04x04 - The Essay

[bunniefuu]

Oh!

[BELL RINGS]

Has anyone seen my hair clip?
I had it a minute ago.

Erm, June, your dress.

What about it?

It's inside out!

Oh! Ha!

Come on, slowcoaches, we can't be
late for class.

Has everyone got their science prep?

BOTH: Science prep?

Got it.

Connie, here.

Thanks, Ruth.
Thanks, Susan.

You sound like Mr. Parker.

I'm just trying to keep
you all organised.

Come on, June, don't let the side
down.

Who put her in charge?

Come on, or we really will be late.

Your dress.

[BELL RINGS, THEY CHATTER]

[CHATTER STOPS]

[THEY SCREAM]

[HE ROARS, SHE LAUGHS]

[WEST COUNTRY ACCENT]
Good mornin'!

Good mornin'!
Good mornin', me hearties!

ALL: Good morning, Mr. Parker.

History. Today we are going to be
talking about history,

local history -
in fact, very local history.

[THEY LAUGH]

Last night, I found myself thinking
about the doubloon that was found

in the fish and the Battle
of Malory Bay.

There be buried treasure
in these here parts.

Are you feeling all right, Mr. Parker?

Well, aye, aye, me old sea dogs!
[THEY LAUGH]

[IN OWN VOICE]
And, yes, well, today we will be

examining Sir Charles's role
in the Battle

of Malory Bay when he fought
the cruel captain.

Your task is to write a short
essay on the subject.

There will be a prize awarded
for the essay which employs

the most thorough research.

Understood?
Aye, aye, Captain.

[WEST COUNTRY ACCENT]
Gar!

This is perfect.

We can use all of our research
to find the treasure.

It's about time we had our
own adventure.

Please come to the library
before afternoon class,

we can all sit together.
It'll be fun.

I will.
Me, too.

I'm afraid you can't.

I have an extra sewing practice
with Alicia this lunchtime.

I need you to watch.

You're so good at spotting
where I can improve.

Sorry, Susan.

See you later, Ruth.

Bye.

Where are you meeting Alicia?

I'm not. I just didn't want to go
to the library.

I don't understand.

You're so smart.

For you, doing research and writing
an essay,

it's fun.
When I sit in the library,

I feel so stupid.
I can't do it.

Let me help you.
Really?

Yes. We'll do the research together
and the essay will take

care of itself.

I promise, I'll be with you all
the way.

♪ Since years gone past,
since battle was won ♪

♪ No treasure was found
by light of the sun ♪

♪ A ghostly captain haunts
this prize ♪

♪ Guarding his plunder
from those still alive... ♪

Bet your teacher didn't tell you
there was a ghost.

A ghost? I told you Fred would have
a good story about the captain.

Yes, the locals say that whenever
there's a full moon,

the ghost of the cruel captain's
seen, lantern in hand,

wandering around the grounds
of Malory Towers.

What do you think he's doing here?

The clue is in the song.

"Guarding his plunder
from those still alive."

Do you think the cruel captain wants
revenge for his untimely death?

Maybe.

♪ Tumbling, tumbling, tumbling down... ♪

It's a full moon tonight.
We should sneak out and look for him.

Let's! I really think I might be
scared, though.

Nonsense.

Darrell and Alicia went on loads
of midnight trips.

They were never scared.

True.

Come on, we'll be late for class.

Teddy received my letter
four days ago.

I haven't heard a peep from him.

[SHE SIGHS]

I should write again.

Gwen, absolutely not.

Far too soon.

Well, sometimes young men need
a good boot up le derriere.

Right, where on earth did you get
that phrase?

I heard Mam'zelle say it to Matron.

[DOOR OPENS]

I need someone to look after
the first-formers this evening.

They've been skittish all week
and I think they would benefit

from the sage presence
of an older girl.

Well, it's just I have a lot
of work to do.

Yes. Are you head of the lower
school or are you not head

of the lower school?

I am head... of the lower...

Good. Then you can work while you keep watch.

Lights out at 8.30,

I'll be back by ten.
Thank you.

Pressures of leadership.

I really wouldn't wish it
on my worst enemy.

It's a full moon tonight.
So tonight's the night? Really, Ruth?

Apparently, there was an orangutan
on board the ship.

[SHE GIGGLES]

An orangutan?
I found the story in this old newspaper.

"The orangutan amused
the pirates with her pranks.

"On one occasion, the orangutan
climbed the ship's mast and painted

"the sails green."

Absolutely ripping!
Ruth's a whiz at essays!

Oh, I have to finish mine.

I'm never going to get my essay
done in time.

