Emma's Six- The Final Year

K-9 and Pranks Don't Mix

It is the beginning of October, and our mock exams are nearly upon us. My friends and Luke study as hard as they can, cramming everything in. I seem to be the only one taking it slightly easier. Of course, the difference is the only exam I'm studying seriously hard for is history. All my other exams are critical, of course, but if I never get the chance to use them when I return, what is the point? At least with history, I can apply it to what I will do.

It is also Parents' Evening. Our parents come into school and talk to our teachers. Luke, of course, is doing well, and all his teachers predict A*s. But they cannot understand why I dropped from A*s and As to Bs and Cs. At least I'm still working and still passing. Surely, they cannot fault me for that?

All our teachers are in the dining hall or the theatre, and we all walk between the two rooms. Anne and Jane are arguing about who is the best King of England from the Stuart era, while Luke takes a deep breath. I don't know what he has to be nervous about, all his teachers say he does amazing. It's me I have to worry about. My teachers complain that my grades are dropping, but it's not by a lot. Mum doesn't even look phased by it. 'We talked to Emma about it at the beginning of the school year,' she says, 'and she has a lot of responsibilities and commitments.'
'But her GCSEs!' My maths teacher cries.
'She's still getting Cs and Bs, Emma's still passing.'
'But-'
'I'm proud of Emma. She's working hard, and she's still passing all her GCSEs,' Mummy says. 'That's more than what I expected of her.' My maths teacher looks confused, so we leave it at that.

'You're proud of me?' I ask my parents when we get back home. It's Friday tomorrow, and we're looking forward to the weekend. Sky hopes we can spend a few hours with her; she wants to take Harry and James sightseeing. I guess, in truth, she wants to go sightseeing and will drag Harry and James along. We promise her to put a day aside so we can all go to London together.

Come Saturday morning, all that goes out the window.

Anne decided to involve K-9 in a prank.

By the time we get downstairs, we find green mixture all over the kitchen. The floor, the ceiling, even in the cupboards. I was sure we closed them last night. Maybe Anne opened them before she started her mixture and she forgot to close them again. K-9 is in the middle of the room. 'K-9?' I ask. 'What happened?' K-9 does not respond.
'Anne? Did you have something to do with this?' Mummy asks.
'To do with what?' Anne appears on the stairs, and we all turn to look at her. 'What happened to the kitchen?'
'That's what we're asking you. Do you know what happened?'
'No, I didn't see it like this before.' Anne has a cheeky look in her eyes.
'I know that look,' Harry whispers, 'this is going to end in tears.'
'Did you have anything to do with the mess in the kitchen?'
'There might or might not have been a Slitheen in the kitchen when I was getting a glass of water.'
'Really?' Mummy folds her arms, and Anne nods. 'Then I'm sure you won't mind cleaning everything up.'
'What happened to K-9?'
'He's not responding,' I say, 'did the Slitheen tinker with him?'
'I don't know. The Slitheen was standing over him, so maybe.'

Someone knocks at the door before we can get any further. 'Stay here, Anne,' Mummy says, and she heads towards the door. 'Oh, Emma, what are you doing here?'
'Slight change of plan. I'll be sailing after all. K-9's still not working, so he can't accompany me. Can you fix him?'
'I'll see what I can do. But we've got a problem with our own K-9.'
'Did Anne involve him in a prank?'
'Slitheen attack.'
'I know there were no Slitheen here.'
'What?'
'Anne told me about the prank yesterday.'
'She did, did she?'
'Yeah. I assume she just turned K-9 off because he would've alerted you otherwise.'
'I see. Well, we'll see what we can do with your K-9. Did Cunard reply?'
'I had to take the chance.'

'You had to do what?!' Anne and Jane scream.
'For better or for worse, I'm now First Officer of the Queen Anne.'
'First Officer, eh?' Luke asks, 'I thought you would avoid that.'
'Yeah, but I don't have a choice. It could be that nothing changes.'
'And if it gets worse?'
'Then I'll tell someone. It's not a great idea, but I can't exactly write back now and say I'm refusing to become First Officer. It's not fair on them.'
'It should be about what's right for you, not them!' Harry says, 'Emma, this... you never wanted to be First Officer since Titanic.'
'I know.' Emma sounds distant and upset. Harry immediately takes note of it.
'It's going to be much harder than being Second Officer.'
'The duties aren't much different.'
'There's more responsibility, one step closer to becoming a captain-'
'I don't want to become a captain!' I finally decide to follow the others and look out into the hallway. My older self is standing there, holding the K-9 that they brought up from the Titanic wreck, with tears running down her face. Emma's wearing her full Cunard uniform, but it looks like it's drowning her. 'I didn't even want to be First Officer. Cunard are forcing it on me. They said if I don't become First Officer by April 2012 willingly, they will force me to work during April.'
'They can't do that.'
'I don't think they care anymore. Apparently, being a Titanic survivor means nothing to those working in Cunard.'
'Then leave them,' Catalina says. 'There are other companies.'
'Oh, like White Waves?!'
'No, not White Waves. Other lines will surely treat you fairly. Or if you write to Cunard, explain what's going on-'
'I can't! It's not as simple as that anymore, Catalina. I'm... I'm....' My older self breaks off. 'It's a rather delicate situation, and not something I'm willing to talk about. Not in front of my younger self.'
'I'll make myself scarce,' I say and head up the stairs, back to my room.