Parents Day sent the school into a flurry of activity.

The weekend after the exams, most of the school opted to go down to the village and buy a new outfit or an accessory to show their parents on their arrival. Katie and Jo had both decided to go along but since I had no money other than my telephone fund, I had no reason to join them. Instead, I spent the weekend with my presentation notes spread around me, trying to narrow them down to my project piece. By Friday, I wasn't any closer to an answer.

On Friday afternoon, I sat on the floor of the fourth-year dormitory with my paper spread around me. A single sunbeam travelled through the window above my head, but it missed my papers and hit a spot on the floor a short distance away. I pressed my back against the wall and looked around at the collection of notes. My notes spanned from Roman inventions to the mythology they had borrowed from the Greeks. Almost every aspect of Ancient Rome sat in front of me, but none of it helped.

Katie had tried to offer some assistance, but even she became overwhelmed by the number of notes and areas that I had written about. Unless a miracle happened, I didn't think I would ever narrow it down.

"What are you doing?" Emma asked, walking to the bed beside mine and throwing her school bag on top."

"Trying to narrow down my options for the project presentation," I said.

"These are all your notes? A bit over the top, don't you think?"

"And that's the problem. Too many notes, nothing coherent enough. Almost every element of Roman history is here."

"Close your eyes and pick one. Works for me."

"You think so?"

She shrugged. "Worth a try. Don't let Victoria catch you sitting like that, you know how much she hates untidiness."

"I might leave it here to spite her."

Emma smiled and shook her head, pulling something from her bag and then leaving me alone in the room once again. Out of all the girls in fourth-year, Emma was the only one who had spoken to me. She didn't seem to follow Victoria as intensely as the other girls did and I had caught her rolling her eyes a couple of times, but she never spoke against her. No one did. Still, it was nice to know that not everyone in the room disliked me, and she had a point.

I pressed my back against the wall and looked around at the piles of notes that covered the floor. Perhaps I had been putting too much pressure on myself to narrow down my choices when it may have been as simple as closing my eyes and choosing one without knowing what it was. Dad had explained the idea of Occam's Razor to be me and it could be applied to my current predicament. Sometimes the simplest answer was the right one.

Outside, the birds tweeted in the trees and I could hear the light notes of conversation from the girls out on the grounds. I took a breath and closed my eyes, steading my hands on my knees. The noises continued as I waved my right hand over the paper, slowly lowering it and placing it on top of one of the stacks. After opening my eyes, I gathered up the stack of paper and placed it on my lap, flicking through the notes.

"Rome's worst emperors, not a bad choice," I muttered, thumbing through the stack.

My notes on Rome's emperors had been written after the first pool incident with Victoria. I thought she needed teaching a lesson on what happened to someone who let power go to their head and used it for malicious intent. Many of Rome's leaders used their power for terrible means and it didn't end well for them, both in their lifetime and in the way they were presented in history. I doubted she would listen to the point of my presentation, but it would be fun to talk about something related to her without it being obvious.

I gathered up the rest of my notes, placing them into the bottom of my trunk in case I needed them later and carried the other noes to my bed. From my nightstand, I grabbed one of the few composition notebooks I didn't use for my schoolwork and opened it to a new page. With the notes spread in front of me, I started to form a more comprehensive list of facts and ways to approach my project. Emma had helped me more than she ever knew.

By the time the supper bell rang, I had filled the first page with lists and a possible structure for my final presentation. I moved the notes to the end of my bed and swung my legs over the edge, leaving the room.

"Ah, we were just coming to get you," Katie said. Her and Jo had just appeared from a meeting in Mrs Maddox's office to go over the past week and plans for Parent's Day.

"Here I am!"

"How'd your research go? Have you narrowed it down?"

"Actually, I have. Rome's worst emperors."

"That's a good one. I don't think anyone has done that before, at least since we've been here," Jo said, peering around Katie.

"I agree. You have a good topic, now it's about the presentation."

"Can we not talk about that?"

"We'll have to eventually."

"I know. Just not yet.

The presentation looked a lot closer on the other side of the March exams. Before, the exams had been the most important thing on my mind but now that they were over, the presentation had elbowed its way through my head and sat at the very front. I couldn't think of anything without it jumping in front and reminding me that it was approaching faster than I wanted it to. All I wanted to do was forget about it, but that wasn't going to happen.

Katie linked her arm with mine and almost dragged me down the main steps and towards the dining hall. Most of the other girls were already sat down, including Victoria who watched my every move whenever she saw me. The cut on my hand, despite having healed, ached a little and I balled my hand into a fist and flexed it out. Although I had managed to keep my distance from her, she still set me on edge, and I didn't like what she may have had planned.

Maybe I was just paranoid after recent events, but something nagged me at the back of my mind. Something kept telling me that she was planning to do something else, something worse than pushing me into a pool or forcing me to cut my hand with a pair of scissors. She didn't seem like the type of person back down and I doubt she had given up trying to get rid of me. If I knew her, she was just trying to bid her time.

"Have you telephoned your dad yet? About tomorrow?" Katie asked before shovelling a forkful of cottage pit in her mouth.

"Not yet, I'm going to do it after supper. Mum should be back from work by then," I said.

"I still find it strange that your mum works. Mine would never dream of doing such a thing, she prefers cleaning the house and hosting tea parties."

"Mine's the same, although not on the cleaning front. She has a maid who does that," Jo added.

I looked at them both, trying to decide whether life would have been easier if Mum didn't work. She had missed out on a lot of school activities and street parties because she had had to work, and she always seemed so exhausted in the evenings when she returned. Part of me wished she didn't have to work. It must have been nice to have a Mum who could just be a Mum.

