"You are the worst boy, Theodore Laurence."
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For centuries, humankind has used the stars. Whether it be for navigating across unfamiliar oceans, for preserving myths and legends of great heroes who were bestowed a spot in the heavens by the gods...
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THEY WALKED HOME in tense silence. Neither of Charlotte or Beth said a word as an air of uneasiness past through them and their own anxieties and nerves began to pent up in their heads. Seeing the Hummel's in their current state had shaken Charlotte's heart in her ribcage, and it bounced off her bones and settled uneasily against her lungs, and she had to urge her feet not to turn around and race back to the shack with the doctor in tow.
Her gaze fell upon despondent Beth, who kept her eyes on her dragging feet as they approached the Marches house. Charlotte's fingers tightened around the straps of her bag as Beth sniffled, but she wasn't sure if it was brought on by illness or tears. The former terrified her and rattled her bones, and the latter made her want to embrace Beth in the warmest hug and let go only when she no longer knew the meaning of fear and sadness.
The curtains of the parlor were wildly ripped open and quickly shut again as they pushed through the garden gate, and the jolly faces of Meg, Jo, and Amy fought to peek out from behind the gauzy curtains as they shoved and pushed each other like wild animals. The house could not contain their mirthful laughter and the twinkling of Meg's soft giggles, Jo's robust chuckles, and Amy's ladylike tittering reached Charlotte's ears before Beth even opened the front door.
"Here she comes!" Jo ordered Meg and Amy to quiet down as Beth walked into the parlor, and the three girls scampered around as if they were concealing something.
Charlotte followed behind Beth and discarded her coat and the bag of medicine on the floor as exhaustion leached out from her bones and her head grew dizzy. She hadn't realized how tired she was until they had gotten home.
Amy giggled and spread her skirts out beside her, trying to hide a large object behind her small frame. Meg and Jo clung other sides, hugging each other's arms to keep from bursting out into cheers. In the middle of the wild bewilderment, Charlotte and Beth stood dumfounded, looking to the other for an explanation for Meg, Jo, and Amy's odd behavior.
Jo offered them a clue as she rushed forward, holding out a letter to Beth with a wide smile. "Here's a letter from the old gentleman." She pressed the fine, ivory colored envelope into Beth's shaking hands.
Amy almost exploded with anticipation as Beth looked over the envelope. She began to shout, "Beth look what they got you—" before Jo lunged at her and slapped her hands over Amy's mouth to keep her from spoiling the surprise.
Meg lead a confused Beth further into the parlor and Amy dropped her skirts to her sides, revealing that in the place of the old and out of tune piano, a beautiful little piano forte stood proudly. The little piano looked magnificent, in all of its maple wood and green silk glory. The wood glittered as if the polish was still drying, and Charlotte was tempted to run her hands over it to see if any stain came up on her fingers.
"Oh, Beth." Charlotte gasped in awe as Meg took her arm and they turned to look at Beth's reaction. But Beth's face was not alight with amazement and curiosity like theirs. Instead, she glanced at the piano with furrowed brows and stood awkwardly, shifting her weight on her feet as she tried to wrap her racing mind around the little piano in the middle of the parlor.
