Meanwhile, a tearful William is being confronted with his new school uniform. Having flat refused to don the knickers and training bra, four prefects, under the watchful eye of two teachers and the school nurse have bundled him onto a big vinyl covered bench and hold his limbs steady. “If you don’t wear your knickers William, I’ll have to put you in this for the day.” the nurse tells him, holding up a big terry nappy. “And you’ll be put I one everyday until you change your mind… so what’s it going to be?” she asked.
William told her to get Lost so the nurse very casually began to fold the flat nappy and as she began to shuffle it under him, he began to have second thoughts. “OK… OK… I’ll wear them.” he said.
“Are you sure?” the nurse asked. “Because one more cross word from you young man and I will put you in a nappy… and believe me, you will use it.”
The nurse gave the girls a nod and the released him from their grip, but remained poised to grab him if need be. William sat up on the bench and placed his bare feet on the cold tiled floor. The underwear he was so ken to refuse doesn’t seem so bad when the alternative is a nappy. He steps into the knickers and pulls them all the way up. He gulps and looks down at them. White cotton with a narrow band of baby pink elastic around the waist and leg-holes. One of the prefects instructs him in the art of fastening a bra and once it’s one, she patronisingly says “That wasn’t so hard was it?”
He perches nervously on a plastic chair as he prepares to don the tights. He’s instructed how to do it the easy way, but it’s fiddly, shuffling them up his legs bit by bit. Next comes his blouse; plain white with plastic flower shaped buttons up the front and short puffed sleeves. An occasional tear finds its way to his cheek which he quickly wipes away with the back of his hand. The pinafore is an awkward garment. He steps into it and buttons the skirt at his waist, then fastens the bib to the back with four buttons on the front. An elasticated tie goes around his neck before he pushes his burgundy feet into a pair of black heeled shoes. Everything is awkward and fiddly, from the buttons on his blouse to the buckles on his shoes. Once they’re on he begins to stand, but is told to remain seated. He felt that his sense of total and utter humiliation couldn’t get any worse, but it does as one of the prefects tends to his hair, tying it in two high bunches and securing it with lengths of burgundy ribbon. Finally, he dons a burgundy blazer and is given a small leather shoulder bag before being taken to the school’s head.
“Glad you finally decided to join us William.” the stern looking lady says as he stands sheepishly in front of her desk. He’s flanked by two prefects. “It seems you gave us quite the run-around this morning.” she added. “We do not tolerate truancy at St Felicity’s and if you do go AWOL, you can rest assured that you will be found and you will be brought back. Since today is your first day, I’ll let this one pass. But should you try the same trick tomorrow or any other day, your suspension from Cromwell Road will be extended by one week, thus extending your stay here.” she told him. “Any other misdemeanours, such as spitting or swearing, being rude, obnoxious or disobedient will result in a one day extension for each and every violation. Do you understand?”
