Third Year at Malory Towers Read Online Free PDF Page B

name's Bill,” said Bill with a grin. “Short for Wilhelmina. What's yours?”
    “Zerelda. Short for nothing,” said Zerelda. “Why do you wear your hair like that?”
    “Because I couldn't bear to wear it like yours,” retorted Bill.
    Zerelda stared at Bill again as if she really couldn't believe her eyes.
    “I've never seen a girl like you before,” she said. “Gee, you're wunnerful! Gee, I think all you English people are wunnerful!”
    “Anyone would think you hadn't got an English mother,” said Darrell. “You've lived with her all your life, haven't you? You always sound as if you have never met anyone English before.”
    “My mother's as American as anyone,” said Zerelda. “I don't know why she's gotten it into her head to send me to England. She's forgotten she was ever English. I'd like to take you back to America with me, Bill. Why, nobody would believe you were real, over there! Gee. You're just...”
    “WUNNERFUL!” chorused everyone, and Zerelda laughed.
    A bell rang. “Dinner!” yelled Belinda. “I'm starving. Rotten breakfasts we get here!”
    “Rotten!” agreed everyone. They had all eaten big plates of porridge and milk, scrambled eggs, and toast and marmalade, but it was always agreed that the food was “rotten”—unless, of course, an outsider dared to criticize the food, and then it suddenly became “too wizard for words”.
    They tore down to the dining-room. Zerelda went to sit with the third-formers, having put up rather a poor show in the fourth form that morning, and feeling rather small --but Miss Williams called her over.
    “Zerelda! This is your table now. Let me look at your hair.”
    Zerelda submitted to Miss Williams' close examination, glad that she had not put any red on her lips. How dare Miss William treat her like a kid of six? She felt angry and annoyed. But she soon cheered up when she saw the steaming dishes of stew, surrounded with all kinds of vegetables. Gee, she liked these English meals. They were—no, not wunnerful— what was the word the others used—yes, they were wizard!
    Darrell wrote to Sally that night and told her about Bill and Zerelda.
    You'll like Bill (short for Wilhelmina), [she wrote]. All grins and freckles and very short hair, mad on horses, has seven brothers, says just exactly what she thinks, and yet we don't mind a bit.
    She bit her pen and then went on.
    But, oh my, Zerelda! She thinks she's going to be a film star and says she's “wunnerful” at acting. You should have seen the way she did her hair—and they way she made up her face! We thought we were going to have some fun with her and take her down a peg or two, but she's not in our form after all. She's nearly sixteen so she's gone into the fourth. I bet Miss Williams had a fit when she saw her walking into her classroom this morning. Sally, do hurry up and come back. Betty isn't back yet either, so Alicia and I are keeping each other company, but I'd so much rather have you. You steady me! Alicia doesn't. She makes me feel I'm going to do idiotic things. I hope I'll last out till you come back!
    Somebody put their head in at the door.” Hey, is Wilhelmina here? Matron wants her. Wilhelmina!”
    Nobody stirred. “Wilhemina!” said the voice again. “Hey, you, new girl! Aren't you Wilhelmina?”
    Bill put down her book hastily. “Golly, yes, so I am!” she said. “I quite forgot. I really must tell Matron to call me Bill.”
    She went out and everyone laughed. “Good old Bill! I'd like to see Matron's face when she tells her to call her Bill!” said Belinda.

Bill And Thunder
    AFTER a few days it seemed to Darrell as if she had been back at school for weeks. The world of home seemed very far away. She thought pityingly of her sister Felicity at her day school. Why, Felicity didn't even guess what it was like to be at a proper boarding school, where you got up all together, had meals together, planned fun for every evening, and then all rushed off to bed