ONE

This is the note I sent to the head teacher of Dunhill Comprehensive, because things needed sorting out.

Dear Mrs Cleaver,

This might not even help (I hope it does), but I thought someone else should try to explain too, just in case it makes a difference. You seem nice for a teacher, so maybe it will.

At the start of it, I would have completely agreed with you, so I wanted to tell you everything that happened to change my mind. And also let you know that neither of us planned this.

It's not a straight-forward kind of explanation. Sorry about that, but there's a lot you've got to understand, because it was all a bit 'domino effect'. I can't speak for Mike, but I know how I got here and it was a case of all these other unconnected things piling up.

I get rules. Both of us do. I understand they're there for our protection and everything, because sometimes all that stuff you said about people taking advantage is true, but this is different, so we'd really appreciate it if you read this through.

He said not to say this, but he never had to tell you anything; you seem to have forgotten that bit. It was both of us that did it (no one pressured me into anything) and it wasn't even in your school.

Anyway, this is it.

Yours sincerely,

Nick Jones.

The rest of it is why I needed to send a note in the first place.