Finding a way back to her!

It started with an empty seat. Becky Armstrong walked into class, expecting the usual sight of Freen buried in her books, glasses perched neatly on her nose. But instead, the seat beside Becky was glaringly vacant. Freen had been absent for two days already, and Becky couldn’t help but feel a strange pang of concern. Freen was always there—quiet, focused, and entirely predictable. Her absence left the classroom feeling oddly incomplete.

By the third day, Becky’s curiosity had turned into worry. She had sent Freen several messages in their school group chat, but as expected, Freen hadn’t replied. Becky sighed as she walked down the hallway, her mind swirling with questions about her enigmatic classmate.

That’s when she overheard it—the muffled voices drifting out of the teachers’ room. Becky wasn’t one for eavesdropping, but hearing Freen’s name pulled her to a halt.

“Ah, so peaceful without her constant correcting,” Ms. Ploy, the history teacher, said with a chuckle. “I can actually teach without being interrupted by her facts.”

“I’ll admit,” another voice chimed in, “it’s nice not feeling humiliated in front of the class. Did you hear she has viral fever? Poor thing—though I suppose a break from school is good for everyone.”

Becky’s eyebrows shot up. Viral fever? Freen hadn’t mentioned anything about being sick, but then again, Freen wasn’t exactly the type to share.

“It’s only Ms. Janjira who’s fussing over her,” Ms. Ploy continued, rolling her eyes. “She treats Freen like she’s her own child.”

“Don’t forget, Janjira and Freen’s family are friends,” the literature teacher said knowingly. “That’s why Freen gets all the attention. Favoritism, if you ask me.”

Becky frowned. She had seen how Ms. Janjira, their math teacher, cared for Freen, but it was hardly favoritism. Becky knew Ms. Janjira genuinely looked out for Freen, and it wasn’t fair for the other teachers to judge her.

Becky shook her head as she walked away. She didn’t like confrontation, but she hated the idea of Freen being the subject of such gossip—even from teachers. At the very least, Becky knew one thing for sure: she missed her quiet, nerdy classmate.

---

After a week of absence, Freen finally returned to school. Becky spotted her immediately as she walked into the classroom, her face pale but her posture stiff and proper as always. Becky couldn’t resist waving. “Hey! You’re back. Feeling better?”

Freen nodded curtly, her voice soft. “Yes.”

Becky wanted to say more, but their math teacher, Ms. Janjira, swept into the room with her usual commanding presence.

“Good morning, everyone,” Ms. Janjira began, her voice sharp. “First order of business: submit your homework from last week.”

The classroom froze. Homework? The murmurs of panic spread quickly—none of the students had completed it, not Becky, not Freen, not anyone. Becky winced as Ms. Janjira’s eyes narrowed.

“No homework?” she repeated, her tone laced with warning. “Not one of you?”

Her gaze fell on Freen, who looked genuinely confused. “Freen?” Ms. Janjira asked pointedly. “I assume you haven’t completed it either?”

Freen hesitated, her brow furrowing slightly. “I wasn’t aware of the homework,” she replied honestly. “I was on leave.”

“Well,” Ms. Janjira said, her lips pressing into a thin line, “you all know the consequences.”

Gasps rippled through the room as realization dawned. Becky’s stomach sank. Ms. Janjira’s punishment was infamous—a light slap on the hand with her ruler. While it wasn’t painful, the humiliation was enough to ensure students wouldn’t forget their assignments in the future.

---

The class reluctantly lined up, each student extending their hand for the ruler slap. Becky grimaced as her turn came, wincing at the sting more from embarrassment than from the impact. When it was Freen’s turn, she stepped forward quietly, her expression unreadable.

“Freen, you’re not exempt just because you were on leave,” Ms. Janjira said firmly. “Homework assignments are your responsibility, whether you’re present or not.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Freen replied, her tone steady. Becky noticed the faintest flicker of irritation in her friend’s eyes—a rare but telling reaction from Freen.

Ms. Janjira brought the ruler down lightly on Freen’s hand, though her expression softened as she did. Freen accepted it without protest, but as she walked back to her seat, Becky heard her mutter under her breath, “Never have family friends as teachers.”

Becky bit back a laugh, trying to focus on her own stinging palm.

---

Later that evening, Ms. Janjira arrived at Freen’s house, her expression one of genuine remorse. Freen’s mother greeted her warmly, but her smile faded as Ms. Janjira explained the reason for her visit.

“I need to apologize,” Ms. Janjira said, sounding uncharacteristically sheepish. “I punished Freen today for missing an assignment, but I realize now that it wasn’t fair. She was sick, and there was no way she could have known about the homework.”

Freen’s mother folded her arms, her brow furrowing slightly. “You punished her when she was recovering from a fever?”

Ms. Janjira sighed, running a hand through her hair. “I didn’t want to appear biased,” she admitted. “There’s been talk among the staff about favoritism, and I didn’t want Freen to be singled out.”

“So instead, you punished her unfairly?” Freen’s mother countered, her tone sharp.

“I thought it was the best solution at the time,” Ms. Janjira said softly. “But I was wrong. Freen didn’t deserve it, and I want her to know that.”

Freen, who had been listening from the doorway, stepped into the room. “It’s fine,” she said, her voice quiet but firm.

Ms. Janjira blinked in surprise. “You’re not upset?”

Freen sighed, her expression one of exasperation. “I’m used to it. Having family friends as teachers is... complicated.”

Ms. Janjira chuckled lightly, though guilt still lingered in her eyes. “I promise to be more thoughtful moving forward.”

Freen nodded, the faintest smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “Thank you.”

---

The next day at school, Becky wasted no time teasing Freen about her “family-friendly punishment,” but Freen merely rolled her eyes, muttering, “Never again.”

Despite the chaos of the week, Becky couldn’t help but admire Freen’s quiet resilience. And maybe, just maybe, Freen appreciated Becky’s unwavering support—even if she’d never say it out loud.

Is the story good? Some of the scenes are inspired by the events that happened during school days :) hope you are enjoying!!!