The sound of Belt buckles and tired yawns filled the Schmidt's loft as Scarlet and Robert were getting ready for school.
"Come on sweetie, Daddy and I have to be at work at a certain time" Carlos told his daughter fixing her shirt as she took her sweet time deciding on which belt to wear.
"I know, but I don't know which belt to wear. The pink one is pretty; but the glittery one is more pretty."
Carlos put the pink one her after five more minutes of waiting for a choice. He helped her put her sandals on and strapped them.
"Scarlet, you ready?" Kendall shouted from the living room; stuffing Robert's backpack with more pencils"
"Dad, I think I have enough pencils" Robert sighed zipping his bag; hanging a strap over one shoulder.
"Your Dad is just a little nervous. He's not gonna be teaching music to little kids anymore; he's got high school students so he's scared he won't do good with them"
Kendall always had a strong love for music. He would sometimes play some songs for the kids. He used to teach music to a kindergarten class; but once they moved on to 1st grade and got a new music teacher; He decided to move on too. He has the same job but he's now teaching to juniors in a school not too far from the loft.
"Babe, I'm not scared; it's just I don't want to mess anything up" Kendall explained to his husband, straightening out his blazer. He grabbed his guitar from beside the couch and headed for the front door with Robert.
Carlos stopped him. "Kenny, you're gonna do great. Okay?" He kissed Kendall; letting it linger a bit before taking Scarlet's hand. Kendall strapped Calvin in his carriage and as they left the house.
Their first stop was dropping Calvin off at Daycare. The center painted with bright colors. A red-headed lady stepped outside to greet Kendall and Carlos. She took Calvin from Kendall; He was happy until he saw his fathers walking away.
"It's okay, little guy. They'll be back later" She told Calvin, trying to sooth him. Kendall and Carlos each layered a kiss on his forehead; promising to be back at five, even though he knew he didn't understand.
The red-headed lady set Calvin on a rug filled with toys with other babies. Calvin picked up a toy phone and everything around him seemed to disappear.
"Thank you Ms. Amy. Calvin's not a handful but if you have any problems, call us" Carlos said telling her his cell and work number.
She smiled "I'm sure we'll be fine. Have a good day" She watched them walk to their car and closed the door.
"Alright, who's next?" Carlos asked hopping in the passenger seat.
Robert was looking out the window, twirling his fingers and Scarlet was drawing in her notebook.
"What's wrong Robert?" Carlos turned towards him.
"Just nervous" he said, his head still hung low.
Robert loved hockey. He picked it up from both of his dads since they told him they played the sport when they were in high school. Robert's other school didn't have hockey. He was happy to be starting at a school that did allow it so he can play just like Kendall and Carlos used to.
"We'll take you in, okay?"
"Thanks Papa" Carlos patted his knee smiling and face forward.
"What are you writing Princess?" Scarlet's eyes shot up.
"Nothing" She smiled closing the notebook.
Carlos and Kendall just shook their head smiling at each other.
"Alright guys we're here" Kendall put the car in park.
Robert froze.
"Come on, it'll be fine" Carlos took his hand and Kendall took Scarlet's.
They walked him to the auditorium where all the kids were lining up.
"Hi" A little blonde boy with brown eyes walked to Robert.
"See, you're already making friends" Kendall smiled.
"Hi" Robert smiled at the boy.
"Come on Daddy, my friends are waiting" Scarlet tugged on Kendall's jacket.
"I'm coming. You don't wanna say bye to your brother?" Carlos asked her.
She rolled her eyes a little and spread out her arms. Robert hugged her waist.
"Have fun" She told him, running to Carlos.
"You too" She tried to pull Carlos towards the school's exit.
"Alight, let's get your sister to school" Kendall kissed Robert on the forehead.
"Dad!" Robert was back to putting his head down.
"Oh, I'm sorry" Kendall laughed a bit. He patted his head.
"Have a good day okay?" Carlos hugged him tight.
"Papa!" Robert was embarrassed again.
The blonde just stared and looked kind of confused.
"Alright. No more hugs and kisses. What do you want; a high-five?" Carlos asked giving his son a high-five; seeing him smiling a bit. Kendall gave him a high-five also.
"Okay, everybody get in line, so I can assign you to your class" A tall man with bulgy glasses spoke. "Parents, please say your goodbyes" The man said.
Kendall and Carlos hugged Robert before finally leaving.
…
"Alright Class, you have 10 minutes to write three paragraphs about your summer. The fun times with your family or friends or things you wish you could have done" The teacher sat at her desk at the front of the classroom; crossing her legs opening her book.
Robert bends down beside him, getting out a pencil and began writing. The blonde boy taps his shoulder. He was happy to have someone he's met in his class with him.
