A/N : The song melody used in this chapter is [Sincerely Me from Dear Evan Hansen] but you will realize the lyrics are greatly altered :) Hope you enjoy the story's first ever song chapter. And, my apologies for the tedious delay – assignments and all that work! Sincerely, me aka author.
The letter came during recess break that day at around 2 after noon.
Pitty had been utterly exhausted from all the "torture" she had been put through, unusually taking a nap at her desk, too tired to care for this unladylike manner in class and public. The fact that she had had to stoop so low as to be given a punishment on the same level as Samantha was enough to have her downhearted for the day.
All around her, the students of Class 302 bustled about in chatters of their own – frequently shifting from one topic to another. It seemed today had been very eventful, even for a class such as their own, that everyone couldn't keep their excitement down.
Out of all the topics they discussed that afternoon, the most interested one was that of the Assembly that was supposed to take place in the evening. By now, the poor beings of Class 302 had had a chance to find out what it would be about – their friends from other classes, who had been fortunate enough to have considerate teachers who explained about the Assembly that morning during homeroom – whilst their very own Mrs. Noreen had exploded off on Samantha's petty behavior, had agreed to Rosie's statement earlier during lunch.
Yes, the Assembly was to be conversed about Remedial Classes over the summer, most likely about who would be chosen according to which criteria. And yes, there were rumors about how some of the boys at their school had gone off in flames when given the news of such a preposterous behavior as to have students suffer over the summer.
"So they're going to hold a debate, Hattie says," Marilyn informed the group while re-braiding her long thick hair of gold as if it was no big deal. "She thinks they're going to demand freedom of rights and probably… persuade some of the teachers to see… um, how this all goes against the idea of being …radical, I think, is the word she Hattie used," She continued, exactly quoting someone else's words as she never seemed to have any room in her brain to think for herself nor come up with an original opinion. Not when she was braiding.
"Sam was saying she's going to take part there, the debate… she said something about gender equality," Gabriella pointed out timidly, eager to offer some tea of her own too. To this, the girls only tittered and some rolled their eyes, led by an exaggerating Steph Beauregard – not unkindly however, as it was just a universally shared irritation.
"Samantha's always blabbering on about that, it'd be better if she used the times she kept complaining about those equalities to actually focus on studying."
"I have a feeling she's going to be on top of the list," Jessica snickered, referring to the earlier topic where they had been discussing about who would be picked for these awful summer classes.
While the little group chattered away excitedly about this, some agreeing fervently and others reluctantly contradicting, the subject of their discussion headed inside the class, back with a very moody mind from her trip to the Sick Bay.
In her hand was clutched a letter tightly gripped.
"How's Rosie?" Debbie asked brightly, rather directing the question at Eliza who entered right after her friend. Even she seemed to be in a bad mood, but it was probably the effect of having to put up with Sam's antics frequently.
"She is doing alright," Eliza answered with a shrug, not even caring to properly give out the details of Rosie's progress, like her usual manner of filling up for others on news around the school. This time, however, she didn't feel like retelling on what happened, as the majority of the visit was spent by a grumbling Sam complaining about how they were being treated in this century.
"It isn't right!" Out of the blue, the dormant volcano erupted again without a warning. Her face was flushed with passion and her eyebrows furrowed in deep confusion as if they were trying so desperately to understand something. "They think they can give us the news second-hand – they can't get away with treating us like seconds!"
All eyes blinked at her, hardly understanding a word she said. For a moment, all of them were too confused to go on with their conversations – and it might be also added that, some of them were rather hesitant about breaking the silence. It was another universally known fact that Samantha didn't like to be interrupted nor ignored during her spasms of passion.
Eliza, at last, heaved out a sigh, knowing this nonsense would not come to a stop unless she intervened. When would she finally be ever free of keeping this wild one in check? "Let it go, Sam. They let us know just a day later than the boys – there is no harm done."
"NO HARM DONE? NO HARM DONE?! Tell me, Eliza, when did we start letting ignorance be a part of us? It matters so acutely to how we are perceived in society; this kind of mistreatment will only result in further consequences if we allow it to pass unnoticed."
"You're just being biasedly mad because of that letter, Samantha."
"NO I AM NOT!"
The attention then was drawn towards the letter that had reached the point of crumpling completely. In a flash of the light, they were immediately after it to grab the unknown piece of knowledge that the curiosities of their teenage minds demanded to be quenched.
