Hazel's POV

June 24, 1913

I woke up and rubbed my eyes before lying on my back in bed and staring up at the ceiling. I was seven years old today.

It was hard to believe. Me as a seven year old it seemed practically just yesterday that I was five and just starting kindergarten.

Today was also the last day of first grade so that meant that now instead of three years left of having Mrs. Baudelaire I had two. Hallelujah!

Mrs. Baudelaire was not very nice to me…I didn't know what I ever did to her but ever since the first day we met she had taken a sudden dislike to me. My friend Marilynn often said that she was just born that way but I wasn't about to make excuses for her.

In that instance I was just like my brother Edward who had just turned twelve three days earlier. Edward never made excuses for people who were not very nice to one another he just saw the situation like it was.

I got up out of bed and walked to the bathroom where I would wash my face, brush my teeth, and comb my hair before getting dressed and eating. However this morning much like every other morning it was my birthday I was ambushed by Edward.

"Good Morning Hazel my now seven year old sister" Edward said picking me up.

"Eddie!" I laughed.

"What?" He asked pretending to be innocent.

"You know 'what'" I said and he smirked.

"OK fine" and with that he swung me so he was holding me upside down now.

"Edward put your sister down please" Mama said coming out of her bedroom.

"OK" Edward said placing me down feet first on the floor.

"Happy Birthday Hazel" Mama said.

"Thank you Mum" I said (since usually I called her 'mum' or 'mama').

Mama kissed my forehead and told Edward and I to get ready for school since she didn't want us to be late on our last day.

After Edward closed the door to our apartment building behind us he took my hand and said "so what is new with you Hayz?"

"Nothing really except today I'm seven" I said and Edward chuckled.

"Well at least you know that much." He said and I glared at him.

We walked to my class room and Edward walked in with me so I wouldn't have to deal with Mrs. Baudelaire's torture as soon as I walked in.

Edward looked pretty mad though like he wanted to rip her head off or something.

I said goodbye to my brother and went to take my seat in the back since Mrs. Baudelaire claimed she didn't want to see my ugly face. I had to sit next to one of the third graders named Pearl she was nice enough.

At least I didn't have to sit next to Hattie Van Se, Bessie Abington, Nora or Olive Smith. They were clearly Mrs. Baudelaire's favorites and were the snobby girls of my grade.

Marilynn wanted to be part of their clique or whatever but I told her that they weren't worth it. Another thing I didn't understand about girls my age why did they want to be in the popular clique so bad? Couldn't they just stay true to the friends who treated them right and get over it? No apparently they couldn't.

I realized that even at age seven I was starting to see the world for what it was.

It was kind of annoying though because when you're young you don't really want to be worrying about the conformists you just want to live life and be carefree.

So anyways now Mrs. Baudelaire had to mock me in front of the class by making me kneel on corn kernels for over an hour. By the time I got up my knees were all bloody and sore.

Later that day was Edward and I walked home he noticed my knees "what did you do Hayz? Were you out playing again?" he asked.

"No Mrs. Baudelaire made me kneel on corn kernels" I muttered.

"Why what did you do now?" Edward asked jokingly.

"Nothing" I said trying to fight back tears which made my brother mad.

"Next year this lady is going to have something coming to her…like bad karma" Edward said.

"You actually believe in that stuff?" I asked and Edward sheepishly nodded.

"Why!" I shouted "all karma does is bless all of the snobby people who are just mean to everyone else and think that they're Gd's gift to the whole world!"

Edward stared at me in shock "Hazel…it's not like that all the time trust me when you get to be my age things get easier."

"But that's not until another five years" I said and Edward sighed.

"It'll get better Hayz and karma is out there for those girls and your teacher I know it."

"I guess you're right" I muttered.

"That's what I like to hear" Edward said and I smiled.

I didn't really care at that point about them anymore though because after all school was over! At least until I was in second grade.

Edward's POV

July 21, 1913

I woke up at around 9am, dressed in my newsboy uniform, and did the rest of my morning routine before kissing my little sister goodbye and saying goodbye to my mother then heading out the door to work.

