Bound Together

Chapter 20

"What's up, Mrs Fletcher? Last I heard, you had a case of Poison Ivy.

"I don't follow," says Mrs Fletcher. "Well, I could say the same thing to you. A little bird in the library just told me about your scheme to keep my daughter in school even though it's obvious she's struggling just to make it through the front doors."

"Could we discuss your little hissy fit as it is for another day? Only your daughter has her GCSES, and I don't know about you, but I, for one, happen to think she'll benefit from having them."

"I'll tell you what Mrs Fletcher, Elena can be escorted to her exams whilst me and you discuss what nonsense you've been filling my daughters head up with."

How on earth is mum staying this calm with Mrs Fletcher pondered Elena.

"Very well, Elena, you may go to your exams. Just try not to fail them, especially if you want to get anywhere in your life."

Elena is with some teaching assistants as they are helping her make her way to the portacabins to take her GCSES. They are almost halfway there when Elena decides she just can't cope at all.

"NO NO NO, PLEASE PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME DO IT I JUST CANT, PLEASE YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND JUST TAKE ME HOME PLEASE PLEASE. I CAN'T DO THIS I JUST CAN'T.

She crouches onto the floor and just cries. YOU CAN'T MAKE ME GO IN THERE YOU CAN'T, YOU JUST CAN'T.

"ELENA STOP EMBARRASSING YOURSELF AND THE STAFF, DO AS YOU ARE TOLD!"

"I REALLY CAN'T DO THIS PLEASE SOMEBODY JUST ANYBODY PLEASE HELP ME."

"OK, DRAMA QUEEN, YOU ONLY HAVE YOURSELF TO BLAME FOR THIS."

One of the staff members goes for her legs, and the other goes for her arms and her head.  "What the hell are you doing? Get off me, please!

"HELP ME PLEASE ANYONE ANYWHERE HELP! HEEEELP HEEEEEEELP HELLLLLLLPP ME!"

"You certainly have a set of lungs, that's for sure," says one of the teachers who's holding her.

They arrive at her exam room.

"Right, Elena, you are here! See, it wasn't that difficult!"

The teaching assistants go through Elenas bag.

"STOP, that's my stuff. That's my bag, please leave it alone. I can get my stuff out myself!"

They don't listen. Elena is getting more stressed out by the minute.

Eventually, they find the stuff Elena needs for the exam. All three of them then continue to enter the exam room.

Once she is settled in her seat in the portacabins and sees that she is with just the invigilator and her fellow students, she just cries her eyes out.

45 minutes pass, and everybody else leaves. She still had 15 minutes to make up the time she'd missed.

The invigilator waits until everybody is out and far from them both. "Excuse me, miss, I don't know your name, but I know something ain't right. I'm going to get you an Uber ride home from a close mate of mine, and I'm going to pay for it whether you want me to or not. I'm doing it."

"Oh, save your money. I can quite happily get the bus home besides the bus drops me off right outside my house."But Miss, you looked so distressed, and I want to do something helpful. You're clearly having a hard time, and I want to do something for you even if it ain't much."

"I really appreciate the gesture it's really thoughtful, but I'd be using up a complete strangers money, and I don't feel too comfortable doing that."

The invigilator lets out a sigh. "I understand, miss. I just thought I'd try and help you out. You were so distressed from the moment you arrived."

Elena goes over to the invigilator and hugs him. She cries, "No teacher or staff member generally has ever bothered to see me for the real me."

"How about rather than an Uber ride, I give you the money for the bus and then that way, I know I've managed to help you out even if it's only £1 that gets you to your home."

Elena thanks him and accepts the money for the bus ride. Finally, somebody had seen how much she was hurting inside, even if it was a stranger in passing. Somebody had recognised just how much she needed that one act of kindness. That was all she needed.