That evening, after dinner, Alexis and Ned sat with Addison in the living room. When she started to panic that she was in some sort of trouble over what was happening at school, they had assured her she wasn't. That it was about making sure she knew what her teachers thought. That her voice mattered. That they were there for her. Addison was relieved they didn't seem to know about any of the exchanges between her and the other freshmen girls. She knew engaging wasn't going to help solve the issue, but she couldn't take it anymore.

"So, how was the meeting with Mrs. Ryan?" She asked cautiously as she sat across from her parents on the sofa.

"Well it wasn't just with Mrs. Ryan. Mrs. Miller was there, too."

"Guidance? Why? I'm fine. Everything is fine." Addison's defenses immediately went up. She in no way wanted her parents to hear about what was happening on myFace or in the halls. If they did she would have to show them she was on social media. Just the other night they told her they knew she was always honest with them and she had been keeping this from them since the year had started.

"Mrs. Ryan is just concerned that you're not applying yourself, that you're avoiding participating." Alexis started.

"Did you tell her that I had a headache? Did you tell her that calling on me like that isn't ok?" Her mom insisted they were on her side. She hoped they stood up for her. She absolutely was trying. She knew she could do better, but it was hard, math had always been hard and she had no idea what was getting in her way.

"We listened to what the school had to say, and she knows you went home sick yesterday. That's not what this was about." Alexis said cautiously and looked at Ned to help her fill in what he thought the highlights were. Addison was already becoming stand-offish and she had a gut feeling this wasn't going to help.

"Then what?" Addison asked, confused.

"They're just concerned that you're inconsistent. Your teachers see you in totally different ways, which is new. Mrs. Ryan said you freeze up in class, but that in general sometimes you appear anxious. Sweetheart, they said sometimes you eat alone in the library? Is that true?" Ned asked, heartbroken for his daughter.

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with math? They're making this into something it's not."

"They just want to support you. We do, too." Ned tried to explain.

"I auditioned. I joined something. I did what they asked. What you asked!"

Ned continued. "We know and we're proud of you for stepping outside of your comfort zone to do that. Is more going on, Addie? Your mom and I have been concerned, too. We thought maybe things were shifting positively for you, but–"

"Stop pressuring me! I'm not Krissy, ok?! I'm not popular. I'm not going to be Valedictorian or Class President or get perfect SAT scores!" She stood, tired of being compared and held to the same expectation as her sister. Her defensive state getting in the way of hearing her parent's concern.

"Where is this coming from?" Alexis asked lost, confused, and hurt that's what her daughter thought.

"No one wants you to be your sister. " Ned said quietly and Addison sat back down when she saw how hurt both her parents were at the very idea. "You are Addison Grace Ashton; our talented, creative, and compassionate girl. We want you to be yourself and we want you to be happy." Ned tried to assure her, taken off guard.

"Your Dad is right. We are so proud of who you are becoming. We love you for who you are."

She looked between her parents and saw the genuine concern for her in their faces. "I'm sorry I snapped. I just don't want to disappoint you."

"You could never. So, tell us what's going on at school, baby." Alexis moved to sit next to Addison on the sofa and wrapped her arm around her.

"I just don't fit in there. School comes so easily to everyone else, just like it does for Krissy and Owen and I know my grades aren't what you expect and I'll work harder, I promise."

"This isn't about grades. This is about you. Why do you think you don't fit in?"

"I just don't, ok? And Mrs. Ryan, she just has it out for me, that's all. So what do they want me to do?" She looked at her mother desperate to find a way to get the spotlight off of her and that stupid class.

"I don't think that matters right now. Just talk to us Addison. We want to understand, but you need to talk to us, so we can help." Ned said, his concern for his youngest daughter only increasing.

"I'm talking to you right now." She said exasperated. "What more do you want from me? I said I'd work harder." She asked as she pulled away from her mother and stood.

Seeing they weren't going to get anywhere at that moment, Alexis said, "Why don't you give Daddy and I some time to talk and then we can revisit this later."

"Great. Can I go now?"

"Yeah, go ahead." Alexis said, watching her daughter head up to her room as Ned moved to sit next to her and took her hand.

