It was a typical day at school, and Lucy was feeling particularly optimistic. As she strolled down the hallway, she could already picture herself seated next to Schroeder, basking in his musical genius and the warmth of his presence. Today was going to be her day—she could feel it.
When she entered the classroom, her heart skipped a beat. There it was, the perfect spot—an empty seat right next to Schroeder. Lucy could hardly contain her excitement as she marched forward, her eyes locked on the prize. "Yes!" she thought to herself, grinning. "I'll finally get to sit next to my Schroeder."
But just as Lucy reached for the back of the chair, another hand swooped in. Violet slid smoothly into the seat as if she'd planned it all along, giving Lucy a sly, triumphant smile.
Lucy's jaw dropped, her face turning a vibrant shade of red. "Violet, get out of that seat!" she bellowed, her voice carrying across the room.
Violet raised an eyebrow, folding her arms defiantly. "No way, Lucy!" she shot back, looking just as determined. "This is my seat now."
Lucy's mind raced, and her competitive spirit flared. If Violet thought she could steal her chance at sitting beside Schroeder, she had another thing coming. "Fine!" Lucy huffed, her eyes narrowing with a devilish glint. "Then we'll both sit here!"
"Bring it on!" Violet replied, smirking.
With that, Lucy squeezed herself onto the edge of the chair, her elbows jabbing as she fought for space. Violet pushed back, and soon the two of them were awkwardly wedged into the small seat, struggling and squirming in a ridiculous tangle of arms and legs.
"I'm winning!" Lucy declared triumphantly, leaning in harder.
"No, I'm winning!" Violet retorted, shoving back.
Their squabble quickly became the center of attention as their classmates watched in fits of giggles. Even Schroeder looked up from his music with a slight, amused smile. The commotion grew louder until finally, Miss Othmar entered, her voice cutting through the chaos. "Girls! Girls!" she called, trying to restore order. But by then, Lucy and Violet were firmly stuck.
"Hey! I'm stuck!" cried Violet, wriggling in vain.
"Me too!" echoed Lucy, her face scrunched in frustration.
After a few minutes of pulling and tugging, and amidst the laughter of their classmates, Miss Othmar managed to pry the two girls free from their self-imposed trap. Both Lucy and Violet stumbled out of the seat, disheveled and embarrassed.
With a stern look, Miss Othmar sighed, "Lucy, Violet, you will both stay behind during recess. I expect more from students in my class."
Lucy huffed, pointing a finger. "But it wasn't my fault! It was all Violet!"
Miss Othmar shook her head. "I saw you both," she replied, firm but fair.
As the rest of the class headed out for recess, Lucy and Violet slumped in their seats, arms crossed, sulking. The silence hung heavy between them, both too stubborn to make the first move. But after a few minutes of stewing, the tension softened.
Finally, Violet turned to Lucy with a small smile. "Maybe next time, we can just... share the seat?"
Lucy sighed, defeated but not entirely resentful. "Yeah," she mumbled. "Maybe."
And so, as they exchanged reluctant smiles, a tentative truce was born between the two rivals—at least until the next great seat showdown, when everything would be back on the line.
