The Adventures of Fiona McCormack
A Story by Jenny O’Brien
Chapter Four
The three girls traipsed into the cloakroom and went to their lockers. “Leotards today, girls” called Sister Teresa loudly, “we shall be doing gymnastics”. There was a collective groan around the room. It wasn’t that they minded gymnastics particularly; it was just that they all hated the leotards. At least when they played netball, they got to wear sports knickers and a skirt and when they went for a run, they could wear shorts and a t-shirt. But for gymnastics they had to wear white leotards, which had the unfortunate tendency to become transparent when you sweated, leaving little to the imagination. Some of the senior girls had once protested to the Mother Superior that Mr O’Leary, the school janitor, always seemed to be working in the gymnasium when they had a gymnastics lesson. “How dare you impugn Mr O’Leary’s reputation like this”, she had scolded them, before sending them away with a flea in their ear.
Fiona, Rebecca and Pippa started to get changed. One of the rules in the gymnasium was that hair had to be kept neat, so when they were ready, Rebecca tied her long blond hair into a ponytail. Fiona’s hair was already tied in the pigtails that Sister Teresa had tied earlier and Pippa’s short, blond bob didn’t need any attention. The three girls now looked for the entire world like proper young gymnasts. Fiona was tall for her age and lithe, with slim, coltish limbs and smooth lines. Pippa was smaller and stockier, but had narrow girlish hips and a trim waist. Rebecca, who was a bit more thick set than the other two, was an early developer and already had small pads of fat, pushing her budding breasts against the thin white fabric of her leotard.
Sister Teresa came over to where the girls were waiting. “Are you sure that you are going to be all right, Fiona?” she asked. Fiona nodded. “Well, if it gets too much for you, drop out of the class”. Suddenly there was a commotion as a latecomer rushed in. It was Hannah Hall, a friend of Pippa’s and she looked like she had been crying. “I’m sorry I’m late sister”, she spluttered. “I got sent to the Reverend Mother”. Sister Teresa didn’t enquire about the reasons for the visit. “Just hurry up and get changed Hannah, we haven’t got all day”. Hannah changed quickly and came over to where Pippa was sitting. “The Penguin tanned me for not doing my French prep”, she explained ruefully, turning round so they could see the contrast between the white leotard and the blotchy red marks around the crease of her bottom and the tops of her thighs, including what was clearly a handprint on her right leg. “She said that this was the fifth time this term that Sister Dominique had sent me to her for not doing it”, Hannah continued, “But I’m sure that it was only the forth!” “Oh, bad luck,” commiserated Pippa.
“Anyway”, said Hannah, “never mind me. What about you?” “What about me?” said Pippa. “Well I heard that Sister Froggie caught you for that stone throwing stunt that you pulled this morning”, said Hannah. “We were all in hysterics. What did you get?” Pippa stood up and theatrically pulled up seat of her leotard to display, unusually for her, a pristine and unmarked bottom cheek. “That’s bad”, said Hannah earnestly. “You know that when they delay your punishment, it means that it’s going to be worse”. “Not delayed, my dear Hannah”, said Pippa, who was milking the situation for all it was worth. “Not delayed, more abandoned. My days of suffering are behind me. I am now, as you would say, untouchable!” Hannah was amazed. She had never heard of Sister Dominique letting anyone off anything. Certainly nothing as heinous as what Pippa had done. The three girls explained to Hannah about the Untouchables. “Can I join you?” asked Hannah, immediately realising the potential benefits. The three girls had a quick vote and Hannah was in. “You do realise”, said Pippa, “that it wouldn’t have got you off this morning’s spanking. For this to work, we have to always do things together. If you don’t do your prep, then we all mustn’t do it. If one of us wants to sneak out of school, then we all must go. None of us can chicken out. So long as we’re together and Fiona is with us, we can get away with anything”. “We need to swear an oath of loyalty”, suggested Fiona. “Good idea”, said Pippa, “but Sister Teresa is coming over now, so it will have to wait until dinner time”. “Come on girls!” said the sister, as she ushered them out of the cloakroom. “There’s no time to gossip”.
For the next hour and a half, the group of now four young girls stuck together as they moved between the apparatus in the gym. Sister Teresa had noticed that, whether they were on the wall bars, the ropes, the vaulting horse or the floor mats, they were always together. Although the sister was a little uncomfortable with Fiona’s choice of company, she knew that she needed all the friends she could get at the moment. Any group that included Pippa and Hannah was obviously a disaster waiting to happen, so rather than split them up, Sister Teresa kept them moving constantly, figuring rightly that if they were occupied, they would have little opportunity to make mischief. By the time the lesson finished, the girls were all exhausted and sweating profusely. Normally gym lessons were so sedate that most girls didn’t even bother to have a shower afterwards, but this time the girls couldn’t wait to peel off their sodden leotards and dive under the shower. “God, that was hard” puffed Fiona, as they stood under the shower. “I don’t know what’s got into Sister Teresa today”.
