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Feb. 3rd, 2009 09:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fiery_ringGoing out by herself was strictly forbidden, but Carlotta couldn't trust any of the other girls so far to not give her away. So that evening, when she would not be missed, she snuck out to the telephone box down the road.
"Carlotta? What's happened, why are you calling here?" her father says when he picks up the phone.
"It's okay, I'm all right." Carlotta says quickly. "I had to talk to you, please don't be angry. I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for making such a fuss about the school when you had to work so hard to get me in here for the term. I realise I put you in a bad position and that you were trying to give me what was best for me..."
"Carlotta." the voice is gentler now. "I'm not angry with you. I am proud of you for being yourself, and for showing the strong traits your mother did. But I want to prepare you for a world that is harsh, judgemental and dangerous, and sometimes that means making you do things that you don't want to. I understand now that you were worried that I might make this a permanent arrangement, and I can assure you that it won't be. For one thing Ringmere have had to squeeze you in; there isn't a permanent place in the class for you. Now be a good girl, try your best, and continue to make me proud."
By the time Carlotta hangs up, she feels much better; almost glad that she had the nightmare to make her realise that she had to patch things up with her father.
In her absence, a meeting has begun.
"It's not right!" Angela exclaims, her pretty face made ugly by her rage. "This is a selective school, there is no place for a common little creature like her here!"
A few other girls begin to voice their agreement, but are silenced by the head of the form, a quiet but firm girl called Greta.
"Quiet! Let's discuss this without emotional outbursts. And please, let's be sensible; Carlotta is only going to be with us for a term, surely even you, Angela, can manage to tolerate her ways for that long?"
"I won't have anything to do with her!" Angela snaps.
"Carlotta's quite nice really!" says Victoria, a quiet girl, and the only one to have seriously attempted conversation with Carlotta. "She can't help having that awful accent, and she's no more outspoken than you are Angela!"
Angela gives Victoria a withering look, as do the girls around her.
"Look." Greta says sensibly. "Victoria's right, there's more to people than how they talk and what their background is. Carlotta didn't choose to come here, she's probably worried sick about not fitting in. Rather than being horrible to her, if we all chip in and support her then she'll soon learn our ways, I'm sure!"
"She's not our responsibility." Angela says coldly. "If you want to hang around with the likes of her, go ahead, but don't expect the rest of us to. Come on everyone, show of hands, who wants to associate with the urchin girl?"
Greta and Victoria put up their hands. After a few moments of hesitation, so do most of the rest of the class, until finally there is only Angela and a group of six girls unwilling. Angela, really on the boil now, raises her eyebrows.
"Well! You're all out of your minds. Come on girls."
She and her group leave the meeting. There are giggles from the remaining girls.
"Who does she think she is? The Queen and her court!"
Victoria grins, gets up and goes into the dormitories just in time to spot Carlotta climbing in the first floor window.
"Carlotta? What's happened, why are you calling here?" her father says when he picks up the phone.
"It's okay, I'm all right." Carlotta says quickly. "I had to talk to you, please don't be angry. I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for making such a fuss about the school when you had to work so hard to get me in here for the term. I realise I put you in a bad position and that you were trying to give me what was best for me..."
"Carlotta." the voice is gentler now. "I'm not angry with you. I am proud of you for being yourself, and for showing the strong traits your mother did. But I want to prepare you for a world that is harsh, judgemental and dangerous, and sometimes that means making you do things that you don't want to. I understand now that you were worried that I might make this a permanent arrangement, and I can assure you that it won't be. For one thing Ringmere have had to squeeze you in; there isn't a permanent place in the class for you. Now be a good girl, try your best, and continue to make me proud."
By the time Carlotta hangs up, she feels much better; almost glad that she had the nightmare to make her realise that she had to patch things up with her father.
In her absence, a meeting has begun.
"It's not right!" Angela exclaims, her pretty face made ugly by her rage. "This is a selective school, there is no place for a common little creature like her here!"
A few other girls begin to voice their agreement, but are silenced by the head of the form, a quiet but firm girl called Greta.
"Quiet! Let's discuss this without emotional outbursts. And please, let's be sensible; Carlotta is only going to be with us for a term, surely even you, Angela, can manage to tolerate her ways for that long?"
"I won't have anything to do with her!" Angela snaps.
"Carlotta's quite nice really!" says Victoria, a quiet girl, and the only one to have seriously attempted conversation with Carlotta. "She can't help having that awful accent, and she's no more outspoken than you are Angela!"
Angela gives Victoria a withering look, as do the girls around her.
"Look." Greta says sensibly. "Victoria's right, there's more to people than how they talk and what their background is. Carlotta didn't choose to come here, she's probably worried sick about not fitting in. Rather than being horrible to her, if we all chip in and support her then she'll soon learn our ways, I'm sure!"
"She's not our responsibility." Angela says coldly. "If you want to hang around with the likes of her, go ahead, but don't expect the rest of us to. Come on everyone, show of hands, who wants to associate with the urchin girl?"
Greta and Victoria put up their hands. After a few moments of hesitation, so do most of the rest of the class, until finally there is only Angela and a group of six girls unwilling. Angela, really on the boil now, raises her eyebrows.
"Well! You're all out of your minds. Come on girls."
She and her group leave the meeting. There are giggles from the remaining girls.
"Who does she think she is? The Queen and her court!"
Victoria grins, gets up and goes into the dormitories just in time to spot Carlotta climbing in the first floor window.
