It took so long to upload this, someone else has probably written a similar story by now. D:

As Mrs. Bustier watched the students filing out of class, her gaze settled on one in particular. She smiled a little wider and called out to Chloé, who appeared to be having conflicting feelings over hearing her name.

"Would you mind staying after class? There's something I'd like to talk to you about."

Mrs. Bustier saw flashes of anger, confusion, and annoyance, not necessarily positive reactions. But her friend, Sabrina, promised to save her a seat in their next class and that all melted into uncertainty as Chloé was gently nudged forward. Then the door shut behind her and that haughty attitude returned, if only as a facade.

"Did you open my gift?" Chloé asked, disguising her curiosity as disdain while examining her manicure.

"Not yet, Chloé. I had a class to teach – "

"It only cost a couple hundred euro," the girl interrupted quickly, "but it was the best that I could find on short notice."

"The price tag doesn't make your gift any less valuable," Mrs. Bustier soothed, retrieving the little black box and white envelope from her desk. "I promise, I would've opened it sooner if I had the chance."

"I hand wrote the letter though."

"I'm very happy you took the time to do that, Chloé."

"Sabrina and I bought a brand new stationary set and everything. I know hand written letters are supposed to be tacky, but I couldn't think of what to say and it was Sabrina's idea."

"And the box – "

Although she'd seem flustered mere seconds ago, Chloé recovered quickly. "You remind me of what a mom would act like, so I picked out your gift while thinking of what my mom would like." Her words had a pleasant insinuation until she finished, "My mom would call that ring tacky, so I knew you would definitely like it!"

The prideful expression she donned quickly changed into shock as Chloé realized what she'd said and how it sounded. "Not that I'm saying you're tacky, Mrs. Bustier!"

Quicker than most people would have, Mrs. Bustier realized that was supposed to be a compliment. People like Chloé didn't have a lot of love inside of them, but they could learn.

She thanked Chloé, and stated she knew exactly what the girl had meant, and the relief evident on her face was just as much a gift as the box of jewelry was. In the end, Chloé was the one who thanked her before the next class started.