Chapter 6: School
Rylee is five years old and will be starting kindergarten; something she is not looking forward to and is starting a little later than all the other kids.
She has only really been around the Xanatos family than she has other humans. Being around other humans, her mother has always been with her. Elisa was driving Rylee to her first day of school. She looked in the rearview mirror and saw the nervous look on Rylee's face. Elisa smiled.
"You don't need to be afraid Rylee; you're going to love school. You're going to make a lot of friends…and Alex will be at the same school, in the first grade, just down the hall."
"No mommy…I don't wanna go. I can stay with Mr. Xanatos."
Elisa chuckled. "Xanatos can't be looking after you forever."
"Why not?" Rylee started to whine.
"Because he was work to do just like I do." Elisa was quite for a moment as they started to pass by a building with 'destroy the Gargoyles' posters, with an image of Goliath and an 'X' over the image. Rylee looked at the posters and she knew what 'destroy' meant. Elisa looked again in the rearview mirror at Rylee, watching as she looked out the car window. She sped up the car.
"Don't look at the posters baby." Elisa saw that Rylee's eyes flashed white, signaling she was unhappy, and then they returned to normal. She was unhappy with the poster and confused at why people would have posters like that. Since Rylee was two, Elisa, Goliath and the others had learned that when she was upset about something, her Gargoyle side started to show.
"Why do people hate Gargoyles Mommy?" Rylee asked and Elisa sighed. This was a question Rylee would usually ask and Elisa hated answering.
"Gargoyles are different baby. People usually dislike other people who are different and they just don't understand. They think Gargoyles are the bad guys."
"But Daddy, Angie, and Grandpa Hudson are no baddies. They stop the baddies."
"You and I know that. But everyone else doesn't know that. They can't get past that Gargoyles are different than humans."
"I'm different Mommy." At the age of five, Rylee knew that she wasn't completely Gargoyle, but she wasn't completely human either. She knew that she was the only one of her kind.
"But your special honey." Elisa turned her head to smile at her daughter.
"What if school doesn't like me?"
"Sweetie…How can anyone not like you…your cute when you aren't causing trouble."
"Brookie says trouble always finds me."
"Heh, heh… I think it's the other way around."
Rylee just looked at her mother. Elisa then pulled the car into a parking lot in front of a building. "Here we are." Elisa pulled into a parking slot, got out and went to the back car door and helped Rylee out of the car.
"Do I have to Mommy?"
"Yes you do…" Elisa grabbed Rylee school bag out of the car and led Rylee into the school building. "…now let's get you settled in. I have to get to work."
Elisa and Rylee walked down a hallway and stopped in front of a classroom. Elisa kneeled in front of her daughter.
"Give me your arms." Said Elisa. Rylee lifted her arms so Elisa could put the school bag on Rylee's back. "Do you remember what I said?"
"Yes Mommy. I can't tell anyone about Halflings, Daddy, or tell about Gargoyles. Most important of all…You said I can't show white eyes or claws."
"Good girl." Elisa stood up, kissing Rylee on the forehead. Elisa knocked on the door, opened it, and walked in with Rylee.
"Well, hello. You must be Elisa Maza. My name is Mrs. Newmen." The kindergarten teacher walked over to Elisa and Rylee and bent down to eye level with Rylee, who hide behind Elisa's leg. "Hi there. You're Rylee right?"
Rylee looked at the kindergarten teacher. She was young, maybe her mid-thirties. Her hair was long and in a ponytail. Rylee thought she looked nice enough.
"Hi." Rylee walked out from behind her mother and Mrs. Newmen extended her hand to Rylee.
Mrs. Newmen smiled. "Hi. You're going to have a lot of fun here. We get to play games and learn about math, and how to spell and read. Can you do any of that?"
Rylee nodded. "A little. My Daddy tries to teach me to read, but he's busy a lot fighting baddies."
"Baddies? Is your Daddy a detective like your Mommy?"
Rylee looked at her mother.
"Um…yeah…He's the bestest detective, just like my Mommy!" Rylee smiled. She looked again at her mother, who smiled at her. "And when I stay with Mr. Xanatos and he not busy, he help me and Alex to read."
"I see." Mrs. Newmen said. "Do you want to tell everyone about yourself before your Mother has to leave?" Rylee looked at Elisa, who just nodded an okay.
"Okay Mrs. Newmen"
Rylee was lead in front of the class room.
"Class." Mrs. Newmen spoke up. The entire class of little five year olds looked up from what they were doing. "This is Rylee Maza, who will be joining our class today. I want you all to be nice to her and make her welcome." She looked at Rylee. "Why don't you tell the class about yourself."
"K." Rylee looked from the teacher to the students. "My name is Rylee. I have a Mommy and Daddy who stop baddies. I have a big sister, and a big family."
"Very good Rylee. Do you like to color?" Mrs. Newmen asked and Rylee nodded.
