As Caitlin walked and smiled, in her head she was worrying if  her skirt was going to fly up from the wind. Didn't the Scots have a trick for that? Like placing weights in the hem or something? Maybe her sister knew something about it."Faith!" Cait gushed, hugging her.
"Okay..." the elder one croaked as she felt her rib cage shrink. She wriggled out of her younger sister's grasp.
"Oh my," Caitlin said breathlessly. "I don't know anyone here."
Time for introductions. "Well, this is Prince Harry..."
All eyes strayed to the vacant space.
Weird, Faith thought. "Well, that was Prince Harry." She began pointing towards various chests. "HRH Prince William. That's Bev, Kerry, Rache, Rich, Kev, and Meg..." There were hi's all around. "Where's Mike?"
"Got called to the office. Some grade thing." Rich shrugged. "Brad's.. who knows."
Cait's head was swimming from the names but she kept her smile.
Headmaster Lewis wedged himself in the crowd. "There's a reporter who wants to speak with Miss Kerrigan. Nothing big like last time. Harry!" Mr. Lewis spotted him when no one else couldn't. "You come too. Keep the male female equilibrium."
What a joke! Bev thought. Six girls and he thinks there's equlibrium?
"I'm Harry Windsor," Harry finally spoke when they were away from everyone else and walked in step behind Mr. Lewis. He cleared his throat. "You're in my ear." Why didn't that sound right? "I mean, m-my year." Mouth to Harry: I'm going to close now. Wake me when your brain works.
"I'm so nervous," Caitlin confessed, once outside the door.
Mouth opens: "You shouldn't be. I go through reporters all the time. Part of being a prince. Soon it becomes boring and you don't care anymore." Harry to Mouth: I thought you were going to shut up!
What a braggart! Caitlin thought. "Must be nice being you then." Caitlin said breezily. She checked her reflection in her compact mirror one more time and pressed her lips together so her lip gloss wouldn't wear out.
Harry followed her in the room and would've banged his head against the doorframe if he thought it wouldn't leave a questioning red mark on his forehead. "Dumbarse!" he breathed softly to himself.

Faith saw the magazine cover of her sister become pinups for several of the younger students. What kind of sick-o's were these boys? That's her sister! She finished cutting out of the magazine and glued the article in the family scrapbook. She'd give it to her father as a Christmas present. If Caitlin was bothered by her popularity as usual she didn't let it beat her cool veneer. Things like that never fazed her much. Faith knew what some of the older boys were thinking. Another girl moving in on our turf. We all hope she's not psychotic like Miss America. She could almost kill Wills for giving her that nickname.
Faith thought of Bev, Kerry, Rache and Meg. She thought of Harry. She even thought of Mike. They were going to like Cait more than they liked her. Everyone eventually does.

*          *          *

"I want to give Meg some flowers," Mike told Faith after bursting into the girls' room.
Faith stayed in bed and turned a page in her pocketbook romance. "She's not here. Come back later."
Mike settled himself in a chair. "I need to know what KIND of flowers to give her."
Faith arched an eyebrow. "You want to get flowers she's allergic to so you can put her in the hospital?"
"What? No!"
"Just something she might..." He rolled the crick in his neck. "... you know, brighten her day or something." The sentence ended in a mumble.
"Roses," Faith answered.
"Red roses?"
"Do you LOVE her?" Faith was genuinely surprised.
Mike winced at the word. "How about yellow?"
"That means friendship."
"How about pink? She likes pink. She looks good in pink." Mike rubbed his palms on his knees.
"Fine." Faith wanted to end the crazy conversation.
Satisfied, Mike stood up to leave. Then he had another question, "Are three okay? No wait. That means I love you, doesn't it? How about six. Better make it a dozen. Dozen's what my dad always gives my mom. A dozen it is."
Faith stared at the closed door. Now, for some reason, she couldn't stop thinking about a dozen eggs.

Couple of days later.
"Is everyone gone?" Mike asked, his hands behind his back.
"Yeah," Faith straightened her bed. "I was just about to follow..."
Mike pulled the bouquet from behind him. "Should I take it out of the vase and put it on her bed? Maybe on the desk?"
"Wow," Faith touched the fresh petals. "Really good choice."
"For the money I gave them it better be."

Outside in the hallway.
William whistled the Eton rowing song. He had noticed Faith hadn't come down the halls with the rest of the girls and wondered what was keeping her. Maybe she was sick or something. Anyway, worth checking up on.
He opened the door.
He saw Mike handing a large bouquet of flowers to Faith.

