A tale of forgivness

Lizzie had arrived early to her history lesson. She was not expecting to find anyone else in the classroom.

The door to the history room was old and creaky.  It was impossible for Lizzie to take a quiet entrance.  The moment the door was flung open, Catherine who was sitting at her desk by the window, looked up. 

Her face immediately turned to disappointment.

Lizzie breathed in and slowly exhaled. She put her books down on her desk and sat with her back to the door. Both girls sat in silence.

Catherine was crying.

Catherine and Lizzie were not friends. Nor were they enemies. They were part of different circles. Catherine was one of the show offs, the mean girls. The ones who took pleasure out of humiliating the others.

Lizzie was one of the others.  Yet when she saw Catherine sobbing, a part of her couldn’t help but ask:

“What’s wrong?”

“What do you care?”

“I don’t really. Its just not like you.”

“How would you know?”

“Because we are at the same school,  in the same year, and I see you everyday.  Look I know we are not friends, and I am probably the last person you want to talk to. But I am the only person here and I want to help.”

Catherine’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

“So…What’s wrong?”

“I…I am leaving. I failed my mocks and now my parents have told Mr “T” that I am changing schools. They didn’t even…” Catherine was balling. The words had become unrecognisable.

Lizzie froze. She didn’t know what to say. She wasn’t her friend. But her friends were not there. Lizzie never liked seeing people cry.

Not knowing what else to do, Lizze ran over to Catherine and wrapped her arms around her.

Catherine reached for Lizze’s arm and sobbed. Neither girl said anything. They didn’t need to.

Just for a moment it didn’t matter that Catherine had lost Lizzie’s PE shirt four years ago. It did’nt matter that Lizzie spent weekes standing outside lost property, wiating for a member of staff to coem so she could get her PE shirt back.  It didn’t matter that Catherine was constantly taking Lizze’s hole-punch. It didn’t matter that Catherine would constantly aggravate Lizze all the way through maths or tease Lizze’s friends.

It didn’t matter Lizzie had called Catherine a bitch. It didn’t matter that Lizzie was weird. For they were existing outside of their school, its rules and its expectations.

The door creaked open. Lizzie let go and returned to her seat.

The show offs walked in and took up their usual positions, barley registering Lizzie’s existence.

Everything was in its proper place, and was as normal as normal could be.

But something had changed. It was never spoken about, but it was there. Lizzie knew it,and Catherine knew it. What they knew they did not know. They were not friends, that was certain. They never spoke again.

All they knew was all traces of enmity had disappeared.