| Subject: Story of Joanne - P1 Ch5 |
Author:
Rose
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Date Posted: 02:48:38 09/20/02 Fri
In reply to:
Rose
's message, "Story of Joanne - P1 Ch4" on 02:41:30 09/20/02 Fri
~Chapter Five~
Pretty and Sporty
Joanne remembered that the boys were going to meet her at 8 o'clock to go down to breakfast, so she ran down the stairs, trying not to be late. They were sitting in the common room playing some game.
“Wow, what's that game? It looks cool.” Joanne commented.
“It's called snap, whoa!” Daniel exclaimed when he saw Joanne.
Nicky and Ben looked up too, with equal expressions of awe on their faces.
“Amazing Joanne. You look beautiful.” Daniel said, then as if realizing it turned a dark red.
“Thank you Daniel.” Joanne said.
As they walked through the Main Hall, on their way to the North House table, they had to pass the West House students. There they were met with wolf whistles from Max Wheeler and his group. Daniel turned a fierce look at them, effectively silencing Argon, mainly because he was the mildest one out of the group.
They were some of the first at the North house table, and as people started coming in, the guys gravitated to where Joanne was sitting. Since she was sitting at the middle of the table, so were all of the guys, and North House’s female population were giving Joanne jealous looks. Joanne wanted to disappear though. Things were going too far. She saw some guys who had to be seventh years sit in the crowd, and she felt very embarrassed. When they smiled, she thought they were laughing AT her. Daniel who thought she looked very nice saw her eyes tear up, and he took her from the main hall, before she lost it.
She got to the foyer before she started crying. Daniel said, “Jo, its okay, tell me what's wrong.”
“Its terrible! I just wanted to look nice, so I let the girls in my year fix my hair and make me look nice. I thought I did look nice! Everybody in there was staring at me and laughing at me.”
“Jo, nobody was laughing at you. They were smiling at you because you looked nice. You truly do look wonderful.” Daniel tried to comfort her.
“Thank you Dan. Are you sure I don't look err...trashy?”
“I'm sure. You look stunning.” and he was shocked when she hugged him.
“Come on, Dan, we have English today.”
Joanne skipped out of the foyer, and went to English. A bewildered Daniel followed her. He really liked Joanne.
On the way to Mr Lowe’s Classroom (the English teacher), Joanne and Daniel met up with Nicky and Ben.
“Here.” Said Nicky, “You got a letter.”
Joanne took it quickly and immediately began reading it as she sat down at the back of the classroom. The first sheet was from her mother.
Darling, how are you? You've had several calls from your friends; they're all wondering where you are. I told them that you'd write (I told them you're at the boarding school in Cornwall) But if you ever get a letter written from a friend I’ll make sure you’ll receive it. Not much is happening here; I've been trying out those new ingredients and Lucia went to a movie last week with Michael Good, that boy at your old school you used to call “Geekoid.”
Your father wants to send this, so I'd better say 'bye.
Love, Mom
Joanne smiled. She put the letter in her bag, wondering what the results of the experiments were.
The second and third pages were from her father, with an answer to her question.
Mr Lowe was doing the register so she had a bit of time to read the rest.
I suppose your mother told you that she has tried out those Newby Alley elements and acids and weird messy things. I don't blame Lucia for practically moving in at that Good’s, as this house STINKS. Stinks as in bad. It's also filled with almost permanent smoke, which won't leave even if we turn on all the fans and open the windows. Anyway, we had some serious rain, and I've posted some pictures of your mother's garden, which, well, isn't a garden anymore, to put it bluntly. It's more like a rather dirty pond. (Here he had taped some pictures of a sort of mud puddle.) Lucia has taken over your room; transformed it into a cross between a greenhouse and a den. It has too many plants in it, to put it kindly. I don't think you can even see the window from the door, or vice versa. I've made Lucia write something, but she's insisting on using the last few lines of this page and not getting her own sheet. I just think she doesn't want to keep any sort of contact. (Here he drew a flower with a few petals.)
Love you,
(I love you not.
I love you.
I love you not.)
Dad
The rest of the page (about two lines) was taken up with a sort of scribble writing.
Jo, you shuld nevr have left. I haf to do all srts of expleinin were you went. And so ha I took posessn of your room. Ha ha. Lucia.
Joanne raised her eyebrows, then, folded the letters and put them in her bag. She smiled a bit. "The first thing I need to do when I graduate is make Lucia learn how to spell. That was pathetic."
That evening Daniel and Nicky were in the study corner doing a load of English homework because they were caught talking in class. Mr Lowe had made them write a book report about “Pride and Prejudice” which they had started reading.
Ben and Joanne were playing pool, as they had a pool table in their common room, and for once nobody else was playing.
At the moment Ben was winning, as Joanne had never played pool before.
