Dreams at Silver Spires Read Free

from home. Then there are the two massive shrubberies, one on either side of the lane where you first drive in, a few other shrubberies dotted about and two beautiful flower gardens. But that’s all. No vegetable gardens.
    And that’s what I miss – the thrill of digging for potatoes. It feels like you’re digging for gold. And then you get the extra treat of eating all the vegetables, because they taste a million times better when you’ve grown them yourself. It’s such a shame that at Silver Spires the vegetables are all bought into the school in big catering packs.
    Anyway, I had to stop thinking about that. After all, there wasn’t going to be anything pre-packed about today’s special afternoon tea. Mrs. Pridham had told us there’d be chocolate eclairs, which are my personal favourite cakes ever, and all sorts of other delicious cakey things as well.
    â€œLook! Look!” squeaked Sasha. “A car!”
    â€œIt’s starting! The guests are arriving!” Izzy joined in excitedly.
    â€œThey might think we’re the reception party if we stay here,” said Bryony.
    Izzy giggled. “A few Year Sevens shivering in the lane? I don’t think so!”
    â€œAnyway,” said Nicole, “now we’ve caught a glimpse of them, let’s go back to Forest Ash. We’ll see them all properly at the party once they’ve had their welcome meeting with Ms. Carmichael and the Year Elevens.”
    We all agreed and started to walk away, but suddenly I couldn’t resist looking back and saw two more cars coming along the lane. The second one was moving very slowly and, as it drew level with us, I noticed that the lady driving it was leaning forwards, flicking her head from side to side, staring out first to one side, then the other. On her face I caught such a look of wonder that I stopped in my tracks and tried to see the school through her eyes for a moment. It must have felt so strange to be seeing it after all those years.
    Then the sun came out, blinding me for a moment, and at the same time Nicole broke my little spell, calling out, “Ems, come on! Sun’s out!”
    Nicole and Antonia have this kind of ritual where every time they go anywhere near the main school building when the sun is out, they stop and look at the silver spires. The whole building is really interesting to look at because it’s so old and dark, with little diamond-shaped window panes and turrets and towers and a massive front door made of oak, which must weigh a ton. But the best thing about it is the way the sun shines on the tall spires so they gleam like silver, which is why the school is called Silver Spires. Even a watery sun will do it, which is what there was right now.
    I went to catch up with them, but then hung back a bit and stared up at the beautiful spires, and wondered whether we were the first generation of Silver Spires girls to do this, or whether generations and generations of girls had done it for the last fifty years. I would ask one of the guests that question. Yes, that’s what I’d do.
    And suddenly the thought of the party seemed a bit more interesting and exciting than it had done a few minutes before.

Chapter Two

    It was weird to think that the party was taking place in the very same hall where Ms. Carmichael, the Head of the whole school, had made her announcement about the TV documentary. It looked so different now to when we were all crowded into it for that assembly. I’ll never forget the gasp that went up with her first words: “I have been approached by a television production company who want to film our grand reunion, then stay on for a fortnight to film everyday life at the school.”
    It was actually halfway between a gasp and a “Yesss!” and it was followed by a deep silence, because everyone wanted to hear more. Ms. Carmichael had gone on to explain that she didn’t want our “happy, working