Chapter 6: Allies

As she walked down the hall, she noticed that the clocks in some of the classrooms disagreed with each other. In particular, the clocks in the empty classrooms displayed a later time than those in the occupied ones. She suspected that it was deliberate, yet another way to disorient and depress the students.

She also noticed that the girls ranged from stark naked to fully dressed. One of the naked girls was bent over a teacher's desk, her red-striped bottom facing the class. Another stood tearfully, head bowed, hands at her sides, while the teacher was saying something to her. Linda was determined that some things would change at that school.

Eventually, her classmates were dismissed. She walked up behind Victoria, linked arms with her, and began in conversational tones "So, are you going to show me to my room, or what?"

Victoria jumped. "I didn't expect to see you again! After all that, I figured they would get rid of you or something. What happened?"

"Miss FitzGibbon was taken away to hospital, after being taken to the ambulance naked from the waist up. There is a good chance she will face criminal charges for what she did to me. And Matron is in much the same position. Miss James is walking on eggshells, because if she does anything to me she could end up facing charges and the school could be shut down. Even the school's backers are spooked, because of the possible scandal. If I know my parents, we could end up owning this place."

"I've seen girls come here with that kind of confidence before. Sooner or later, they were either broken or sent away."

"Not this time. I mean it literally. My mother eats bigger outfits than this for breakfast. My father handles bigger legal challenges for highly placed people all the time. I really mean we could end up owning this place."

"Wow! So why are you still here?"

"It's going to take a while to get everything sorted out. I have some decisions to make, and I need more information. So, which would you rather see, changes or closing?"

"That depends. What kinds of changes? And what would happen to us if you closed the school? I don't fancy going to some prison."

"I really doubt it would come to that." She paused as they reached the utility closet. She retrieved her bundle, then asked "Which way to the room?"

Victoria told her it was up the stairs, and they resumed walking.

"We all are in here for some pretty small stuff. If the school closes because of the scandal, most judges will weigh the crimes of the school against yours, and see who the real criminals are. Probably ask whether you've Learned Your Lesson and then, if you don't smart off to him, let you off with time served. You might even get Victim's Assistance for what they did here. So, is there anything here worth saving?"

"Most of the teachers are not too bad. And we tend to do well on the comprehensives. If you got rid of the real sadists and perverts, and the whole humiliation thing, it might be an ok school."

They turned a corner in the hallway, and found themselves alone.

"Victoria, why were you there, waiting around that corner, when the headmistress brought me in?" This would tell Linda a lot about how far she could trust her.

"We were chosen. The same thing happens to every girl when she arrives. It is not wise to refuse an assignment they choose you for, even a dishonest one. Besides, I like meeting the new girls."

"Yes, but why you?"

"I honestly don't know. Maybe it is because I come across as friendly. They probably think it throws the new girl off guard, or something. I've been chosen a few times now. Here's the room."

"Which bed is mine?" She asked, as she looked around for the camera she knew would be there.