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CHAPTER FOUR
Eleanora Hadley reluctantly pulled herself out of the forest hours later, waking herself up from where she had eventually fallen into another episode, her crossword book carelessly falling from her lap.
Darkness had started to close around her, having lost track of time like always but with her arms wrapped tightly around her shivering body, she began the trek home breathing a sigh of relief at the car still missing in the driveway. Tugging the sticky note from the fridge, ripping it into a million pieces and finally throwing it into the bin under the sink. Although she knew hiding things and lying wasn't a good trait, but it was better for her and her mother if Allison didn't know her daughter's daily ventures in the forest.
The front doorknob jiggled, keys ringing as they hit the ground followed by a slew of muttered curse words. A slight smile made its way onto Ellie's face at the sound of her mother returning home not too long after herself. Her luck always seemed to appear on the things that didn't really matter in the great scheme of things but as always was grateful that it had spared her another argument.
"Ellie, are you home?" Allison Hadley asked as she stepped over the threshold.
Ellie immediately paused mid-step before turning around and descending back down the stairs. "Yep. How was your day at work?"
"It was good until I received another call from Principal Greene, depicting once more that we have to take you out of school and set you up for school from home."
"Oh trust me, I had the exact same conversation. Isn't his voice the equivalent to watching grass grow?"
"Ellie." Allison chatised, before running. "But I know you are doing everything you can Ellie to say on top of everything but it's getting to the point, that as much as you don't want to-" Allison continued, holding a finger out as Ellie immediately went to interrupt. "We need to start looking at other options especially for next year."
"Mum, I've told you a million times that I'm graduating just like everyone else."
"And maybe that might be able to happen, El. With you just completing the school year at home but still graduating with the rest."
Ellie couldn't suppressed the mixture of a groan and a sigh that escaped from her lips. "Just give me six months including the summer holidays, if I don't improve it then you can pull me out, okay?"
"Okay, Ellie. I can agree to that and I'll let Principal Greene know."
"Thanks Mum." Ellie sighed before heading upstairs.
Throwing her bedroom door open and slamming it behind her, Ellie threw herself onto her bed pressing her face against the material of her pillowcase. She let out a huff before turning onto her back, a smirk crossing her life as she realised how dramatic she had just been.