Although I was twelve I still worked as a newsboy with my friend William (we often worked together than split the profits). William was a ladies man so he could easily get them to buy papers he also said if I tried I could be one too.

I didn't really want to be the type who took advantage and played with girls it seemed kind of wrong to do that just for money you know.

I was still worried about Hazel though. I knew all too well about Mrs. Baudelaire and so did William…we had had her together when we were kindergarteners, first, second, and third graders.

I remembered how I had made a calendar to countdown how many days and years I had left to see her. This year was different though than my other years it was the year I had just graduated from sixth grade out of Mrs. Newberry's class.

I could either go to Washington Hills Prep which was an expensive private school for seventh through twelfth graders or I could stay at Chicago Prep and continue going to school there since it had a program that ran up to twelfth grade.

As much as I didn't want to go to Washington Hills I knew it would make my father happy. However, I made up my mind that I wanted to stay in the same school as Hayz except I wouldn't tell her that because then she'd give me a lecture about how I should be thinking about myself. I would tell her that I didn't want to go to Washington Hills.

"Edward…Hello, Edward!" William shouted in my face when I got to work and I realized I had been so dazed in my thoughts that I wasn't paying attention.

"Yeah" I said.

"Check out that girl over there" William said and gestured his head to a girl with long curly brown hair, A LOT of lipstick on, and a giant bow in her hair. She was pretty but I didn't like the way she was speaking to her mother as if her mother was a slave or something.

"NO MOTHER I DON'T WANT THAT ONE I WANT THAT ONE!" she pointed to another doll that was at the shop she was at.

"Never mind" William said turning around and I rolled my eyes at him "what's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing" I mumbled.

"You mean something…come on Edward you're never like this at work" William said nudging my arm.

"It's Hazel" I confessed.

"What about Hazel?" William asked.

"Mrs. Baudelaire is bullying her" I said and William looked at me.

"She bullies everyone."

"Yeah but with Hazel she's…she's different on the last day of school…Hazel's birthday for that matter she made Hazel kneel on corn kernels and as we know how that feels. But when we were seven we didn't get punished like that especially if we did nothing wrong." I said.

"Damn right" William said sighing. I just stared at the ground "but think on the bright side she's only got two more years right?"

"Yeah, but why should she have to dread going to school? I know we had to and it wasn't right maybe we should talk to Principal Smith about this." I said.

"That's just going to make her even angrier if she doesn't do anything." William said and I could only nod, agreeing with him. "Come on we've got newspapers to sell." William nudged my arm again and I could only smirk and shake my head. I would solve this later.

…

I got home at around 6pm just as mama was making dinner which was soup and bread. I could tell Hazel wasn't really hungry but she ate anyway since she hated wasting food. I tried to do the same but my stomach was turning at the fact that Hazel would have to deal with Mrs. Baudelaire for another two years.

"Mama?" I asked.

"Yes Edward" Mama said.

"Have you even met Hazel's teacher?" I asked and Hazel glared at me I could tell she didn't want to cause trouble but I was doing it for her own good.

"No…but you had her too didn't you?" Mama asked.

"Yeah well I think you should meet her is all I'm saying." I said.

"Well I have to go in for a parent teacher conference since Hazel is now in second grade and she's had this teacher almost two years now." Mama said and I smiled after this meeting mama would for sure see Mrs. Baudelaire's true colors.

Hazel's POV

I couldn't believe him! Why was he telling Mum? If she found out and went to Principal Smithfield (who wouldn't do anything) it would make it a lot worse for me. Didn't he realize that? No.

Of course my brother was being overprotective (once again). It wasn't like it was a life or death situation it was two years…what was the big deal over two years right?

But no of course Edward was freaking out about it like he always did.

Later that night as I was in my nightgown and getting ready for bed Edward came into my room and I just stared at him.

"Hayz…I'm sorry I just…I don't think it's normal the way your teacher treats you." He said.

I stared at him "Do you have any idea what she will do to me if mama suspects something and goes to the Principal she will beat the living hell out of me! She's done it before!" I said.

