Girl in purple

Sakina's PVO

Sakina pulled her dress over her knees tightly, giving her legs the image of being in a tight, elegant dress instead of the horrible, green, baggy thing her Mum had picked out for her. Honestly, she wanted to look older and pretty, not like a kid. She'd also wanted to go to India and see the village her family Daddy grew up in for her tenth birthday but wasn't happening either.

"I don't want to go to the dance show, Daddy," she said softly so her Mum wouldn't hear.

He reached out and held her hand. "I know sweetie," he said, squeezing her hand. "But Mummy really wanted you to see and have a nice time, so cheer up. She let you bring your notebook, right?"

"Yeah," she said, holding up her Ben 10 bag. The picture had the flaming Ben on it, holding a fireball, and it made Nadia happy. When she was older, if she was an Elemental, she wanted to master fire so well she could turn her whole body to fire at will. That would be awesome. And in there was the purple glittery notebook her Daddy's parents had sent her for her birthday and some lip balm, and her grown-up pens. "Miss Orva is letting me use pens in school now Daddy."

"Oh, well done princess!" He grinned and gave her a hug. "Goodness, ten and using pens. Where does the time fly?"

"Away like the birds," Sakina sang playfully and got tickled.

"Okay, I think I'm ready," Mum said, rushing down the stairs. She had on a purple dress that was really tight and pretty and exactly what Sakina had wished she could wear but Mum had said she was too young for a dress like that, and anyway, she was too short. "Go on then, get in the car you two."

Sakina rolled her eyes when she had turned away. Mum was always the slowest. She got into the car and sat next to Daddy, the driver closing the door when they were all in. A moment later, they set off.

"Well, this is it," Mum grinned, her red hair bouncing on her shoulders. "My little girl is in double digits. I'm so proud of you baby."

"Mum, I'm ten now, you can't be saying that around other people," she said slowly, her eyes darting to the screen separating them from the driver. "It's embarrassing."

"Aw, I'm sorry baby," she grinned. "I'll try harder from now on."

"Good," she nodded and sat back in her seat like a proper lady.

She saw Mum and Daddy look at each other and smile and wondered what they were thinking about but didn't say anything. They sat for long minutes and Sakina decided waiting quietly was boring and got her notepad out instead and a pen. The first page had written on it, 'Happy Birthday Digra!' and it made her smile. She flipped to the right page and read through her story. She was writing about a cat, her dream kitty pet in fact. She knew exactly what she wanted after all. She wanted a ragdoll, a grey one with a round face, and it would be super fluffy. That was the main character in her story, and it was all about how all her siblings got picked out and went to new homes, and she left the house and her Mama to go find her perfect owner. She was almost at the part where she found the main human character, Pearl. She smiled and started writing.

Her parents were silent on the way over, which was good for her concertation as an evil German shepherd dog was chasing kitty.

"Baby, we're here," Mum said, getting her bag together.

Sakina nodded and put her notebook away quickly and put her pen away too. She put the bag over one shoulder like an adult lady and stepped out of the car like a real princess, her small heals making clicking noises on the floor. She was like an adult. And if she grew some more, she could wear Mum's purple dress and look like one too.

She stuck her nose up and smiled, looking around at the other attendees for the show. There was a lot of other girls and boys her age. They were in dresses and suits too, but she was probably the prettiest. And her bag was way better than anyone else's.

She grabbed Daddy's hand and they went into the building without talking to anyone, only stopping to all get a drink at the bar, and then again when Mum ran into her friend. They kissed each other's cheeks and spoke for a moment before she called Sakina forwards.

"It's my little girl's tenth birthday tonight," she said excitedly. "We thought we'd treat her to the show."

"Oh, happy birthday sweetheart," the lady said. Sakina had met her before but didn't remember her name. "You look so grown up in your dress. Green looks really good on you."

She nodded and her Mum and the lady got into deep conversation seconds later. She looked up at Daddy. "Can we get sweeties?"

He grinned. "Anything for my angel," he said and they walked away from Mum and off to the counter where glowsticks, small teddies and a bunch of food was. She looked over the bags of chocolates, disappointed there wasn't a pick'a'mix. "Do you want chocolate stars?"

"No, I want sweets," she said quietly, trying to see it all over the counter. "Is there Starburst?"

"I don't think so," he said. "But there is Wine Gums."

She made a face. "I don't like them. What about Minstrels?"

"Oh, yes, they have those. Do you want them?"

"Yes please," she said politely, and a few moments later she had the packet of chocolate in her hands. "When are we taking our seats?"

"When the doors open. It won't be long, I promise," he smiled and squeezed her hand. She squeezed back and they started a game, squeezing the others hand super tightly, but there was nothing she could do to combat his big, Daddy hands, and she was defeated, laughing and almost falling to the floor, begging for mercy.

"Really, you two," Mum muttered, rolling her eyes up and sighing.

She doors were opened then, and she grinned and pulled Daddy by the hand into the room and to their seats. It was easy to find because they were the best seats. As soon as they walked into the big bottom floor seating thing – she didn't remember what the room was called – they turned right and there were their seats. Mum had told her they were the best because you were right by the way in and out, and there was no one in front of you because of the walkway. The other, better seats, she had said, were more expensive and people could block your view, and you'd hurt your neck trying to see. That's why they got the seats they did, every single time. Her Mum was clever.

