badge.â Miss Reedy looked around at Mr Plumpton, who rolled his eyes.
Alethea ran to the side of the stage, bounded up the steps and snatched the badge from Miss Reedyâs hand. She then shoved the teacher rather energetically from the lectern. She began her acceptance speech with another squeal.
âGirls, teachers, you have made a wonderful choice in me. I will be the best Head Prefect Winchesterfield-Downsfordvale has ever seen. Of course, there really was no other option.â She smiled condescendingly along the row of girls from the Sixth Form.
Miss Reedy moved in beside Alethea and leaned into the microphone.
âThank you, Alethea. Your graciousness and humility will no doubt be a highlight of the year.â
A snicker of laughter rose up before Alethea shot a stare that would freeze fire.
âYou may return to your seat, Alethea,â Miss Reedy instructed.
âBut I sit on the stage next to you now, Miss Reedy.â Aletheaâs cat with the cream smile was plastered all over her smug face.
âAnd so you do.â Miss Reedy motioned towards the empty seat beside her own.
âNow we have to spend every assembly looking at that,â Millie whispered.
Alice-Miranda leaned forward in her seat. âIf sheâs really so terrible why did Miss Grimm allow it?â
âRemember the library.â Millie didnât smile. âAs long as your parents can pay, you can be whatever you want at Winchesterfield-Downsfordvale.â
âThatâs awful,â Alice-Miranda sighed. âSurely it hasnât always been like this? Mummy would have told me, and she has only ever said that it was a wonderful school.â
âLegend has it that about ten years ago somethingterrible happened. The whole place changed and since then, well, it seems as though the family that pays the most, gets the most.â Millie picked nervously at her fingernails.
Alice-Miranda caught sight of Miss Higgins standing just offstage. She looked pale and was wringing her hands together.
âSomethingâs missing, Millie. Miss Grimm should be here. Sheâs the headmistress and she should be leading the assembly.â
âTell her that,â Millie whispered.
âItem number two,â Miss Reedyâs voice boomed. âAll students under the age of eight will be required to sit an academic suitability test. If they are proven unsuitable the consequences may involve removal from the school.â
A murmur shot around the room. The look of surprise on Miss Reedyâs face suggested she was reading the rule for the very first time. She turned around to face the staff, who seemed equally shocked.
âThatâs a new one. I didnât have to sit any suitability test,â Millie whispered.
âI didnât either ⦠nor me ⦠whatâs that all about?â the room buzzed.
âBut thereâs nobody here whoâs under the age ofeight,â called Madeline Bloom, who had been silently doing her maths. âYouâre not supposed to come unless youâve turned eight already.â
âWell, Iâm afraid there is someone,â said Alice-Miranda, touching her left forefinger to her lips.
âWho?â asked Ivory Hicks.
âMe,â Alice-Miranda smiled.
âSilence,â Miss Reedy commanded. âItem number three. Any girls under the age of eight must complete the Form Six Wilderness Walk: camping for five days in a tent, cooking her own food and navigating her own way through the forest. Failure to do so would render her unready for life at Winchesterfield-Downsfordvale.â Miss Reedy gasped as she finished reading.
âThatâs madness,â she murmured under her breath, then gulped loudly when she realised that the microphone had picked up every word. She quickly moved on.
âItem number four.â Miss Reedy took a deep breath, hardly daring to scan the page. She cleared her throat. âItem number