"Wills."
The prince looked at Faith. "It's spaghetti and meatball night." Was all he said and he closed the door.
"What's he so buggered about?" Mike asked.
"I don't know. You better leave a card," Faith advised Mike. "That way she knows it's for her. And you don't want her thinking it's from Richard."
They laughed.

Outside, Wills heard their laughter and his heart hurt a little.

A few days later:
"Hey Kerry," Kevin called to her after class.
Kerry leaned over Mr. Parker's desk. Her heart was beating fast at the compliment of being his favourite student. She was faintly aware of someone calling her name. "Yeah, Kev?"
Kev stared at his half brother and suddenly hated his glasses. He pushed the wire-rimmed specs up the bridge of his nose. "I was wondering if you wanted to have lunch with me. You could help me with my trig."
Kerry nodded, not taking her eyes off her teacher. "Sure..." When she left the room, her eyes reluctantly tore themselves away. "Kev, lunchroom is that way."
"I know," Kevin held his book giddily to his chest. "But our lunch is that way."
Not knowing what to expect Kerry followed him. Maybe there was no lunch. Maybe he was planning to starve her so he'd get the highest grade in their next class. No wait. This was Kevin. He was the nice one, wasn't he?
"Oh good. No ants. No rats. I was sure they'd get the cheese."
In a vacated literature room,  in front of a mural of the lake inspired by William Wordsworth was the picnic lunch Kevin had set out for her.

The girls discussed it that night.
"What is going on?" Bev demanded, pacinng. On her desk was an opened box of chocolate macademias given to her by Brad "just because he knew she liked them". She sat back down and munched on a nut.
Meg sat at the edge of her bed twirling on of the pink roseblooms in her hand.
"I found this note taped to my soccer ball in my locker," Rache held it up for everyone to see.

Rache,

Good game.

See you later,
Rich

"What about you Faith?" Bev asked.
"Nope," She returned a book on the shared shelf. "Wills stayed normal. Special water pumped for him, I guess."
Bev stood up again. Around a mouthful of melted chocolate she accused. "It's a conspiracy. I mean, they can't be acting nice to us without something devious lurking in the background. Something must be going on!" She placed the cover back on the heart shaped box. "Like Brad probably wants me to get FAT. That's why he's stuffing me with sweets." She went to the trashcan and stuffed the box in. As an afterthought she got one more nut from the box before settling back in her chair. "They're trying to get our defenses down. And when we're not ready, whammo! It will happen."
All the girls took a moment to wonder about IT and what IT was.
"Maybe they made a bet that they could actually get lucky with us," Meg proposed.
"Yes that must be it!" Chocolate droplets spewed from Bev's mouth.
"Bev!" Kerry objected, Shielding herself with a pillow.
"Maybe it's Faith," Rache cast a side glance at her.
"What? What did I do?"
"All this weird stuff happened after Caitlin came here. Maybe she has something to do with it."
At that moment Caitlin came into the room. (In case you're wondering she has a room next to, ahem, Prince Harry's. Expecting six bodies to live together in such a tight space would've been impossible without installing personal oxygen tanks. Bev is glad for the extra closet space). Without saying a proper "hi" or "hello" which the girls were used to hearing from her, Cait went straight for Faith's bed and dove her face into one of the pillows. Her skirt flipped up but she seemd to not care or notice. What happened to the proper lady they were all used to seeing?
All the girls stared at Faith. She held up her hands, just as clueless as they.
"So how was Faith's little sis' first week as an Etonian?" Bev asked.
"In one word? Sucky," Cait sat up in the bed. She had a sour look on her face.
"I'm starting to see a family resemblance," Rache told Meg.
"Do you know what we're learning in health? Do you? Puberty! Do you have any idea how it's like for me in there? The teacher's all like: the woman matures and the whole class cracks up! Matures! Just that word and they go insane! There's this chuckle at my right. And a snicker at my left. And a guffaw who knows where. And of course there are more adult words than mature."
"Cait..." the girls tried to hide their smiles.
"And of course HRH Henry Windsor is in my class," she got out of the bed. "Do you have any idea how many laughs that guy has? He has like this twitter one. And he has this one that's silent and ends up in this whistle when he runs out of air. And of course there's this loud one where he actually falls of his chair and the rest of the class follows. And he has that smile...ugh!"
"Sounds like Faith's little sis has a crush." Kerry smiled.
"A crush? On that red-headed brat?"
"Sounds that way."
"You can have Harry and Faith can have Wills. One big happy family!" Bev teased.
Cait and Faith exchanged a look.
"By the way, Wills asked me to hand this to you." She closed the door. "I do not like Harry!" she yelled.
"What is it?" Everyone crowded around to look.
"It's the latest novel, from my favorite -- one of my favorite," can't give Wills too much credit, "authors." She opened the front cover.

