year 10 exam was extremely high quality, and while we’re singing your praises, your English report was exceptional, and your food technology teacher couldn’t praise your work highly enough.”

“Ahh, now we can confirm that 100%,” Kelly said, “Pixie has been treating us to some exceptional food these last few weeks.”

At that point there was a knock on the door and Will, the headmaster, joined us. We all stood and Will stepped fully into the room and shook Pixie’s hand.

“Hello, I just wanted to meet you in person Pixie, I’ve been reading your school reports and I know the teachers are excited to have you on board.”

“Err, thank you, I’m really surprised, I didn’t think my reports were that good.”

“Oh they are, they’re very good, haven’t you read them?”

“Well, no, my previous guardian, Ruth, she just shoved them in a drawer, to be honest I’m not sure she read them either.”

“That’s shameful, Amanda, can you print them out and give them to Pixie before she leaves today. For some reason there’s no year 8 reports...”

“We know about that Will,” Amanda said.

“Oh yes, ahh, didn’t mean to bring up sore memories.”

“Oh, it’s no problem,” Pixie said brightly, “I’m totally over that now.”

“Quite, well I’m off back to my office, but I don’t mind walking you through the main school building if you’d like to accompany me on the way.”

As we got up to follow Will, Amanda said, “if you pop back in here before you leave, I’ll have all the reports ready so you can see how good they are.”

“Thank you,” Kelly said, “it would be a great help for Pixie to see just how much her teachers thought of her.”

Kelly touched my arm, “I just need to check a couple of things Tom, I’ll catch up with you in a minute.”

The rest of us followed Will out of the Admissions building and back towards the main school. He stopped on the lawn and directed Pixie’s attention at the view across the valleys beyond the school, and then pointed out the many parts of the school we could see from this vantage point.

As Naomi took up the commentary Will turned to me, holding out his hand, we shook, “welcome back Tom, has much changed since you were here?”

“The biggest thing would be the new sports hall, it looks very impressive. There were no girls at the school when I was here, so you’ve changed my old house to girls and added a couple of new ones.”

“Ahh yes, going co-educational was a big move, I had to fight to get the governors to accept it, but it probably saved the school. What house were you in?”

“Turner, the same as Naomi.”

“Ahh, you’ll see there’s been a lot of change there when you visit, it’s our most popular girls house, we had to do a few moves to accommodate Pixie, but we fit everyone in.”

“Thank you, we really appreciate this, Pixie hasn’t had the best life so far, and she’s become a little dependent on Naomi. The couple of subjects where they’re in different classes will be good, forcing them to spend some time apart.”

“And I think Pixie in turn should bring Naomi’s grades up a little in maths,” Will added.

“We’ve been saying these last few weeks that they’re both better off since they met, they’re helping each other without even realising.”

We looked across the lawn, they were in a world of their own, holding hands, Naomi pointing at various buildings, telling Pixie about the school.

Will stepped away, “I really have to go, a Zoom meeting with a parent, I’m sure Naomi can tell Pixie far more about the school than I ever could.”

He took a couple of steps then turned, “oh, by the way, please pass on my thanks to Pixie for fixing her hair, I wish all the pupils showed such respect.”

“If there’s one thing we’ve learnt about Pixie, it’s that she is the most polite, respectful person you are ever likely to find, but she’s also Pixie, and somewhere she’ll be rebelling in some tiny way.”

“It’s those tiny rebellions that keep us sane Tom.”

I walked over to the girls, they turned at my approach, “it’s so beautiful Tom, I’m going to love it here.”

“It really is beautiful, although it’s very cold in winter, and when it rains it’s horrible.”

“Well, some kind of waterproof coat would probably help.”

“There’ll be one with your uniform order in the school shop.”

“Then there’s nothing to worry about, is there.”

“Not at all. Anyway, the Headmaster asked me to thank you for respecting his request to colour your hair properly.”

“How could I not, pink hair in this place would be so disrespectful.”

“I was also wondering what your tiny rebellion is today, like when you wore the Doc Martens for your interview.”

“What makes you think I’m rebelling?”

“Because it’s in your genes, you just can’t conform 100%.”

“You know me so well, come closer and I’ll show you.”

I moved closer, not quite sure what was about to happen, as I stopped in front of her she lifted her t-shirt and pulled out the waistband of her jeans.

“I’m not wearing any underwear, look.”

And as I looked down I could see the neatest little tuft of pubes.

“I promise though, when I start school I will conform 100%, or at least as best I can, because, well, being totally straight is dull. I’ll tell you what, if you persuade mum to let me get my nipples pierced I’ll never have to rebel by not wearing underwear.”

