Dear Jem,

I won't bother asking you how Europe is because I already know it's beyond miserable. The tone of your writing in your last letter to us let me know the horrible conditions that are taking over the news are not exaggeration. How I wish the world could just learn to get along. I wish things like this were as simple as telling one country to another that they are sorry, shake on never bothering one another again and going on their way. I wish you could come home and we can be happy and just forget that the world was ever going to hell in a handbasket. Why do I have a feeling you and I and everybody knows it's going to be a long, long time before that happens? Maybe by the grace of God we're wrong.

You wouldn't believe the day I've had today. Me and Dill were caught by Cal lying on my bed together. Absolutely nothing happened Jem, believe me. The main reason she freaked out was due to the fact the top part of my dress was unbuttoned and Dill had his shirt off. Did she forget it's Maycomb, Alabama and it gets like a million degrees here in the summer? Cal snipped off my buttons. You read that right, Jem, snipped them off with scissors. She made me go to dinner like that with Atticus and Dill. When Dill finally explained the situation to Atticus, he took it a lot better than I thought he would. He told me I could go change and Cal offered to sew my buttons back on. She apologize to me and I somewhat took it after I told her how bad she hurt my feelings. I haven't seen her since, Dill delivered my dress back to me, buttons and all before he took off to his Aunt's house for the night. I hope I didn't mean to hurt her feelings back but I thought that was pretty low of her to do. I could see Old Mrs. Dubose doing something like that but not her. Speaking of, I wonder if she ever made it to heaven? She may still be in purgatory because the devil's scared of her! Just trying to make you laugh here.

Love you,

Scout

I was just about to put my letter in an envelope until I had heard Atticus talking to someone outside. Curiousity ended up getting the better of me and I went to the window to see who he was talking to. It was none other than Miss Maudie Atkinson and they were both sitting on the swing. It didn't take me long to realize that they were talking about Cal and me.

"Maudie," Atticus said. "I love and appreciate Cal; heaven knows where we'd be without her. I've always trusted her judgement when it came to teaching the kids right from wrong while I was gone and how she went about teaching them a lesson. This is the first time where I think she stepped out of line."

"Well, she probably just got scared that they were fooling around," Maudie tried to reason. "She probably wasn't thinking clearly."

"Listen, I don't like the idea that my daughter's finding out what love feels like so young. I definitely am not crazy about the fact that she was found lying in bed with Dill. Yet, on the other hand, I knew this day would come and I know she has to figure this out for herself."

"I agree," Maudie said. "You just have to trust her and I believe you can. You have to trust Dill, too. The fact that he stayed with her and didn't run away shows that he doesn't have anything to hide."

"That's what I thought, too. I almost thank God it's Dill that she's going through this with. They have been friends ever since they were little people and I think he truly has a place in his heart for my girl."

My heart felt like it was going to explode. I never heard him refer to me as "his girl". I'm so lucky to have a father who loves me like he does. I run to my desk to grab my letter and pen.

P.S- Isn't Atticus the best father that ever lived?

That was when I heard them laughing and I ran back over to see what the fuss was about. I smile at the sight of my father laughing; it's actually been a while since I've seen or heard him do that. What Maudie did next shocked me: she unbuttoned the top part of her dress and wrapped her arm around Atticus.

"Hey, this could be fun," Maudie teased.

"Save it for Jack," Atticus joked, ever the gentleman.

"You're no fun," Maudie said with a playful punch to Atticus' shoulder. She then buttoned her dress back up and gave my father a kiss on the cheek. I only stayed long enough to watch Atticus kiss her cheek back and then ran back to my letter.

P.S.S- Miss Maudie is so fiesty!