| Subject: Story of Joanne - P1 Ch2 |
Author:
Rose
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Date Posted: 07:19:07 09/17/02 Tue
In reply to:
Rose
's message, "Story of Joanne - P1 School Matters" on 07:13:32 09/17/02 Tue
~Chapter Two~
Canton Castle
The next day Joanne had spent the whole day playing basketball with Nicky and occasionally with Gen, Nicky’s twin sister. Joanne began to think about how much she was going miss them when the summer holidays were over.
That same evening her mother and father told her something that made her jump for joy.
“Darling, as me and your father now has noticed how much you’re getting along with the Stanton twins’.” Her mother began, “Well, it’s your choice about where you want to go in September, but we’ve applied you for the Boarding School: Canton Castle; which is over in Cornwall.”
Joanne immediately said that she wanted to go, “Yes! I’d love to go! Oh thank you mum!” She hugged her, “and dad. Thank you so much.”
Logan Beckley smiled at his daughter as Lucia strolled in.
“Guess what sis?” Cried Joanne, “I don’t have to go to that girly academy school that you go to!”
Lucia turned out to be rather happy about this news. Lucia was a year older than Joanne, and she loathed her little sister so much.
“That’s only if you get accepted.” Said Mrs Beckley giving her youngest daughter another motherly hug.
The next evening, Joanne couldn’t sleep. She was wondering whether the letter would come soon telling her she was accepted.
It had been her birthday today, the 30th July. She had gone ice-skating with her friends; Nicky, Gen, Ben, Daniel and Nathan. Though Nathan just watched because he was no good at skating. Instead he had been spending his time trying to trip up his fellow mates.
As she couldn’t sleep she quietly went downstairs wrapped in her midnight blue nightgown.
It wasn't all that late, just around ten-thirty, a very rainy night. It was strangely cold for July; it had hit the forties, which hadn't happened in around two hundred years. Her father had lit the fire as soon as he had heard that it was going to sink down to minus degrees and that Joanne was going to stay up a bit and read. He'd made her promise, though, that she wouldn't fall asleep with the fire on and that she'd put it out before midnight.
The book she was reading was in Hebrew; it was one that her mother had brought for her birthday, and right now, Joanne was engaged in trying to translate as best she could. She had just reached a particularly difficult phrase when she heard the thump of feet on the hardwood floor.
“Joanne, go to bed. I can hear the fire all the way into my room.” Lucia said, her older sister, she grumpily stomped into the living room doorway. “You can read that stupid book in the morning.”
“Stupid?” Joanne felt her face growing hot. “Did you just call this stupid?”
Lucia put on her annoyed face. “I did, and if you don't put that fire out right now--AAHHH! Mom! Help! OUCH!” She was grasping her stomach and sinking to the floor.
Joanne's eyes opened in amusement as her parents rushed into the room, awakened by Lucia's screaming.
Joanne had earlier sneaked a laxative tablet in Lucia’s cup of bedtime cocoa. Joanne smiled. She had deserved it, for nicking her birthday presents today and breaking them purposely.
“Wow, tough break.” Said Joanne, flipping to the next page in her book.
Lucia shot a look at her sister, “You did this, didn’t you-you-you-dog!”
“Dog?” Joanne echoed. “Dog’s bark - bark of a tree - tree is nature and nature is beautiful. Is that supposed to be insulting?” She shrugged and turned back to her book.
Lucia ran upstairs to the bathroom.
The next morning, being a Tuesday. Joanne was pleased to find an envelope on the front doormat addressed to her.
To Miss Joanne Beckley
She quickly slit the envelope open and read the letter quickly.
Dear Miss Beckley,
We are proud to be accepting you to Canton Castle School for all students.
You would require transportation, necessary tools and learning equipment and uniform.
The uniform is as follows:
Boys: Black trousers, white shirt, blue, black and white stripped tie, navy blue blazer and a black cap.
Girls: Black skirt (should be below knee length), white shirt, blue, black and white stripped tie, navy blue blazer and a navy blue cap.
The above clothing is available to buy in Cornwall shopping courts or the London maze.
Equipment needed is: pens, pencils, colouring tools, ruler, rubber, and sharpener, pencil case, science set, maths tools, and bag (provided blue or black)
Coats must be either blue or black and any shoes are acceptable.
Books are listed at the following bookstores: ‘The Bookkeepers’ in London or ‘Paper and Words’ in Cornwall.
Travelling to Canton Castle is done in lots of different fashions. Many take the train if they live as far as London; many go in cars or buses.
For you I would advise to take the train from Marylebone Station on platform six in London.
If there are any problems with these arrangements please contact us. Are number is shown at the bottom of this page.
Congratulations again on being accepted, we look forward to meeting you at Canton Castle.
Yours sincerely
Ms Furniss (Deputy Head)
Joanne went ahead and sent the confirmation letter to Canton Castle, she would ask Nicky about the London Maze as she had never heard of this shopping area before.
The Stanton’s gave the Beckley’s a detailed map of how to get to a suitable shopping alley; Newby Alley Street in London, (which was recently built last year), and what to do once they got there. But to Joanne's disappointment, Nicky didn't ask Joanne to come with them. She got over it though; she couldn't expect to immediately become one of his group.
