Dear C

Thanks for the letter it cheered me up in some ways, to hear from you, not because and I quote 'my life has been turned upside down. Everything's different, changed; and I really can't say I like it much. Not at the moment anyway; maybe in time I will, but not now' as you shouldn't feel like that, you're not alone and people care about you, for you. I care. I know what you're going through, I'll listen any time; but your right, it's happened to me too, life has turned upside down. I think your right the single letter is better, lets continue it in all our letters. Ok so right then let's start by answering your letter.

Its ok at the moment but you know how it is, don't you? It's not like their (my sisters) physically hurting me or anything, or not that I'm not still grieving, or anything, or as you say it's not like the world seems to be the right way up, but its settling . I think.

God I swear my sisters hate me; they keep making me go to church and repent and everything, they don't seem to understand, that that's just not me, that unlike them dad didn't bring me up with a faith, let alone a strong faith like them, because of mum. I think. My sisters they don't like me, never did and probably never will. Everything was always my fault, you know? Actually you probably don't, or at least not in the same way being an only child but you don't need to know how it feels you just 'need' (you don't actually) to know that they always blame me. Always.

Despite what I have said they aren't treating me badly, I guess it's just not what I'm used to. How I want to be treated. What about you? How similar is your situation to mine? All I can say is think yourself lucky, at least your uncle and his family love you, unlike my sisters, who simply tolerate me, and that's at best.

I suppose I'm fine really, despite all my moaning in pretty much all of the letter above, I'm doing as well as can be expected. What about you? Are you feeling the same way as me?

Although I have to say your right life is chaos.

Please write again soon, in my our changing worlds this is something to keep me sane, we both may only be twelve at this moment and maybe we will both grow up and have exceptionally normal lives, but right now I need something constant, something to keep me sane and know that life isn't all bad, and I think your letters are the perfect thing to do that. So I James Hathaway promise you charlotte lewison that I will keep writing to you until you tell me to stop, or you stop writing back to me too.

Yours faithfully

J

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