Faith,

I've bookmarked the dirty parts.
You and me?

Just kidding,
HRH William Windsor

The next day.
"Hey, Bev. Did you like--"
"Stay away from us!" Bev exploded at the touch of Brad's hand on her shoulder.
The boys wore expressions of confusion.
"What? What did we--?"
"You're jerks!" Meg said.
"How mean!" Kerry put in.
"But-- but--"
"Thought you'd get lucky, did you?" Rache told them.
"Lucky? What?"
"Bye," Faith said.
The girls walked forward.

The boys watched them go.
"I will never understand them," Brad said slowly.
"I wonder if I can get a refund on those flowers," Mike wondered aloud.
"Was my penmanship wrong or something?" asked Rich.
William's mouth just dropped.
"I quit," Kevin sighed.
They walked to their class with these thoughts prevailing.

Chapter Nine
"That was a tough test." Kev said, after coming out of the room. "Wasn't that a tough test?"
"It was tough," Kerry agreed as they walked down the hall together.
"Aurgh!" Kevin groaned loudly, but smiling with relief that it was over. Left behind them, others were still in the room struggling through theorems.
"Oh, good. I found you two together," Mr. Lewis said (this guy is a Cheshire cat, isn't he? He just pops up wherever). "Come with me to my office."
Kerry looked questioningly at Kevin.
Book balanced under one hand, Kevin shrugged and followed the Headmaster.
Mr. Lewis sat behind his dark wooden desk and the two sat across from him. As he opened a drawer to take something out, Kerry mouthed quickly to Kev. "What did we do?"
Kev mouthed back. "I don't know."
"Here we are..." Mr Lewis took out a two thin folders and handed the first one to Kevin. "Mr. Healey.  And Miss MacDonald."
Kevin felt his heart stop at the words. He took off his glasses and cleaned them to make sure he was reading them right. Then he felt it beat again. Faster. "I'm qualified for the Rhindes Scholarship?" Kevin read the paper in front of him. Free tuition and board to Oxbrighton, to the University of his dream. It was on his fingertips. He didn't know what to say. "I'm-I'm--"
Beside him. Kerry whispered three dreaded words. "So am I..."
WHAT???
She closed the folder. Excitement colored her cheeks.
Mouth agape, Kevin turned in hs chair so abruptly that though it was on carpet, the chair screeched. "That can't be!"
Kerry showed him her identical form.
Kevin turned to Mr. Lewis to say it wasn't so. "But-but-" Kev finally spat out, "This was supposed to go to a male..." To me!
Kerry drew back in her chair. Was this Kevin?
"On the contrary," Mr. Lewis interrupted. "Look at the form Mr. Healey. A qualified Etonian." He motioned meaningfuly toward Kerry.
Kevin stood up and raked his hands through his hair, seeing his dreams dashed. "Gads! You know damn well the person who alloted this scholarship thought of Eton as it was in its pure state. A preparatory all-boys school--"
Pure state? So the girls were some kind of contamination? Kerry opened her mouth to say something. There had to be a fair way to end this. "Well, why don't we ask this person whether --"
Kevin snapped. "It's a bit hard to do that now. The man is dead!" Kevin turned to Mr. Lewis. "I deserve this."
Kerry stood up just to be on equal status and matter-of-factly said. "So do I."
Kevin sat back down. He did so quietly for a moment, then he yelled. "I need this!" He thought of Brad and William and all the other boys who had money, and connection, and oppotunities to spare. This was his. And it could be taken away from him. He felt something burn in his chest.
"Kevin," Kerry called his name. She met his eyes and extracted each word slowly so Kevin could make no mistake what she was saying. "I. Need. This. Too."
The desperation in her eyes was the same desperation he felt. Feeling like he was being restrained against his will, Kevin grabbed his folder and left the room. He tugged at his bow tie. Mr. Lewis didn't stop him.
"Hey, Kerry," Faith and Bev greeted as they saw her. "What happened?"
She told them.

