"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Bruce asked uneasily. It was rare that he questioned the butler, his most trusted companion, but this... This had come out of left field.
"Of course, sir. You're always saying that we should do more for the community!" Alfred beamed as he set a vase farther back on the table. "And they are troubled youths. I thought that a summer here at the Manor would do them some good!"
"Well yes, but I won't be here." he pointed out. "You're going to have to deal with them on your own. Are you sure that you can do that?"
"Are you implying I couldn't?" the older man asked darkly.
"No no! Not at all. I'm just saying that if they're as troubled as the county says they are, you're probably going to need a little extra help." he sighed.
"Nonsense! I'm sure they're good hearted children deep down." just then the white van pulled up and the three children piled out. There was one dressed completely in black, wearing heavy sunglasses and hair dyed blue. A long skirt swished as she walked, her boots sinking into the gravel of the driveway. The boy, tall and reedy had long hair tied back into a ponytail. He was wearing a leather jacket and the rattiest shoes Bruce had ever seen. But he stopped to offer his hands to the other girl in the van, who was taller than the first and dressed in jeans and t-shirt with that yellow mouse thing on it. Who was it? Pikachu.
Instead of trying to rush to the house, the three of them stood around. The girl in black was crocheting with a ball of fine crochet cotton. The girl in the Pikachu shirt hopped down next to him and pulled a handheld gaming device out of her pocket. The boy hovered over her shoulder, intensely talking to her and tapping the screen.
"Yeah... Somewhere REALLY deep down." Bruce muttered. Alfred shot him a filthy look and threw the door open.
"Hello! Welcome!" he called as he bustled out. The boy and girl with the handheld device waved briefly. The crocheting girl hadn't seemed to notice. He accepted a clipboard from the social worker, signing a few papers as their luggage was piled behind them.
"Well, shall we get you into the mansion to get you settled?"
The boy and girl shrugged, not looking up from the screen again. Alfred felt helpless almost instantly.
"What are your names?" the two glanced up and the girl heaved a huge sigh.
"Can I save this before we start doing this whole talking thing?" the butler blinked, nonplussed. He dutifully remained silent in the late spring day as she pressed a few buttons and switched off the device.
"I'm Melody," she said as she left her finger on the power switch. "Talking time over."
"Erm," his eyes slid over to the boy who shrugged.
"I'm Calen." he mumbled. "Hi," he turned back to the game, intense on whatever was going on. Two strikes out of three... He turned to the other girl and wondered how she wasn't melting in her clothes. The shirt was long sleeved, even. But she had just kept crocheting, her hook darting in and out of the thread, an intricate looking choker appearing in her hands.
"And who might you be?" he prompted, trying to sound pleasant. This close he could see the black lipstick she was wearing, the traces of eyeliner that had run down her cheeks. She didn't seem to respond, her fingers flying.
"Hello?" he looked towards the other two. Perhaps they had sent him a special needs girl without a
proper warning. Well, no matter. "Do you two speak sign language?"
"Huh?" Calen looked up. "Oh, she can't hear you 'cause of this." he reached over and tugged a black wire, a small earbud popping out of her ear. Tinny and far away, Alfred could hear the twang of electric guitars and the steady thumping of drums.
"What?" the girl squeaked as she looked up, peering over her dark glasses. "Oh. Uh... Hi."
"Hello," there was a pause. "And who are you?" Already he was feeling exhausted. They hadn't even made it into the Manor yet. He looked longingly at the end of the driveway. The van had disappeared long ago. Too late to put them back on it.
"Moria," she licked her lips and squinted. "Can we go inside? It's way sunny out here."
"What a pretty name." he said desperately as they lifted up their things.
"It means death," she threw over her shoulder. Alfred stared, giving Bruce a dirty look as he tried to hide his laughter. He trudged in after them. This was going to be a long summer.