Grace

Chapter 12

The good thing about Saturday lessons was that although they existed there were only four of them. Literature passed by in a breeze, art I got under way with my watercolours and music was simply delightful. I got homework from art and music and that was to do a few improvements in my sketch book and learn a demanding song on the penny whistle (I should not have opened my big mouth, but he said that he'd heard that it was my birthday a few days ago so I had to say something) and both by Monday. Then it was chambers and then dance. I'd planned to meet Ben outside his history building since it was on the way to the high street. I was going to need a shower of some description before trying clothes on, so I'd stuffed my shower cap into my handbag and after a lesson of combined skills work I ducked into the showers not bothering to soap up too much as I was only going to get even sweatier later. It was a little gross putting the dance clothes back on, but not too bad as we'd all spent a good chunk of the lesson simply watching other people in the class work.

Ben's building was a couple of minutes away and people were busy rushing from one building to another as I more slowly walked by. As I walked I took in the old buildings, the old uniforms, the Masters stood on street corners with their teaching uniforms and in some cases robes, the Victorian era bicycles with their wicker baskets on the front and smiled softly. Before now I'd never imagined what it would be like to be at Eton. It was a school for boys, so what was the point?

Here I was, stood in the middle of EtonCollege. In uniform, going through the same education system as the boys, doing the same things as the boys, living alongside the boys. I was just another pupil. I still felt out of my depth a lot, mostly when I was surrounded by people when not in class or when I was the centre of attention when it had nothing to do with music. I still wasn't sure me doing rowing and being an eight was a good idea. But a week in I felt like an Etonian.

It was the most I'd ever felt at home in a school. I smiled a little more, looked around everything on the crossroads once more and then walked the last little stretch before I got to the history building.

Ben was waiting outside, history books in hand and waved when he saw me. I waved back and picked up the pace a little. "Hi."

"Ready?" he asked.

"Yeah. I think I've passed the place before. It's near the Co-Op right?"

"Over the road."

When we got there, the place was pretty much empty. The shop had a relatively small front, but there was a lot of space behind filed with racks and racks of clothes. In the front there were displays of the two different uniforms, the P.E. kits, the dance kits, the martial arts kits... there were so many different outfits that people needed. Lots of different collars and ties for the boys too. Chapel collars, examination period ties, meal time ties, you name it, they had to wear it, know exactly when to wear it and how to wear it. I was so glad we girls only had two and didn't have to wear long skirts for chapel.

We more than made up for the lack of ties with P.E. kit. There was a whole wall of it and that was just the display stuff. There were dance outfits of various sorts, gymnastics, tennis skirts, netballs skirts, badminton skirts; polo necks, normal t-shirts with high neck lines and various length sleeves, swimming costumes that everyone wore, some that were tailored for athletic swimming, long sleeves, short sleeves, no sleeves, different leg lengths; dance tights, ballet shoes, jazz shoes, leg warmers. It was ridiculous and the list seemed to go on and on.

There was all sorts of rowing kit too. Different thickness of jumper, shorts, leggings, base layer tops, t-shirts. I looked at it all with wide eyes, the wide array of clothes for one sport too much to handle in one go. I ended up just staring around, one item of clothing blurring into the next.