BBC Ghosts: Teatime Club

Ordeal

It was the evening nobody was looking forward to.

Awkwardly huddled in the canteen were a bunch of random students with their parents, all consulting the crudely written timetables to see which teachers they'd be seeing next.

Pat was leaning against one of the display boards as he waited for his parents to order some coffee from the kitchen. Pat let out a wry smile. They'd be needing that extra dose of caffeine for when they'd be meeting with his gym teacher later.

Letting out a quiet sigh, Pat rested his head against the board and watched as the other students wandered about the canteen, dragging their parents towards the different classrooms. He spotted Thomas from across the room and on making eye contact, waved at the uptight boy, who was looking unusually on edge. Thomas shot him a small smile before retreating through the double doors, his parents following him.

"Patrick!" his father barked, causing the shorter boy to tense up. He approached his father and stood to attention.

"Y-Yes sir?"

"Where is your gym room located? We're due there next."

Pat's heart sank. "Uh, well, we're not actually going into the gym, but my teacher is in Room 36."

"Take us there at once."

Pat nodded and led his parents down the main corridor to his doom.

As he shuffled along, he saw Robin skipping cheerily; his parents in tow. The three greeted Pat warmly as they passed and he smiled back. After they'd gone, his mother sniffed indignantly.

"Some people just haven't got a clue, have they?"

Pat bit his tongue, deciding not to say anything. His mother could be so judgemental at times.

They reached the bottom of the corridor and turned into the stairwell, Pat holding the door open for his parents to walk through. He then followed them up the stairs and guided them towards the room in question - which was blocked off by a queue of students with their parents awaiting their turn. Already in the queue was Fanny. She gave Pat a small smile.

"H-Hello, Fanny." Pat greeted shyly, feeling particularly intimidated by his parents' sturdy gaze as he spoke to his friend.

"Patrick." Fanny acknowledged stiffly, trying not to break her rigid posture.

"How... are you?" he asked, trying to sound normal even though he felt like hyperventilating.

"Just fine." she replied under the scrutiny of her own parents.

The two teenagers stood silently in the queue, waiting to be called.

After a few minutes of waiting, Pat's father exhaled in annoyance, turning to the twitching teenager. "I thought you said our appointment was at half seven!"

"I-It is! Coach must be backlogged."

His mother folded her arms. "Well I'm not waiting in this. Take us to another one of your appointments instead."

Pat fumbled with his timetable. "Um, we could go to Science. T-That's next."

"Lead the way."

Pat waved Fanny goodbye. Turning back on himself, he hurried along and took his parents downstairs. On the way to the back of the school, Pat passed Julian, who had his hands stuffed in his pockets. Julian acknowledged Pat with a nod as he headed towards the art classroom, his parents behind him arguing loudly.

Julian let out a small sigh. It was the first time his parents had actually turned up to one of his parents evenings and now they were embarrassing him by airing each other's dirty laundry.