When Miss Hummle finally rang the school bell, after that terrible, never-ending afternoon, there were fewer children who took their leave
than there was those who stayed behind to serve their detention.
All during the afternoon, after the school board members and Val had gone, Miss Hummle seemed smug, and satisfied. Nearly, Charlie
thought, like a cat who had lapped up an entire bowl of milk, and then sat in the sun, washing their paws.
When assigning various punishments, Miss Hummle informed Charlie that she could go to the chalkboard, and proceed to write sentences of
'I will not be tardy to school'. The other children were correcting homework at their desks, except for Monte and another boy, who were
told to sweep the wooden floor and wash the windows as punishment for disrespect.
Still feeling put-upon, and maligned, Charlie stood, chalk in hand at the board, and said, "How many times?"
"How many times for what?" Miss Hummle asked, and Charlie felt her anger rise. The older woman knew very well what she meant...
"How many sentences?" Charlie asked, only just hanging onto her temper.
Still looking satisfied, Miss Hummle said, "Suppose that you write steadily and we'll see then."
Struck by the blatant unfairness, or at least what she perceived to be the unfairness of that, Charlie stood a moment or more longer,
staring at the teacher. For just that few moments, Charlie remembered how she used to stare at her aunt in years past, whenever she felt
that Katherine had said or done something that Charlie found despicable. And, more often than not in those times, Charlie had been the one
that out-stared Katherine until the older woman had looked away in resignation.
She hadn't done it since then, well-obviously, because it made her shiver a bit to think if she tried such a thing with Scott, or Murdoch, or
Johnny-
But, Miss Hummel, well, that was another thing entirely. Charlie gave the teacher a hard stare until Miss Hummle blinked, and then she
turned to the chalkboard to begin writing. As she wrote, and her temper soared further, Charlie thought of how Scott-if he assigned her
lines to write-would always, always, tell her how many she had to write. And, Charlie had to admit, the times he'd done so, she'd deserved
punishment for wrongdoing, but this-THIS, was unfair!
Once, Monte, who was on the outside of the school building, washing the windows from there, caught Charlie's eye by his wild hand-waving,
and when he had her attention, he began mocking Miss Hummel's movements. Hand gestures, facial expressions-all of it.
He was so comical and on-exact of impersonating Miss Hummel that Charlie found herself smiling, nearly giggling, at his silliness,
before turning back to her task, and concentrated on writing. And writing. And writing.
Lancer
Somehow, the afternoon finally did end, though it seemed to Charlie that it had lasted as long as several afternoons.
Walking out with Monte, and some of the other kids, there was, predictably, considerable grumbling and revenge planning
about Miss Hummle.
Charlie kept quiet, though she thought that she wouldn't mind getting a bit of revenge on the teacher, as well. Still-things were
rough enough. Being kept after school, (even if it was unfair), and, then, having that rhyme hanging over her head-and the chance of
being found out as the creator of it-well, it was enough.
Charlie made her way to the stables, collected Gurth, and was just coming out, leading her horse by the reins, she hadn't
had a chance to mount when she saw Scott. He was riding his own horse, and was coming down the street towards the stables.
Charlie paused, waiting, and still holding the reins. She could see from where she stood that his expression was full of worry.
He rode up to her, and then sat, not dismounting, just looking down at Charlie. He didn't look so worried now, but more angry, instead.
"I had to stay after school," Charlie said, in a rush.
Scott was silent, just looking at her. Just looking. Charlie didn't like that look on his face. Not at all.
"She said I was late to school. But, I wasn't! She was ringing the bell as I walked up," Charlie hastened to add. To her own ears, she
sounded pleading.
"Let's get headed home," Scott said, then, and Charlie mounted Gurth, and they began riding. Past some folks out walking, and
wagons. Charlie rode along side Scott, and waited for him to say something. To ask her questions, anything like that. But, Scott was
silent. Charlie felt herself growing more anxious.
"I'm sorry you had to come looking for me," she said, meekly.
Scott sighed a bit. "I was worried," he said. "Thought you might have been thrown, or gotten hurt."