"Oooh, is it a love letter?"
"Let me see, let me see!" The excitement was so wild that even shy Gabriella accidentally pushed Jessica to get a better view of the commotion.
"SHUT THE FRONT DOOR, YOU CRAZIES!" Sam rolled her eyes which for a second lingered to be shocked, unable to believe they would be this hyped up. "It's not."
No one really cared to hear her, for they all assumed this to be fluttered denial. Some of them even started humming teasing tunes and giving inquisitive glances to the girl with her boyish natures.
Lauren fumbled about with unfolding the paper she had snatched from Sam, who did not attempt to take it back anyways – she was, in a way, a bit proud of receiving such attention - although… she couldn't help but flinch at their wild assumptions.
"Sam, getting an admirer? What's next, frogs turning into princes?"
Jessica muttered sarcastically, but no one really heard her anymore as Lauren started reading out the letter which was penned neatly in inked cursive. And as she continued to read out loud, her high-spirited nature went in the way to start pronouncing the words out with a small funny melody that she supposed would match for an admirer.
"Dear Miss Pulitzer, I'm afraid we have bad news…"
The goofy smiles on all of their faces died down in confusion, waiting for Lauren to read out the next line.
"Things have been crazy all these past ten years for this school,
We hope we'll never have another one like you,"
The plainer girls like Debbie and Gabriella frowned explicitly, not still gripping the situation nor realizing what might lie ahead. Others, like Steph, had already came to understand it all by these two lines, and couldn't even help snickering out with hilarity at their own foolishness of ever expecting anything other than this reality.
Sam herself rolled her eyes, getting in with Lauren's melody and roasting her friends with rhyme, "See, I told you, it's not a love letter, you fools."
"How does it feel, to know the school itself is scared of having someone like you?" Steph asked teasingly with good humor, to which Sam replied with the same goofy grin, "Awesome. Just awesome."
"You've made the working staff and teachers really mad -"
"They must be sad?" Steph interrupted mockingly, putting on a fake pouting face as she also never really appreciated their strict homeroom class teacher. But she knew of her place, and knew of when to strike subtly and when to tread back immediately according to circumstances.
The trouble with Sam was she lacked the adapting skills that Steph mastered.
"That's… not bad." Sam reasoned innocently, chewing noisily the popcorn from Debbie's package. She caught Eliza's stern gaze, and in return only gave a cheery shrug before going back to raiding the others' snacks.
"Your teacher also told us that you just talked back."
"Oh, fiddle-faddle." She rolled her eyes once again at this weak accusation of bad behavior. Most girls also followed, rolling their eyes – however they were in reality rolling their eyes at Sam's ignorance. Or could it be called phlegm – we may never know.
"You need complexions-" Eyebrows furrowed, many leaned in to actually read themselves what was written.
"Wait, no, you need completions of your 11th grade subjects," Lauren corrected herself, sheepishly grinning at her mispronunciation which could be blamed upon the excitement that loomed. "So we're enrolling you to classes, hope you don't object."
"Enrolling classes…?" Sam peered over Lauren's shoulder, crumbs of chips falling out from her mouth as she wondered out loud. From beside her, Debbie gave a tip with a muffled voice (as she was trying to get scraps of whatever was left of the popcorn out from the bottom of her package),
"The Remedial ones."
The room suddenly hushed into an eerie silence. When the girls had been discussing about it earlier, it had all been light-hearted jokes that they had not really thought the school would take lengths to reach. Now, they were hushed with awe mixed with dread.
Lauren continued reading/singing out loud, "We've wrote your parents-"
"OH NO!" Sam groaned, after spitting out poofs of half-chewed chips in terrified shock.
"Your father's told us, for your sake he gives us all consent,
To make you be good, as a lady should,"
The sudden change in Lauren's pitch made everyone around wince in pain – especially for Sam. It was as if she was purposely trying to match the sentence's meaning which sounded as scathing as Lauren's own attempt of a high pitch.
"And ladies don't throw spaghettis!" Lauren added in a nice length drawing out the "e" vowel from the last word in a melodic modification. Sam interrupted with a whine,
"OH PLEASE! It was just one time!"
Then, as if she herself was getting hyped up enough for what was coming next, Lauren plunged into the chorus part so actively, standing up from her seat with the back of her head almost hitting into poor Gabriella's nose, which was peeking from right behind.