Joanne missed the pocket for the third time in a row and she slipped to the side as she lost her balance.
She gasped out. “I just can't do this. I just can't!”
“Yes, you can.” Ben said.
Nicky came over and sat nearby with his homework to watch her play. He had been watching the whole game so far and had been smirking at her misses.
Daniel had now finished his homework and said quietly that he was going to hand in his homework early.
Joanne smiled at Daniel then frowned as she stared at the many red balls, which were scattered all over, and then at three yellow balls left all perfectly placed near each pocket.
Ben stared at her pouting face. “Here, let me show you.” He took Joanne’s hand in his. He then helped her pocket one of the red balls. “You do that.”
Joanne took a deep breath and focused all her attention on the nearest red ball. She then gave it a powerful hit with her cue.
“I did it! I really did it! Oh, Ben, wow!” And she hugged him tightly, making him exaggerate a choking sound. “I really did it!”
Nicky’s face grew cold at that sight.
As Ben pulled himself away from Joanne he accidentally knocked the cue over that was leaning on the sidewall.
WHAM!
It banged Nicky straight on the head.
“Oh Nicky!” Cried Joanne, “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I’m fine.” Replied Nicky in a cold tone.
“Ok.” Said Joanne and smiled warmly at Ben, “let’s finish this game. I might just win now!”
And she pranced up to Ben and pulled him towards the pool table.
Nicky’s face grew colder. He threw his pen down on top of his unfinished English homework and stormed up to the boys' dormitory.
The next morning, Joanne raced downstairs to breakfast. For once, the noisy maid was switched to the South dormitories, so for today, Joanne had gotten enough sleep.
Making sure no one was waiting outside the North door to get back in (since only a few people could get past Nicky’s ridiculous door prank), she went downstairs quietly, determined to confront Nicky about what had happened in the common room last night.
With luck, she managed to get caught up in a large group of North and South girls, and, completely encased, managed to slip to her seat next to Nicky unnoticed. With an abrupt motion that couldn't and didn't fail to attract his attention, she pulled out her chair and sat down. Without waiting for him to mumble out a "Hi", she faced him squarely.
“Why did you leave the common room like that last night?”
He started. “Like what?”
“You know very well what I mean. You got all huffy and stormed out of the room. Why?”
“I--I--I didn't-”
“Yes, you did. Did you get mad about something I did?”
“I didn't get mad.”
“Yes, you did. You're sitting right here till you answer me.” Hinting towards a pot of superglue nearby.
Ben interrupted. “If he really doesn't want to tell, he'll sit there right through classes. I'd look up some pranks, if I were you--oops.” Nicky had thrown him a ferocious glare. “I mean, try persuading him nicely--oh, what's the use. Nicky, better find a really good pair of trousers. Sorry, man.” He pushed his chair back and ran out of the Main Hall as quickly as he could.
Nicky half-smiled, obviously amused, and then turned back to his English homework.
Trying to force a bit of conversation, Daniel moved into Ben’s now-vacant seat. “Hey, Nicky, when's the next frolic game? I heard you've been talking about it a lot.”
Joanne frowned. “Frolic game?”
Nicky took his eyes off of his homework. “Don't tell me you've never heard of frolic. Please don't tell me.”
“I haven't heard the game. It sounds like a balloon-blowing-up contest.”
Nicky’s eyes almost fell out. “You poor, deprived child. Here, let me explain.”
Daniel rolled his eyes. “Poor child. Poor, poor child indeed. She'll be here till lunch, if I know Nicky.” And he left the hall, trying to shut out Nicky’s explanation of how exactly pranks and Max fit into the same sentence.
A month later, on October 1st, footy tryouts were held.
The four first years were walking grimly out to the football field. Joanne’s hair was pulled back now, a rare event. This was like a war flag. They all signed their name on the sheet, as well as the position they were trying out for. They saw Anthony Clark, also a North first year who was trying out for keeper. They were warming up with everybody else on the school fields they had been practicing with when the captain of North Football team shouted "Everybody outside of the field. The tryouts are private. The first years go first, then second, and so on." there were 25 people trying out for the 9 positions that needed filled, and most thought it comical five first years were trying out. They already had a mid-fielder, John and a defender Miranda.
They went in alphabetical order, so Ben went first. He had to shoot and tackle the captain. Then Daniel went, trying his best skills and running to and fro towards the goal. Joanne and Nicky did the same thing.
The bulletin would be posted the next morning to see who would make the team in the common room.
When Joanne woke up in the morning, she remembered the football tryout results. She flew out of bed, and ran downstairs. As it turned out, all 24 people who tried out besides her were there already. She managed to squeeze through people to read the list.
