Party at Silver Spires Read Online Free Page B

liked it. I was surprised, because the lamb balti had turned out to be one of the nicest meals I’d ever tasted, after all my worrying. But I was sure Antonia hadn’t meant the words We eat good food to come out sounding like she was criticizing the Silver Spires food, and I didn’t want the others to think badly of her. I searched around in my mind for something to ask her but, in my hurry, all I could think of was, “Does your dad do takeaways?”
    As soon as the words were out of my mouth I regretted them. Antonia wore a puzzled frown.
    â€œDoes my father take what away?” she asked me quietly.
    And that’s when there came a loud laugh from the next table and I turned to see Suki looking mockingly in our direction. I know Antonia noticed too, because an expression of sadness mixed with confusion came over her face and she immediately looked down and started writing a text on her phone. I felt completely awful in case she thought I’d deliberately said something she wouldn’t understand, just to make people laugh.
    â€œTakeaways are disgusting!” Suki drawled. “I don’t know why anyone would eat them.”
    I felt as though she was expecting me to say something back, but the last thing I wanted to do was to get into a conversation with her. I subtly turned a bit away from her, even though it meant I had to turn my back on Antonia slightly. I hadn’t thought Antonia would even notice, she was so into her texting, but I definitely heard her sigh, and I so wished I could explain everything to her. There was no way I could do that now, though, and I just had to hope that her sigh was to do with her texting and not me.
    It was a big relief when someone rang a little bell and everyone broke off their conversations to listen. It was the Deputy Head, Mrs. Andrews, who addressed us all, explaining that when we’d finished we were free to go back to our houses, where there would be a guided tour for the Year Sevens followed by a meeting in our common rooms with the house staff.
    Suki and the girls at the next table got up to go before us, because we’d arrived later than them. As they all left, I made sure I was talking to Sasha on the other side of me from Antonia, so that I didn’t have to say goodbye to Suki, and then I immediately started worrying in case I was in the same class as her for any subjects. I knew there were four classes altogether in Year Seven, and that we’d have most of our lessons in these classes. But we were also going to be put into sets for maths, English and science, so even if I wasn’t in the same class as Suki for most of the subjects, we could easily find ourselves together in one of the sets, which would be terrible, as she seemed really mean.
    The sun was starting to go down as we left the dining hall and made our way back to Forest Ash. I looked up at what I guessed was our dormitory window. Sasha followed my gaze.
    â€œIsn’t it weird to think that we’ll all be sleeping in that room tonight,” she said thoughtfully.
    â€œYes, and even weirder to think that we’re going to wake up and walk to school and it’ll only take about two minutes,” said Izzy.
    â€œDon’t talk about that,” said Emily. “I’m dreading lessons. I bet I’m in all bottom sets.”
    â€œNo you won’t be!” said Bryony.
    â€œI hope we’re all together,” said Sasha.
    â€œAlso I,” said Antonia, looking a bit worried, which made me feel anxious for her again.
    â€œMe too,” I quickly agreed, and then wished I hadn’t spoken because it sounded as though I was correcting her. “I mean…so do I,” I stammered. But then Antonia slowed her step. Perhaps she didn’t want to walk with the horrible girl who reeled off house names at a hundred miles an hour, talked about things like takeaways that you didn’t understand, turned her back on you and corrected