"Cause all that it takes is a little re-in-ven-tion!
It's easy to change if you give it your at-ten-tion!
All you have to do is just be good at school like other students do,
From, Ms. Coulomb."
The girl took back her seat after the outburst, quite pleased with herself for the way the song was turning out. Debbie clapped in approval, whole-heartedly agreeing with every single word the letter said of late.
However, Sam had other ideas.
"Look, she thinks she can just stuck me into some summer class just because my grades aren't that good." She started, quoting the last phrase in mockery and adding a roll of her eyes. She sat on one of the desks nearby, which any of the teachers would have been seething to see a student act so.
"No, they're really bad," Eliza's bored tone pointed out as a matter of fact. She herself had been watching the commotion unfold, all the while folding her arms across her chest in a condescending way to patiently wait what more follies these girls, especially the tomboy, would present.
Sam didn't really hear her, claiming passionately, "But I'm not going to go down without a fight about it!" She snatched a pen from the desk and a notebook, throwing it across the air to the group of girls crowded around Lauren. By now, all of them had turned round to face Sam, eyes expectantly waiting for what she would say of this all.
"Start writing, Marie," She ordered to Marilyn who had received the flying notebook. With her legs dangling in the air, Sam started taking in the previous melody that Lauren had established, dictating the words for Marie to write down on the notebook, which Sam had a plan to be sent to the principal in a reply of the letter,
"Dear Ms. Coulomb, I don't appreciate this news," She let in a small interval to express a wrinkle of her nose in distaste. "Girls should be notified of summer classes, like boys do."
"Sam, no," Eliza muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose and heaving a sigh at the silliness that was going about. Why had God entrusted her with the task of always trying to make Samantha see reason and become a bit more sensible? If there was such a thing to be deemed impossible, this would likely be considered so.
"Gender equality's the….thing that I pursue," Sam continued proudly, hoping no one noticed the hesitancy as she tried to choose a suitable word for what she wanted to say. In all honesty, she was quite satisfied with her choice of word though she would have liked something more formal; her attention was focused wholly on the matter, and thus not heeding her friend whatsoever.
"No." Eliza repeated, glaring at Marie who was scribbling away diligently. If the girl had raised her head up to look, she would perhaps have caught a signal from Miss Holland to stop indulging Samantha in her antics. It was not to be so, unfortunately, as Marie did not have enough time to tilt her head away from the notebook as she tried to keep up with Sam.
"I think we have the right to be in debates too."
"Absolutely not." Eliza hissed, knowing perfectly well that the teachers wouldn't be very happy with them taking the boys' side over the teachers'.
"I can't understand how this kind of plan
Can still be around in this century!"
"I agree!" Steph joined in, not straining her voice as much as Sam, who had internally groaned and cursed at Lauren for coming up with this kind of high pitch for a pre-chorus. Nonetheless, she had taken a step onto the desk, finally standing straight and towering over her girls as she stood firmly on the desk like a captain onboard a ship.
"Cause all that it takes is a little innovation
We can't accept this kind of diss in the free nation
Girls are equal too, we can't just wait and see what silly boys can do"
The choice of words were so awe-inspiring that the girls stood gazing up at her figure with a different range of smiles – some openly approving with a grin, and others mildly amused with a faint ghost of a smile.
"Sincerely…boo!"
She jumped down with a thud, her eyes gleaming so bright with devilish mischief that it would have startled anybody who had not been acquainted with her for more than 5 years. She looked around, those eyes burning with passion meeting the different colorful pairs of eyes.
And here was how each of the girls felt as they stood round the tomboy hatching her plans.
Steph was borderline glad that finally this hilarity of society would be called out, although she didn't really have much hope in store on the idea of Sam succeeding in anyway. She knew there was little to no chance of completely altering the mindset of society. But it was still worth a try.
Debbie and Lauren were expecting something drastic to shake their lives of boredom. It was not every day that someone took the first step out of the line to add in a little bit of entertainment. They were pretty certain something disastrous would happen if they were to join in this parade. But it was still worth a try.
Gabriella practically worshipped anyone who dared speak in public, and so Sam's passionate speech had ignited a spark of respect. Though it was hard for Gabriella to appear out in front of an audience and voice her opinions confidently, she didn't find it hurtful to fully give support to one who would do so. Still… she found it a scary prospect to argue against the teachers. But it was still worth a try.
