Sammy was panicked. She didn't realize how fast thirty minutes could go by. It felt like she had only sat down for a minute. But it didn't matter now. She was late, and soon enough her mom was going to find out
She quickly grabbed all of her stuff, locked the door, and started running to school. She was always late for the school bus, but they usually waited for her. When she was this late, though, she had no choice but to run.
By the time she reached the school doors, her backpack felt heavier than ever. Her heart was pounding as she rushed down the hallway toward her classroom.
When she finally got there, she burst through the door.
"Welcome to your first day of Grade 4!" was written in big, cheerful letters across the chalkboard. It did not feel cheerful.
Mr. Daniels was standing at the front of the room in the middle of a lesson. The second Sammy stepped inside, the whole class turned to look at her. A few kids started snickering. Someone whispered, "Wow." Her face burned. Mr. Daniels raised his hand, and the room went quiet. "Sammy," he said firmly, "principal's office. Now." "Way to make a first impression," Sammy thought as she turned around and walked back into the hallway.
As she walked, her embarrassment slowly turned into sadness. If Margo were still here, none of this would have happened. They would have been laughing together before class. Maybe Margo would have reminded her about the time. Maybe she wouldn't have even gone back upstairs to her dollhouse.
But Margo wasn't here. Margo was in New York. And Sammy was walking alone to the principal's office in her very sad, very Margo-less life. When she reached the office, she noticed something strange.
The door was wide open. Mrs. Carter was usually sitting behind her desk, typing loudly or talking on the phone. But today, the chair was empty. Sammy hesitated in the doorway.
"Hello?" she called softly. No answer.
The office felt too quiet. Even the ticking clock on the wall sounded louder than usual. She stepped inside. On the principal's desk sat a bright pink folder. Her name was written on it in thick black marker.
SAMMY. Her stomach dropped. Just then, she heard footsteps behind her. "Well," said a calm voice, "I was wondering when you'd get here."
Sammy slowly turned around. Mrs. Carter was standing in the doorway, holding a clipboard and looking directly at her. "I think we need to talk," the principal said. Sammy swallowed. This was not how she imagined her first day of Grade 4 would go.