Dearest L,
Have you ever raised a guard dog? I think the proper way to do it is to deprive them of being socialized. Keep them at home, and don't let them meet or bond with anyone outside of the family. This makes them scared of anyone, anything else. I know this first hand because I was raised that way.
All my life I was in and out of homeschooling, from grade 1, I was kept in my house and not allowed to meet anyone. It didn't help that I was raised wrong - I changed my clothes once a week and I didn't drink milk or eat any kind of candy or soda. (My grandparents are weird.)
So I'm the guard dog. Scared of new people and new experiences, without even the benefit of being scary and protective. Thanks to grade 8 and 10, when my mom finally got to take care of me, I became a little more normal. Thanks to grade 9, I suffered bad depression and my fears got worse.
Now I'm failing two courses. It could be fixed by talking to adults. But what are the chances I'll do that?
I'm so scared, L, so scared that talking or thinking about this makes me want to cry. I hate crying, because that's not the kind of person I am. I have nobody to talk to, not even you. But you're the only person I can think of, which is why I'm addressing this to you.
But it gets worse.
You're an A+ student, your GPA is double mine. You have fantastic prospects, you're fit, gorgeous, everything I wish I was. People think that I'm this lucky, amazing person, but trust me, it's cursed. I suffer with poor hygiene, anxiety, and fluctuating depression.
Ever since grade 8 I've been petrified with fear that I won't be able to fulfil my dreams. At that point I didn't even know what my dreams were. I just knew that I couldn't possibly fail - couldn't back down and work somewhere that I hate. I want to pursue my passion but it's hard when you have to be good at Math to sing and preform for people.
And now that I'm failing the two courses, and barely passing my last, that means that there's no way I'll get into that acting school.
Which is... Just awesome.
- Tearfully yours, A.









