Rachelli flushed. She wanted to answer back, defend herself or say something, but then she realized it was true

"Your sketchbook,” Mrs. Hertz repeated stiffly. “Which was confiscated. Because you were drawing in it.”

Up close, suddenly, her former aunt didn’t seem so scary, just weary. Rachelli nodded, trying to look apologetic. “I… I didn’t think the teacher would mind.”

Mrs. Hertz’s eyebrows jumped up, and she looked a little like her old self. “Wouldn’t mind? That you were involved in other activities during class? I don’t believe that’s a good-enough excuse.”

Rachelli twisted her fingers together and clenched her hands tight. Her sketchbook. Surely Mrs. Hertz wouldn’t refuse to return it?

“Sorry,” she muttered. “I— everyone was talking. I wasn’t talking. I can listen while I draw. I always do.”

“But a substitute teacher doesn’t know that.” Mrs. Hertz turned for a moment, and Rachelli’s heart jumped in dismay, but then the teacher reappeared, holding the precious sketchbook.

“You can take it back now. I hope you’ve learned your lesson, and you’ll make sure it never happens again.”

Rachelli nodded fervently. Her fingers unknotted, reached for the sketchbook, but Mrs. Hertz held it back one moment longer. “I had a look through this,” she said, offhandedly. “You are a very talented girl.”

Rachelli blinked. Had she heard right?

“It would be great if you showed that kind of talent elsewhere, as well,” Mrs. Hertz continued, her tone as cool as ever.

Rachelli flushed. She wanted to answer back, defend herself or say something, but then she realized it was true. She hadn’t turned her talents to Yahadus this year. Miss Steinfeld had noticed, too; she’d been different, and it wasn’t only her teacher’s fault. She’d played right into the awkwardness between them, acted out, made it worse.

She closed her mouth, clutching the sketchbook tightly. After looking away and taking a step back, she blurted out, “I’m sorry.”

Mrs. Hertz’s face, when she dared to peek, had softened. The creases left her forehead and Rachelli suddenly noticed the deep green of her eyes, inside the black eyeliner.

“That’s okay,” Mrs. Hertz said. “There’s still a few months left to make a change.”

But there was something gentler in her voice, not the hard edge that Rachelli had expected. Perhaps Mrs. Hertz meant it for both of them.