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."
Willie looked own at the ground, he didn't want her to leave. But at least she'd stay till the summer.
"I'm glad you came back," he said, handing Esther a piece of licorice.
She smiled and bit the licorice. "I'm glad, too."
He chuckled and she giggled as they finished their lunches.
When school was dismissed, Willie decided to go with Esther to get her things from her room above the post office. He had insisted that she stay at Nellie's Restaurant and Hotel, that way they could catch up more. Willie was running the place now; Mrs. Oleson had built the place for Nellie's graduation gift shortly after Esther had left. But now Nellie was married and living in New York with her husband.
"Willie!"
"Oh no," he groaned and turned around. "Yes, Nancy?"
A little girl with bouncy blonde curls came running up to them. "We're all going swimming at the pond," she said, looking at Esther. "Jeb and some of the other kids are going. The new girl can come, too."
Esther stayed silent. She felt as if this girl had a claim on Willie. Was he her beau?
"Nancy," Willie scolded with irritation. "Esther is a human being. Miss Plum introduced her right before recess. You don't need to treat people as if they were inferior to you." He turned to Esther. "Would you like to go swimming?"
Esther looked hesitantly at Nancy, who was clearly irritated with her existence.
"I have to...." she trailed off, looking down at her feet. "Willie, we can catch up some other time. You go swimming."
Willie felt a sudden sting in his chest, the perfect excuse to tell Nancy off. But he didn't.
"You run on ahead, Nancy," he said, taking Nancy's books. "I'll take these to the house, then I'll be right behind you."
Nancy released a small huff covered by a fake sigh, and she ran after the group of kids. Willie motioned for Esther to keep going. He noticed that she kept her gaze to the ground. He wondered what she was thinking about. After had gotten her things they returned to Nellie's. Willie took her satchel upstairs to a room then came back down and they were met by the cook, Hester-Sue.
"Esther," said Willie, "this is Hester-Sue, she started working here a year and a half ago. Hester-Sue, this is Esther Wilder, Almanzo's cousin. She's staying in Walnut Grove for a while."
"Its nice to meet you," Esther said, shaking the woman's soft hand.
"Likewise," replied Hester-Sue with a friendly smile. "I just pulled a pie out of the oven, would you two like a slice?"
Willie and Esther nodded, Hester-Sue smiled and went into the kitchen. Willie led Esther to a table and pulled out a chair for her to sit.
"So," said Willie after Hester-Sue brought them their pie. "Are you still a 'little adult'?"
Esther laughed softly "My brain stopped growing," she replied, taking a bite of pie. "And my body finally caught up."
"And.....why have your parents been in Europe for so long?"
She shrugged and laid down her fork. "I don't really know, and I don't care. I haven't had to make them see me do what they'd like to see me doing. You what they tried to do this past Christmas? They actually tried to marry me off." She made a disgusted look. "Thank goodness I turned down the proposal."
Willie fought back a smile - he couldn't think of a reason why she would do such a thing. He cleared his throat.
"Tell me," he said, leaning forward. "What were your reasons to not accept the proposal? I know you try to do what your folks expect of you."
Esther smiled "Mr. Burns was a very gangling young man," she explained, leaning forward as well. "His nose was nearly a full four inches long-" Willie started to laugh "-and that's not the worst part. He wore spectacles that were just as thick!"
They both laughed a good while, until tears fell from their eyes. It felt good to laugh.
"There must've been something else," Willie said after they had caught their breath.
Esther's smile faded as she bit her lip. What would he say if she told him? And what about Nancy?
"Do you promise not to laugh?" she asked, hesitating to say anything just yet. "And do you promise not to be angry if it is something that offends you? And do you promise not to tell anyone?"
Willie'e expression softened as he nodded. "I promise," he replied.
Esther nodded slowly and looked at her hands. "Can we go somewhere else? I'd prefer if no one else heard."
Willie stood immediately and grabbed the plates to bring them in the kitchen. When he returned he took his school books and left them on the stairs, but he kept one book. He then helped Esther from her chair and left her lunch pail with his books. As they walked outside, Esther couldn't see how Willie could be someone's beau and be so eager to go with her freely.
They walked to the creek that was near the Wilder house, and sat in the lush green grass.
"You take your time," Willie said as he opened to the marked page of his book. "There's no rush, I like just sitting here with you."
"But what about Nancy," Esther asked, looking at her hands.
"What about Nancy?" he didn't look up from the book.
"Isn't she, like, your....."
Willie put the book down. "Nancy is my adopted sister," he explained. "Ma was depressed after Nellie and Percival moved to New York, and Doc told Pa that all she needed was someone to replace the missing piece."
"Oh," was all Esther could say.
Willie smiled and went back to his book. Esther stared at it in disbelief. Was it possible that he still read the book she'd given him?
A while passed before had built up the courage to tell Willie the truth.
"Willie," she said, biting her lip a little. "The reason I didn't accept Mr. Burns' proposal....It was ....... because......" she sighed, Willie put the book aside. "Willie, I still have a crush on someone, and I don't know if he feels the same for me."
"Tell me about him," Willie said, anticipation rising inside of him. "What's he like?"
Esther sighed and looked into his blue eyes. "He's a very likable person," she said, unable to look away as she began to describe exactly what she was seeing. He's tall, but not so tall that you'd get intimidated. He's handsome; sweet, caring, and blue eyes. He has brown hair, a shade lighter then mine. And... He's always misunderstood because he's always getting into trouble for being himself..... like Tom Sawyer."
Willie couldn't believe it, all he could do was stare back at Esther's twinkling eyes. They sat staring at each other, until Willie broke the silence.
"I've been in love with a girl who is like Becky Thatcher," he said without missing a beat. "I barely knew her when she left, but I was able to learn more about her by mail. And then, today, she came back."
A smile broke out on Esther's face, Willie smiled back. The smiles grew as they leaned towards each other, closing their eyes. Willie touched his lips to Esther's.