Throw Back Thursday

Two

Precisely at that moment, a clunk rang in the ears of Elizabeth-Anne Carter's parents. Was it a letter? A CD? Something they'd ordered? One of those paper phamplets that nobody ever wanted?

Her father's trudging footsteps echoed through the hall leaving a trail of dust in Natalia (the tiny puppy's) wake. CRUNCH, CRUNCH, CRUNCH... BANG! Lizzie-Anne's mother came crashing in behind him, curious as to what had just come through the letter-box. Or the cat flap. It was weird, but small people could fit themselves - well as mail - through the small cat flap.

In curiosity, and to lighten the suddenly questioning atmosphere, she took Miguel's hand, looked up at him and sighed. What was that?!

They opened the door.... A letter. Adressed to 'The Parents of Miss E-A Carter'. Another complaint letter that she had done wrong, another letter to boast about the levels she wasn't acheiving. They had both had enough, as neither of them had bothered to reply to the at least a hundred letters addressed to them from her school.

They knew she didn't do wrong, they didn't doubt that. What they were afraid of, however, was if she was to find the wrong friends or if she was stalked on social media. Weird, her parents never cared about her grades, or her school wel-fare, but they did care about her well-being (as far as friends and Facebook were concerned). In one way, they were very good parents, but in another, they weren't a very good influence on her.

All that aside, they opened the letter, a sweat growing on her father's brow. It read,

"Dear Parents of Elizabeth-Anne.

I write to you to tell you about Elizabeth's grades." Boring. "She has been under acheiving all year and we are very concerned about this. We have recently had a social media talk in school andshe responded well to this, her opinions being gladly heard.

She has been to see someone in counselling as something has been bothering her. I am not sure if she has made you aware of this, and - if not, you must. She has been coming to us with issues in classes and extra-curricular insecuritites. She says that she has no friends and that she feels alone. She says that no-one will love her and that no-one will listen to her and that she wants to move. Also, there's something about love which she refuses to divulge to anyone.

Yours faithfully,

Mrs Bridges. (Head of Elizabeth's Year)

P.S. Please, talk to her and tell her to come my office tomorrow. Thank you."

Love? Love?! She hadn't talked to her parents in weeks, she would come home from school and hide in her room until dinner came.

What was so urgent that she skipped all her friends and went straight to the Head of Year?

They needed to talk to her. And it was urgent.