Wild Thornberry Adventure

chapter 3

The girls at the school were free to roam around outside for some fresh air, recess or any recreational time. Cherry was walking with Sarah, Arlene and a girl with puffy blonde hair known as Muffy Watson.

"So Cherry, you never been to boarding school before?" Muffy asked.

"Nope," Cherry shook her head. "I heard about it before, but I'm a little nervous."

"It's no trouble, Cherry," Sarah turned to her. "Only the finest girls get to come to Lady Beatrice School and your parents must be important if they managed to get you to attend here."

"Oh, I don't know about that, Sarah... I'm very plain."

"You'll get over that. I'll work on you to be more like me."

"What about being myself?"

"No one wants that," Sarah wrinkled her nose. She then noticed Eliza with the other girls. "What is that Thornberry girl up to now?"

Cherry looked with the girls. "She looks like she's feeding and talking to the squirrels." she thought as she pushed her glasses back.

"Cherry, look before you, we call that a social outcast." Sarah instructed.

"I heard she hails from the jungle in a motor home," Arlene giggled. "And she bathes where the animals drink."

"Ewww!" the other girls mocked as they pinched their noses and went off to a different part of the school.

"Next thing you know she'll bring an animal in my room." Sarah laughed.

Cherry felt uncomfortable with the other girls. She was enjoying being one of the popular girls of a high social status in school, but it made her feel yucky deep inside her stomach. The day went by smoothly, but Cherry felt deeply guilty for making fun of Eliza since she didn't know her very well. It was then dinner time and the girls gathered in the elegant dining room of the school.

Cherry grabbed her tray and got a serving of her evening meal. She followed Muffy and Arlene to find a spot. On the way there, they passed Eliza who was sitting alone and looked very glum.

"Come on Cherry, why don't you have a go at the Thornberry girl?" Muffy nudged Cherry.

"Guys, this has to stop," Cherry protested. "She might actually be nice. I'm a lot like her at my old school and she probably feels depressed because of you guys."

Muffy and Arlene glanced at each other, feeling guilty themselves.

"Cherry, we're sorry, we gave into peer pressure with Sarah," Arlene explained. "She's kind of from very high-class and controls the school if you know what I mean."

"We're truly sorry." Muffy added. "Please don't be angry with us."

Cherry glowered at them, but her expression softened as she saw they were indeed sorry and sincere. She smiled at them.

"Come on, let's go talk to Eliza. I bet she's nice." Cherry walked over with Muffy and Arlene following to Eliza's lonely table. "Eliza, we're curious, have you ever seen a tiger up close?"

"Close enough to pet." Eliza replied with a smile, revealing shiny braces.

"Oh, really?" Arlene asked with interest.

"Tigers, bears, Komodo dragons," Eliza listed from her memories. "Once, when we were in the Arctic I hung out with this polar bear."

"Tell us more!" Cherry pleaded with her hands clamped together.

The other girls chattered and nodded in agreement as they found Cherry's idea to befriend Eliza to be a very great idea that evening. Sarah then came over to the table, looking flustered and envious of Eliza's sudden attention and expansion in the social circle.