Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

第三章

"I've got it!" exclaimed Isabel. Looking across at Ava, she had seen that her hands were still faintly blue. Valentina often boasted that she had a really expensive shower gel that left her skin soft and beautiful. What if she added some of Ava's dyer's knotweed to it? "Wouldn't it be funny if Valentina turned blue?" Isabel giggled as she shared her idea with Scarlett. "That's brilliant!" said Scarlett, her eyes shining. They sneaked outside into the rain to collect some leaves from Ava's garden. Wearing gloves, they picked the leaves, squeezing the dye from them into a tiny bottle. Giggling quietly, Isabel and Scarlett tiptoed upstairs to Emerald dorm. It wasn't difficult to find Valentina's things. They were much grander

“我找到了！”伊莎贝尔叫道。 她看了看艾娃，发现她的手还微微发青。 瓦伦蒂娜经常吹嘘她有一种非常昂贵的沐浴露，使她的皮肤柔软美丽。 如果她在里面加了艾娃染发工的结缕草呢？ “如果瓦伦蒂娜变成蓝色不是很有趣吗？”伊莎贝尔一边和思嘉分享她的想法，一边咯咯地笑着。 “太妙了！"思嘉说，她的眼睛闪闪发光。 他们偷偷溜到外面的雨里，从艾娃的花园里摘一些树叶。 他们戴着手套，摘下树叶，把染料挤进一个小瓶子里。 伊莎贝尔和思嘉轻声地笑着，蹑手蹑脚地上楼去了翡翠宿舍。 找到瓦伦蒂娜的东西并不难。 它们要宏伟得多

than anyone else's. Shaking with laughter, Isabel added the blue dye to the posh gold tube containing Valentina's shower gel while Scarlett stood guard. Not long after, when Isabel and Scarlett were lounging around in Sapphire dormitory, they heard a shriek from the bathroom. "My skin! Oh nooooooo! Look at me!" Isabel and Scarlett exchanged looks and rushed to the corridor just in time to see Valentina running to Emerald dorm, blue legs and arms poking out from a huge bath towel. Isabel and Scarlett burst out laughing. Valentina continued to shriek as she stormed down the corridor. "Jacinta! Delia! Get my aunt right NOW!"

比任何人都好。伊莎贝尔笑得浑身发抖，她把蓝色染料加到装瓦伦蒂娜沐浴露的豪华金管里，而思嘉站在旁边看守。 不久以后，当伊莎贝尔和思嘉在蓝宝石宿舍里闲逛时，她们听到浴室里传来一声尖叫。 “我的皮肤!噢,千万千万不要带!看着我！”伊莎贝尔和思嘉交换了一下眼色，冲到走廊上，正好看见瓦伦蒂娜正朝翡翠宿舍跑去，一条大浴巾里露出蓝色的腿和胳膊。 伊莎贝尔和思嘉突然大笑起来。 瓦伦蒂娜继续尖叫着，冲出走廊。 “杰西塔!迪莉娅!马上把我姨妈叫来！”

Just then the bedtime bell rang. Isabel and Scarlett hurried back into their dorm, still giggling. The other four girls were sitting on Sophia's bed talking about the mysterious incidents that had happened at the school. "What's so funny?" asked Sophia as they came in, but she didn't sound quite as friendly as she usually did.

就在这时，睡觉的铃响了。 伊莎贝尔和思嘉匆匆回到寝室，还在咯咯地笑着。 另外四个女孩坐在索菲亚的床上，谈论着学校里发生的神秘事件。 “什么事这么好笑？”他们进来时，索菲娅问道，但她听起来不像往常那么友好。

"Nothing," said Isabel quickly. She'd tell everyone in the morning, once they'd got over the silly bad mood they'd all been in since the competition. The next morning, Ms Primrose asked Ava to stay behind after assembly. Isabel was wondering why when she saw Valentina arrive in the classroom for her first lesson. Her arms and face were still streaked with blue! Isabel giggled. "Hey, Valentina," she whispered. "Are you sure that shower gel of yours is working?" Valentina hissed back, "This is Ava's fault, as you well know. Ms Primrose is telling Ava off right now and Ms Nettles says if she plays any more tricks then she won't be allowed to keep her garden." "What!" Isabel stared at her in horror. "But it wasn't Ava's fault!"

“没什么，”伊莎贝尔赶紧说。 她会在早上告诉每个人，等他们从比赛开始就一直处于愚蠢的坏情绪中。 第二天早上，樱草花女士让艾娃在集会结束后留下来。 当伊莎贝尔看到瓦伦蒂娜来到教室上第一节课时，她正在纳闷为什么。 她的胳膊和脸上仍然有蓝色的条纹！伊莎贝尔咯咯笑了。 “嘿，瓦伦蒂娜，”她低声说。 “你确定你的沐浴露有用吗？”瓦伦蒂娜嘶嘶地回答：“这是艾娃的错，你很清楚。 樱草花女士现在正在责备艾娃，荨麻女士说，如果她再耍花招，她就不能再保留她的花园了。” “什么!”伊莎贝尔惊恐地盯着她。 “但这不是艾娃的错！”

"Who else would have done it?" snapped Valentina. Isabel raced out of the classroom and ran all the way to the headteacher's office. She didn't knock but just burst in. Ava was crying. "I did not expect this of you, Ava," Ms Primrose was saying sternly. "But I keep telling you, I didn't do it!" Ava protested. Ms Primrose swung round as Isabel barged in. "Isabel! Whatever is the meaning of this?" "Please, Ms Primrose, Ava didn't do anything to Valentina. It was me!" Isabel braced herself. She was going to be in a huge amount of trouble but there was no way she was letting Ava take the blame. Ava sent her a grateful look and Ms Primrose's face tightened. "I see," said the headteacher coldly, the usual twinkle absent from her eyes. "I apologise, Ava. You may return to class." Her icy glare fell on Isabel,

“还有谁会这么做？”瓦伦蒂娜厉声说。 伊莎贝尔跑出教室，一路跑到校长办公室。 她没有敲门，只是突然闯进来。 艾娃哭了。“我没想到你会这样，艾娃，”樱草花女士严厉地说。 “但我一直告诉你，不是我干的！”艾娃抗议道。 伊莎贝尔闯了进来，樱草花女士转过身来。 “伊莎贝尔!这是什么意思？”“求你了，樱草花女士，艾娃没有对瓦伦蒂娜做任何事。 是我！”伊莎贝尔鼓起勇气。 她会惹上大麻烦但她绝不能让艾娃背锅。 艾娃感激地看了她一眼，樱草花女士的脸绷紧了。 “我明白了。”校长冷冷地说，她的眼睛里没有往常的闪光。 “我道歉，艾娃。你可以回去上课了。” 她冰冷的目光落在伊莎贝尔身上，