[2] LOOK AFTER YOU ( gilbert blythe! )

15 | HARSH PUNISHMENT

⎾15 | HARSH PUNISHMENT⏌

IT HAD BEEN TWO WEEKS since Samantha had sent a letter out to her parents, in attempt to communicate with them for the first time in months. Everyday, the girl found herself walking up to Mrs. Barry and asking her if the mail had yet been delivered. But, each time, just like the last, her hopefulness has been denied by a sympathetic, "No, sweetheart. Not yet."

The words always caused Samantha's hope to diminish, her thoughts always getting the best of her. What if they hadn't gotten the letter? What if they had read it and thrown it away? What if they didn't want me anymore?

The thoughts themselves were silly enough, but they genuinely worried the girl. After all, this was her last hope. Though she desperately tried to fix things, she somehow seemed to make everything worse.

Let alone a few days ago, when Billy Andrews had openly shouted in front of the class how good Samantha had looked in her new dress. Not knowing if he spoke it sincerely or as a joke, it didn't matter. Her friends had still reacted the same.

It was now that Samantha Darling had truly felt at her weakest. Not knowing what to do made her head cram with various thoughts — some worse than others. Her optimism was running low, and she didn't know what other options she had.

All she could do was act normal and hope whatever she did would not draw attention to herself. As for right now, attention was not her friend.

Positioning herself so she faced the front of the classroom, Samantha couldn't help but daze off as Mr. Phillips talked about the abundance of American literature un-enthusiastically.

No matter how hard she tried to push them away, the thoughts continued to fill her mind.

What if the delivery man had given it to the wrong address? Had she written it wrong?

Had if she had misspelled any of her words?

What if the letter had offended them and they would never speak to her again?

What if-

"Samantha Darling!" A voice boomed, causing the girl to immediately shake herself out of her continuous train of thought.

"I'm sorry?" Samantha shyly chirped as she immediately fixed her posture.

"Are you going deaf?" Mr. Phillips joked, causing multiple fits of laughter to burst from the students.

"No, sir," Samantha replied, wishing she could suddenly disappear from the room.

"Do you think this is boring and unimportant for your education?" Mr. Phillips questioned.

"No, sir,"

"Do you think you are above everyone else so much you think that learning is a waste of time?"