{"id":14143,"date":"2003-08-03T08:42:32","date_gmt":"2003-08-03T12:42:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=14143"},"modified":"2025-02-27T12:07:47","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T17:07:47","slug":"elbow-to-elbow-by-krystyna","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=14143","title":{"rendered":"Elbow to Elbow (by Krystyna)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary<\/strong>: Little Joe has a problem with the new student at school, and Miss Jones proves to be no help whatsoever… but it all leads to what if’s and if only’s in the end.<\/p>\n

Rating: \u00a0G \u00a0(1,910 words)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Elbow to Elbow<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She did not have red hair. Well, most of the class instantly decided that she did but so far as Lucy Allsopp was concerned her hair was NOT red. A coppery gold perhaps, or in her more fanciful moments a rich titian. She had no idea as she stood demurely in front of the class that most of the children there were already sketching her as a little matchstick figure with RED hair.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sixteen pairs of eyes devoured her as Miss Jones introduced her to the class. She stood hoping that no one would notice that her knees were knocking together and that she had to hold really tightly to her slate and books to stop her hands shaking. She kept her eyes cast down, and waited for Miss Jones\u2019 monologue to come to an end. She knew the class wished Miss Jones would stop talking as there came the distinct sound of shuffling feet and scuffling papers.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cVery well, Lucy, you may go to your seat.\u201d Miss Jones smiled at her new student and with a wave of the hand indicated that Miss Allsopp could join the class.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joseph Cartwright swallowed hard as he glanced rapidly around the class room. He knew that he had an empty chair beside him and without understanding why he did it, he tried to spread himself over two seats in order to prevent her from taking the seat. It wasn\u2019t that he disliked her, after all, he didn\u2019t know her, but he didn\u2019t want to have her sitting next to him. It wasn\u2019t just the red hair that put him off, but the freckles. He didn\u2019t have anything against freckles, after all he had his fair share of them, but this girl \u2026 she was just one mass of freckles.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She paused now in the centre of the aisle, hesitantly looking around her and wondering where to sit. The boy with the thick mop of hair and freckles certainly didn\u2019t seem to want her anywhere near him. She pulled some spectacles from her pocket and carefully placed them on her nose, pulling the thin wires over and behind her ears so that she could see more clearly to the back of the room.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The boy with the thick mop of hair glanced up and stared at her. He had hazel eyes and long lashes, and was really a nice looking boy, but his stubborn line of a mouth and jutting out chin indicated once again that the seat next to him, which he seemed to be trying to claim as his own, was not available.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cLucy – take your seat so that we can get on with the lesson, please.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Miss Jones.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

There was nothing more to be said, in a flurry she quickly took the first seat that was available, even though the boy tried valiantly to prevent her from doing so.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Realising that nothing was going to prevent her from taking the seat Little Joe edged back into his own, and scowled. He hadn\u2019t meant to be unkind, to make her first day there harder than it already had been, he didn\u2019t want her to think he was mean and selfish, it was just that having her seated by his side was going to present problems. He knew it would, because anyone sitting next to him always produced problems.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

So they sat elbow to elbow in the classroom. Little Joe’s elbow would nudge Lucy Allsopps and she would tut and mutter because his elbow would jog her elbow and cause her writing to go squiggly and scratchy. Sometimes Little Joe would tut and mutter beneath his breath because while he was thinking of something to write down she would start writing and jog his elbow and make his writing, when he got down to it, all spidery and untidy. It was just the problem he had anticipated and dreaded.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph Cartwright\u201d Miss Jones murmured in that sultry voice of hers, \u201cwhat kind of work do you call this?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cBut, Miss Jones, it ain\u2019t -\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIsn\u2019t -\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He sighed, and shook his head<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIt isn\u2019t my fault, that girl -\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cLucy Allsopp?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, well, she keeps jogging my arm and making me write bad.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNonsense, Joseph, you just aren\u2019t concentrating. A bad workman always blames his tools. Now take this work home tonight and rewrite it all out as it should be done.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe meekly took his scrap of paper and dragged himself back to his desk. It was hardly his fault that he was left handed, and it didn\u2019t exactly make life easy being so either, there were all kinds of problems that came with being left handed, but his Ma had never forced him to change his left to his right, because she believed that this caused more damage than good. Head in hands and staring at his written work Joe wondered whether or not Ma had been right.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When Miss Jones looked at Lucy\u2019s work she shook her head and sighed, obviously she now had two exceptionally untidy pupils offering her appallingly bad written work. When Lucy whined that Joe caused her bad writing because he jogged her she was told not to whine and be more lady like which confused her because she could not see where etiquette came into the question.<\/p>\n

