There were still many other clubs that Annie had yet to explore. So once she was free of that literary fanatic, she went to see what they had to offer.
The Music Society in the class next to the stairs had attractive girls in front calling for people to join. That might not be a good strategy. A quick peek in the clubroom revealed most of the visitors to be boys. If the club continued to use this strategy the following years, no girl would join. When the present female members graduate, the club would find that they could not use this trick anymore.
Annie was not really interested in music. Music was nice to listen to once in a while but that was about as far as her interest went. At the moment, her interest was in lunch.
Considering it was the School Festival, Annie had assumed that there would be clubs selling food. She had not brought a lunch box that day so that she could sample the students' work. In the event that the food was terrible, there was always Greasy Aunt's just outside the school gate.
"Psst! Little girl!" Annie heard a low raspy voice as she started down the staircase.
Annie turned towards the source of the voice but saw no one, other than the red box containing the fire hose.
"Yes, you!" the voice said again.
Annie examined the red box closely. She found a little speaker and a microphone attached to the side of the box. "Yes?" she said into the microphone.
"How would you like to join the Secret Society?" the voice asked.
Annie looked doubtfully at the electronics. "The what?"
"The Secret Society. All schools have one. We run things from the shadows."
"How come I've never heard of you?"
"Because we're Secret!" the voice proclaimed.
"Oh, really?" Annie struck an arrogant pose. The owner of the voice should be able to see her if he knew she was a little girl. "Then how do you get funding from the school?"
"We have our ways," was the mysterious reply.
"You're not even registered as a school club, are you?" Annie guessed.
"Err... no," the voice admitted, "Because we're Secret!"
"Bye!" Annie started down the stairs.
"Wait! We can give you power, riches, gold!" the voice called after her.
Annie ignored the dubious offers and continued her way down.
The Culinary Society and the Baking Club operated in the school cafeteria. Many of the school's students were in the cafeteria for lunch. And it was no surprise since the food provided by the clubs operating in the cafeteria were priced competitively. That, in addition to the fact that most members of these clubs were girls, at least the ones manning (should it be womaning?) the stalls were. They were friendly girls, whom other girls felt comfortable interacting with, and whom boys admire.
Food was something everyone needed and there had to be at least a few aspiring cooks and bakers among the freshmen so these two clubs was certain to find new recruits. Aside from that, with their booming businesses, these clubs would get a big advance on club funds.
No one seemed to be complaining, or had fallen over in pain. Annie assumed that the food was palatable. First, she would check what was on sale. If she were to join one of the queues that stretched halfway across the cafeteria, she had better make sure that it was for something that she wanted. It would be disappointing to reach the head of the line only to discover some nice, yummy delicacy at the end of the other queue.
The Baking Club had hamburgers, cute pastry pizzas and tuna rolls. They also had sweet cakes that were disappearing fast. It looked like everyone was feeling sweet that day. A fresh batch of sliced cakes delivered from the kitchen behind the stall hinted that there might even be some left for Annie when she reached the head of the queue.
On the other side was the Culinary Society, formerly known as the Cooking Club, as stated by the tiny writing on the banner above their stalls. They had pasta and curry. For dessert, they had jelly and ice cream and what the-!? Was that packaging for commercially-produced ice cream in the bin next to the door of the kitchen!?
The food served by the Baking Club looked like they were genuinely produced by the club's members. So Annie thought she should reward them with her patronage. She joined the queue just ahead of her classmate Billy.
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