Chelsea could not believe that their exciting shopping expedition had turned into this nightmare. They all stood, frozen on the spot, their eyes still fixed on the escalator.
“It can’t be her,” remarked Charlotte, “she is always so sweet and kind and she’s very shy.”
“Well, let’s clear up this mess and check your items ladies,” said the security guard, pushing the girls back into the shop through the metal detectors. This time nothing happened, no beeping alarm.
“All clear,” said the head security guard sheepishly. “Our sincerest apologies ladies, it is clear that we have indeed made a mistake. Now, do you have any information for us regarding the suspect we have just seen fleeing the scene of the crime?”
There was suddenly silence. The girls looked at each other and then back at the marble-tiled floor.
“Girls, we have a serious situation here, and we need your help,” said the smallest of the guards in an urgent tone.
Jade looked like she was about to faint or have one of her nervous breakdowns. Charlotte recognised the signs and rushed towards her and helped her to a chair nearby.
“We didn’t do anything, we’re innocent. You can’t lock us up,” blubbered Jade, hugging her knees.
Roxanne cleared her throat and looked up at the guard. Calmly, she said, “Her name is Suzy Anne Clapham. She attends Fernwood High School and her address for the weekend is 23 or 24 Juniper Close. She seems a very unlikely suspect though, maybe it wasn’t her at all.”
The guard thanked Roxanne for the information and told them all that they were free to go.
Mr Thompson was waiting in the parking lot and was surprised to see the girls walking very somberly towards the car. The trip back to the Thompson’s house was very quiet and just as they were nearing the cottage, they saw a police car parked outside 23 Juniper Close. A police officer was talking to Mrs Clapham who was visibly upset and was shouting hysterically. Nobody in the car said a word.
Later that afternoon, after a lazy day in the cottage, the girls started packing their things and getting ready to go back to school. The weather had been lousy so they had stayed inside to watch DVD’s and play board games. The boys had joined them since it was too miserable for surfing or jet-skiing. Calipso had even felt well enough to join in. They had lots of fun and there was plenty of laughter, but the girls could not shake the feeling of dread when they thought of poor Suzy. What would happen if she really did turn out to be the shoplifter?
The boys helped carry the girls’ bags to the car and they all squashed into the Land Rover together this time. Braxton House for Boys was only five minutes from Fernwood High, so they were all travelling back together. Kyle and Chelsea were the last to climb in and, somehow, the only two seats left were the two at the back. Jade and Roxanne giggled quietly in the front as they caught a glimpse of the two of them in the rearview mirror, sitting shoulder to shoulder.
***
That night, back in their own beds in the dorm under the stairs, the six girls had a fitful night’s rest. Once again their peaceful sleep was interrupted by mysterious dreams. Dreams that offered a clue of things yet to happen. Annie dreamt of Suzy, a frightened little girl. Jade also dreamt of Suzy who was sobbing desperately. Chelsea’s dream was of Suzy’s suspension, a punisHmment frowned upon at such a prestigious school. Charlotte dreamt once again of Mrs Sheraton, but this time she was addressing the school about criminal behaviour. In Roxanne’s dream, Suzy was sitting in the back of a car and was being driven out of the school gates. And Calipso? She dreamt about Suzy too. In her dream, Suzy was dressed in a beautiful red satin dress and she was walking arm in arm with Stuart. The couple walked through the doors of the Braxton House school hall just as Mr Drummond, the principal of Braxton, was welcoming the room full of people to the Valentine’s Ball.
The next morning, the girls struggled to wake up when they heard the rising bell. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion as they showered, dressed and then walked up to breakfast. As was becoming the norm, the girls discussed what they had dreamt about the night before once seated at the breakfast table. There was no need for them to try and figure out what it all meant, it was quite clear what was going to happen to Suzy. Just then, Mrs Sheraton marched into the room and without much of an introduction or a warm welcome back to school, she made an announcement. It was the announcement that the group of girls sitting in the corner of the dining hall had been expecting.
“Unfortunately I have some bad news to report after the long weekend. Suzy Clapham from Willow House was involved in a shoplifting incident over the weekend and she has been suspended from school for one month. It was a moment of silliness and thoughtlessness, and I truly hope you girls will realise the severity of this situation and that you will learn from her mistake.”