"I knew you'd be wonderin'," Charlie said. "Val said he would have ridden out to tell you, but he had to go to Stockton-"
Scott gave her a puzzled look. "Val?"
"He came with the school board members, to visit today. I don't know why he did."
"Well, I'm glad you're alright," he said.
After a couple of moments, he spoke again. "So, tell me about this being late nonsense."
"It was nonsense," Charlie said, glad that he was understanding. "I was coming up just as she finished ringing the bell-"
"Why?" he asked.
Puzzled, Charlie paused, looking at him. "What?"
"Why were you getting there as she was ringing the bell?" he clarified.
Charlie hesitated, and Scott went on. "You left in plenty of time this morning, didn't you?"
Charlie nodded in answer, and Scott prompted, "Well?"
"I guess I just rode too slowly," Charlie said.
"Did you stop somewhere?" he asked, then.
"No!" Charlie said, upset that he had not been understanding the situation moments before. He'd meant nonsense in a whole different
way that what she'd thought. He'd meant that she was the one with the nonsense.
"She's being unreasonable, Scott!" Charlie burst out. "To all the kids!" She studied him intently, wishing fervently that he
would say that Miss Hummle had been in the wrong. Sure that he would agree if she told him the rest, she said, "She made
me stand and write lines on the board, saying that I won't be late to school, but I wasn't! "
"Alright. Well, make sure you leave and allow enough time to get there before the bell-ringing," he said.
"I do!" Charlie said, feeling misunderstood. And let down. She wanted to demand of him why he wasn't seeing her side, seeing what
had really happened.
There was silence for most of the ride home after that. Scott was silent, and, since Charlie felt maligned, and was pouting a good bit,
she chose not to attempt further conversation.
Once, home, back at the ranch, they dismounted, and began the business of unsaddling the horses. Risking a look at Scott, over
the back of Gurth, Charlie found her frustration and upset bubbling over into words.
"It's unfair!" she repeated. "She has no right-"
"She's the teacher, Charlie," Scott interrupted her. "It's her classroom." He was giving Charlie his full attention now. And, Charlie realized,
he did not look pleased. He looked tired, irritated, and stern.
Charlie stopped all pretense of unsaddling Gurth, and just stood, looking at him. "But, Scott-" she began to protest.
"There's no 'but, Scott' to it," he said, shortly.
"She should be fair, though!" Charlie persisted, and saw his eyes widen a bit, in surprise, at that persistence.
He paused, resting his hand on the horse's back, and then beckoned to her. "Come here," he said.
Charlie came. She knew she should be dragging her feet, wary of facing his ire, and she was, but she was also still feeling
misunderstood, and let down.
When she was standing in front of him, she avoided his eye, though, fastening her gaze, instead, on one of his shirt buttons.
Scott took her chin in one of his hands, and tilted her head to look upwards at him.
Instead of scolding her, though, he just regarded her with a somewhat regretful expression.
"It hurts, to feel as though you're being treated unfairly. I know. But, that's going to happen sometimes in your life. What you do, is
deal with it, in the best way that you're able to. Generally, accept it, and then move on with things," he said.
He released her chin, then, and said, "I can tell you're all stirred up about it, and I'm not saying that all of her actions are
necessarily correct, but-the fact is, I think this is one of those times when it's best to consider it a lesson learned, and
put it behind you."
It wasn't that she agreed with everything that Scott was saying. Because she didn't. But-it had been a long day, and Charlie felt
a sudden weariness. A longing to change into comfortable clothes, and eat the supper that Maria had prepared. Her stomach was rumbling.
And, too, she was tired of thinking about Miss Hummel. Home wasn't for thinking about her. Home was-well, it was for happy, and for
peace, and feeling understood. And, even though she didn't feel all that understood at the moment, it had helped when Scott had
talked about how it did hurt to be treated unfairly-
So, Charlie said, quietly, "Okay."
She thought he might have been a bit surprised by her giving up the protesting, but, if he was, he didn't show it overly much.
He just nodded at her, and echoed with an equally quiet, "Okay," of his own.
Lancer