Page 25 of The Academy
But then one day, while they’re waiting in line to do a shooting drill, Olivia H-T, a girl so annoying that Charley wills her ears to fall off every time Olivia H-T speaks, turns to her and says, “I can’t believe you’re not doing newspaper.”
Charley knows that Tiffin has a student newspaper—it’s mentioned in the brochure—but she has dismissed it because back at Loch Raven High, Charley was the editor of the literary magazine; she loved fiction, and her interest didn’t extend to journalism. But with Olivia H-T’s words, she realizes that “newspaper” can take the place of dreadful Thirds field hockey!
She throws her shin guards into the recycling bin and heads to the newspaper’s “office” in the Teddy.
The editor of the’Bred Bulletinthis year, Charley learns, is sixth-former Ravenna Rapsicoli, Annabelle Tuckerman’s roommate and best friend. Charley also knows from listening to gossip—the other girls treat Charley like she’s invisible, and she’s learned an enormous amount by just keeping quiet—that Ravenna lost out as Head Prefect to Lisa Kim. Being editor of the’Bred Bulletinmust be how Ravenna is exerting her influence.Freedom of the press… means the freedom to criticize and oppose,Charley thinks. George Orwell.
But upon poking her head into theBulletin’s office, Charley finds that the newspaper is a complete joke. It has a staff of… three: Ravenna, and two third-form boys named Grady and Levi who have yet to go through puberty. Grady has glasses and braces, Levi a severe case of acne and a cowlick. After thirty seconds of observation from the doorway, Charley discerns the dynamic. Ravenna is the dominatrix, and Grady and Levi are her subs. They slump in their chairs around the Harkness table while Ravenna trashes their ideas for articles. Levi has just suggested doing an investigative piece about which third-form boy took a shit in the shower at Classic North; he claims to have some leads.
“That’s a situation for your dorm parent,” Ravenna says. “No one wants to read about your scatological issues.”
Both boys stare at Ravenna with wide eyes, and Charley wants to cuddle them.
“Come up with something better,” Ravenna says as she runs the thick gold cross around her neck along its chain.
Grady says, “My best friend from the city goes to Brownwell-Mather, and he said there’s this app the kids at his school are posting on that’s getting everyone suspend—”
“Stop right there,” Ravenna says. “When you say ‘the city,’ what are you talking about?”
Grady swallows. “New York.”
“You live in New York City?”
Grady nods.
“Where?”
“West Seventy-Eighth between Amsterdam and Broadway. I went to Ethical—”
“I live at 720 Park,” Ravenna says. She seems to take new measure of Grady. “I’m confused. If you’re from New York, why aren’t you cooler?”
Grady shrugs.
Ravenna turns to Levi. “Where are you from?”
“Annandale,” he says.
Ravenna blinks at him, then turns back to Grady. “We aren’t doing an article about something that happened at Brownwell-Mather; that makes no sense. This is the Tiffin paper. Brown-Math was ranked number sixteen this year. That’s way below us.”
“I think it’s newsworthy because—”
“An article about an app will put everyone to sleep,” Ravenna says. When she turns her back on Grady, she sees Charley in the doorway.
Charley pushes up her glasses. “Hey.”
It’s the new girl,Ravenna thinks.And she’s wearing another inconceivably bad outfit—a red cotton turtleneck and an honest-to-god kilt, with a gold pin and everything. She’s traded in her boat shoes for penny loafers with short white socks. Awful.
And yet, Ravenna can’t help but feel some relief at her presence. Ravenna was beginning to feel like a nanny. “You’re the new girl, right?”
“Right,” Charley says. She offers an interview hand. “Charley Hicks. I quit Thirds field hockey, and I need a new activity.”
Ravenna gives Charley the up-down. “Well, I’m not putting you in charge of the fashion pages.”
Charley shrugs. “We mock what we don’t understand.”
Ravenna laughs. Is the new girl secretly… sort of normal? Ravenna knows she’s smart: Someone said she showed up to beat Royce Stringfellow for valedictorian; someone else said she has a library and a greenhousein her room;and there was a crazy rumor that she was getting with East. (Not possible,Ravenna thinks.) “Do you have any ideas for articles? Because I was thinking about some Top Tens, What’s Hot and What’s Not… you know, listicles?”
Listicles?Charley thinks. Does Ravenna want to turn the’Bred BulletinintoCosmo? Will she include “Tips for Giving a Better Blow Job on a Harkness Table”? “Surefire Ways to Sneak into God’s Basement”? Charley considers leaving, but she is the definition of desperate. “I was hoping to do book reviews, actually,” Charley says. “You know, like theNew York Times?”
