Holsworth High

“Welcome to Holsworth High, my name is Mrs Holsworth and I will be your principal for the next twelve months”.

This was the start of a new year at a new school and Samantha Read was not in the best of moods. Just two weeks earlier, this was the conversation that changed Sam’s life forever.

“Hey mum, when are we going to the school to pick up my new school uniform for this year?” asked Sam one day.

“Umm darling, let’s go for a drive I want to show you something” replied her mother from upstairs.

“Ok but can we not be out for too long, I promised Melanie that we would go to the movies a bit later on” Sam replied not happy that her school packing would have to wait until they got back. Sam loved her high school which was nicknamed ‘Memphis’ since it was called Middlebrook Public High School or MPHS. She got good marks in all her classes and it was even better since her next door neighbour and best friend Melanie went there as well and hung out both in and out of school all the time. As she walked to the car to wait for her mother, she looked around and said,

“I never want to leave this place”. Just then her mum came out, so Sam hopped in the car and put her seatbelt on. As her mum started the car Sam asked,

“So where we going Mum and is it going too take long, I got school stuff to get ready because as you know it starts in two weeks?”

“Yeah about that darling, umm when we get to this place I want you to meet a friend of mine ok?” replied her mother not really answering Sam’s question.

“Umm ok” said Sam uncertainly.

No one said anything from then on until they drove up a weird looking driveway that led to the entrance of a very old building,

“Where in the world are we?” asked Sam looking questionably at her mother. Before her mother could answer, a thin grey haired woman in old fashioned clothes walked up to them and said,

“Hello and welcome, you must be Samantha Read, I have heard so much about you” whilst shaking Sam’s hand.

“Umm yeah, who are you?” she answered looking at the lady weirdly.

“I am” she said waving her hands dramatically “Mrs Holsworth, creator, owner and principal of ‘Holsworth High School for Girls’”

“Surprise!!” yelled her mother grinning like a Cheshire cat. “This is the best school around and it has the highest grade twelve marks in the whole country”

“Yeah congrats, but what does this have to do with me exactly?” Sam asked

“Well darling, you know I want the best for you don’t you?”

“Yes mum, now enough with the lovey dovey talk, just tell me what this is really about”

“Sam I would like to introduce you to your new principal Mrs Holsworth”

“What?” replied Sam a little louder than she expected.

“This is your new school and you start in two weeks. Isn’t that great?” Sam stared at her mum horrified and yelled,

“How can you do this to me?” and ran back to the car. Her mother followed and said to her upset daughter,

“I won’t be long I promise, I just want to discuss some things with Mrs Holsworth about the school year and to get some forms. I will be right back ok?”

Sam watched her mother walk away and turned her attention to her purse and pulled out her wallet. There next too her ID card was a photo of her and Melanie that was taken at Mel’s birthday last year,

“They were the days” she said to herself quietly as a tear ran down her cheek.

“Hi there, are you waiting for someone?” asked a voice interrupting Sam’s thoughts,

“Yeah just my mum” Sam replied not even glancing up to see who the voice belonged too.

“Oh ok are you a new student here are you?” the voice asked.

“I so hope not” answered Sam finally taking her eyes of the photo and looked up. She noticed a neatly dressed girl with long blonde hair standing next to the car watching her with an inquisitive look on her face.

Surprised Sam said,

“Sorry I wasn’t ignoring you or anything, its just I don’t want to be here”

“I understand, I felt the exact same way before I started here, but don’t worry its not that bad really” the girl said to Sam.

“Ok and who may I ask are you?” asked Sam

“Oh yeah sorry how stupid of me, my name is Rebecca Harris but you can call me Bec” she said smiling and holding out her hand to Sam.

“Ok well I am Samantha Read, but people call me Sam” replied Sam shaking Bec’s hand.

“Nice to meet you, can you come with me for a minute I got something I want to show you?” Rebecca asked Sam looking behind over her shoulder at the old building.

“Umm I don’t think so, my mum will be back any minute” replied Sam

“Knowing Mrs Holsworth and how she likes to talk, I would say that you got about ten minutes before she comes back so please can you come?” said Bec laughing a little.

“Oh ok I don’t have much choice do I?” Sam said sarcastically getting out of the car. Following Rebecca, Sam wondered where they were going and hoped that they would be back before her mum got any ideas that she actually liked this place.

“Well here we are” said Rebecca stopping in front of a classroom.

“This is my favourite place in the whole school, it’s where all of us students get together and have a party every weekend, within reason of course.” She continued whilst opening the door.

Sam peered inside and was amazed that there were no desks, chairs or even a table in there.

“Ok what do you actually do in here?” Sam asked Rebecca not sure what to expect her to say.

“Well, lots of things, we can bring stereos, books or anything really it’s sort of like our chill out room, where we can go to get away from school and stuff” Rebecca said as if she spent most of her time there.

“I am confused about something, what type of high school is this apart from being just for girls which I know already?” Sam asked curiously.

Shocked Rebecca replied,

“This is a health school, which focuses on weight loss and getting healthy as well as being a high school so we got exams and stuff”

“Ok that’s sounds alright, so what do you usually do on weekends, I got a neighbour who I go to movies with all the time if you want to come?” said Sam excitedly getting into the idea of a new school.

“Umm you do know that this is a boarding school as well which means you actually stay on campus don’t you?”

“What you mean I have to stay here for the whole of this year and never see my family or Melanie again?” Sam yelled, making Rebecca jump a little in surprise.

“Yeah I thought you knew, I am sorry look your mother will probably be back by now, so I will walk you back to the car” Rebecca said quietly and walked out of the room and shut the door after Sam.

“There are some holidays where you do get to visit your family and friends or they can visit here too so it’s not all bad” Bec said with a little smile on her face.

“Yeah I suppose, so how long have you been going here for?” she asked while walking back to the car

“I started in grade eight which was last year, but I liked it so much that I am staying on until I graduate, I prefer to be here then with my family” replied Bec “Mrs Holsworth is like the mum I never had” she continued with a sad look in her eyes.

“Sorry to hear that and also I am sorry for yelling at you before it’s just my mum never mentioned anything until we met Mrs Holsworth before and I am kind of angry at her for keeping it from me” said Sam.

“Anyway I better let you go, I hope you come to school here it really is a great school once you get to know it. There are only twenty girls that go here so it’s only small” Bec said with a look of happiness in her eyes.

“I will think about it and let you know ok?” replied Sam getting into the car.

“Ok bye Sam” shouted Bec as they drove off in a cloud of dust.

“So what do you think Bec?” asked Mrs Holsworth

“I think we will see her again” replied Bec giving Mrs Holsworth a smile, “I really do”.