Jessica would be waiting patiently, just like Eliza, to have the silliness play out and finally see Samantha Pulitzer humiliated in front of many and possibly learn her lesson to keep her mouth shut at times. She wasn't quite sure, though, if there was still any amount of humiliation left in Samantha to actually be ashamed of her actions.
But it was still worth a try.
What was not worth a try, you ask?
Well, it would be Eliza trying to knock some sense into Sam's hot head.
"You'll make things worse if you join in that debate." She tried to argue.
Sam rolled her eyes, and replied with a "Please elaborate," every inch of her voice dripping with sweet sarcasm. As Eliza hoped she would snap out of this childish nonsense, she in turn hoped Eliza would snap out of that adult-ish sensibility…or whatever.
"First, the teachers will see it as a slight to their decision. Sam, you know they didn't put you in these Remedial classes for nothing. Second, it's going to be scandalous that you're ganging up with boys your age rather than listening to the elders. Third, your parents won't like it that you speak trash about your own teachers, which, Sam, I can reassure you that you certainly will do so. If you join in that debate."
Eliza tapped her left foot impatiently, her demeanor all but joking. Her eyebrows stitched together, waiting for an insistence or argument to arise against her not-so-imagined authority.
"What if I don't care for any of those?" Sam sneered, mixed with a childish pout as a general murmur arose in curiosity around her.
Eliza sighed, thinking of another way to approach. She closed her eyes to clear her mind, then reopening them with a faint smile dancing across her lips. "My dear Samantha, I suggest you start to change." The way her beautiful soprano voice sang out the words took all the eyes towards her, all filled with admiration – except one.
"My dear Eliza, will you stop being so lame," Samantha replied with the same notes, although hers was definitely not the response her friend had wanted, but rather expected of it. Eliza just knew how to tread lightly to rearrange Sam's tracks without her quite knowing… most of the times it would work, except this time, her dramatic friend seemed to be more hyped than what was usual.
Eliza raised her eyebrow, her countenance not shifted at all with pleasantness. "Someday you'll go beyond than lengths of what is fond."
"You'll be a lunatic!" Pitty's shrill voice came out in concord of the melody. She had stirred but not moved up from where she had been sleeping all the while. It seemed she couldn't help but join in to this chance of roasting her nemesis after all that happened that morning.
Besides, who could still continue to sleep with all this noise and fuss?
"Shut up, you barking bit-"
The girls all but gasped at this sudden outburst, and some even let out violent "shh!" to hush the wild one from going too far. Then, as if they had practiced it all week, they all went into a staccato reprimand,
"We know that you mean well,"
"But it won't work," Eliza piped in her opinion again.
"We can tell,"
"No you can't!" Sam was getting exasperated by now. Eliza wasn't her mother, no one here was. And if they weren't in this singing mood, she was sure she'd probably have blurted it out rudely by now.
"Well anyways…" She wanted to avoid this conversation now. It didn't feel as fun as it started out, and even the girls' enthusiasm had seemed to die down in replacement of their concern and sense. Somehow, Eliza's words of reality had wormed their way into the mind of the smarter ones.
"We'll help you reform every day," They all sang around the desk where Sam had already climbed back up again so she stood like the Liberty Statue in the center of them all, with her hands on her hips like she owned the world. For a moment, she could pretend she did.
"I won't get better any day,"
"JUST KEEP TRYING EVERY DAY!"
"Cause all that it takes is a little renovation," Steph started clicking fingers together in rhythm of their music, swaying her body a little to and fro as she seemed to be enjoying the time. The other girls followed in their own ways, except Eliza who was internally groaning at this stupidity she had tried so hard to prevent.
"I know I'll debate better than the baking sessions,"
"All you'll have to do is just survive the summer like other kids do
Sincerely,"
"I know clearly."
Yes, she was fairly sure of her success. She had not tried public speaking ever since primary school, but she knew that part of her was still inside – perhaps buried but would easily come out once she took the trouble to dig it up.
"Sincerely we
Sincerely weeeEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE."
Sam didn't need to know how her friends' lyrics had changed over the course. She was lost in her own blissful world of self-realization and coming up with plans of what to say and do when the time came.
And thus, her part of the song differed greatly from what her friends were trying to say.
"I know for real!
Sincerely me."
She did not need to jump down from the desk this time.