On August 20th Joanne and her parents went to Newby Alley Street, leaving Lucia at a friend's house.
In London her parents decided that she should open a bank account and she was given 1000 pounds starting off. Which would be added to every birthday and Christmas.
Joanne went with her mum to a clothes shop called ‘Season Ware’ which sold all kinds of clothes. She got her uniform and also some sports clothes and other casual wear. Her mother bought her a dress as well, saying that there was sure to be a party or disco of some sort.
Then she bought all her equipment she’d need and some other personal items.
After that Mrs Beckley went to a nearby café where her dad was also.
Joanne wasn’t as tired out as her mother so she went to the bookstore.
As it turned out, Nicky walked through ‘The Bookkeeper’ shop door the same time as Joanne.
The book clerk there immediately rushed up to them, asking if they were Canton Students, which they nodded to. The clerk then sorted out Nicky’s books as Joanne looked in her purse to see if she had any extra money to buy a reading book of her own.
The book clerk gave Nicky his stack of first year books
“I'll wait for you Joanne, if you wanna go with Ben and Daniel and me to get some ice cream.”
“Sure” she said.
“Now,” Said the book clerk scratching his head, “where did I put that list? Oh here it is.” He went to the back of the store to retrieve the schoolbooks. “No, this is my shopping list. Oops. Ah, here it is.”
When Joanne finally got her bag of books she quickly paid the clerk, deciding she didn’t want to get a reading book, because the man behind the counter might loose it somehow.
“Gosh, was it just me, or was he a few cards short of a full house?” Said Joanne as she walked out with Nicky.
“Definitely missing something.” Replied Nicky.
As she arrived outside a store for miscellaneous items, she spotted a friend of hers from her old school.
“Amanda!”
“Jo!” Joanne couldn't believe that Amanda was also here. This was amazing-as she was also going to Canton Castle and now she actually had people she'd known at Canton. They raced to each other and hugged, jumping up and down with excitement. “Eeek!” Amanda had always loved that word. “I can't believe this!”
“Me either. By the way, what do I need here?” Asked Joanne.
Nicky looked over to the over side of the alley and spotted his friends and he quickly hinted to Joanne that he was going to go over to them.
“Oh, that's easy.” Said Amanda, not noticing Nicky and looking at a list Joanne had made. “Over here, look. Notepads and gel pens. I got lots of green and blue ink, the sparkly kind, though Mom made me get some regular. Hey, you get some of the gold and silver, and then we can swap when we want to! And here-”
Joanne left the miscellaneous store with a bulging bag of gel pens, multi-coloured notepads, and a few colouring tools.
They said goodbye and went back to their families. “See you at Canton!” both of them shouted as Amanda's family left Newby Alley Street.
Joanne watched the entrance doorway close behind Amanda, smiling. Amanda wasn't exactly her best friend, but it was neat to have her at Canton, too. She pulled her list out again.
“Science stuff. All right then.” She headed straight for the dim and dusky store on her right. Inside, she found her mother scooping out some metal particles into a bag.
“Mom? I thought you were with dad.”
Her mum smiled. “I was, but then I decided, that since I'm majoring in chemistry this year, I'd do some extra experiments. Look, they have great recipes up here!” And she waved a whole stack of parchment in Joanne's face. “I copied your list, so your Science stuff is right here. I got you some extra stuff that I'm going to take back as soon as we get home.” Joanne shook her head. Her mom couldn't even cook decently, not to mention do experiments. Usually, the cookies turned out burnt and the experiments blew up, sending smoke up her nose and causing her to have a sneeze attack.
“Mom, I'm gonna look at the other stores. See you in...how long?”
“A half hour. And stay in Newby Alley.”
“I will. Thanks.” She practically dashed out of the murky shop with its awful smell, thankful for fresh air.
She looked around for anyone else she might know, though the only familiar face was Nicky's, and his wasn't actually a face, it was more the back of his head. He and some others including Ben were clustered about the ‘Euro Sports and Gadget Supplies’ store, oohing over a mobile phone that, Joanne read on its label, was the new 'Millennium'.
Nicky seemed to be the most interested. “Look at that thing! I bet you wouldn't even feel that you're holding it at all.”
“I know.” Said Ben. “I wish Dad'd trade in that old one I have--it's starting to crumble.”
A girl with short blond hair smirked. “Ben, I've told you before that if you insist on pranking Max with that thing, he's going to beat you. And that's gonna do some damage to the mobile.”
“All right, all right! I've heard this before!” he retorted, clearly knowing her statements by heart.
Nicky was still staring at the mobile. “I've already asked Mom to sell my old one and give me this, but since she got me that model Ericsson, she thought I didn't need this. It's just what we need to beat Max at his old game, though!”
The blonde rolled her eyes. She took Nicky's arm and pulled him away from the window. “You promised me you'd get me some ice cream, c'mon, that phone isn't that important, is it?” He gave in, and Joanne stared after them, wondering. “Is that his girlfriend?” She wrinkled her nose. “And what about me. I thought he was getting me ice-cream!”
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