Can I borrow this, just to look through?

If you copy it, Mr. Parker will know.

But I don't know where to start.

We can't both write about
the orangutan.

[SHE SIGHS]

Put yours in with mine.

I'll write a new one.

Quick, before I change my mind.

Thank you, I don't know what I'd do
without you.

Thank you, thank you!
I owe you one.

So who's up for a ghost walk?

We can't leave the dorm
in the middle of the night.

We'll go just after lights out.

It'll just be a quick walk
around the gardens,

not a trek up to the North Pole.

You're such a goody-twoshoes.

Woo-hoo-hoo-hoo!

Woo!

[THEY LAUGH]

Clarissa, go to bed, and work
away now, please, Ruth.

If it's not done now,
it's too late.

Felicity, June, night clothes?

BOTH: Yes, Matron.

Lights out at 8.30.
Darrell will be checking in on you.

Darrell's coming.
That's torn it.

Now we'll never be able to sneak out.

Oh! I'm so sorry!

That was a close call.

Who's the lucky dorm?

Well, yours.
How does your dorm like hot cocoa?

We love it.
How absolutely topping!

What's that?

Mr. Parker's competition essay

I'm just dropping
in his pigeonhole.

Darrell?
Yes.

I'm so glad you're coming
to our dorm tonight.

[LAUGHS]
I'm so glad I'm coming, too!

All right, I'll hop to it, then.

The first mug will be for you.

Matron asked me to sit with you,
so I brought cocoa.

I think I speak on everyone's
behalf and when say we don't

need a baby-sitter.

Well, hello to you, too, June Johns.

It's embarrassing for everyone involved.

I'm not embarrassed.

Well, we are.
Mm, cocoa!

I mean, hot cocoa is all very nice,
but I'm sure you've got

more important things to be getting
on with.

Well, Matron asked me to be here,
so here I am.

I think it could be fun.
Thank you.

Darrell's got some stories
she could tell us.

There's some really great ones.

June, they're funny.

What was the best prank
you and Alicia have ever played?

Oh. Ooh. What about the time you
tried to bring a cow into class?

A cow?
You tried to bring cow into class?

You could have been in so much
trouble.

Well, we thought it was a good idea
at first, but we couldn't exactly

get it to move... "Moo-ve!"

...which is probably a good thing.

I mean, could you imagine
Matron's face?

I do have some other adventures
I could tell you about.

All right, ten minutes, that is it.

[WHISPERS]
Come on.

Maybe we can sneak out after all.

There's time before Matron gets back.
I don't know.

If we don't go tonight,
it'll be a whole month

before we can go again.

It has to be a full moon, remember?

If we're caught, Darrell will get
into so much trouble.

What do you think?

There's no harm in a quick
walk around the gardens.

Darrell taught us much about having
fun earlier.

It'll be an adventure.

If Susan's in, then I'm in.

But half an hour, tops,
then we come back.

Ruth, it's our first night-time
adventure,

you can't miss it.

I need to finish my essay.

Go, I don't mind.

I prefer it in here in the quiet.

If you're sure.

I forgot my shoes.

What are you doing?

I'm just reading over it.

I thought you said you'd finished
your essay.

I wasn't happy with my conclusion.

I saw you give something
to Connie earlier.

You're writing another essay,
aren't you?

You don't know
what it's like to have a twin.

Connie's struggling with her work.

So you did give her your essay.

That's sort of cheating, isn't it?

I helped her, that's all!

I help Connie and she helps me,
it's what we do.

Susan, where are the others?

It's too risky to go out front.

Maybe we could go out the back?

That's near teachers' quarters.

There has to be a way out.

Changing rooms?

Yes! Come on.

June Johns...

...what on earth do you think
you're doing?

We were just directing...
Back upstairs now.

I can hear Matron.
Come on, hide, hide!

[SHE HUMS]

Right, back to the dorm, all of you,
now.

Matron's back!

Into bed - now.
I'll stop her.

How?

What are you doing out of bed?

I couldn't sleep and I didn't
want to disturb the others.

Yes, back to your dormitory now, please.

Well?
Erm... What is it?

...I was wondering if you had any suggestions

about how to get to sleep.

Yes, I suggest that you get into
bed, and I suggest

that you close your eyes.

Now!

I found this one wandering.

Yes, yes, I thought some fresh
air might do her good,

help her sleep.

How were they?

All tucked up by nine.
Glad to hear it.

Well, goodnight, then, Darrell.

Goodnight, Matron.

To prank is one thing, but sneaking
off in the middle of the night

while I'm supposed to be looking
after you, whose idea was that?

Not mine.