Adam Cartwright dismounted from his horse and glanced up and down the street as though to make sure that it was clear for a quick getaway. This was the third time in a week that Miss Jones had summoned him with regard to Joe\u2019s work and general demeanour in class. He adjusted his hat and licked his lips before taking the pathway to the school in long strides and reaching the door just as Miss Jones opened it wide for him to enter into the schoolroom.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe sat with his head hung down and his hands listlessly twisting his hat round and round between his fingers. He didn\u2019t look up as Adam approached him, after all he recognised his brother\u2019s footsteps well enough<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s he done this time?\u201d Adam asked the school teacher with his hat between his hands, the brim of which he tapped impatiently with his long fingers.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s turning in scrappy work and accusing the new pupil of being the cause.\u201d Abigail\u2019s voice was at its most prim and prissy, and Adam heaved a sigh as he glanced at his little brother, \u201cMiss Allsopp is a very promising student, and his behaviour is having a bad effect on her, a very bad effect.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIt ain\u2019t -\u201d Joe piped up shrilly.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIsn\u2019t -\u201d Abigail and Adam retorted which quelled the rebel in Joe who slunk immediately back into his chair.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve told him,\u201d Abigail folded her hands neatly into her skirts and drew herself ramrod straight, \u201ca bad workman always blames his tools, but it\u2019s not made a blind bit of difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adam frowned and sighed again, he put out a hand and touched his brother on the shoulder, Joe looked up hopefully,<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cC\u2019mon, Joe, let\u2019s go.\u201d Adam\u2019s voice was gentle, he looked at Abigail and nodded, \u201cI\u2019ll get this sorted out, Miss Jones.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAbigail \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cEr – yes, of course, Abigail.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

They left the building quickly, Adam\u2019s hand on the centre of Joe\u2019s back as though to make sure he moved as fast as he could from the doorway to where the horse was waiting. He then walked with Joe to where he had his pony hitched and when Joe was in the saddle he mounted his own horse, turned its head and with Joe beside him galloped out of town.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou put me in an awkward position, Joe, every time something happens at school it\u2019s me who has to come bail you out.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAin\u2019t – isn\u2019t – my fault,\u201d Joe cried, \u201cLucy Allsopp jogs my elbow every time she writes something when I\u2019m writing something. She does it all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cOn purpose?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cDunno\u201d came the sullen reply, \u201cBut it always happens when someone comes to sit beside me and -\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cOf course it would -\u201d Adam replied with a scowl, \u201cI\u2019d have thought Miss Jones had enough intelligence to have sorted that problem out for herself.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat problem?\u201d Joe bristled, \u201cYou calling me a problem?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNo, just that being left handed creates a problem for you and anyone who sits besides you. You\u2019re left handed and they\u2019re right handed so you\u2019ll always be working elbow to elbow. I\u2019ll write Miss Jones a letter and put forward a suggestion which, if she carries it out, will put the matter right.\u201d he leaned forward and tousled Joe\u2019s thatch of curls, \u201cDon\u2019t worry, little buddy, this will soon be put right.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe grabbed at his hat before it fell off, and then smiled over at his brother. His confidence in Adam\u2019s ability to put matters right with Miss Jones never faltered and with a lighter heart he rode beside his brother whistling tunelessly all the way home.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