She got into her seat, opened her chocolates, sipped her drink, and got her purple notebook back out. Her parents were muttering something about Daadii and Daadaa and her aunts but Sakina whisked herself away into the land of ragdoll kitties, specifically the part where her cat met the friendly tabby who showed her where all the fish was. Too soon, though, the lights dimmed and Sakina had to put away her writing stuff and look at the stage.

The show wasn't so bad. It was dancing mostly, all different types and different performers each time, which was nice. The first was a Russian dance, and that was fun, and the next was like a wind-up doll, and another was kind of interpretive and Sakina wasn't sure she loved it that much. They were all done by other kids too, Sakina had realised, some of them older and some of them younger than her, which was exciting. They could really stretch, some of them, and in a ballet dance, she saw a little, little girl jump really high and do the splits in the air. She stared at the stage the whole time, loving the moves and the music. The live orchestra was really good and she sometimes had goosebumps.

When the curtain when down at the interval, she grinned at Daddy. "This is cool," she whispered.

Daddy grinned back. "I'm glad you like it. That little girl that was spun around the stage was pretty awesome."

"It was," she smiled. "I loved the splits. They could jump really far."

"They could. Now quickly, if you want an ice cream, you better get up."

They ran and got their interval ice cream, Sakina picking chocolate, then went back to their seats, going through the crowds lining up. She grinned to herself when she showed off her ice cream to her mum. This was why they had seats by the exit. The best ones.

She quietly ate her ice cream and wrote a sentence or two in her notebook before the lights dimmed, audience hushed and she had to sigh. She put it away and watched the stage, realising now how much her bum hurt from all the sitting she'd done that evening.

The performances were fun again, but she was getting tired of them after just the first two, and it made her zone out and imagine her story instead, playing out her kitty friend and all the other animals she loved, wanted and would write about. That was until the music picked up and a group of girls her age came on stage, all a different, vibrant colour. The girl in purple, a light lilac shade, caught her eye and she watched attentively as the music went silent and the girls were still on stage. It came back in slowly, and then with a crash and Sakina almost jumped in her chair as the girls on stage began their routine which pushed her to the literal edge of her seat as she watched.

The purple girl held another girl above her head for a jump or whatever it was, Sakina didn't actually pay attention to that because her focus was on the girls face, and even from her distance from the stage she could see how dark the girl's eyes were and it draw her in. It was only when the girl had turned her back on the stage near the end of the performance that she pushed herself back in her chair and the spell was broken. The music climaxed and barely a moment later, the girls had bowed and she clapped politely with the audience as the girls exited.

She sipped her drink through the last few performances and tried to pay attention to the stage, but her mind went back to the colourful performance a lot, until the very end of the show when she clapped for all the people that came back on stage for the final applause. The girl's with the bright colour came on near the end, and she clapped as loudly as she could, her face splitting into a grin when the girl in purple laughed unheard on the stage.

As with all shows, though, it ended with sore hands and legs in need of stretching, and a smile on Sakina's face. She grinned at Daddy.

"That was fun," she said quietly.

"It was. I'm glad you enjoyed it, sweetheart," he smiled back and kissed the top of her head.

They turned to Mum and sighed in union. She was talking to the lady behind. They looked at each other, rolled their eyes, and sat back down.

The wait wasn't too awful as Sakina spent it people watching everyone leaving the audience room until there were only the last few stragglers and some staff clearing the rubbish around the chairs. Her father and mother stood with the couple behind and they walked out together, Sakina in a daze as her mind was filled with the music and colours of the night.

"I was so cool!" She heard a girl say quietly behind her.

Sakina almost stopped in her tracks and looked around her parents for the girl. Her parents and whoever the couple was stopped to chat when she stumbled, and she turned all the way around to watch rudely as a girl hugged her father some way down the hall. She was in jeans and a t-shirt.

"You were amazing, I was so impressed with you the whole time," her father said back.

"And did you see me jump? It was like I was flying!" The girl said.

Sakina felt Daddy tap her shoulder and she turned and took his hand. He was smiling and asking her something, but she turned her head and watched the father and daughter. The girl had her bag in her hand and a little piece of a lilac outfit stuck out where she hadn't finished zipping it up. The girl looked back at her for an instant, and Sakina could see how dark her eyes were.

Her father squeezed her hand and pulled a little and she turned forward, realising how rude she was being. She stuck her head down and they left the theatre and got in the car before she looked up again. Her parents had leaned in and were whispering to each other, so she looked out the window and saw that girl, just seeing the back of her, and her long dark hair, and felt a strange feeling inside her. She had a crush on the dancing girl.

She blushed and smiled to herself and fell asleep in the car on the long ride. When she woke again she was in her father's arms being carried.

"I'm tired," she moaned softly, yawning against his neck.

"Go to sleep, honey," he said, kissing her shoulder. "I'll carry you."

She did.

Daddy and Mum shared a smile as their princess slept against Daddy, and watched the departures board for their flight into Sakina's secret present.

Happy Birthday, Sakina!

If there are any other storied people would like me to write with my Skulduggery Pleasent: Raising Cain story in mind suggest it in comments here or PM me directly! I enjoyed writing from a new PVO, so get creative! :D