First Term at Malory Towers
 Darrell is sent to boarding school for the first time. When she arrives, she is sent to the head, Miss Grayling, with some other new girls, who tells them that "successes" are girls who become dependable.Darrell soon learns the names of the girls in her dormy. Jean is a sensible Scots girl. Irene is a scatter brain but loves music and maths.Mary-Lou is a quiet and timid little girl. Alicia is a cunning, smart and funny girl. Gwendoline is a selfish girl. Sally is a closed up girl and keeps herself to herself. Catherine is the head girl and is good at it. Emily is a quiet girl who's only real interest is elaborate embroidery and sewing. Violet is another girl in the form and doesn't feature in the books much.Darrell herself was the tenth girl in the dormitory. Darrell wants to be a success, but is distracted by Alicia Johns, falling lower in her place in class and playing tricks on the staff. However, things are still going all right for Darrell, which is not the same story for the other new girls, Gwendoline Mary Lacey and Sally Hope. Gwen is spoilt and not liked, while Sally is withdrawn and unfriendly. Darrell tells Sally that their mothers know each other, and isn't Sally's new baby sister lovely? But strangely Sally angrily states she has no baby sister, and she wouldn't want one either. A few chapters in we see Darrel's temper rise against Gwen. Mary-Lou, a girl scared of everything, is held down in the water cruelly by Gwen, because Gwen is angry at being teased all the time. Darrell hits Gwen because she is in a temper. Darrell regrets her lose of temper and makes amends so the girls like her again, but Gwen is reluctant to apologise to Mary-Lou. Gwen is becoming more unpopular, and is jealous of Darrell. Mary-Lou suddenly springs up a complete adoration of Darrell, as she truly believed that she had been drowning. She follows her around everywhere and desperately tries to befriend her. Unfortunately However, this only ends up in annoying Darrell, Darrell wanted to take Mary-Lou out for half-term but she was going with Gwendoline and was too scared to tell Gwen that she wanted to go with Darrell. Next Darrell asks Sally if she would like to go out but she refuses. At half-term Darrell takes out the quiet Emily who's only real interest is sewing. Darrell sees Sally later that night. She says that Sally does have a baby sister, as her mother has just told her. Sally again denies it, the girls row, and Darrell pushes Sally so hard she flies across the room. The next morning Sally is in the San, seriously ill. Darrell is very worried as she thinks her push caused her illness. Things are sorted out when Darrell's father comes to operate on Sally and says it was not Darrell's push that made Sally ill. She had, in fact, appendicitis and had to get her appendix removed. Sally admits to Darrell she does have a sister but only pretended because she was jealous. Sally's mother comes to visit Sally and Sally is no longer jealous. Darrell and Sally become friends. Darrell visits Sally almost every day and decide, to boost Mary-Lou's confidence they would be nice to her and think up a plot to help her. Alicia said it wouldn't work and tried to point out flaws in the plan,Darrell thought they were good points but Sally ignored them-much to Alicia's annoyance. Darrell was supposed to pretend to have difficulties in the water so Mary-Lou would throw in the float, the problem was, the float was off to be mended. So Mary-Lou, an awful swimmer who was generally scared of everything jumped in to save her fully clothed. Meanwhile, Gwen is still jealous of Darrell and when Darrell and Sally think of a plan to boost Mary-Lou's confidence Gwen becomes spiteful and smashes Mary-Lou's pen. Darrell is accused of this, but Mary-Lou comes to the rescue, finding out that it was really Gwen, because she is fond of Darrell and Sally. The term ends with Darrell and Sally best friends and Mary-Lou ever more confident .