Maybe She Won’t Be So Afraid
Posey walked slowly down the blue hall.
What if Miss Lee had on her grouchy face again today? Posey would forget the right words.
She made her stiff legs walk up to the desk.
“Miss Lee?” she said.
“Good morning, Posey.” Miss Lee smiled. “You look serious today.”
Miss Lee had on her happy face.
“Miss Lee, you put Poinky in the Consequences Drawer,” Posey said. “She’s afraid of the dark.”
“Poinky?” Miss Lee looked puzzled. “Oh. Your little animal.”
“She fell out of my pocket,” said Posey. “It was an accident.”
“It’s always an accident,” Miss Lee said in her understanding voice.
“But you only gave me one warning,” Posey said. “You’re supposed to give three.”
“That’s true,” Miss Lee said. “I am.”
“You said Poinky has to be there till Friday, but Poinky’s only a baby.” Posey’s mouth got trembly. “She doesn’t know what Friday is.”
She put the small box on Miss Lee’s desk.
“If you put her in here, she might not be so afraid,” Posey said.
Miss Lee looked at Poinky’s bed. Then back at Posey.
“I guess consequences sometimes hurt other people, don’t they?” said Miss Lee.
Posey nodded.
Miss Lee sighed. “Yesterday was a bad day for me,” she said.
“Me too,” said Posey.
Miss Lee smiled.
“I had a terrible headache all day,” she said. “And I was annoyed because so many of you have been playing with your toys.”
Posey didn’t say anything.
“But that’s no excuse.” Miss Lee pulled out her bottom right-hand drawer. “I broke my own rule. I should have given you three warnings.”
Posey couldn’t believe her eyes. Miss Lee took Poinky out of the drawer and put her in the little bed.
Poinky was free!
“Poinky is very lucky to have someone like you,” said Miss Lee. She held out the bed. “Put her where she’ll be safe until the end of the day.”
“Okay. Thank you, Miss Lee,” Posey said.
She gripped Poinky and the bed tight in her hand.
She went to her cubby and pushed Poinky to the very far back.
She would never bring her to school again.
She would never, ever, ever let another treasure end up in the Consequences Drawer.