Country Boy, City Girl [LHotP Fan Fiction]

Chapter Eight: Four Years Later

Tears ran down Willie's cheeks as he made his way to the corner one last time. He wasn't crying because he was going to the corner. No, everyone in the school was feeling the same Willie was, because Laura no longer going to be the teacher in Walnut Grove. Laura Ingalls-Wilder had just introduced Miss Etta Plum as the new school mistress. Willie had asked Laura to send him to the corner one last time, for old time's sake. He was also using this as an excuse to hide the fact that he was crying.

He turned around just in time to see Laura walk out and a new girl rush in. She took off her sunbonnet, which was covering her long, wavy, dark-brown hair.

"Am I too late?" she asked, staying near the back of the room.

"No," Miss Plum replied, "you're right on time. You can get acquainted with the other students later. Do you have books from your other school?"

"No, I didn't bring them. But I am finishing grammar, history....I'm in the final reader, and in arithmetic I am learning algebra."

"Alright, then you may take that desk right there in the back. You can share books with Willie Oleson." Miss Plum turned and looked at Willie. "Willie, how long do you normally stay in the corner?"

Willie, who had turned around, replied "As long as the teacher decides."

Miss Plum smiled "You may return to your seat then," she said. "Please sit in the back with our new student."

Willie turned slowly and started walking towards the back of the room. As he was about to sit down, he made eye contact with the new girl. She bit her lip as she smiled shyly. Why did this smile seem so familiar? Willie couldn't believe his eyes, he smiled back at her and sat beside her. A moment later she slipped him a note.

It said: Can we talk at lunch? Esther.

Willie quickly wrote a reply and gave it back to her. Esther opened it and read it to herself.

Under the trees at the back of the school-house, Willie.

***

"You may go to lunch now," said Miss Plum, closing her book.

the students all stood up and began to file out the door with their lunch pails. Willie grabbed his lunch pail and went out the back door, near the corner and the teacher's desk. He looked around, making sure no one would notice him and ran to the far end of the school yard. A moment later, Esther came.

"You're so tall," she said after they embraced. "Has it really been four years?"

"Yes," Willie replied as they sat under a tree. "I was going to send you a letter after school let out. I thought you forgot to reply. And here you are."

"I wanted to bring you a face-to-face reply. You deserved it after that last letter."

Willie smiled and took out his ginger cake from his lunch pail. "Does Laura and Almanzo know you're here?" he asked.

"No," Esther replied, nibbling at her butter bread. "I arrived yesterday and kept a very low profile. I'm staying in one of the rooms above the post office."

"Did your folks finally say you could come here again?"

"They don't even know I'm gone. I haven't seen them since December. After I left last time, my folks left for Europe. That's where they've been for the past four years. Only coming to visit for Christmas and Thanksgiving. I've been miserable and the housekeeper couldn't take it any longer. She gave me free will to go where I please. My parents are most likely to return in the summer, so that's when I'll leave."