"Your step dad brings you to school with your dad?" The blonde boy asked.
Robert wasn't sure what he was asking. He just continued to write.
"My stepdad?" He finally asks.
"Yeah, why do your dad and your step dad bring you to school?" The boy stared at Robert waiting for his answer.
"I don't have a step dad" Robert told him, starting to wonder why he thought he had one.
No one really asked him about his family at his other school. Some kids came with their aunts or uncles, sisters or a single parent. He never really thought if anyone cared if his two fathers brought him to school.
"Oh. Then who was that other guy?"
"My Dad"
"I thought the blonde guy was your dad?"
"He is. I have two fathers" Robert was starting to get a little annoyed.
"Boys, no talking" The teacher came by their desks, putting her finger to her lips.
"Five minutes left" She told the class, heading back to her desk.
Robert tried to quickly write a few more sentences, but his pencil broke.
"Mrs. Davis, Can I sharpen my pencil?" Robert raised his hand. She simply nodded.
He rose from his seat, heading to sharpen his pencil. When he sat back down he saw a piece of paper on his notebook. He saw the blonde boy and the kid behind him laugh.
He unfolded the paper.
You're a fag if you have fag dads
"Alright, put your pencils down. Okay, everyone will read the first the first paragraph of their paper." Mrs. Davis spoke standing at the front of the class. She turned towards Robert. "Robert you're first"
He just stared at the note.
"What's that in your hand?" She reached for the note as he slowly handed it to her.
"Who wrote this?" She yelled startling the class.
Robert saw the blonde boy and the kid behind him sink in their seats, looking the other way.
"Jeffrey?" She walked towards him. She stared right at him hands planted on her hips.
Robert saw her taping her foot; her heel clashing with the white floors.
"Did you write this?" Jeffrey didn't answer.
"If you don't tell me I will call the principal in here." He simply shrugged his shoulders.
"Fine" She walked over to the phone in the classroom.
"Okay, Okay it was me. My goodness" Jeffrey confessed.
Robert just looked at him. He couldn't say he thought he was nice because he only knew him a few hours.
"Go to the principal's office" She opened the door for him.
"It's not my fault he's a homo" Jeffrey says before grabbing his back bag and leaving the classroom.
"Sorry about that class. Robert please start us off"
Suddenly all the eyes in the room were on him.
"Uh, Okay" He lifted his notebook, covering his face and began to read.
"Please put the notebook down" Mrs. Davis spoke softly to Robert.
"Sorry"
Robert opened his mouth again, staring at the first sentence of his page; but the bell rang.
…..
"Work on that question, while I get dinner started" Kendall kissed Scarlet's forehead heading to the kitchen; grabbing some hamburger meat from the fridge.
"Okay Daddy" Scarlet blew her hair from her face and picked up her pencil, working on the math problem on the page in front of her.
Carlos came through the door, carrying groceries.
"I got the sodas" He smiled, putting the bags on the counter. He walked over to Kendall pulling him by his jacket kissing him square on the lips.
"Hello" Kendall laughed a little while pulling back.
"How was your first day?" Carlos kissed Scarlet on the cheek, taking the sodas out of the back, sticking them in the freezer.
"Good. They took a while to get used to me, but they're cool. I'm not no sure Robert's day was okay though" Kendall checked Scarlet's homework.
"Good sweetie, now do the next one"
"What do you mean?" Carlos asked, taking his dress shoes off.
Kendall leaned on the kitchen table.
"Well, when I picked him up form school he didn't say anything and he looked upset. I wanted to wait until you came home to talk to him; because when I tried all he said was that he didn't want to talk"
Carlos started walking down the hall to the Roberts bedroom. All he heard was silence.
"Robert?" He called.
Carlos just heard moving. He knocked again.
"Robert what's wrong. Daddy said you were upset"
When he didn't anything again, he walked inside. Robert was sitting on his bed with his head hung low; with a dictionary in his hands.
"Hey Little Man, What's going on?" Carlos asked trying to sound cheery in hopes of making Robert smile. All he got was a smirk.
"Nothing, Papa" Robert closed the dictionary, throwing it on his bed.
"How was school?"
"Fine" he whispered.
Carlos looked at Robert a little. He really wanted to know why his son was so upset. He knew it was more than just him being nervous this morning; but he also knew he couldn't force him to talk. He just put an arm around Robert pulling him close to his chest and rubbed his arm.
"You know you can talk to me or Daddy about anything right? And to your Uncle James and Logan" Carlos told him.
Robert was silent again.
"What does F-A-G mean?" Robert finally spoke. He looked up at his father waiting for his answer, confused to see a shocked expression on his face.