“Won’t they show?” I asked.

“Not with the good bras mum’s bought her,” Naomi answered, “they’re all properly padded.”

“What about you, do you want your nipples pierced?” I asked.

“Not until Pixie’s had hers done, so I know if it hurts.”

At that moment Kelly headed across the lawn in our direction, Pixie quickly fastened her pants and dropped her t-shirt.

“What are you lot up to?” Kelly asked with a smile.

“We were talking about body jewellery,” I said.

“Ahh, where do you want to get a piercing Pixie?”

“How do you know it’s me?”

“Because Naomi has always been squeamish about piercings, she’s not even had her ears done.”

“Ahh, right, so, I was thinking I’d like to get my nipples done, and my belly button, then when I’m older, my clit.”

“Oh really, that is exciting, well I’ve no problem with any of that, because it’s your body. I’d definitely recommend waiting until you’ve finished school before you have your clit pierced though, because the girls really will talk if they spot that in the gym changing rooms.”

“So you don’t mind? Even the genital piercing?”

“Absolutely not, like I said, it’s your body. As long as you go to a proper studio and everything is done safely and professionally, I have no objections. Why don’t you have a little nose stud as well, that would look really cute on you.”

“Won’t that be against the rules.”

“It may be,” Naomi said, “but there’s loads of girls have a little nose stud. A nose ring would be too much, but a little stud, that would look super cute on you, then when we finish school, you can have a ring, which would look even better, but not one of those septum piercings, I don’t like those.”

“Urghh, me neither.”

“Let’s go have a look through the school,” Naomi said, as she turned away from the view and walked towards the school.

Apart from the carpets, there was no obvious sign 22 years had passed since I last walked through the large studded oak door and into the main school building.

Further inside and there were obvious changes.

The classrooms were still big and airy, they were still wood panelled and heated by huge iron radiators, but the wooden desks had gone, replaced by laminate topped tables and sturdy looking plastic chairs. The teachers’ desks had sprouted a computer, and the blackboards had been replaced by dry-wipe boards and projectors. Most of the teachers’ desks were still old though, clearly dating from well before my era.

“Come with me,” Naomi said, taking Pixie’s hand, running upstairs.

“Where’s she off to in such a rush?” Kelly asked.

“If it’s still there I think I know.”

“What?”

“Follow them and you’ll see,”

At the top of the stairs we didn’t see the girls, but I remembered the classroom Naomi was most probably showing Pixie, so I pointed Kelly down the main corridor, then down a short passage, at the end of which was an open door, with both girls standing just inside the doorway.

“Oh my god, this is amazing, I’ve never seen anything like this in my life before.”

We stopped before the classroom, Kelly turned to me, “what’s in there?”

“Go look, it really is amazing.”

Kelly stepped into the doorway, her high heels meaning she could easily see over both girls heads.

“Oh. my. God. You never told me about this classroom Naomi.”

“It’s amazing isn’t it, apparently it’s taken the teacher’s family 150 years to collect them all.”

We walked fully into the room, which apart from the computer and projector was exactly as I remembered it, rows of benches mounted on a stepped platform like a lecture theatre. Each bench was loaded with rocks, with fossils, with semi-precious stones.

Along the walls were shelves and cabinets, all filled with more samples.

On the floor were a number of core samples drilled out of the ground in various places around the planet, each sample showing the different coloured bands of earth and rock.

I’d never seen a room quite like this geology classroom.

Like most public schools, this one had its many traditions, and one of the traditions here was the role of geology teacher, which had been in the same family since 1850.

After they’d spent a good few minutes admiring the displays we left the classroom, and the main school building. Naomi gave us a tour of the science building before we headed over to their boarding house.

The boarding house was a huge change, when I was at the school the house consisted of two adjoining houses with a very large garden in front now half the garden had been consumed by a low structure made of slate, glass and metal and a large patio area with seating and outdoor heaters.

“That’s our common room and study area, we use it for parties and dances, it’s the only part of the house we’re allowed boys.”

We walked up to the door and Naomi pushed the door bell “we’ll get a code for the door when we start, don’t tell it to anyone who doesn’t live here,” she told Pixie.

The door was opened by a smiling woman, “ahh Naomi, you’ve come to give your friend a tour, come in please.”

“I’ve brought my mum and new dad as well, is it ok if he looks around, he used to board here about a hundred years ago.”

“Of course he can, hang on a minute, you look familiar, don’t tell me, it’ll come to me.”

Naomi wandered off for a second, she came back and thrust a book into her hands, “here you go Karen, this might give you a clue.”