I really wanted to explore Emma's character. This short oneshot is set during Emma's schooldays snd illustrates (or so I hope) how hard everything must have been for her... It's probably not very realistic but at least I tried, right?
51 Hearts
She had taken out her notebook and was busy drawing hearts in it, not listening to a word her teacher was saying. She knew that before the lesson was up she had to draw 51 hearts and fill them in perfectly. She counted the hearts she had already drawn even though she knew exactly how many there were: 47 perfect completed hearts. That left four hearts to go. She glanced at the clock in the classroom, ten minutes to go. That left exactly 2 ½ minutes for each remaining heart. She started on the first of the remaining hearts and filled it in carefully.
"Ms. Pillsbury!"
Emma jumped in her seat.
"Y-y-yes, sir?"
"I asked you a question."
"Oh, I'm sorry I don't know what…"
"The countries in Scandinavia? Surely you must know."
"I don't, sir. I'm sorry."
The teacher left her alone then, probably giving up on her. Six minutes to go, 2 minutes per heart. She started on another heart. When she finished she looked at the time again, 3 ½ minutes to go. She started on the second-to-last heart and finished it, 1 ½ minutes to go. Her pulse was racing and she was sweating. She had to finish it. It felt like there was a chunk of something pressing against her chest, she couldn't breathe. Nearly done now. She felt like ripping her chest open to get rid of whatever it was that was keeping her from breathing properly. Just two more strokes to go. There! She had finished it. The bell rang just a second later. She'd made it, she could breathe again.
She looked down at her notebook, at 51 perfect hearts.