“With the exception perhaps of a brief holiday romance with a young French lad, Keira has had no girl or boyfriends to date. If you asked her, she would say the confusion was sufficient to make it all a non-starter.”
Doreen smiled. They reached the landing, so Doreen walked.
“Thank you; I have to ask, because all the girls are aged between sixteen and eighteen, so are very much post puberty and active sexually, if given enough rope!”
“To be frank, I always suspected that my son was gay, so when Keira emerged, it was an enormous relief. However, being the father of a normal girl, who is becoming more and more aware of boys, is giving me some sleepless nights. She’s been fine so far, except as I said, for the young man she met in France. I think he was sufficiently in awe of her to do anything dangerous, but I was rather taken aback as to how sexually mature and aware she is. She was the one in control and seemed to twist poor Charles around her little finger. It wasn’t as if she was all over him, but she certainly seemed to have gained a lot of confidence and had fallen well and truly on the side of being a heterosexual girl.
“Stephanie was brilliant, and gave Keira the little chat that her mother would have had to give had she been around. However Stephanie said that Keira didn’t need the advice and might even have been able to tell poor Steph a couple of things.”
“This young man, Charles; is he British or a local?”
“Charles is a French boy, a year or so older than Keira. They met on the beach when we were sailing. He was in the local sailing club, and we were having a problem with our mast. He came over and helped. That’s when I realised Keira’s French was far better than I had imagined.”
“Has he been in contact since?”
“We’ve only been back a few days, so I have no idea. If he has, it’ll be via text or email, so unlike the old days of the letters in the post, I will never know.”
“Oh, I know what you mean. This technological age is just so difficult to police. The internet here is controlled by us, so they can’t stray onto any dubious websites, but anyone with a little bit of knowledge can easily bypass the system I mean, a girl with a mobile phone that is used as a mobile modem, can get her laptop onto the web onto any site she wants. It’s a nightmare. They’re all technically adults, so apparently it’s an infringement of their human rights to prevent them from accessing whatever sites they want.”
Doreen was very much up with current law and trends.
“We try to encourage a voluntary acceptance of our code of conduct, and by and large are successful. It’s a harsh world out there, so we find ourselves in a cleft stick. If we shut them away and prevent them gaining experience and knowledge about how harsh a world it is, when they leave here, it will be a bigger shock than if we allow them controlled exposure.”
They had reached one of the corridors off which the girls’ rooms were. None were occupied, so Doreen opened the first one she came to.
It was a small, but comfortable room. The bed, desk, wardrobe and chair were all utilitarian but very serviceable.
“They are permitted their own comfy chair and a computer/office chair if they want. There is enough electricity for their music devices and computers. One girl tried to get a fridge in her room, but we don’t allow that. Televisions are another problem area. There’s a TV lounge on each landing, and there is a fridge in the small kitchen area on each landing, so they learn to share facilities. We find this sets them up well for university.”
“With most personal computers also used as TVs, I can’t see no TV as a problem. Keira doesn’t watch much anyway. Do they not have meals in the dining room?” Graham asked, confused.
“You’re not experienced with girls, so you don’t know that they are constantly nibbling, even if they eat the school food. You will always get the girls who won’t eat in the dining room, but will stuff their faces with biscuits and other junk as soon as they leave the hall. These are young adults, not primary school children. We can guide and advise, but never force them to eat the food.”
“Is the food good? I remember my old school food, and it wasn’t that brilliant.”
“We have just sixty girls here, so our chef doesn’t have the large numbers to cater for that most modern schools do. We are able to cater for a variety of dietary requirements; from those with allergies, through vegetarians or religious specialities, to plain old likes and dislikes.”
“Keira eats like a young horse,” Graham said with a smile.
“Then oats will be no problem,” Doreen said, displaying that she did have a sense of humour.
“So, did you like France?” Shannon asked, after Keira told her where she got her suntan.
“I always like it there; but this year was the best ever.”
“Have you got a place there or what?”
“Dad bought a three-bedroom, luxury apartment back, oh, about seven or eight years ago. He had a particularly good year, so he put his bonus to best use. He was going to sell it, so as to maximise the profit, but when the divorce reared its ugly head, he put it in my name so Mum couldn’t get her mitts on it.”
“Have you got a boat, then?”
“Not a boat; we keep the Hobiecat in the underground garage through the winter and take it out when we’re there. We keep it on the beach, by the sailing club.”
“What’s a Hobbie-thingy?”
“A catamaran; it has two hulls with a fabric deck stretched between the two. It’s got a big mast, so you can sail it pretty fast.”
“So, no cabins you can sleep in?”
“It’s not that kind of a boat.”
“I don’t like water, me.”
“Can’t you swim?”
“I can swim, but I just don’t like getting water in my eyes and ears. I don’t like getting my head wet, really.”
“Do you like it here?” Keira suddenly asked.
“Would I ask to come here rather than go home if I didn’t?” the Irish girl asked.
“No, I suppose not. Still, it is rather, I don’t know, removed from reality?”
“That’s a good word. I guess you could be right, as it is rather posh and all that, but the Lambster does surprise us with how much she trusts us to do. It’s not like the rules are here to tie us down, more like they teach us to discipline ourselves. Do you know what I mean?”
“Have you just the one year left?” Keira asked.
“Yeah, but I haven’t a clue what to do. I’d like to go into acting, which is why I’m doing the Drama set.”
“Set?”
“A lot of the ‘A’ levels we do here are job orientated. Like, we have the Sports and Leisure set; it’s a double vocational A level in sports science and leisure management. The drama set includes English, drama and theatre management.”
“Oh, do they do any IT system stuff?”
“You mean computers and that shit?”
“Yes.”
“Cool!” Keira said, already planning her chosen path.
“You have to get accepted first,” Shannon reminded her.
“Oh, I suppose you’re right. I’d forgotten.”
“Do you like the place?”
Keira looked at the beautiful buildings and well-kept grounds.
“I’ll tell you after the first term."
Fifteen
“Miss Frost, that is the rule; all jewellery comes off, and that’s final!” Miss Trehearn said.
“But, Miss...”
“Either you play, or you go. If you play, then that thing round your neck comes off. It’s a health and safety issue; for if someone gets their clothing snagged, or it is bent into your neck, someone might get hurt or clothing could be damaged; that’s the rules!”
“You can’t bend it, it’s very strong.”
“Your choice; do you want to play?” the coach asked, ignoring Keira’s pleas.