Disclaimer: The Charmed Characters are the property of Aaron Spelling and Constance Burge. I just borrow them for your enjoyment and my writing addiction.
She came running down the stairs, jumping at the bottom with a thump. She whirled around and ran for the kitchen.
"Whoa there missy. Where's the fire?"
"No where. Why?" she answered as she pulled the chair out from the table over to the calendar on the wall.
"Because you ran in her like a fireman running to a four alarm blaze."
"Sorry Grams but I had to mark off another day." She picked up the felt marker that was always sitting on the counter waiting for her to mark an X on the boxes the calendar held.
Her grandmother had to laugh at her enthusiasm. Like most kids she was excited about her first day of school.
"Morning Grams."
"Morning Grams."
"Good morning my darlings."
"I see Miss I'm going to school this year is writing on the calendar again." Prue laughed as her youngest sister got down from the chair and pushed it back under the table, before pulling herself up on Prues lap.
"I give you a week before you are looking forward to Christmas vacation."
"Wow. I gave her a month." Piper added as both laughed.
"Now girls stop picking on Phoebe. You both were just as excited as she is." Grams got after them.
"We're sorry Phoebe." Prue rustled her sisters' hair.
"It's ok Prue. Cause you wait. I'm gonna love school."
Prue and Piper looked across the table at each other and smiled. They both knew what would happen eventually. Their little sister would hate it.
Penny placed the receiver back on the cradle taking in a deep breath. Today of all days.
"Prudence. Can you come down here a moment please?" She called up the stairs for her oldest granddaughter. She knew Prue wouldn't be happy with what she was about to request but she had no other choice.
"What is it Grams?"
"Prue I know you had made plans today with Andy, but I need for you to take Phoebe to her orientation at the school today."
"What? Grams no. We've been planning this day all week."
"I know dear, but something has come up with your Aunt Gail and I have to go out there. Please. I'll make it up to you I promise."
"Fine. Just let me call Andy first." Prue left the living room and picked up the phone to break her date with Andy, if it could be called a date when you were ten yrs old.
Prue held Phoebes little hand in hers as they walked down the sidewalk. Piper was at her friends Lisa's so it was just the two of them. All Prue had to do was take her to the hour time at the school that they had for all new kids. She remembered when she went, her mother had a hard time getting her to leave. Piper wasn't that bad she spent her whole time playing in one little corner by herself. Even then she was the shy one. Prue had a feeling that Phoebe would be more like she was. Making new friends the minute they walked in the door.
As she opened the door to the kindergarten class Phoebe held her hand tighter. Almost afraid to let it go.
"Prue. Hi."
"Mrs. Sampson. Hi."
"So this must the last Halliwell to come in my class. Hi there Phoebe." she bent down to Phoebes level
Phoebe pulled behind Prue and peeked out from behind her with one eye.
"Oh so you're the shy one like Piper."
Prue laughed. "No. Phoebes the opposite of Piper, believe me."
Mrs. Sampson laughed as she stood back up. "So where's your grandmother/"
"Something came up. So that's why I came with her."
"Well that's ok. You know the way to the other kids. Do you want to take her over there and then come back here so I can give you the package to give to your Grams."
"Sure. Come on Phoebe." Prue guided her little sister to where the other kids were all playing, not so quietly.
"Now Phoebe I'm going to be right over there. You just stay here and play with the other kids."
"NO stay with Pwue." Phoebe held Prues hand tight with both hands.
Prue was slightly taking back with her sisters' attitude. She was so gung ho about going to school and now she stood here holding her hand talking like she did when she was three. "Phoebe I'll be right over there." Prue pointed back towards the front of the class where the other parent's were talking to each other and Mrs. Sampson.
"I want to stay wiff you."
Prue bent down to her knees and looked in Phoebes big brown eyes. "Sweetie why? You were looking forward to school all summer. What's wrong?"
"I want to stay wiff you." She said quietly as she looked down at her sneakers.
Prue took in a deep breath and then let it out. "Ok. Come on." She took Phoebes hand and made her way to the front of the class.
Mrs. Sampson watched as Prue came back to the group with Phoebe in tow. She had a pretty good idea why. "Phoebe do you want to colour while I talk to the other parents?"
"Can I stay with Prue?"
"Sure you can." She went into her desk and pulled out a box of crayons and some paper. "Here you go honey."
Phoebe picked up the yellow crayon from the box.