"Bullocks. Bugger. Sod." Kevin kicked at his bed.
The boys gathered around him.
"I deserve it, damnit," he screamed to his audience.
They nodded.
"Passing on ski-trips. Summer school." In all fairness he thought he couldn't afford them anyway. "Sucking up to Frederick Windsor's arse!" He hit the shelf and the books rattled. "It's Oxbrighton," he moaned.
There was a knock on the door.
William looked at Kev.
Kev stuffed his hands in his pockets and shrugged.
Kerry walked in, followed by the rest. "Why can't we just be good sports about this... whoever gets it; gets it." she held out her hand.
Kev stared at it. Up to her face. Her eyes held hope. "I have worked for that scholarship my entire academic career." he seethed. He turned to his friends for confirmation which they gave. "And now," he looked at Kerry. "just because some GIRL happened to LUCK into it..."
"Hey!" Bev objected.
"She wouldn't have even known about it till Mr. Lewis brough it up," Brad cut her off. "She doesn't even know who this Rhindes guy is!"
"... just because some girl LUCKED into it..." Kevin continued.
"Go ahead Kev," Kerry urged, her chin jutting up. "Finish what you have to say."
Everyone waited.
Kevin grabbed his coat and left the room.

"Hey Caitlin!" a voice called overhead as she was walking into the building.
Caitlin waved good-bye to her classmates, and looked up. "What?" she asked, squinting because the sun was getting into her eyes.
From the second story, Harry Windsor dumped a bucketful of water out the window.

"How's it going?" William sat in front of Kerry.
Kerry threw down her fork and pushed the plate of food away. She sighed, leaning against the table. Her gaze went to Kevin sitting away from her. Rich and Brad were with him. When Richard caught her stare, he gave her a sympathetic look. He cast a glance at Kevin and gave a shrug in her direction. "The only thing I'm doing wrong is to want the same thing he wants."
"It's been three days. Bev and Brad have called a truce on it."
Kerry scrunched her lips. "More's at stake with me and Kev than the sexism part."
Seeing that he was powerless to do anything,William just nodded and stood up. "Good luck, Ker."

"I don't know what it is," Harry told William as he held Bobo in his lap.
William rubbed the his forehead with two of his fingers. Harry's prefect (translation: the prefect in charge of Harry) had pulled him to the side and asked him to have a talk with his brother.
Harry looked into the far-off corner. "It's like I want her to like me. But she can't like me unless she notices me. So I do things so she'll notice me. Even though she'll hate me." Harry raised Bobo up and looked at him. "Know what I'm saying?"
Bobo blinked and flicked out his tongue.
William shook his head. "Just watch it with Caitlin, all right? She does have a sister here and Faith..."
Harry was feeding Bobo crickets.
William sighed over his brother and left the room without saying good-bye.

"Faith, are you listening to me?" Caitlin yelled, stamping her foot in the washroom. She was wringing out her clothes.
"You're not the first Kerrigan to get wet by a Windsor," Faith sighed. Wait. That didn't sound right. Damn Freud.
Cait pouted. "You're not helping." She spread her shirt out.
"What do you want me to do, sis? Spank the guy so his bum's as red as his hair?"
"This is designer!" Caitlin groaned to the ceiling.
What isn't of yours? Faith thought. "Cait, I'm going." She looked at her watch in the hall. There was time for her to have a swim.

William opened the door to the locker room and knocked. "Hello?"
The sound of running water.
Hmmm... interesting, William thought. He had asked around for Faith and they had told him he'd find her here. He leaned back and saw the shower spray and Faith's bare arm raising up to her hair. Very interesting. He walked softly, his shoes sloshing through the puddles formed on the concrete
"Who's there?" 
"I'm coming in!" William announced, standing straight like a soldier for inspection. Bracing himself, he moved forward. He placed one hand over his eyes and the other arm, he waved wildly in front of him. He took exaggerated, wobbly, steps with his knees bent. He slammed his knee into a bench. "Ow!" he yelped, hopping on one leg. He tripped over another bench, landing on his rear and arms flaying upward.
Faith waited, soap in hand.
When William finally was able to recompose himself and opened his eyes he disappointedly saw Faith in her swimsuit. "Damnit," he snapped his fingers. "I was waiting for Chapter Four."
"You read the book?"
"Some parts..."
He sat down and brushed his trousers with his palms. "Harry appears to like Caitlin."
"Ah." Faith said soaping her hands an elbows.
"Is that's ALL you're going to say?"
"Uh-huh."
After a pause William stood up from his seat and yelled. "What is wrong with you? You're either unhappy or disinterested...Or angry." he added. "If I kissed you right now or something you'd probably..."
Faith turned around and looked at the shower wall. She wiped her arms with a towel and stepped out.
William grabbed her and pulled her against him.
Faith pushed him away.
"See! Disinterest." William followed her to her locker. "What if I did this?" He sneezed into his hand and showed the contents to her.
"Ew! William."
He waved his hand in front of her.
Faith shielded her eyes with a towel. "Wills!"
William began chasing her around the bench with his hand outstretched. Her squeals echoed in the room.
"William!" Faith stopped in front of her locker fighting off a smile. "I need to change." When Wills didn't move she pointed to the exit. "Get out!"
William obeyed, but took time to wash his hands.