She continued to lecture the school about criminal behaviour and how it would not be tolerated at Fernwood High School. When Mrs Sheraton finally dismissed the school, the girls walked slowly back to the hostel. As they reached the end of the pathway, they looked up and saw Suzy climbing into the back of her parents’ car. They watched as the car drove away through the school gate with their sweet and timid classmate hunched over in the back seat, tears streaming down her face.
Chapter Nine: An Unexpected Turn of Events (Grace)
“Right, shoes next,” said Jade, ticking off a list of things to do in her mind. “Let’s go to ‘Glitz and Glamour’!”
As the girls walked through the entrance to the shop, Jade headed straight to the shoe department.
“Wow!” said Annie, amazed at the endless choice of pumps, sandals, high heels, boots and wedges.
“Aren’t they beautiful,” said Jade, gently touching the different buckles, laces and straps as she wandered down the aisle.
“You should get these,” said Roxanne, holding up a pair of flat, sporty pumps.
All four girls looked at her with their mouths in perfect ‘o’ shapes.
“That’s Roxanne for you,” scoffed Jade, “thinking about sport and comfort, even on an occasion like this.”
Then Chelsea froze. “Oh! My! Word! Look at these!” she said. She walked towards the shelf and picked up a pair of baby pink peep-toe wedges. The others gathered around to look at the shoes when the sales assistant walked up to them. She was tall and looked as though she was in a very bad mood.
“May I help you?” she asked.
“Ah, yes please. How much is this pair of shoes?” asked Jade.
“This pair?” she asked smugly with a you-certainly-can’t-afford-them look on her face.
“They’re two hundred and fifty rand,” she answered matter-of-factly.
“Oh, then we’ll take them,” said Chelsea, breathing a sigh of relief. She was expecting them to cost a lot more than that.
They chose a matching necklace and a pair of earrings from the accessories department and then went to pay for the items at the front desk. They left the shop through the metal detectors and were so busy chatting and laughing that they didn’t hear the alarm beeping loudly as they exited the store.
“Stop!” cried the security guard, racing after the group of girls.
The Fabulous Five turned around in confusion and weren’t quite sure what to do. Suddenly Roxanne panicked and told them to run. They followed her lead until Annie felt a hand on her shoulder and the guard sent her flying off her feet. She hit the hard marble floor with a thump.
“You are under arrest for shoplifting,” he spat at her while pinning her tiny hands behind her back.
“And the rest of you are too, for aiding and abetting,” he added.
“What?” They looked at each other, completely flabbergasted.
The girls were carried away by the three guards that had arrived on the scene, back to ‘Glitz and Glamour’.
“But...but...b,” sobbed Charlotte, who couldn’t get a word out.
“We did NOT steal anything,” said Jade angrily. “You can check our bags. We have the receipt for all the items in the bag.”
“So if it wasn’t you, then who was it?” asked the burly guard still gripping Annie’s arm tightly.
“Um...maybe she did,” whimpered Annie, pointing to a girl in a thick black jacket running towards the escalator. As she was about to disappear from view, they all caught a glimpse of the girl, with a bundle of red clasped tightly in her hands.
“But that’s...Suzy,” gulped Roxanne. Suzy was also in Grade Ten at Fernwood High but she was in Willow House, the second of the two boarding houses. The girls knew that Suzy’s parents had a holiday house a few blocks away from Jade’s, but they didn’t realise she would also be there for the half-term break. Roxanne always thought that Suzy was the quietest girl she knew, she was the last person she would expect to steal something.
“No!” gasped Charlotte, “It can’t be Suzy.”
As the girls walked through the entrance to the shop, Jade headed straight to the shoe department.
“Wow!” said Annie, amazed at the endless choice of pumps, sandals, high heels, boots and wedges.
“Aren’t they beautiful,” said Jade, gently touching the different buckles, laces and straps as she wandered down the aisle.
“You should get these,” said Roxanne, holding up a pair of flat, sporty pumps.
All four girls looked at her with their mouths in perfect ‘o’ shapes.
“That’s Roxanne for you,” scoffed Jade, “thinking about sport and comfort, even on an occasion like this.”
