A for Anxiety (On Hold)

4- Failing at This, Failing at That

"You're in big trouble Berry."

"For what?"

Ben smirked that grin which made Fizz's heart race, "You weren't in class yesterday."

"So?"

"Did you forget about the assessment that we were meant to be sitting?"

Fizz tried to look towards Ben's eyes, "I didn't forget about it, I had a meeting with someone yesterday." Two downright lies in one sentence.

Obviously, the look on Ben's face did show that he wasn't convinced with what Fizz had replied, "If you're sure Berry."

"One thing, it's Felicity, not Berry."   

The group of boys laughed, "We much rather prefer Berry!"

Fizz frowned in disappointment as the boys went off laughing towards class. They preferred her surname rather than Felicity as all of her bullies called her that. Every attempt to try and make them change how and what they called her but nine times out of ten, that wasn't going to happen. Why were boys so immature? That was the question lots of girls asked around the world. Fizz was still waiting to hear that answer.

It was only a few steps more when she felt someone directly standing behind her and that was creating some tense feelings into Fizz.

"Felicity, a word please."

Fizz looked towards the person speaking to her and on doing so, she felt shaking coming on and when shaking did come on, it was hard to control. It was her teacher whose lesson Fizz missed yesterday as she was hiding in a toilet cubicle with a broken lock.

As the warning bell rang, Fizz followed her teacher up a flight of stairs to an office  with two desks and windows with a view over the school ground. Somehow through all of the craziness that had been happening since yesterday, Fizz managed to sit down without causing damage to anything or anyone.

"Now Felicity, do you know why I have asked you to come and see me?" asked the teacher. 

Fizz felt her hands turn sweaty, "Because I missed yesterday's lesson."

The teacher let out a sigh as she grabbed her mug and took a sip of hot tea from it, her fingers displayed some silver nail polish and her arms looked a little tanned. Fizz often saw her teacher wearing silver rings and a lovely pendant from a department store.

"Is anything troubling you at home?" she asked.

Fizz shook her head, "No, things are fine at home."

"It's just Felicity that for quite a while now, you've become withdrawn and the high standard that we saw from you seems to have lost its sparkle."

Fizz fidgeted nervously, "I try and complete all of the work that is set for me."

"But you've missed assessments and even an exam that you should have sat recently and that has rung alarm bells with the faculty here as a cause for concern.

'A course for concern', those words stung deeply.    

"We need to make some important decisions and quickly if things are going to change." added her teacher.

"So, does that mean I might not sit my GCSEs?" asked Fizz with a pang in her stomach.

"Possibly not."

Her parents were going to be so frustrated with Fizz now and she could tell. Just why was having Anxiety and having to monitor it on a daily basis be such a huge problem? To her, it was obvious the school didn't want her anymore and it did hurt.

"Would you like some water Felicity?" asked her teacher, "You've turned really pale."

"Um... no... thank you..." mumbled Fizz, "I'll go and have some fresh air."

"No, I would rather..." began her teacher as Fizz grabbed her school bag and darted out, "Felicity!"

Her speed started to pick up as she dodged her way out onto the back of the school grounds by the small garden where the year sevens looked after the plants and vegetables that were growing. Ducking down behind one of the thick hedges, Fizz felt tears coming on. She was a failure, an utter failure and she knew it, the school knew it, the bullies knew it, everyone knew it.

As she moved back to sit down, she felt her body lean backwards and down onto the ground, "Please, I don't want to faint." 

She blinked and blinked again until to her surprise, she noticed that she fallen through a hole in the fence which backed onto a lane which lead out to the main road. In other words, it was an escape route.

"Should I or shouldn't I?" questioned Fizz quietly, "I need to make up my mind before someone finds me here."

Her heart pounded to tell her that someone was coming, she needed to move now. With a deep breath and counts to ten in her head, Fizz climbed through the hole with her school bag and ran down the lane, away from school and out towards freedom but at what cost?

What will happen next I wonder? Well, you'll have to wait for the next chapter so you can find out! Scarlett x