Introduction
Howard's Girls College was a popular school but it had a big problem with a single solution. A solution that Howard's did not like but which gave them little choice.
Exam results were among the best in the county but, having spent years in a single sex environment, the girls reaching sixth form age wanted to prepare for working life by mixing with boys (at least, that's what they told their teachers). With fewer girls staying on to the sixth form, the school could not afford to offer an acceptable range of subjects, which put even more girls off from staying. To end the cycle, the school had to end 140 years of tradition.
Howard's agreed to let boys enrol.
Chapter 1
Tom was part of the test intake of five male students into the final year of the sixth form. He sat in the common room, marvelling that he was suddenly surrounded by girls, most of whom wanted to get to know him. He missed seeing his lifelong friends in the classroom each day but this was not a bad alternative. Jane, one of many girls who had struck up a conversation but one whose name he could at least remember, came up to him. She was tall for a female, around his height, with a curvy body. Her curly, blonde hair framed a nice face with shining, green eyes that every now and then glinted with wildness. This was one of those times.
"Tom! Can you act?" As usual, Jane’s conversation openers were unexpected.
“No. No, I cannot.”
“We need someone who can and I think you're him,” Jane continued, appearing to misunderstand him. “A few of us do Performance and there's a play which needs a man. We can do it with a girl but it's not the same. We do two final performances which no one ever comes to watch and that's it. You don't even need to learn your lines, you can just read them. As long as we know ours then it's OK. But you should learn your lines.”
Tom looked at Jane helplessly. Her last sentence suggested that he had already been signed up. "OK. I’ll do it."
“Brilliant! I’m stage manager for this one, which is why I’m talking to you. The play is all about being in love and then not being in love. Caroline and Becky are in it,” she pointed to two girls that he recognised. “Also Amy. She'll be in most of the scenes that you're in.”
He knew Amy. She seemed very close to Jane and to just a few other girls but he had not spoken to her much. He guessed there must be plenty of girls who had been in the same class as her for years but talked to her just as little. She was prettier than Jane, or perhaps pretty in a different way. She was more petite, with dark hair and glasses, although she had not worn them for a few days. Perhaps she was maturing and thinking about her image more.
This was promising. He had a reason to spend time with four girls. He began to feel pleased with himself. Jane stood and headed towards Amy, giving a thumbs up. Amy smiled back at Jane, then towards Tom still smiling. After making the briefest of eye contact, Amy turned away. Tom thought he might enjoy this.
---
In the drama studio, Tom stood alongside Caroline, Becky and Amy while Miss Woods addressed them. She was the drama teacher and had only recently joined the school. Tom knew that she was young and had guessed she probably hadn't been teaching long. Jane confirmed this was her first full-time job.
They had been practising for a few weeks and Tom was enjoying it. He found he was actually quite good and had got to know Amy and Caroline quite well. Becky usually stayed fairly quiet and Tom respected her shyness. There were quite a lot of girls in the sixth form who were clearly not used to boys. Miss Woods was one of the friendliest teachers Tom had ever known. He wasn't one for older women but he thought she was attractive and seemed to have a wild side. Most importantly, she was good at filling students with confidence. This was necessary when she dropped a bombshell.
"We're really going well. I think at the next practice we can try it in underwear."
Tom was puzzled. He began to open his mouth to ask, then thought better of it. The initial question bounced around his head and insisted on being let out. He finally asked, "Try what in our underwear?"
It was Miss Woods' turn to look puzzled. She looked for Jane, who was on the other side of the room, writing. "Jane, didn't you tell him?" she called.
"Must have forgot!", Jane cheerily replied without looking up.
Miss Woods sighed. "I'm sorry, what Jane was supposed to tell you was that for the final scene, you and Amy are in your underwear. That's all, it's not as bad as it sounds. You know that you're both in bed and get out to argue? You are doing the scene exactly like that but in underwear. It's absolutely nothing to be scared about."
Tom mulled this over while the other girls giggled at him. He decided it could be fun and agreed. As Miss Woods had said, there was nothing to be scared about.
|