Then Chelsea froze. “Oh! My! Word! Look at these!” she said. She walked towards the shelf and picked up a pair of baby pink peep-toe wedges. The others gathered around to look at the shoes when the sales assistant walked up to them. She was tall and looked as though she was in a very bad mood.
“May I help you?” she asked.
“Ah, yes please. How much is this pair of shoes?” asked Jade.
“This pair?” she asked smugly with a you-certainly-can’t-afford-them look on her face.
“They’re two hundred and fifty rand,” she answered matter-of-factly.
“Oh, then we’ll take them,” said Chelsea, breathing a sigh of relief. She was expecting them to cost a lot more than that.
They chose a matching necklace and a pair of earrings from the accessories department and then went to pay for the items at the front desk. They left the shop through the metal detectors and were so busy chatting and laughing that they didn’t hear the alarm beeping loudly as they exited the store.
“Stop!” cried the security guard, racing after the group of girls.
The Fabulous Five turned around in confusion and weren’t quite sure what to do. Suddenly Roxanne panicked and told them to run. They followed her lead until Annie felt a hand on her shoulder and the guard sent her flying off her feet. She hit the hard marble floor with a thump.
“You are under arrest for shoplifting,” he spat at her while pinning her tiny hands behind her back.
“And the rest of you are too, for aiding and abetting,” he added.
“What?” They looked at each other, completely flabbergasted.
The girls were carried away by the three guards that had arrived on the scene, back to ‘Glitz and Glamour’.
“But...but...b,” sobbed Charlotte, who couldn’t get a word out.
“We did NOT steal anything,” said Jade angrily. “You can check our bags. We have the receipt for all the items in the bag.”
“So if it wasn’t you, then who was it?” asked the burly guard still gripping Annie’s arm tightly.
“Um...maybe she did,” whimpered Annie, pointing to a girl in a thick black jacket running towards the escalator. As she was about to disappear from view, they all caught a glimpse of the girl, with a bundle of red clasped tightly in her hands.
“But that’s...Suzy,” gulped Roxanne. Suzy was also in Grade Ten at Fernwood High but she was in Willow House, the second of the two boarding houses. The girls knew that Suzy’s parents had a holiday house a few blocks away from Jade’s, but they didn’t realise she would also be there for the half-term break. Roxanne always thought that Suzy was the quietest girl she knew, she was the last person she would expect to steal something.
“No!” gasped Charlotte, “It can’t be Suzy.”
Chapter Eight: The Princess Dress (Marion, Tamarah, Shelley)
Chelsea was speechless. Her mind was full off different thoughts and her heart was racing. But she did manage to force herself to say something.
“Um...sure.”
“Awesome, it’s a...” Kyle hesitated. “It’s a date then,” he said, pausing on the word ‘date’.
Chelsea blushed and started to feel all awkward and shy again.
“Well, I’d better go,” Kyle said as he got up, struggling to think of something else to say. He turned and waved clumsily as he left the room.
Chelsea was amazed. She’d wanted Kyle to ask her out ever since she’d met him a year ago and she had practiced hundreds of responses just in case he did. But despite all the practice, she had acted like a complete fool. She didn’t have that much time to analyse the entire scene that had just taken place because Jade burst through the door.
“Hey Chelsea, here you are! What were you and Kyle talking about?” she asked with a smirk on her face.
“He...he...he just asked me to go to the Valentine’s Ball with him next weekend. Kyle asked me out on a date!” she exclaimed.
“Oh my gosh!” Jade cried excitedly and pulled Chelsea off the bed. They jumped up and down holding hands when suddenly Chelsea stopped.
“What am I going to do Jade? It’s only a week away and I have absolutely nothing to wear!”
Jade looked panic-stricken. “You’re quite right, you have nothing to wear. We have to go shopping!”
“Well, we can worry about that tomorrow. Right now we need to go and join everyone else for dinner, they’ll be wondering where we are,” said Chelsea as she tried to catch her breath.
***
Early the next morning Jade woke everyone up in a very loud and high-pitched voice.
“Wake up sleepyheads, it’s time to go SHOPPING!”
“Ahh Jade, a little bit longer please, I’m so happy in this lovely soft bed,” pleaded Charlotte.
“Me too, these beds are like soft puffy clouds compared to our dorm beds,” agreed Annie.