All right, it was mine,

but to see the way you covered,
"All tucked up by nine, Matron..."

June, I shouldn't need to cover.

You won't do it again.

I'm sorry, but if we do, we'll make
sure not to get caught.

Sleep tight, everyone.

Goodnight, Darrell, you're the best.

Ruth, finish your work
in the morning.

I read some marvellous essays
this morning.

Some would have benefited
from some more research.

One was more fantasy than fact,
an aspiring Daphne du Maurier,

Miss Rivers.

Ruth, not quite up to your usual
standard.

Now, the essays from Connie
and Susan are both to be highly

commended, but there can only
be one winner.

The prize for best essay goes to...

...Connie.

Splendid research, Connie.

The most fabulous story
about a wayward orangutan.

Bravo.

So what did you win?

A box of home-made shortbread.

I'm to save them for the weekend,
apparently.

Oh. So... who wants one?

You need to tell Mr. Parker.

Tell Mr. Parker what?

You know what.

Ruth, can I have a biscuit?
You, too, Susan.

What's wrong?

Nothing's wrong.

Susan?

Connie, you cheated.

Someone is a bad loser.

I'm not.
The orangutan,

that was in Ruth's essay,

not yours, Connie.
Ruth showed me the newspaper.

It's not true.

Connie wrote that essay,

we found that article about
the orangutan together.

Connie, congratulations.

I'm proud of you.

Come in.

Susan... what's wrong?

I don't want to get anyone
into trouble,

and I'm really not a bad loser,
but... But...?

I... Right, come in, sit down.

If you wrote a really good essay,
but you let me tell a teacher

I wrote it, would that be cheating?

Has Felicity been doing
June's homework for her?

No. June's a prankster, but she's
not a cheat.

It was...

I won't tell anyone.

It was Ruth and Connie.

Does this mean I'm a tattletale?

No, no, no, it doesn't.

If this happened in my class
I would think it was truly unjust.

That's exactly it,
but Ruth doesn't seem to mind.

Well, have you talked to her?

I tried. Well, cheating
is a very serious business.

Can you think of a reason why?

Well, Connie needs help
with her work.

I suppose it's hard for Ruth
to watch her struggle.

But giving Connie her essay
isn't the answer, is it? No.

I should try to talk to her again,
maybe both of them together.

Well, would you like me to help
you talk to them?

No, I need to handle this one on my own.

Thanks, Darrell.

I'm not going to tell Mr. Parker,
but it was cheating.

Why did you do it?
We didn't!

Connie...

I love it here, and Connie does,
too.

She loves the lacrosse
and the pranks. But...

I'm finding it hard to keep up.

There. Are you happy?

You can ask for help.

I don't need help!
I'm not stupid.

Asking for help doesn't make
you stupid, it makes you smart.

And it's not fair if Ruth
has to do your work and hers.

I have no idea
what it's like to be a twin,

but you're such different people.

Ruth, you're fabulous at essay
writing, but she can't catch

a lacrosse ball for toffee,
whereas you, you're a whiz

on a lacrosse pitch.

In fact, I just bumped into Alicia
in the corridor, and she asked me

to tell you that you made
the team for the next match.

Oh, Connie, that's brilliant!

Well done, Connie.

So, please, promise me you won't
cheat again.

We promise, don't we, Connie?

We promise.

Come in.

Miss Grayling, may I have a word?
Of course, Darrell.

How are you getting on?

I'm very well, thank you.

I'm getting on top of my work,
but I think I need to delegate more.

The firsts need a head of form
whom we can both trust

and who I can communicate with.

Have you got someone in mind?

Yes.

So I have to make a decision
about your head of form,

but I need your help.

So what qualities do you think
a head of form needs?

It needs to be someone sensible.
SHE CHUCKLES

Someone who'll pull you up if you've
done something wrong.

But someone who enjoys a good joke
with their friends.

It needs to be someone who's not
afraid to make unpopular decisions

and to confront a tricky situation.

But most importantly, it needs to
be someone kind.

And do you think there's someone
here with all of those qualities?

Susan.

Susan would make a great head
of form.

Is that something you consider,
Susan?

I have the school certs this year,
and I could really use your help.

What if I wanted to put myself forward?

Or Felicity?
Do you?

Absolutely not.
Felicity?

I think one Rivers in charge
is enough, thank you!

[THEY LAUGH]

I think Susan is the perfect choice.

Are you in?

I'm in.
Splendid!

Three cheers for Susan.

Hip, hip...
ALL: Hooray!

Hip, hip...
ALL: Hooray!

Hip, hip...
ALL: Hooray!

[THEY LAUGH]