Cumnock School - Chronicle Yearbook (Los Angeles, CA)

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L l T E R A T U R E The girls' mouths popped open, releasing quick gasps. They knew jes- sica had a plan, but they never dreamed she would think of a thing like this. A guilty conscience spoke up: But-but if the baskets aren't done nicely, why think how awful Miss Bates will feel. jessica snapped at the insignificant child ,... lt'll just serve her right. l've done beautifully every year. Why should she get fussy about an old election? No, baskets or no baskets, we'll show her what we think of her idea of elections. Think what sport it will be to see Sophie floundering under the sudden responsibility. lt was settled. The fun was about to set in. Like a pack of ravenous wolves the girls streamed out of the sitting room door and pounced upon the door of Number Sixteen. They knocked. Sophie timidly acknowledged the sudden, frightening interruption and opened the door. Her heart was torn between sinking with fright and soaring with joy when she saw that all of the girls were swarming to her room. jessica sweetly said: Sophie, we girls have just held our election. Like lead Sophie's heart sought out her shoes. They had not even both- ered to wait for her vote. Unmoved by Sophie's crushed expression, jessica raced on: All of the girls have reached a decision. You are to be chairman! Sophie had been so completely disheartened that jessica's words failed to penetrate her miserable sadness. Raising her authoritative voice jessica repeated her statement: Sophie! You are chairman! Wake up. lt'll take more than a dead head to handle all of this responsibility. Think of the honor, Sophie-YOU chairman! The little blood that had remained in her head flew against her tem- ples, sending flashes and sinking feelings all through her body. Her cheeks burned and throbbedg all in a minute her saddened numbness had burst into a happy living flame. She could make no reply, but stood propped against the door. Well, Sophie! Really if you would rather not . . . 88

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L I T E R A T U R E out even a suggestion that jessica be chairman. Such a waste of time, chirped one of the girls, and another said in a disgusted tone, Surel The sooner jessica's elected the sooner she can get started. All of this time Sophie had said nothing. She had stood glued to the wall. Tonight even Miss Bates had noticed the dejected figure pressed against the wall. Praying for assistance from Cod to help her leave without being seen by the others, she forced her unwilling legs to move. Noiselessly she slipped out of the room. The last bell had finished ringing. Sophie closed her math book and began to prepare for the long and dreaded afternoon. The time from the three o'clock bell until time to dress for dinner would drag. lt seemed to Sophie as she walked from the room and up the stairs to her room that it had been a life-time since last night. Those dreadful feelings she had had standing there against the sitting room walll Something within her was tell- ing her she just couldn't go into that place again. As she came to the head of the stairs, she saw some girls enter the sitting room. Her mind was made up. She would seek the peace and safety of her own room. She would rath- er sit there and watch the two hands of her alarm clock have a tug of war against time, than go in a room with a group of people of which she could never be a part. She had tried, but she was different. She felt, as she closed her little door against crying, that she could never be like jessica. Everyone liked jessica. She was pretty. People never tried to close her out from them. They all wanted her to be a part of them. Imagine Sophie ever a part of any- thing. :': :': :js :': :': :'C The girls' sitting room was a great deal cheerier than Number Sixteen. Ripples of laughter slid up and down the walls. jessica was speaking rapidly. All right, if Miss Bates wants an election we'll have one. We'll make her wish she'd let us have who we wanted for chairman. l've got itg this one will get the results all right. Tonight when the election comes we'll elect Sophie! 87

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L I T E R A T U R E Oh, yes, oh, I would, I-I . . . Tears were fast assembling, ready to charge, fording their way until the very holding them back caused a tight contracted feeling in her throat. I am very glad you will be our chairman, Sophie. With this statement jessica led her little flock back to the sitting room. Closing the door like a person in a daze, Sophie walked to the bed and sat down. All inside she was beating with joy. In her whole miserable life she had never been at the head of anything .... They liked her, they must like herl Didn't they want her to be their chairman? Had she at last found something to fit into rather than to cling desperately to the outside, always with that terrorized feeling that at any moment she might be forced to let loose her grip and fall far down into the depths of loneliness. All the awful lonely years of her life marched through her mind, gloating tyrants, that had held her their prisoner for so long. But now she was free. Was she to be happy as other people were? The almost forgotten tears, feeling their neglect, stormed over the walls, splashing dangerously into Sophie's lap. These tears sparkled, for they were the liquid expression of her joy. Sophie's new responsibility stimulated her into an active being. She no longer dreaded her long days. The hours rushed, carrying with them many tasks, Sophie didn't realize that so many things could be accomplished in one day. From the top floor to the basement, madly she dashed all day from morning until night. From the first the girls refused to cooperate with her, but from an un- known source there sprang up in Sophie a self-assurance which amazed her as well as the girls. She had sat down that night after election and formed her plan. At the time she scarcely realized what she was doing, but she had mastered hrself and carried out her plans. Now the baskets were finished. A few minutes before they were to be called for, Sophie went into the back room of the office, where her crisp baskets stood. She inspected each one separately. When she had looked at and fondled the last basket, she had a feeling of achievement which at first shocked her. Half talking aloud to her- self she straightened it all out. She had without any assistance from the girls carried out her assignment perfectly. Sophie had not noticed the neglect of 89