"Mum's worked ever since the war broke out. Even though I was a baby, she helped on a farm near where we were evacuated and when Dad got wounded, she kept working. When we returned to London, she got a job as a secretary at a GP surgery when it first opened in 1948."

Although I hadn't had the opportunity to spend much time with her over the years because she was working, she had been the one to keep the family afloat until Michael was old enough to work himself. Without her, we wouldn't be able to keep a roof our heads. She had been my hero since I was young.

"You're lucky. Mum wants me to follow in her footsteps, marry well and be a housewife. She hates that I've decided to the Advanced Level next year, in her perfect world, I'd leave school at the end of the term.

"I'm glad you're coming back next year," I said.

"Me too."

She smiled warmly and we finished eating supper in silence. Katie and Jo were my only friends at Maddox, and I knew when I had met them that it would be possible they wouldn't return next year. When Katie had told me they were both staying on for their Advanced Level exams, I had been ecstatic. It gave me a reason to even consider returning for my fifth year rather than return to my old school.

Had they not agreed to stay, I would have refused to return for a new term and instead sat my O-Levels at my old school. Although I still wasn't sold on the idea of returning, especially if Victoria continued to cause me grief, the idea certainly didn't feel all that bad any more. At least if I did come back, I would have Katie and Jo and I wouldn't be on my own. That was a discussion for another day, however. I needed to pass the presentation and the March exams before considering returning.

After supper and dessert, we followed the other students out the dining hall, but the three of us hung around in the entranceway so I could telephone home and speak to Dad about Parent's Day. I had been dreading the telephone call all week, expecting bad news as to Dad but still hoping Mum and Michael would be able to make it. I didn't want to end up being the only one without a family member there. I stood out enough because I was new and because most of my clothes had belonged to my cousin, this would ostracise me further.

The coins in my pocket knocked together as I fished them out and placed them into the box, following the same routine as before. I tapped my fingers against the receiver as I listened to the tone before someone picked up. It took so long that I didn't think anyone would answer.

"Hello?" Mum asked. I fought back a smile at hearing her voice for the first time in months. Usually, she was at work when I telephoned, this was one of those rare occasions when she wasn't.

"Mum? It's me," I said.

"Flick! I've been waiting for you to telephone when I've been home, I've missed you."

"I've missed you too."

"Did you get the sweets from Michael and all the letters? I wasn't sure you were going to get them."

"Yes, they all arrived." She exhaled. "Dad said I should telephone, to ask about Parent's Day tomorrow."

"Oh, right." Her voice changed, she sounded sad.

"What is it?"

"I've been asked to work tomorrow, as has Michael. Ms Taylor is unwell so won't be able to cover my shift and there is an unusual number of cars at the garage, so Michael is needed to help get through it all. I'm sorry, Flick, but we won't be able to make it."

I squeezed my eyes shut and fought to keep my breathing steady so Mum wouldn't know how upset I really was. Parent's Day would be the only chance I got to see them before the presentations, and it had been three months since I had last seen any of them. A telephone call only went so far. I wanted to be able to give Mum a hug, to annoy Michael and read one of my books to Dad. All I wanted was to see my family again.

"Oh, alright," I said.

"I'm so sorry, Flick. I tried to explain but there was nothing I could do. I posted your birthday cards and present this morning so it should get to you on time and I promise we'll be there for the presentations. Doctor Green has it circled on his calendar, so he knows I need to have that say off. I promise we'll be there." She paused. "Oh, and your uncle is sending you something for your birthday, I'm not sure what it is so you'll have to telephone to tell me. And so I can wish you a happy birthday."

"No, it's fine. I understand completely and I'll telephone, I promise I will."

"We'll see you soon, I promise. I love you, Flick."

"Love you too."

Mum hung up and I slammed the receiver down, ignoring the mutters that came from passing students. She had promised they would be there. When we first found out about Parent's Day, Mum had been adamant her and Michael would make it even it Dad couldn't. Her boss had given her the day off and even Michael had pencilled the time in, but it had all been for nothing. I was going to spend Parent's Day on my own all because Mum and Michael needed to work, because some of us weren't rick enough not to.

I slumped down on the bench and pressed my back into the wall, tilting my head to look at the lights on the ceiling. They twinkled in the evening darkness and I shut my eyes to stop the tears that threatened to fall. All I had wanted was one day with my family, not on a telephone call, but in person. Just one day where I didn't seem like such a freak because Mum had to work in order to keep the house and us fed. Just one day.

Katie sat beside me and placed her arm around my shoulder, pulling me towards her. She didn't say anything, she just ran her hands up and down my arm and let me sit there without having to explain myself. I lent my head on her shoulder and took a deep breath to try and calm myself. Her actions felt comforting, a warm, familiar place that almost made me forget what had just happened. Almost.

"They can't make it. Both Mum and Michael have to work tomorrow," I muttered.

"I'm sorry, Flick. I know how excited you were to see them," she said.

"Looks like I'm spending tomorrow in the dormitory."

"No chance. You can spend tomorrow with me. Mum and Dad won't mind, besides, Jo's done it before and I'm not leaving you to spend the day wallowing in the dormitory."

"Are you sure they won't mind?"

"Not if I have anything to do with it. You're one of my best friends. I'm not just going to abandon you because my parents will be here. It'll be fun, I promise."

I lifted my head off her shoulder and looked into her eyes.

"Alright."

~~~

First Published - July 20th, 2020