Twinning It

Chapter One

One afternoon four girls sat on the tarmac by a netball-court, drinking cola. Their trainers sat beside them, and netballs were scattered all over the court.

Two of the girls were twins. Zoe and Molly Grey were so alike that only a few people could tell which was Molly and which was Zoe. Both girls had light blonde wavy hair, deep brown eyes and a merry smile, and the Scottish lilt in their voices was very pleasant to hear.

The twins were staying for three weeks with friends of theirs, Lauren and Karen Fletcher. The four girls were talking, and Molly was frowning as she spoke. She took up her trainers and threw then hard on the grass.

'It's just a shame that Mum won't let us go to the same school as you, now that we are all leaving this school together. We've been friends for such a long time - and now we have to go to different schools, we won't see each other for ages.'

'It's a pity that this school only takes girls up to fourteen,' said Zoe. 'We could have stayed here longer and it would have been great. I loved being head girl with Molly last year - and it was fun being netball captain, and Molly being hockey captain. Now we've got to go to another school that sounds horrible - and begin at the bottom! We'll be classed as the 'young ones' or the 'babies' of the school instead of head girls.'

'I do wish you were coming to St Mary's with us!' said Karen. 'It's such a nice exclusive school. You know - only girls of rich parents, very well-bred, go there, and you make such wonderful friends. We have our own bedroom and our own study, we have to wear evening dress all night, and we have to get up at 4am, but they say the food there is wonderful!'

'And we are going to Lottiside Academy, where anyone can go, all the dormitories take six to eight girls and aren't nearly as nicely furnished as the maids' bedrooms are at home!' said Molly with a disgusted tone.

'I can't even begin to imagine why Mum made up her mind to send us there instead of to St Mary's,' said Zoe. 'I wonder if she has 100% decided. We're going home tomorrow and we'll both do our best to try and persuade her to say that we can go to St Mary's, Lauren and Karen! We'll ring you up and tell you.'

'We'll be so happy if its good news,' said Lauren.

'After all, when you have been head girls at a marvellous school like this, and had your own bedroom and the best view out of your window with hundreds of other girls wanting to be you, it's awful to have to start again in a horrible school like Lottiside!'

'Well, do your best to make your parents change their minds, good luck,' said Karen. 'Come on - let's have another game of 5 aside with those girls over there before we eat!'

The four girls jumped up and tossed for partners. Zoe was a splendid player, she wins every game, so everyone really wants to be on her team. She was rather proud of how good she was at the game. Molly was nearly as good, but much preferred Hockey.

'They don't play hockey at Lottiside, they play lacrosse,' said Molly, dismally. 'Confusing game, lacrosse - playing with nets on sticks, and catching a ball all the time instead of hitting it! That's something else I will tell mum - that I don't want to play lacrosse after being hockey captain and training so hard all these years to be as good at the sport as I am now.'

The twins thought hard of all the reasons why they didn't want to go to Lottiside Academy that they would put before their parents when they got home the next day.

They spoke about it all the way home.

'You say that then, and I'll say this' said Molly. 'After all, we ought to know the kind of school that would be best for us - and Lottiside Academy sounds too fierce for words!'