By the time that the bell for dinner rang, all four girls had changed back into their uniforms and had set off towards the refectory. The meal passed without incident, but only after Fiona and Rebecca had pleaded with Pippa, not to repeat her food fight trick of the previous day. “But Fiona”, whined Pippa, “you never got to see it yesterday. I want to recreate it, especially for you”. Fiona diplomatically said that she was flattered by Pippa’s offer, but that she had heard all about it and she didn’t feel a re-enactment would do justice to the original. That seemed to satisfy Pippa, who returned to moaning about the cabbage, loudly.
After they had eaten, the four girls set off for the gazebo, which had already become an unofficial clubhouse for the untouchables. When they arrived, they found it swarming with first years. Fiona and Rebecca had already turned back, in search for another place to talk; when they heard Hannah shout “don’t you know that this is out bounds for first years? You’ll really get it if the Penguin catches you here!” Fiona felt a little guilty as a long line of eight-year-olds trooped back to the playground, furtively looking to see if anyone had noticed that they had strayed off limits. When they had left, the four girls stretched out on the wooden benches and discussed the oath. “What we need”, said Fiona “is an oath of friendship and a promise to help each other out”. Rebecca agreed. “Too woolly”, retorted Pippa. “A promise to help each other out when?” “All right, clever clogs” said Rebecca. “You come up with something better!” Pippa thought for a moment. “Have you ever seen that film, the Three Musketeers?” The other three girls nodded. “Well”, continued Pippa, “what did they shout when they needed help from their friends?” “All for one and one for all”, said Hannah. “Surely you don’t want us to shout that!” Pippa rolled her eyes. “No, stupid! It’s the principle I’m talking about”. Confronted with three blank faces, she tried to explain herself. “The others only have a duty to help, when you say something you have agreed on, like all for one, or something like that. If one of us says the magic words, the other three are sworn to help”. The others had to agree that Pippa had a great idea, but what should they use for the magic word? “Untouchable”, said Fiona after a few moments, “we should say untouchable!” All four girls stood up and linked arms in the centre of the gazebo and swore to uphold the honour of the group.
As the girls left the gazebo, Mr O’Leary’s van rolled up the drive and stopped outside the main school building. The Janitor opened the back and took out a large box. As they watched him struggling to carry the box towards the science block, Pippa said, “I owe him one. He reported me for writing on the toilet wall last week. Let’s let down his tyres”. The other three looked dumbfounded. How could one small girl, come up with so many naughty ideas? They were all shaking their heads when Pippa added “Untouchable!” Instantly, they could all see a major flaw in their plan, but as every schoolgirl knows, an oath is an oath, so they followed her nervously across the lawn. “He’ll be ages”, said Pippa reassuringly. “He’ll probably stop for a cigarette anyway. Take one wheel each. Just push a pen into the valve thingy”. Fiona was shaking with fear as she pushed her pen into the valve and heard the loud hiss as the air escaped. The tyre was almost completely flat when she heard the scream. She stood up to see what was going on, just in time to see Mr O’Leary coming round the van, holding Rebecca and Hannah by the scruffs of their necks. “Ow, that hurts, screamed Rebecca, to no avail. “It’s not the only thing that will be hurting soon!” shouted the furious janitor. Looking at Fiona and Pippa he shouted “And you two, you as well. You’re coming with me! Let’s see what the Reverend Mother has to say about this!” And with that he marched them towards the office.
By the time they reached the office, Fiona was very scared. After lining them up outside, Mr O’Leary knocked loudly on the door. There was no answer, so he knocked again. Just at that moment, Sister Catherine, the Chemistry mistress walked past. “I’m sorry, Mr O’Leary, but the Reverend Mother has had to go to Brighton for a few hours. Can I help at all?” The Janitor explained what had happened to his van. “You can leave them with me, Mr O’Leary. I shall deal with them”, said Sister Catherine. Realising that being dealt with by the mild mannered Sister Catherine wasn’t the same as by the Reverend Mother didn’t seem to please the janitor much, but he was in no position to argue. Watching him depart, mumbling to himself, the four girls had made the same calculation and were now breathing easier. Sister Catherine did her best to tell them off, with, “Fiona, I’m surprised at you. And at this time of tragedy”, and to Pippa, “This isn’t the first time you’ve been in trouble, is it?” Pippa shook her head at this outrageous understatement and all four girls looked suitably contrite. “Now you go and find Mr O’Leary”, said Sister Catherine, when she had finished, “and apologise to him for letting his tyres down”.
Mr O’Leary wasn’t difficult to find. He was sweating over a foot pump, next to his van. By the time the girls arrived, he was only half way through the second tyre and already looked as though he had had enough. He looked shocked as his four tormentors trooped up to the van. “Sister Catherine said that we should apologise for letting your tyres down”, said Pippa, with no attempt to look contrite. “We’re very sorry, Mr O’Leary”, chirruped the four girls in unison, before curtseying primly and running off giggling. Mr O’Leary kicked the tyre in frustration as they ran off. “The bloody young girls today”, he muttered to himself. “What they need is a bloody good hiding!”