The only response from Roxanne was a single grunt as she turned over and pulled her feather duvet right over her head.
Once they had eventually woken up, and eaten one too many of Mrs Thompson’s delicious blueberry pancakes, they went into Calipso’s room to see how she was. The girls had left Calipso in the spare room to rest after returning from the beach the day before and she had fallen into a deep sleep straight away. She must have been in a lot of shock and her body must have been exhausted because she had slept right through dinner too and was still sleeping by the time everyone else went to bed. They tip-toed into the room but could soon see that she was awake.
“Morning Calipso, how are you feeling? Are you feeling up to a trip to the shopping mall?”
“Morning,” she replied groggily, rubbing her eyes. “I’m so sorry but I’m still not feeling that well. I think I’m going to stay where I am if you guys don’t mind. I’m so sorry to be such a nuisance.”
Charlotte sat down on the bed next to her and held her hand. “You’re not a nuisance at all, but we are worried about you. Are you sure you’re okay? Do you want us to stay here with you rather?”
“No, please don’t let me spoil the day, you guys go ahead and I’ll see you when you get back,” she replied.
They all said goodbye to Calipso and then Annie hugged her gently. “Okay then, you stay here and rest and we’ll see you later.”
The Fab Five piled into the Land Rover once again, and Mr Thompson reversed out of the driveway. Jade turned the radio on and they all started singing along to one of the Jonas Brothers’ latest hits. Chelsea pretended to sing along but she was secretly wondering what the boys had planned for the day. She was a little disappointed that the boys had been fast asleep when they had left, she was hoping to see Kyle again at the breakfast table.
“Are we there yet?” the girls asked every five minutes, teasing Mr Thompson and impatient to start shopping.
“We’re nearly there,” sighed Mr Thompson for the umpteenth time, amused at their teenage antics.
Within the next few minutes, they turned a corner and the shopping mall was right there in front of them. They jumped out the moment the car stopped and shouted, “Thank you, Mr Thompson! Thanks dad,” their voices fading away as they ran towards the entrance.
“Where should we go first?” asked Jade.
They all looked at each other with only one place in mind, “Dress Parade!” they cried in unison.
The dress shop was full of beautiful dresses of every colour and style. They walked passed the rails, ‘oohing’ and ‘ahhing’ at the silky fabrics and sparkling sequins.
“Chelsea, I have found the perfect dress! What do you think about this pink one?” asked Jade.
“Ooh yes, it is very pretty,” agreed Charlotte.
“I love the little pink pearls around the neckline,” added Annie, “so elegant!”
“What about this blue one,” suggested Roxanne, holding up a short royal blue dress. “It will look much better on with your blue eyes.”
“Nah, it’s a Valentine’s Ball and girls don’t usually wear blue, do they?” asked Jade. “And besides, this pink is just too gorgeous,” she said, confident in her choice of colour and style.
“Pink,” agreed the other three.
So Chelsea asked the shop attendant for the pink dress in her size and went to try it on. She stepped out of the fitting room to show her panel of judges and they all agreed that it looked like it had been made to fit her. It was perfect. Chelsea squealed with delight and quickly took the dress off before she split the seams from all the excitement. She went to the counter to pay and was quite shocked when she was told the price of the dress. But Chelsea had saved most of her pocket money during the term and decided that the pretty pink dress was worth every penny. She was going to the dance with Kyle and she had to look like a princess!
“Um...sure.”
“Awesome, it’s a...” Kyle hesitated. “It’s a date then,” he said, pausing on the word ‘date’.
Chelsea blushed and started to feel all awkward and shy again.
“Well, I’d better go,” Kyle said as he got up, struggling to think of something else to say. He turned and waved clumsily as he left the room.
Chelsea was amazed. She’d wanted Kyle to ask her out ever since she’d met him a year ago and she had practiced hundreds of responses just in case he did. But despite all the practice, she had acted like a complete fool. She didn’t have that much time to analyse the entire scene that had just taken place because Jade burst through the door.
“Hey Chelsea, here you are! What were you and Kyle talking about?” she asked with a smirk on her face.
“He...he...he just asked me to go to the Valentine’s Ball with him next weekend. Kyle asked me out on a date!” she exclaimed.
