Party at Silver Spires Read Online Free PDF Page A

your English. I bit my lip, and felt disappointed and cross with myself for getting so many things wrong.
    When we got to Forest Ash, a smiling Mrs. Pridham greeted us in the hall. “Miss Stevenson is going to be the guide for the girls from Emerald dorm, while I’ll be showing round the other Year Seven girls from Ruby dorm. And then we’ll all meet up in the common room, all right?”
    I’d been secretly hoping that Mrs. Pridham might be our guide, because Miss Stevenson seemed a bit stern even though I guessed she was only in her early twenties. She didn’t smile as much as Mrs. Pridham, and nowhere near as much as lovely Matron.
    Forest Ash turned out to be miles bigger than I thought. There are the two big dormitories, or dorms as I’m going to call them from now on, for the Year Sevens. Then there are three slightly smaller ones for the Year Eights, with four girls in each, four for the Year Nines with three girls in each, six for the Year Tens with two girls in each, and the Year Elevens have a single room each. I love the way it’s organized. It seems so fair, and I suddenly realized that one day I’d be a Year Eleven with my own room too. That was such a weird thought.
    Miss Stevenson showed us where her room and Matron’s room were on the top floor, not far from Emerald dorm, but she didn’t open the door to let us have a quick look inside, like she had with the dorms.
    â€œIf any of you need anything, you can knock on my door,” she said in her quiet voice. “I’m on duty two or three nights every week. You have to look on the rota to see who’s on duty, because it changes each week.”
    When we came to a huge room on the second floor with lots of tables and chairs, I guessed this was where we’d do our homework.
    â€œThis is the prep room,” said Miss Stevenson. “All the Year Sevens and Eights have one hour’s prep each evening. One of the house staff will be supervising, or occasionally a Year Eleven. It’ll all be written on the rota.”
    I didn’t know what she was talking about, but none of the others looked confused and I felt a bit embarrassed having to ask what prep was. But then I saw Antonia’s blank-looking eyes and realized how much worse it was for her, because Miss Stevenson wasn’t even speaking her language. And that gave me the courage to ask.
    â€œEr, ’scuse me, but what exactly is prep?”
    â€œOh sorry,” said Miss Stevenson. “I should have said. It just means homework.”
    â€œHomework,” repeated Antonia in a small voice. And I felt sorry for her again.
    It was complicated finding your way around Forest Ash, but the ground floor corridors seemed nice and warm and busy, with all their corners and turnings. The boot room and one of the kitchens were on this floor, along with a room that had a big table and lots of comfy chairs in it.
    â€œThis is the Year Seven ‘break-out’ room,” explained Miss Stevenson, “where you can come to work, or just to be quiet if you want to read in peace or something like that.”
    After we’d seen the laundry rooms in the basement, we came back up to Mrs. Pridham’s flat, and Mrs. Pridham suddenly appeared with her group, and insisted that everyone should see her living room.
    â€œThis is where you come if you want to talk about anything, girls. When I’m around I generally leave my door open. You might see Mr. Pridham from time to time, although he works quite long hours, so don’t blink or you’ll miss him!”
    While Mrs. Pridham’s group went off to see the rest of the ground floor, we went to the common room. It was huge and divided into four areas – three cosy areas, with squidgy chairs and beanbags and sofas and a TV with a DVD player, and a fourth area with a table and chairs – so it was almost like four separate rooms. Emily and Bryony both made for a big beanbag and