Tallulah-Jane's Extreme Makover; Chapter 2-Gabrielle Arrives

I was late for school this morning. I walked through the gates and the bell had already rung. I went to my homeroom automatically, but nobody was there. Then, I went to the science room because that was the first class we have on Wednesday. I heard chattering in the assembly hall. I peeped through the crack in the door. The whole school was there. Butterflies started to hatch in my stomach. Walking into a full assembly hall was worse than being teased by Mariah. I walked in. Mariah yelled out ‘Hey! It’s Spectacles! Spectacles is late!’ Laughter rang through the hall. My lip trembled. But I was saved. Just as everyone in the hall except Tilly was laughing and pointing, Principal Parman walked in the door. The students silenced at once. ‘Principle Parman,’ Mariah whined, in her goody-goody-two-shoes voice. ‘Tallulah-Jane came late and Sara called her Spectacles!’ That’s what everyone hates about Mariah. She does something and then blames it on somebody else. Everyone nodded their heads, even though they knew it was her. Except Tilly. ‘Hey! That’s not true! And you all know that! Mariah called Tallulah ‘Spectacles’! Why are you so frightened by her?’ Murmurs could be heard in every corner of the hall. ‘ENOUGH!’ Principle Parmer yelled. ‘I don’t know who is lying, Miss Glazeman or Miss Richman, but both of you and Sara will join me in detention this afternoon.’ I was gobsmacked. I felt like shouting to the principle the truth. Surely she would believe me, the victim? ‘Principle Parmer? Tilly isn’t lying. Mariah called me Spectacles.’ I said, calmly and rationally. Mariah gave me a look that said You’re gonna pay, von Vyland. Oh yeah! Sara looked thankfully at me and Tilly but I knew the niceness would only last for about a day. I did something nice for Mariah and she was nice to me, actually, sorry, let me rephrase that. She wasn’t mean to me for 2 hours. The only nice thing she really did for me that day, actually, ever, was pass me my pencil even though I saved her from a falling tree. Well, I didn’t really. I did the same as today. I saved her from detention because she was blamed for something she didn’t do. That’s me. Little Miss Justice.

Anyway, enough babbling. Where was I? Oh, yeah.

‘OK, Miss von Vyland. You were the victim, so I believe you. Miss Richman, Miss Silvergrad, no detention. As for you, Miss Glazeman, see me in my office after school.’ Principle Parman said severely. I smiled at Tilly and she mouthed ‘Thanks a heap!’
‘No worries.’ I mouthed back.

When the commotion was settled, Principle Parman walked on stage. ‘Now. A new child has just arrived in Los Angeles from France. She is not very fluent in English and I would like you to set her a good example. For instance. No swearing, littering, smoking, screaming, shouting, name-calling and, most certainly, bullying.’ When she said this she looked over at Mariah. ‘She must be treated with respect and kindness. Even though she is from another country, she is just as special as all of you. Gabrielle? Come out, dear.’ A shy-looking girl timidly walked onto the stage. We were struck silent. Gabrielle had big, pale blue eyes and platinum blond hair. Her eye-lashes were almost as long as a camel’s and her skin was milky-white. Her hair was tied up in a low pony-tail and she was wearing a short, satin dress. Everyone’s eyes were fixated on her. I shifted a glance at Cameron. His eyes were on her as well but, unlike the other boys, he didn’t look like he was under a spell. Gabriella went red as a tomato when she saw everybody looking at her. ‘Would you like to make a speech, dear?’ Gabriella nodded and went redder, but when she spoke her voice was steady. ‘As a transfer student to zis school…’ she started. She went on but I looked behind me and, just as I had expected, Gabrielle was going to be like me-teased and mocked. Mariah and her gang were already laughing at her accent. Tilly was looking at them as well, with a disgusted look on her face. ‘I think her English is quite good, actually.’ she whispered, indignantly to me. ‘Yeah, but since when has Mariah ever been nice? You have a different accent or a different back-ground to American, and you get teased.’ I replied. Tilly looked at me. ‘I don’t.’ ‘That’s because you’re English-Australian-Japanese. They never see your mum so they think you’re just English-Australian. Trust me, if you’re mum walked in that door at this minute, you’d be mocked until the end of high-school.’
‘I ‘ope I will be accepted and make many new friends with you all.’ Gabrielle finished, in her French accent. As she finished, she seemed more confident and settled, because, luckily, she hadn’t seen Mariah and her friend’s biting their lips, fighting the restrain to laugh. But they couldn’t resist. After a moment’s pause, Mariah and her gang burst into a fit of laughter. Gabrielle’s lip trembled and she ran off stage. Tilly and I, who were closest to the stage, heard her crying. We looked at each other in despair. Tilly whispered sarcastically, ‘Of course, when she had almost settled, they JUST had to hurt her! I mean, she’s French. Whaddayou expect?’ I was surprised to see her so angry-Mariah and her gang did this all the time to me, and she was never this angry! Finally, after the raging fight between jealousy and pity in my brain died down, I realised that not only had Mariah and her gang brought Gabrielle to the verge of tears, but they had humiliated her on her first day, in front of the whole school. At this thought, Jealousy and Pity lowered their weapons and made a pact. My brain settled and I whispered ‘We’ll cheer her up at break.’ Tilly nodded.