Inkerman Writers - Millie Scaife

Meeting Jennifer Cross

Frances finally went to see what had happened to her daughter as she stormed out of the kitchen frustrated with Paul ’s arguments and lack of help with Sophie. It was bad enough having to do a full-time job that she didn’t particularly enjoy, let alone look after Sophie with the wretched chicken pox as well. Trust Sophie to get the chicken pox this week of all weeks when her mother was away on holiday. She climbed the stairs and went into Sophie’s room which was in darkness. The light revealed an empty room and her heart missed a beat. ‘Sophie! She called ‘where are you?’ There was no reply. She ran into the bathroom – empty. Although from a very early age Sophie had understood she was not allowed in her parent ’s room, Frances made her way there across the landing. Reaching for the light, she heard a faint snoring sound. Sophie was fast asleep in front of the dressing table mirror. The momentary relief at finding her daughter was quickly replaced by the horror of the scene she took in.

Sophie was asleep with her head on the dressing table and her newest, most expensive china doll beside her - the doll Frances ’ mother had bought Sophie for being such a brave girl at her new school. Frances was horrified to find her Elizabeth Arden lipstick smeared all over the doll ’s face and her Clinique eye shadow everywhere. She was at a loss as to why Sophie had done such a thing, she was normally well behaved, a thoughtful quiet little girl. Frances immediately thought the influence of the new neighbourhood school – one of Paul’s latest cost cutting ideas - was obviously to blame. She wiped up the lipstick along with the tears on Sophie’s cheeks and put her to bed without her waking. She would deal with her in the morning.

Sophie thought the dawn sky looked as though it was bleeding as she looked out over the yet silent, town. Another long day, she thought, another day back at the new school now the chicken pox had cleared up. The red streaks across the sky reminded her of the red lips she had tried to put on the china doll to make her smile. Neither the doll nor her mother had smiled that night or the following day, and now the doll looked down from the shelf where her mother had returned it – unsmiling…cross even. As Sophie looked at the doll’s perfect face, framed with perfect yellow hair, staring unfeelingly at her, she reached for the packet of white TAC. She carefully rolled a number of tiny White TAC blobs. Sophie squashed one on to the doll’s snub little nose – she approved of the result, and continued to transform cheeks, forehead, eyelids, lips and even into the yellow hair, even though you couldn ’t see these very well. Having completed her task, she sat back and smiled, ‘There’, announced Sophie, ‘You can have the chicken pox now, Mummy said it was catching’.

Sophie’s hair was a sort of brown colour. When they did the hair colour bar charts at school Jennifer Cross had put her into the brown group. Jennifer Cross was the Project Leader in number; her hair was yellow, and wavy and pretty. Jennifer Cross had called Sophie’s hair ‘drab and mousey’ but said there wasn’t a colour bar on the chart for mousey, so she would have to be in brown, which Sophie thought was probably better anyway. Sophie understood why Miss Forbes had chosen bossy Jennifer Cross to be leader. She also knew why Miss Forbes hadn’t chosen Sophie.

At the babysitter’s Sophie sat in front of the TV before the walk to school. She was thinking about Jennifer Cross and how all the others liked her, laughed when she pulled Sophie ’s mousey hair, thought it hilarious to call her Stuck up Soppie Sophie every time they weren ’t in earshot of Miss Forbes. Sophie went to the loo at Pat’s the babysitter’s in the hope of holding out until lunchtime thus avoiding the toilets at playtime. When playtime came, Sophie immediately took up her usual stand at the corner of the yard near the tree, out of sight. She watched. It seemed everyone was playing with someone or talking or laughing with a friend. How she wished she had Teddy with her, but that was out of the question. Ever since Sophie had rescued Teddy from the bin when they were moving from the big house, she had kept him very safe in her new bedroom. She liked the new bedroom, it was cosy but some of her toys had had to go because there wasn ’t room for them. She didn’t mind too much – they would help the children at the hospital who were poorly, her mother had said. But Teddy was NOT going anywhere – Sophie needed Teddy to help her, and when she had made a great big fuss, her mother had finally relented and Teddy stayed.

In the playground Sophie watched Jamie Smith run screaming to the teacher but she ’d seen what happened, she knew it was his own fault, but still the teacher comforted him; she watched Jennifer Cross organise the girls ’ skipping game and saw how Phillipa Jones was always turning the rope and never in the skipping; Phillipa Jones wore glasses too. Sophie hated the number lesson in Jennifer Cross’ group after play, and at the thought of it, the butterflies invaded her tummy and she felt hot. But before she could think any more about it, Danny Broadbent came crashing into her after his getaway from another boy. She was so startled she fell over. ‘Oh God you’re not hurt are you?’ enquired Danny - the apparent concern came from a desire not to be blamed for hurting her, rather than for her welfare. ‘No, no I’m alright, honest.’ Sophie smiled. ‘Sorry only I didn’t see you there.’ With that Danny wiped his watery, runny nose right down his sleeve, shrugged and ran off muttering something about Sophie not being stuck up really after all. ‘Common!’ her mother would have sneered about him, ‘can’t expect any better from round here’. Sophie couldn’t help thinking it might be fun to be common. The distraction had momentarily taken away the butterflies. As they lined up to go into class Danny almost gave her a smile, grateful, she assumed, for not dobbing him in, as he would have put it. Once in their seats the children were surprised to hear Miss Forbes announce a change of lesson next. There was to be a competition for the most interesting ‘Show and Tell’. The Inspector, who was very important, was coming the following week and wanted to meet the children and listen to what they had to say. These sorts of things had little to do with Sophie, because she was never chosen to be a part of anything special. But Miss Forbes went on - ‘Everyone must choose something to bring from home that you think is special and tell us why. You may begin writing your ideas about it now’ she instructed, making it sound like the easiest thing in the world.

