Author's note: Written for the lovesthemall Companion Mash-up Drabblethon on LiveJournal, but it came out more of a ficlet than a drabble! I fail at writing super-short.
Crazy Paving
The little girl's arms waved about wildly as she caught her balance. She tottered, but stayed on one foot as her unbuttoned woolen coat flapped in the bracing spring wind.
She whooped in triumph before finishing the rest of the hopscotch board with more ease.
"You made that square too big -- it's dreadful," she accused.
"But you made it," Jack said.
She grinned. "I did!"
Their acquaintance had begun but a half hour ago, when Jack had offered a piece of chalk to two small girls attempting to scratch out a hopscotch grid with white rocks. Somehow he had found himself helping to draw, and soon one of the girls flounced away, complaining that her sister and Jack were "doing it wrong."
They were, no denying that. Egging each other on, Jack and his new friend drew squares that spiraled off to the side and back, numbers out of order -- it looked impossible to play on the resulting creation, but they were both game to try. Their pratfalls only inspired shared fits of laughter.
It came to an end when an imperious woman strode over, the sister and yet another little girl in tow. "Charlotte! Where have you been?"
"I've been here all the time, mother."
The woman took notice of Jack. With the Great War only recently ended, the uniform often earned instant respect, and she spoke to him with politeness, even as her eyes wandered askance over the crazy paving of hopscotch that Jack and her daughter had drawn.
"I hope Charlotte has not been bothering you, sir."
"No, not at all. Sorry if I kept her distracted -- it's not her fault."
"I see. Thank you for looking after her." Her opinion of his care seemed slightly undermined as she bent to fasten Charlotte's coat up to her neck as the girl squirmed with discomfort. Then she said, "Come along, girls. It's nearing tea time."
Jack was beginning to feel like a chastised child himself. The mother nodded to Jack and departed, the little girl named Charlotte -- Charley was what she had told Jack was her name -- trailing after.
As Jack returned Charley's wave goodbye, he felt the first spatter of rain. Their game would have come to an end anyway. He turned on his heel and walked away, as the water began, bit by bit, to wash the chalk away.
The End