Captain-John Kemps –6th year
Shane Maddox-6th Year
Caitlin Mentz-5th Year
Tanya Lennington-3rd Year
Miranda Knight-3rd Year
Ashley Washton-3rd Year
Abigail Treble-2nd Year
Benjamin Winters-1st Year
Nicholas Stanton-1st Year
Anthony Clark-1st Year
Goal-keeper-Matthew Moratsin-6th year
Practice tonight at 6 o'clock
Joanne felt disappointed, but she tried not to let it show, she congratulated Nicky and Ben though.
Daniel was standing next to her looking slightly down.
“Sorry, you didn’t make it.” Said Joanne and gave Daniel a comforting hug.
“Same to you, Jo.”
“Awww, look at them, they're growing up so fast.” Nicky said in a girlish voice.
“Shove off, Nicky.” Daniel told him.
Joanne spent the rest of the day with Daniel and Poppy playing pool and chess in the common room. It was the middle of the weekend and they had no homework, so there wasn’t much to do.
Ben and Nicky were spending their day with their football team. It was a known fact that a team plays better together if they get to know each other better.
In the early afternoon, Nicky asked Joanne whether she wanted to watch them in their next training session.
Joanne was a bit hesitant, but in the end she said yes because she was sure there wasn’t anything better to do.
So, Joanne walked out onto the football field that evening with Nicky, as the team had a practice that day. Several of the team members were already there, though she didn't know all of them. One, a tallish boy with red hair, waved to them to come over. He was the North team captain she’d seen before.
“So, Nicky brought your girlfriend to watch?”
Nicky blushed scarlet. “John, she's not my girlfriend. I--I just thought she could come and watch, she knows a thing two about sports you know. Also you could use her as a reserve sometime.”
John gave him a look, then turned to Joanne “So, has he bored you out of your mind telling you about Frolic Game all day yet?”
Joanne smiled. “It might have been more explicable if he'd actually told me why he does such idiotic stunts. Are you actually into joking others?”
John shot a half-smile. “Oh, you know, I think Miranda might be into that.” He pointed to a raven-black haired girl. “Ok, time for practise, isn't it?” He fetched the football from the sport supply cupboard.
Five others followed him. Nicky threw his trainers out of his bag and pulled a gold jumper on.
“Joanne, you don't have to stand here. There're bleachers over there”--he pointed towards them—“and I don't think we'll be that long.”
A girl with ginger hair came striding over.
“Yo, Nicky, quit denying it. We'll make you divorce if you don't come and kick this ball now!”
Nicky scowled at her. “Tanya, shut up.”
Ben kicked the football into the air and gave Nicky a silly smirk.
He turned back to Joanne. “See ya later.” And he was off, kicking the ball hard.
Joanne went to the bleachers Nicky had pointed out and sat down, smiling as she remembered the red on Nicky's cheeks as he was accused of being her boyfriend.
Joanne was surprised at how fast time flew. The only clue she had to how late it was was the moon rising over the field. The team members noticed it, too, and, after John sent the football through the middle of the goal posts they began getting their things. Joanne jumped right off the bleachers and half-ran towards them. “Wow, guys, that was really good! I couldn't do an eighth of that if I tried my best!”
Miranda, the raven-haired girl, slithered out of the gold jumper. “This is your first time ever seeing a football match or practice?”
Joanne nodded. “I’m more into basketball and tennis than football.”
Miranda nodded, understanding. “Oh. But do you like it? I mean, from what you seen from us.”
“Oh, yes! I think it’s beginning to be my best sport.”
John laughed. “Then I guess you'd better come out here more often.”
The rest of the team had by now gone inside. Nicky turned to Joanne. “I think we'd better go, too.”
“Oh, right.” Joanne nodded.
They passed the time up to North Tower talking about miscellaneous things, then, when they came to the hallway before the common room door, Nicky stopped his remarks about the blond streak on the back of his head he and Daniel had given Max one day (he'd carefully avoided mentioning Ben).
“Listen, Joanne, about what they said on the field earlier? I mean, about you and me?”
Joanne was determined not to blush as hard as he was. She shook her hair back from her face. “Yeah, what about it?”
“Well, I thought that, well, maybe--” They had rounded the corner by now and were facing their common room door and a bunch of amused team members.
“Go on, Nicky, go on!” Miranda was sniggering. “Why don't you continue?”
Nicky blushed again. “Why on earth are you guys still out here?” was his puzzled and rather annoyed answer.
John raised his eyebrows. “Because Mr. Brilliant here made up a stupid door prank no one else in North Tower can remember how to deactivate, much less get past.”
Nicky rolled his eyes. “Oh, right.”
He quickly pressed a button near the door and the piles pf water balloons that were hidden above came gently down in a wicker basket.
The oak door swung open. As the team piled inside, Joanne pulled Nicky’s sleeve.
“What did you want to tell me?”
He shrugged. “Nothing important. Forget it.”
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