"Wait…what? She's beaten you?" Edward asked his voice sounding both concerned and appalled. I slowly nodded "how many times?"

I held up a two and a zero to look like "20" and Edward's eyes were wide as he stood horrified. "Are you serious?" he asked and I nodded again.

"That little…alright on the first day of school I'm bringing an axe to school and chop that woman's head off!" he said angrily.

"Stop overreacting it's not a big deal" I said softly.

"Yes it is Hazel that woman isn't your mother…you are respectful to her right? So therefore she has no reason to beat you." Edward said. I smiled and was just happy I had a brother who was sane.

September 3, 1913

Today was my first day of second grade…goody! Not I was happy I would get to see Marilynn but not happy that I had to see Mrs. Baudelaire.

"Hello children I am so happy that we will be together for another two years and let's give a nice warm welcome to our new kindergarteners" Mrs. Baudelaire said and of course she treated all of them like royalty.

She said hello to the first graders, us second graders, and the third graders. Every kid in the class except me who she referred to again as "tree" I could feel myself getting angry but controlled myself.

Marilynn and I played after school and I felt my anger slowly come to ease but not fully. It would get better when I talked to Edward.

The school year went on and in January of 1914 mama had her meeting with Mrs. Baudelaire.

January 14, 1914

Edward and I are sitting outside of the classroom and I hear Mrs. Baudelaire shouting at mama about what a horrible child I am and how I disrupt and disturb all of her classes. Mama disagrees and says that I would never do that and I am happy that Mrs. Baudelaire is being put in her place.

"But you don't understand Mrs. Masen Hazel attacked four of my best students in class one day. She just went at them clawing and scratching you should've been there." Mrs. Baudelaire was saying.

"If Hazel attacks the other children supposedly then how come she is the one that comes home with bruises every day from school!" my mother was starting to get impatient.

"Self-defense…the other students are allowed to that." Mrs. Baudelaire said and I could see her smiling a smug smile.

My mother sighed angrily "so you're telling me that Hazel is a raving lunatic who attacks other children?"

"Yes I think you should consider either putting her down or putting her in a mental facility." She said smugly again.

"Are you being serious?" My mother asked and Mrs. Baudelaire nodded.

"That will be all thank you."

My mother walked out of the classroom her beat up shoes dragged on the floor and Edward ran to comfort her as he could tell she was appalled by my teacher's words.

"Hazel…you don't really attack students in class do you?" Mama asked.

"Of course she doesn't mama she's not a raving lunatic" Edward said and my mother kissed his head.

"Now I know what you were talking about that night at dinner" she said and Edward just nodded.

"Well that woman has the nerve to suggest that I 'put you down or in a mental facility' in my opinion she's the one who should be there." Mama said.

I sighed "well what are we going to do now?"

"Well we can talk to Principal Smithfield about this…"Mama said but I cut her off.

"Mama! Principal Smithfield is a ninny who doesn't care about his students or his school at all. Chances are he'll tell Mrs. Baudelaire and she'll mock me even more." I said.

"Hazel, don't call someone a ninny and I don't think it's a good idea for you to be in that woman's class she seems insane" Mama said.

"I agree" Edward said and I rolled my eyes.

"Well I think I can handle going for another year" I said.

"Or we can transfer you to the fourth grade class" Mama said.

"Mama! I'm a second grader I'll be fine for third grade" I said.

"Are you sure Hazel Lucy Masen?" Mama asked.

"Yes" I said and she sighed.

Edward gasped.

"Edward I don't think that this is a good idea either but it sort of is Hazel's choice since she's the one who is going to be dealing with this." Mama said.

"Alright" Edward grumbled.

Later that night Edward came into my room "are you even the slightest bit offended by anything Mrs. Baudelaire said about you?"

"Yes more than the slightest bit" I said and he chuckled.

"I love you Hazel" I said.

"Love you too Eddie" I said he smiled before blowing out the candle in my room and going to his room. I lay there thinking how this experience was going to come in handy when I got older…it would make a stronger person out of Hazel Lucy Masen.

PLEASE REVIEW!