Helena Pevensie (Caspian Love Story)

5. Solace

The first week at Experiment House gave Helena a sort of idea of what exactly she was getting herself into by teaching at the school. As the week progressed, it was not only Jill and Eustace who began seeking solace from the bullies and faculty with Madam Pevensie. Soon about twenty students were eating all their meals with her in her room and it was these same students who stayed in her ballet class.

However, this solace was not without a cost. By the end of the week, They had discovered where their usual targets had disappeared and while they would not dare do anything in front of a teacher, hence why they did not just come in during their meal times, they did begin to torment Helena during and outside of her classes. Many had even rejoined the ballet class. There was now not a single day she did not suffer some kind of either verbal insult or insolence or even very sexual comments that at a normal school would have gotten the student expelled for sexual harassment.

Helena bore these well...to the student view at least. It was only Eustace who saw their full effect. He had stayed behind one day after the ballet class to help clean up and the moment the door was shut, a sob left Helena's lips and she lowered to the ground with her back against the door. Eustace instantly rushed forward, wrapping his arms around her. It was this moment that made him realize just how selfish he had been to encourage his cousin to come work here. Oh, how he wished he had convinced her not to come.

But Helena would not be dissuaded. Although she tended to break down once or twice a week, she now ensured those only occurred in her room, away from all eyes. As they neared the end of the second week, Eustace was on the point of writing to Peter about the situation and possibly Edmund and Lucy. He had not even thought to write to his aunt and uncle, but when the thought did occur to him during the weekend, he instantly disregarded it. He settled at last to write to Peter only in the hopes that he might be able to convince Helena to change her mind. His letter read as follows.

Dear Peter,
I hope you don't mind my reaching out like this, but I need your help with something. It's about Helena. I realize now that it was completely selfish of me not to try and dissuade her from accepting the job here at Experiment House. She's been helping a lot of us who are facing the wrath of the bullies and they've figured it out. They're angry with her and they've started to, well, harass her if you understand my meaning. They say all kinds of horrible things to her during class and whenever they see her in the halls.
She says she's all right, but I saw her break down last week and I have reason to suspect it isn't the only time things here have driven her to tears. You see, I went to her room last night to try and cheer her up with some chocolate I had brought from home but when I got to her door, I could hear sobbing. But all that to say, I need you to help me convince her to quit. It can't be helping her to be here and although I know that leaving is the last thing she wants to do, I think she needs to. Helena won't listen to me and I was hoping that she might listen to you.
We talk of Narnia often and that seems to help her, but I don't know if just talking about Narnia will be enough to keep her feeling all right. I've started to care a lot about Helena and I don't want to see her go through this for the rest of even just this term. Please help, Peter.
Your cousin,
Eustace Scrubb

By the time Peter had replied to this letter, however, certain circumstances had arisen, rendering it completely unnecessary.