“Oh my gosh!” Jade cried excitedly and pulled Chelsea off the bed. They jumped up and down holding hands when suddenly Chelsea stopped.
“What am I going to do Jade? It’s only a week away and I have absolutely nothing to wear!”
Jade looked panic-stricken. “You’re quite right, you have nothing to wear. We have to go shopping!”
“Well, we can worry about that tomorrow. Right now we need to go and join everyone else for dinner, they’ll be wondering where we are,” said Chelsea as she tried to catch her breath.
***
Early the next morning Jade woke everyone up in a very loud and high-pitched voice.
“Wake up sleepyheads, it’s time to go SHOPPING!”
“Ahh Jade, a little bit longer please, I’m so happy in this lovely soft bed,” pleaded Charlotte.
“Me too, these beds are like soft puffy clouds compared to our dorm beds,” agreed Annie.
The only response from Roxanne was a single grunt as she turned over and pulled her feather duvet right over her head.
Once they had eventually woken up, and eaten one too many of Mrs Thompson’s delicious blueberry pancakes, they went into Calipso’s room to see how she was. The girls had left Calipso in the spare room to rest after returning from the beach the day before and she had fallen into a deep sleep straight away. She must have been in a lot of shock and her body must have been exhausted because she had slept right through dinner too and was still sleeping by the time everyone else went to bed. They tip-toed into the room but could soon see that she was awake.
“Morning Calipso, how are you feeling? Are you feeling up to a trip to the shopping mall?”
“Morning,” she replied groggily, rubbing her eyes. “I’m so sorry but I’m still not feeling that well. I think I’m going to stay where I am if you guys don’t mind. I’m so sorry to be such a nuisance.”
Charlotte sat down on the bed next to her and held her hand. “You’re not a nuisance at all, but we are worried about you. Are you sure you’re okay? Do you want us to stay here with you rather?”
“No, please don’t let me spoil the day, you guys go ahead and I’ll see you when you get back,” she replied.
They all said goodbye to Calipso and then Annie hugged her gently. “Okay then, you stay here and rest and we’ll see you later.”
The Fab Five piled into the Land Rover once again, and Mr Thompson reversed out of the driveway. Jade turned the radio on and they all started singing along to one of the Jonas Brothers’ latest hits. Chelsea pretended to sing along but she was secretly wondering what the boys had planned for the day. She was a little disappointed that the boys had been fast asleep when they had left, she was hoping to see Kyle again at the breakfast table.
“Are we there yet?” the girls asked every five minutes, teasing Mr Thompson and impatient to start shopping.
“We’re nearly there,” sighed Mr Thompson for the umpteenth time, amused at their teenage antics.
Within the next few minutes, they turned a corner and the shopping mall was right there in front of them. They jumped out the moment the car stopped and shouted, “Thank you, Mr Thompson! Thanks dad,” their voices fading away as they ran towards the entrance.
“Where should we go first?” asked Jade.
They all looked at each other with only one place in mind, “Dress Parade!” they cried in unison.
The dress shop was full of beautiful dresses of every colour and style. They walked passed the rails, ‘oohing’ and ‘ahhing’ at the silky fabrics and sparkling sequins.
“Chelsea, I have found the perfect dress! What do you think about this pink one?” asked Jade.
“Ooh yes, it is very pretty,” agreed Charlotte.
“I love the little pink pearls around the neckline,” added Annie, “so elegant!”
“What about this blue one,” suggested Roxanne, holding up a short royal blue dress. “It will look much better on with your blue eyes.”
“Nah, it’s a Valentine’s Ball and girls don’t usually wear blue, do they?” asked Jade. “And besides, this pink is just too gorgeous,” she said, confident in her choice of colour and style.
“Pink,” agreed the other three.
So Chelsea asked the shop attendant for the pink dress in her size and went to try it on. She stepped out of the fitting room to show her panel of judges and they all agreed that it looked like it had been made to fit her. It was perfect. Chelsea squealed with delight and quickly took the dress off before she split the seams from all the excitement. She went to the counter to pay and was quite shocked when she was told the price of the dress. But Chelsea had saved most of her pocket money during the term and decided that the pretty pink dress was worth every penny. She was going to the dance with Kyle and she had to look like a princess!
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