………….<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

They sat elbow to elbow in the stagecoach on the way to Sacramento. Her elbow kept brushing against his elbow just as his knocked against hers and when their elbows touched they would look at each other, smile and she would blush and he would sigh and look bemused.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Funny thing,” Joe thought to himself, “Now that Lucy’s all grown up and looking so pretty like she does I don’t mind how much or how often her elbow bumps into mine.”<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“How odd,” Lucy thought to herself, “I never noticed before how handsome Joe had become and I don’t mind in the least that his elbow is bumping mine.”<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Do you remember …” he started to say just as she said “I was just thinking of the time when…”<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

They laughed together now as they remembered how all it had taken to solve the problem of knocking elbows was to switch seats. It had pleased Miss Jones who had gone a little pink when reading the note containing Adam\u2019s suggestion and even pinker when she found the solution such an easy one to implement. In her eyes Adam had majored with a gold star and was bound for heaven.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It was a long journey to Sacramento by which time it was more than their elbows that were ‘elbow to elbow’ . When they finally arrived at their destination Joe felt a sadness and regret at the thought of her never returning to Virginia City. Even though their paths had separated once they had left school the occasions he had met her in town had always been pleasant, leaving him with thoughts of what could have been and the possibilities of romance. But now he took her elbow very gently in his hand and led her across the main street to where she would be staying, then he looked down at her pretty face,<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“I wish I had taken the time to get to know you better, sooner.” he said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“I wish I had got to know you better too,” she murmured.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He watched as she entered the hotel to be swallowed up by the darkness beyond the door. For a moment he stood there, twisting his hat round and round in his hands, thinking of the times they sat elbow to elbow at school all those years ago.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The End<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/g><\/svg><\/i> \"Loading\"<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary: Little Joe has a problem with the new student at school, and Miss Jones proves to be no help whatsoever… but it all leads to what if’s and if only’s in the end.<\/p>\n

Rating: \u00a0G \u00a0(1,910 words)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":145,"featured_media":375,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[23,30],"tags":[14,16],"class_list":["post-14143","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","category-prequels","tag-adam-cartwright","tag-joe","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-30-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":1734,"today_views":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/coming-soon-5.jpg?fit=768%2C576&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2001,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=2001","url_meta":{"origin":14143,"position":0},"title":"The Christmas Tableaux (by Harper)","author":"Harper","date":"December 21, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0Joe proves what Ben has always known: the Cartwrights have never had good luck in pageantry. \u00a0 Rated:\u00a0K+ (5,705 words)","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/christmasc.jpg?fit=298%2C369&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":12358,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=12358","url_meta":{"origin":14143,"position":1},"title":"Cupid’s Messenger (by DebbieB & JennieA)","author":"DebbieB","date":"January 2, 2002","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: Cupid delivers a Valentine's message. Let's see if Adam can worm his way out of this one! Rated: G\u00a0 (11,540 words)","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/Heart-01.jpg?fit=370%2C584&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":12359,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=12359","url_meta":{"origin":14143,"position":2},"title":"Cupid’s Messenger (by JennieA & DebbieB)","author":"JennieA","date":"January 31, 2002","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: Cupid delivers a Valentine's message. Let's see if Adam can worm his way out of this one! Rated: G\u00a0 (11,540 words)","rel":"","context":"In "Humor"","block_context":{"text":"Humor","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=4"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/Heart-01.jpg?fit=370%2C584&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4713,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=4713","url_meta":{"origin":14143,"position":3},"title":"Be My Valentine? (by Puchi Ann)","author":"Puchi Ann","date":"February 28, 2000","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: \u00a0For twelve-year-old Joseph Cartwright, things go from bad to worse as he struggles with the most \"mushy-gushy\" school assignment he's ever been given. When all his efforts to solve his dilemma fail, there's only one person who can stand between him and the painful consequences he's destined to reap---Adam.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Prequel"","block_context":{"text":"Prequel","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=30"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/ValentineCochise.jpg?fit=225%2C225&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":12167,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=12167","url_meta":{"origin":14143,"position":4},"title":"How Do You Say Goodbye (by DebbieB)","author":"DebbieB","date":"October 1, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0For most of us, saying goodbye to someone you love is often difficult. Joe tells us in his own words how and why it was so hard for him. 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