Sophie felt sick all over again. She had nothing special and she couldn’t stand up and talk about anything to a whole class and what would Jennifer Cross say? It just felt like a nightmare whichever way she looked at it.

When her mother collected her from the babysitter’s, she heard how Sophie hadn’t eaten her tea and been sulky - ‘again’.

‘Sophie what’s the matter? Why haven’t you eaten your tea?’

In the car, Sophie decided to explain her problem.

‘But you have lots of special things you could take. What about your lovely new book or your necklace, you got for your last birthday from Grandma? ’ Sophie thought the necklace was too high a security risk, although she didn’t say so. Then she had an idea.

‘I know, could I take my china doll mummy? It’s so beautiful’, she lied, ‘ I know it cost Grandma a lot of money but no one will have anything like that..’ appealing to her mother’s sense of elitism. Sophie was beginning to formulate a plan.

‘Well you’re probably right about that.’ Her mother agreed. ‘It is exquisite. If grandma says yes, then OK. But you must carry it very carefully and look after it at school. I’ll write a note to your teacher explaining how valuable it is.’

That night Sophie reached for the doll, still ridden with chicken pox. She put a dot in the middle of each spot with her red felt tip. ‘They’re on the mend now they’re scabbing’ she told Teddy. In the morning Sophie told the china doll where she was going. Her cross expression didn’t change – still no smile, even though the chicken pox had cleared – scabs and all. The doll was carefully packed in a shoe box. Sophie made particular effort to tightly cover its china face. It was transported without incident to the classroom. The children had been allowed to bring their belongings in before the bell if they wanted for safe keeping. Sophie’s mum placed it on the table amongst bits of home made jewellery, a painting and a plate of mis-shapen home baked fairy cakes, covered in haphazard icing. ‘Sophie’s gem was bound to win’ Frances thought with pride.

After register and assembly the ‘Show and Tell’ began. One of the boys had made a pasta necklace for his mum on her birthday and she’d said it was very special. Brooches and badges were popular, Danny Broadbent told the class how his conker was a 32er because he ’d soaked it in vinegar. Phillipa Jones said the cakes were her special thing because she had made them with her grandma who was fat and lovely. Then it was Jennifer Cross ’ turn. The class watched with intrigue as Jennifer Cross pulled out of a Marks and Spencer bag the latest most fantastic witch ’s costume for Hallowe’en. She told everyone how she was planning a fancy dress Hallowe’en party. ‘I will be the best there ‘cos my mum says I’m special’ ‘You certainly are,’ said Miss Forbes. Some of the boys sniggered. ‘Right Sophie – your turn, have we saved the best till last I wonder? Out you come’. Sophie’s throat dried up, her hands were wet and her stomach was doing somersaults. She braced herself, carefully unpacked the doll and showed it to the class. Silence. The doll stared out to the children who stared back.

‘What a pretty doll’, Miss Forbes offered, ‘and so special I imagine because it’s made of china, children – very delicate, we must be careful as china breaks very easily. And what is this special doll ’s name Sophie?’

Without hesitation, Sophie answered, ‘Jennifer’.

The boys were certainly unimpressed, some of the girls thought it was good; Jennifer Cross smiled.

At break time Sophie couldn’t last any longer and she went to the loo before going out into the yard. On the back of the toilet door was written ‘Jennifer Cross is boss’. Strangely, Jennifer Cross and the others weren’t there, which was a great relief to Sophie in more ways than one. When the class went back in after play, there was a commotion in the doorway of the classroom. Jennifer Cross was sobbing to Miss Forbes about it not being her fault and she just wanted to have a closer look, it was so beautiful ….The others were agreeing the demise of the doll had been an accident….

‘It’s OK Miss Forbes’ said Sophie quietly, ‘Don’t worry Jennifer’. That was the first time she had dared to call Jennifer Cross by her name to her face. Jennifer Cross immediately stopped crying and looked at her. ‘Aren’t you even upset?’ she demanded. Sophie sighed, ‘Grandma always says’, she paused, ‘…accidents will happen’ and added, warming to her new found confidence, ‘She’ll understand when I tell her you just wanted a closer look at her beautiful china doll present ’. Sophie faced Jennifer Cross, who had acted exactly as planned, met her eye and gave her the sweetest of smiles. Of course she would have to deal with her mother, but now she could, it would be worth it.