"Stop worrying about her. She's going to be ok." He was just as concerned, but he also knew his wife.

"I can't, Ned. I don't want her to shut down and lock herself away because she's hurting. I want more for her."

"I know. I feel the same way. She'll come to us when she's ready to talk. She always does."

"So you think we should just wait this out?" Alexis asked, not so sure.

"I think that you were right earlier today; she's a teenager and she knows we are here for her. She came to you about the audition. She'll come to us again." He had to believe that what he was saying was true.

Later that evening they laid in bed, "You can't let it go, can you?" He asked as he watched his wife struggle to concentrate, trying to read the document she had brought upstairs with her.

"I need to go talk to her. I want to understand why she thinks we'd want her to be like Kristen. Why she thinks her sister is perfect and that's what we expect." That comment had weighed on her the rest of the evening.

"She's not and it's not."

"We know that, but does Addison?"

"Go. Go be the Addison whisperer." Ned said as he touched her arm before she got up out of bed.

She got up, walked down the hall and knocked on her daughter's door, wanting to check on her. "Addie, can I come in?" She said as she opened it, a bit concerned that her light was still on and that she was still studying.

"Yeah, Mom." She said, clicking out of her myFace tab, hiding messages that had been distracting her as she contemplated how to respond.

Alexis walked over to her daughter and ran her hand through her ponytail. "What are you working on? It's getting late, don't you think?"

"Just homework. I'm almost done."

"Can we talk?"

"Yeah." She said as she closed her laptop and moved to sit on her bed, where Alexis joined her and wrapped her arm around her daughter.

"What do you really think about your school?"

"I told you I don't fit in there. I don't play sports. I'm not one of the smart kids–

"Baby, you're smart.."

"No Mom, not like Krissy and Owen. I can't just show up and get an A. Every family has a dumb one and in ours that's me."

"Don't say that about yourself. You are not dumb Addison and you are just as smart as your siblings."

"You're saying that because you're my mom and you have to."

"No, I'm not. I'm saying it because it's true."

"Whatever."

"No, not whatever. Just talk to me, sweetheart. Why do you think Mrs. Ryan has it out for you?"

"She said I'm not like my sister and she calls on me all the time. Like way more than the other kids, even though she knows I need a few extra minutes to figure it out or don't have the right answer."

"I think she just wants you to achieve what you're absolutely capable of, but she really said that? That you're not like Krissy?"

"Yeah. When I was taking too long on a math test."

"Listen to me. Your sister is far from perfect. Yes, she excelled in math, but that doesn't mean anyone expects you to be her. Certainly not your father or me. Understand? I want to make that clear."

"But–"

"No buts. Stop putting this pressure on yourself to be perfect and if we say or do anything that says different. You tell us, ok? We meant what we said. We just want you to be yourself and be happy."

"Even if I sometimes eat lunch in the library? Because–"

She interrupted, making her point. "Even if you suddenly decide you want to become a cheerleader."

"That's insane. I would never."

"There's my girl." She said as she pulled Addison close and kissed the top of her head. "I love you. Please, don't stay up too late studying."

"I won't. Night."

"Night, my love." Alexis said as she watched her daughter go back to her homework, slowly closed the door and walked back down the hall.

"How is she?" Ned asked as she walked back into the primary bedroom and he put down the ELQ file he was reading as Alexis sat down on his side of the bed and took his hand.

"She thinks she's stupid, Ned. She said she's our family's dumb one. That she's not as smart as Krissy and Owen."

"What? There were certainly times when she struggled and it hasn't always been easy for her, but she's always worked hard and achieved anything she set her mind to. And her grades aren't even bad. Sure, she has a low B in math, but that's nothing to be ashamed of." He paused as Alexis looked at him in agreement, fully understanding. "We didn't do this? Did we? What messages are we sending her that she thinks she needs to be perfect to be smart?"

"I don't know if it's us or the messages she's getting at school. I really don't. But we need to do something differently...There's more going on than she's letting us in on. I'm worried for our baby girl, Ned."

"Me too." He said as he pulled her closer.