Settling Slowly

Chapter 25 - Interviews

For a few moments the headmistress sat in complete silence. I wasn't sure if she was impressed with what she'd heard Lexie say and how she'd said it, considering what she'd heard, or simply taking a moment to appreciate the silence. I was just glad that Lexie hadn't ranted at her. She liked to rant about this topic – I tended to tune her out. I agreed with her completely, but that didn't mean I had to listen to her go on about it for half an hour at a time.

"So what you want," Mrs. Winters slowly began, "Is for there to be a choice in skirt length as well as the option to wear trousers?"

"Yes," Lexie and I both nodded.

She nodded too. "You spoke about equality. How is this fair on the boys? They only have the option of trousers."

Lexie shrugged. "Let them wear smart shorts. Or open out the skirt option to them. Yes, most won't go for either shorts or skirts, but the option will be there. That's what this is about. Options. Decisions being made not based on emotions but what is fair and right."

The headmistress nodded again. Then she smiled. "I fully expected someone to bring this argument up. I didn't expect it to be so well presented and spoken –"

"She's had enough practice," I mumbled, but she didn't hear.

" – but... Well, I'm pretty much convinced you're right. But I will still be speaking to other people today. Speaking of. Please come in," she said to the girls at the door. I figured they were year nines.

Lexie and I excused ourselves. The girls looked at me with wide eyes (apparently they'd seen or heard about what happened in the canteen with Harriet) that followed me from the room. I closed the door after myself fearing they'd watch me walk down the corridor as well. We walked a few paces in silence. Then we looked at one another. Then we burst out laughing. We laughed so much that Mr. Rogers suck his head out of his classroom door.

"Jones! Barnes! Quit the racket and get to class!" he snapped.

We covered our mouths with our hands and hurried down the corridor and to the lounge we normally sat in. She took out not tea this time, it was too warm for that, but chilled tropical fruit juice. We had the window open and a couple of blackbirds were singing in the tree not far from us.

"So London's booked and sorted," Lexie said. "Shame Grigory can't come."

"Teachers work through the holidays you know," I said. "I have no idea what they do, he was all cryptic about it, but apparently they work."

"It's a secret kept amongst teachers and their spouses, huh?"

"One of my older cousins is a teacher and her wife doesn't know what she does in the holidays."

"Mandy married Holly?" she asked. "When?"

"They went to Wales as just girlfriend and girlfriend, came home married." I shrugged. "I still don't really like Holly, but I'm glad they were able to do it. For fairness sake even if I would have vetoed the marriage if I had the chance. I still don't get how Mandy can let herself be bossed around like that."

"Oh come on, even you know they're madly in love."

"Yeah," I admitted. "I'll never like her though."

"Then it's fortunate you don't have to. Anyway, London, what things do you want to go and see?"

I raised an eyebrow. "You mean you haven't planned each day? I think the more important question is what do we absolutely have to make Evan do and see."

"Oh, man, I forgot he hasn't done the tourist stuff. So that's the Eye and everything around there, palace?"

I scrunched my nose up. "Scott would probably like it a bit, maybe Evan for writing stuff but none of the other guys will like it. I'm pretty sure I'd get bored as well."