Free Fancy Friday

Friday held more promise. Hilary and Deirdre had made a list of things they needed from town and were relishing the idea of a free trip provided by the NSA. At one o’clock they hopped into a fellow student named Andreas’ shiny red Volkswagen. He was an exceptionally large WASP whose car accentuated his lumbering size. The girls thanked him after arrival and Deirdre's eyes lingered a while as he drove away. They ate at Pizza Hut with the group. Deirdre scraped the cheese off her slices which Hilary used, to her sister’s disgust, on her crust. Conversation at the table became interesting when a few Norwegian girls began to explain, in no uncertain terms, why they did not want to join the EU. Tickled by their blatant selfishness and concern for independence, Hilary and Deirdre decided they liked Norwegians.













Norway







Deirdre in Bracknell







After the meal they separated from the group and spent the rest of the afternoon pillaging all the thrift and discount shops of Bracknell. Deirdre bought a bone coloured pea coat that fit her shoulders and waist perfectly; while her less practical sister bought a stegosaurus on a necklace, which Deirdre insisted looked like a hedgehog, for ninety-nine pence. The “Indian” store was finally discovered and was everything they had been promised. School supplies, candles, detergent, headphones, etc…the girl’s combined total did not reach twenty quid.

Decorations purchased at the Indian store

With all their essential shopping completed they ventured back to the indoor mall where the sister’s differing monetary discretion was once again demonstrated: Deirdre bought a bottle of water and sat at the café with all their booty while Hilary strolled across the mall into Sainsbury to purchase something. Exiting the store, she grinned shamelessly at her little sister, with her new Doctor Who, sonic screwdriver and slightly-psychic paper cradled in her arms. Between swigs of water, Deirdre photographed her sister’s joy and eventual disappointment: the sonic screwdriver required a more earthly screwdriver to insert the batteries.
Hilary opening her new toy














After being ignored by the 5:15 bus to Binfield, the girls hoofed their way to the bus station where they met another student who suggested they share a cab back to the school. After again avoiding the bus they freshened themselves for vespers in their room and fought sleep through the entire service.

Ready to escape after its conclusion both decided to skip out on exchanging blessings they were supposed to have written on 3x5 cards. But they steadied their rush after noticing an attractive pride of male students sitting a few rows behind them. As if they had spoken their thoughts aloud, the sisters were soon surrounded by these students. While they approached Deirdre scribbled down a blessing in Gaelic she struggled to spell correctly. Hilary left hers blank and smiled at the approaching pack. Drawn out by a musician who requested her help deciphering a blessing given to him in French, Hilary was cut off from the her sister. He was part of a band that played frequently in London and had EMI records knocking on their door. Genuinely relieved to have finally found a music scene after four days of purely school related events, Hilary felt a tightness loosen in her.

Deirdre was surrounded by the four other gents who filled the group. All attention on her and her California persona, she managed to charm each of them from the most concrete to the most cerebral (her knowledge of Doctor Who aided in the later).


Blessing given to Deirdre by one of the pack

Both sisters were invited to the next night’s event and looked forward to the next morning, a little more than the last.


Getting ready for church.



Considering what to write with her new pen.