The Daring Game Read Free

must let us know at once,” said her mother.
    They had to apply right away. Eliza wrote the entrance exam in the principal’s office at her elementary school and was accepted two weeks later. Then the clothing list arrived. She pored over it for hours.
    1 regulation grey pleated skirt
    6 regulation blue blouses
    1 navy-blue blazer
    6 pairs of navy-blue knee socks
    3 pairs of navy-blue bloomers
    1 pair of black oxford shoes
    1 navy-blue gabardine raincoat
    1 regulation blue beret
    1 grey V-neck sweater
    2 pairs of navy-blue gloves
    1 pair of white gloves
    This certainly sounded like her books. The requirements continued for pages and included items she’d never owned before—a sewing basket, a shoe-shining kit and an umbrella.
    Eliza’s mother laughed at the bloomers. “I haven’t heard of those for years!” They ordered the uniform from a store in Vancouver. When it arrived, Eliza tried everything on and examined herself in the hall mirror.
    She looked like one of the girls in the illustrations in her English books—very neat, all grey and blue. Eliza liked things that matched, and blue was her favourite colour. The bloomers, which were like long serge shorts with gathered bottoms, were soft and cosy. The black lace-up shoes were ugly, but felt secure and substantial on her feet. “I’m going to Ashdown,” she said importantly to her reflection.
    August flashed by in a blur of packing and goodbyes. The Chapmans had to be in Toronto by the beginning of September. Aunt Susan arrived with her new baby to help pack and to take Eliza back to Vancouver. Eliza’s parentshad taken the train east the same day she and her aunt had taken it west.
    N OW SHE HEARD two buses pull up below the window, and she instantly wished this time alone wasn’t about to end. She hid behind the curtains and watched as a chattering swarm of girls emerged from the buses and spread out onto the pavement. From above they looked like a sea of coats, light blue berets bobbing on navy-blue waves.
    Half the crowd melted around the corner; Eliza assumed they were the seniors, whom she knew lived in a separate building. The rest advanced towards her, and she hid even farther back. At once the quiet old house was filled with high voices and thumping feet.
    The din grew louder as it came up the stairs to the second floor. One set of footsteps pounded quickly down the hall, followed by slower ones, and a mild voice calling, “Walk, please, Helen.”
    Eliza turned and faced the door.

2
    The Yellow Dorm
    T he clamour stopped. Four pairs of curious eyes and four motionless bodies surrounded her. The first thing she noticed, with relief, was that they all wore socks.
    A small woman with wispy yellowy-white hair stepped around from behind them. “Now, girls, don’t stare at poor Eliza like that. Eliza, these are your dorm-mates—Carrie, Pam, Jean and Helen. I’m Miss Bixley. We’re so glad you finally got here. I’ll leave you all now to get acquainted.”
    Then they crowded her even more. I’m the tallest, Eliza thought frantically. I’m not afraid.
    â€œNice to meet you,” said Pam, pulling her white gloves off one long finger at a time. Her hands were smooth and tanned, and each nail was filed into a perfect arc. She examined Eliza coolly. Eliza at once felt babyish in her short tartan dress.
    Jean smiled timidly, revealing a mouth full of braces, but she looked as if she wanted to run away and hide.
    Helen sent her beret skimming across the room. Eliza shrank as the other girl stepped closer and peered at her.She resembled an angry owl. Her round face was chalk-white, and her short hair stood straight up in rusty red tufts. The large circles of her glasses made Eliza feel as if Helen could see right inside her.
    â€œWell, well, well … so you’re Eliza. Welcome to prison.”
    Eliza didn’t know what to reply to this. She turned with gratitude to