"What do you say Phoebe?" Prue egged her on.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome Phoebe."
"I'm telling you Piper she wouldn't let me go the whole time."
"No way."
"Yup. She wouldn't even go near the other kids."
"But she's been so excited about going all summer."
"I know. Look we need to be there for her on Tuesday I have a feeling this is not going to go well at all."
"Grams I don't wanna go!"
"Phoebe you've been excited all summer about going to school like Prudence and Piper. What's wrong?"
"I don't want to go!" She ran up the stairs to the room she shared with Piper.
"You two go ahead I'll take her in."
Prue caught the look that Piper was sending her. As they each picked up their packs and headed out the front door.
--- ----
She heard the sound of the door open and close. Taking another sip of her tea she waited for the sound of the feet running into the kitchen.
"Hi Grams."
"Hello my darlings. How was your first day?"
"Good." They both answered as they plunked their packs on the floor in the corner.
"Where's Phoebe?" Prue asked noticing that her baby sister was no where around.
"In her room."
"Did she like her first day?" Piper asked as she grabbed an apple from the bowl.
"She didn't go."
Piper took a bite from her apple and stopped mid way through shocked at what their Grams had just said. "What?"
"She didn't go. She kicked and screamed and was holding herself to the leg of her bed when I tried to lift her off the ground. So I let it be. She eventually cried herself to sleep. I even threatened to cancel her birthday party if she didn't go. She said she didn't care that I could cancel it."
"Wow." Was all Prue could think of to say.
Piper pulled the apple from her mouth; "Come on Prue let go see her."
"Hi honey. I heard you had a rough day." Piper sat on the edge of the bed Phoebe was lying on.
Phoebe just lay there not saying anything.
"What's wrong Phoebs? Why don't you want to go to school?" Prue asked as she rubbed her sister's back.
Phoebe just shrugged her shoulders.
"Oh is that why. Well why didn't you say so." Prue tried to get her sister to open up to them.
But as they sat there Phoebe didn't say anything.
"Ok. Come here kiddo." Prue pulled Phoebe to her lap and leaned against the headboard.
"You know its ok to be scared Phoebe. I was."
Phoebe looked up at Prue not sure if she should believe her or not.
"It's true. But I had to go, to show you and Piper that it was ok to go to school and that we all get scared, but we need to face them. But I was alone when I went. You're not going to be. Piper and I will always be there for you whenever you need us."
Phoebe sniffed and wiped her eyes from the tears she had cried earlier.
"So what do you say tomorrow we all go together and I'll come with you to your class. Besides you're gonna make some new friends. Just like me and Andy."
"What do you say Phoebs? Come with us tomorrow?"
"I'm scared." She said quietly.
"I know honey, but we won't let anything happen to you. We promise." Prue said
Phoebe seemed to think about it for a minute, "Ok."
"That's my girl." Prue taped her finger on Phoebes nose.
--- ----
The next morning they sat waiting for Phoebe to come back down the stairs.
"Where is she?"
"She'll be here." Prue said hopefully as they looked back up the stairs
Phoebe sat on her bed. She was so sacred. She knew her sisters would be there if anything happened, but it still didn't make it any easier. She heard her door open and knew who it was.
She looked at the two hands that where being held out for her to take. She closed her eyes and then slowly took one in each hand. Pulling herself off the bed Prue picked up her pack and the three of them walked out the door and down the stairs.
Grams smiled as her three granddaughter's walked off to school. She wondered how Prue and Piper had convinced Phoebe to go. But she knew that it was a special bond they had, one that she knew would one day serve them well.
Phoebe soon found out her sisters were right, she had made some new friends, got to play all day or paint or the teacher would read to tehm. But they had drawn a tie on the wager of when they figured she would stop looking it. She lasted two and half weeks before she was looking forward to Christmas vacation.
"I think its because she is just NOT a morning person. She likes it. I mean what's not to like about kindergarten. You play all day. Someone reads you stories. You get a nap and then you go home. Its not even a full day." Piper laughed as the three of them sat curled up in the hammock in the backyard with Phoebe against Prue.
"Yeah the good old days. And the best part she has." Prue looked over at Piper as they both said the one word that was now a permanent part of their vocabulary for the next ten month.
"NO HOMEWORK."
Back to school came ever year for the next twelve years. But eventually, like her sisters, Phoebe made it through each one.