"William," Brad called when Wills walked in their room. "Why is the front of your shirt wet?"

Faith was snuggling in her bed taking an afternoon nap when she was awoken by urgent shoulder clasping.
"Faith! Faith! Wake-up" a male voice called.
Faith opened one eye to see Harry's flushed face looking over her. "Wha?"
He shook his head. "I don't know. It's Caitlin. I went up to see her and she shoved the door in my face and called me to get you."
He lowered his voice. "I think she's bleeding."
Faith raised her eyebrows and ran to her sister's room.
Harry waited outside and paced the hall nibbling his thumb.
The door opened. Faith went back into her room and a few minutes later returned to Caitlin's room. When she finally went back out, Harry asked. "How is she? Is she hurt?"
Faith raised her eyebrows again and remembered what William told her. "Do you know what you guys are studying in Health. About a girl maturing..." Faith let her voice trail off.
Harry's brow furrowed them smoothened itself. "Oh!" was all he said.
Faith nodded. She really wanted to get back to sleep.
"Hey," Harry called down. "Is that why she's been grumpy with me. Because of THAT?"
Through her sleep dazed eyes Faith told Harry, "No. I think she actually doesn't like you."
Faith slammed the door shut. She went to her drawer and looked at her stock of feminine necessities. She wondered how long it would last her and Caitlin. Sure, there was the grocery store but that was a pretty long walk into town. She thought about Bev, Rachel, Meg and Kerry... and the other girls who might come after them.
This was going to be a problem. She was going to have to raise the issue with Mr. Lewis.

*          *          *

Kerry looked over at Kevin. He met her gaze and then looked away.

*           *          *

Mr. Lewis had two visitors that day:

The first was Kerry. "Are the girls going to or not going to stay on for next year?" she demanded, standing full height on the opposite side of his desk.
Mr. Lewis froze in mid-paper-shuffling. "We're not sure yet." The usual answer when confronted with the question. He shifted in his swivel chair.
"When will you know?" Kerry persisted, eyes peering down at the headmaster.
Mr. Lewis was silent.
"Because I WANT that scholarship," Kerry went on. "But if I won't qualify for it next year then Kevin deserves to get it."
Mr. Lewis said nothing.
Kerry decided to leave.
The school motto and shield hung above the doorway. Floreat Etonia (Let Eton Flourish). Did that mean keeping or losing the girls?

When Kerry came to the room a packet was left on her bed. It contained scholarship information available solely to girls and one was to Oxbridge. There was no note but Kerry had an idea who left it.

Kevin was Mr. Lewis's second visitor.
When Mr. Lewis came back from his loo break, zipping up his trousers, he found the Healey-boy seated in a chair waiting for him.
Kevin's first words were. "I didn't like what you did."
Mr. Lewis expression was confusion. "Excuse me?"
Kevin spoke calmly. "What you did with Kerry and me. Pitting us against each other. You didn't have to do that. You could've given us our information separately instead you chose to give it to use at the same time when you know a row would come out of it."
Mr. Lewis took his seat behind his desk.
"I deserved better than that," Kevin gripped his hands that rested on the chair's arms into fists. "SHE deserved better than that..."
Kevin looked down and then up again. "What exactly were you trying to accomplish?" He tried to control his breathing.
Mr. Lewis stared at him.
Kevin stood up an debated on what else to say. He had been taught always to respect those in authority. "I want an apology."
Mr. Lewis considered this. Then seeing it was best to humour his counterpart said a blunt "I'm sorry" and returned to his work.
Kevin turned around it a swift move like a cadet at the changing of the guards and headed to walk out. "Mr. Lewis," He paused without looking back. "I insist you apologize to Kerry as well."
The door closed behind him.