Meant for each other?

-35-

Taylor is busy: her life outside and inside school is piling up with things that need to be done and to add to the list is Cara.

She was one of the blonde's first regular students: a raging mess of constant over-excitement and lack of control. She was young, with a lack of thought for the consequences her actions would bring. At the age of 15 she was smoking. She refused to behave for months until she settled into a group of girls who accepted her for who she was. Everything calmed down: the drug use and behaviour issues flew away as if nothing had happened. For a month or so she was the model student: grades, behaviour and attendance all perfect and the attitude to match. Although that only lasted for a month, things had never fallen back into the cave that was impossible to get out of. The girl had the odd detention and it was common knowledge she smoked like a barbeque but altogether her life seemed to have come to a mellow point, like the sea on a sunny day, wavering but calm.

Obviously everyone had missed the signs otherwise her suicide attempt might have been avoided. Taylor never followed it up when she found out Cara had been with Karlie the time she got alcohol poisoning, beating herself up with the wrath of an angry wasp. Her arguments with Karlie and Kendall. The way she started to manipulate things: the incident with Karlie and the boy she slapped was just one of them. But no-one had paid attention, other things pre-occupying the focus of most of the adults.

Taylor knows where Cara will be, having learnt Karlie's timetable she knew the lessons that Cara spent with Karlie and by default, knew where Cara could be found.

The corridors are quiet as Taylor speeds towards Cara's lesson. Unfortunately she's pretty sure it's a lesson the girl has with Miss Hall but they won't have time to pass conversation as this is a matter of urgency.

Reaching the right room, Taylor flings the door open and sets her sights upon her target straight away. Cara, sandy blonde hair pulled back into a disheveled pony tail, sits at her desk  but looks as if she's elsewhere. She's tapping her pencil frantically, a well known coping mechanism and Taylor knows she's making the right call.

Without asking Miss Hall's permission, the blonde strides over to the blonde. "Cara," she says quietly, knowing the whole class is watching in fascination. "I need you to come with me."

The blonde girl is obviously so spaced out she isn't aware that Taylor is talking to her. Gently, Taylor places a soft hand on her student which snaps the blonde right out of her trance. "Come on Cara," Taylor says once more, her eyes glancing around for a bag to take. There isn't one which makes it even more apparent that Cara is struggling.

Outside the classroom, Cara seems to have relaxed slightly, her hands only shaking slightly now. A forced smile reaches the young girl's lips as she meets Taylor's deep azure eyes. "Why do you need me?" She questions.

As they start to walk, Taylor starts to talk. "Because I know that something is wrong but I don't know what. I know that you're supposed to be better after your intervention last term but it's obvious you're not okay."

"I'm fine," Cara says stiffly.

Taylor stops the girl then, placing a hand on her shoulder while she checks no-one is around to hear. "Please don't lie. It's so obvious that you aren't fine and I'm still kicking myself for missing the warning signs last time. Don't be afraid to admit you need help."

Cara starts to walk again, leaving the blonde teacher no choice but to follow her, weaving down the many corridors of the school. "It's just a hole. And you fall down that hole once and you get some help and you kid yourself that you're fine and that somehow you're cured. But it's a lie. You don't ever escape the hole because it's a trap and the walls are too high to climb. Sometimes you can even pretend you're okay for a second or third time but that's a lie too. You don't ever escape the feeling. Sometimes you just learn to cope. Other times you won't be able to cope. And then you begin to lose hope and you begin to not care because life is inevitably a car crash and we're all going to die. Some just go earlier than others."