"There's an empty seat over there." Mrs. Newmen pointed. Why don't you have a seat so we can get class started and your mother can get to work?"
"Okay." Rylee went to Elisa and hugged her legs.
"Remember Rylee, Angela wants you to remember every detail so you can tell her everything tonight."
"Okay Mommy."
"Either Xanatos or Owen will be picking up you and Alex. You will stay here until either of the two come in this room, understand?"
"Yes Mommy."
"Good girl. I work a double sift until tomorrow morning, so you will be at the Xanatos building as usual. I'll be able to visit for a little while, then I'll be going back to work."
"Okay."
"Okay…I love you."
"I love you too Mommy."
Elisa looked up at Mrs. Newmen.
"No need to worry. Rylee will be just fine. I can tell she's a special girl." Said Mrs. Newmen. "Thanks." Said Elisa. Then Elisa started out the door, but turned to look at Rylee and saw her coloring.
Elisa mumbled to herself. "You have no idea how special." Then she left.
It was the end of the class day and time for the children to go home. The door to Mrs. Newmen's kindergarten class opened to reveal Owen Burnett, with young six year old Alex Xanatos by his side.
"Mrs. Newmen?" Owen spoke up.
"Yes?" Mrs. Newmen turned to Owen and Alex.
"My name is Owen Burnett. I work for David Xanatos and am here to pick up Rylee Maza."
"Oh yes. Her mother said either you or Mr. Xanatos would be picking her up after school. Rylee is over there in the corner on time out. Unfortunately, her first day didn't go so smoothly." Mrs. Newmen looked to a corner; Owen and Alex followed her gaze to see Rylee facing the corner.
"What happened?" Owen asked. Alex was going to walk over to Rylee, but Owen stopped him. She was still serving time out after all.
"It seems, she did not want to do any math work and complained; and during recess, some of the older boys from a different class were talking about something, she will not tell me what, but she went to the boys, kicked one of them in the leg and ran off." Said Mrs. Newmen. Owen fixed his glasses on his face.
"How bad was he hurt?" Owen asked. He was more concerned about the boy; Rylee was a little stronger than most children and could easily hurt someone.
"It is nothing serious, there is no mark. But the point is, she DID kick someone and tried to hurt him and she refused to do her school work."
"I see, well, I will be sure to tell her parents and they will take care of it." Said Owen. On the outside, Owen's expression didn't falter, but on the inside, Puck was laughing. He knows what trouble Rylee can be.
"Alright." Mrs. Newmen looked to Rylee. "Rylee, you can move away from the corner and grab your stuff to go home."
Owen grabbed Rylee's school bag. Rylee walked to him and allowed Owen to put the bag on her back.
"You're not going to tell Mommy and Daddy are you?" Rylee looked up at Owen.
"Yes I am."
"No! I'll get in trouble!"
"You should have thought of that before doing what you did."
"Daddy going to be so mad at me!"
"What about you're Mommy?" Alex said as the three of them were walking to the car.
"Mommy will only be mad. Daddy scary when he's mad at me."
"Don't get in trouble and Goliath won't get mad." Alex said as Owen helped him and Rylee into the car.
Rylee looked at Alex. "Uhhh…Daddy and Mommy gonna be mad." Rylee looked at her feet.
Owen brought Alex and Rylee into the Xanatos building. Owen took their school things and the two children ran up the stairs to Alex's room. On the way, they bumped into Xanatos.
"Hold on you two." Said Xanatos.
"Sorry Dad." Said Alex.
"How was your first day?" Xanatos looked at his son.
"Boring." Said Alex. Then Xanatos looked at Rylee. "What about you Rylee?"
Rylee looked down at her feet and was about to say something, but Alex spoke up first.
"Rylee got in trouble!"
"Alex!" Rylee yelled at him. Alex looked at Rylee. "Well, you did. Owen and I saw you standing in a corner and your teacher even said you were in trouble."
"Tattle tale!"
"Want to tell me what happened?" Xanatos asked.
"I kicked someone." Rylee mumbled.
"No why would you do that?" Fox walked over to the group.
"He was a meanie."
"Her teacher said it was a older boy from a different class…and she wouldn't do her math work."
"Tattle tale!" Rylee yelled again.
"Really? Goliath and Elisa won't be happy about that; and on your first day." Fox spoke up.
"Yeah." Rylee mumbled.
Xanatos sighed. "Why don't the two of you go play. You'll get snacks later." With that, Fox and Xanatos walked off and Rylee and Alex went to Alex's room.
"Hurry Alex!" Rylee yelled as she was running as best she could with her little legs up the stairs to the balcony where the Gargoyles slept. Alex many steps behind her.
"You don't have to be in such a hurry Rylee." Said Fox, who walked behind Rylee and Alex. "They will not be waking up for a few minutes."
"I want to see them before they wake up!" Rylee screamed, finally reaching the balcony to the door, trying to reach the door knob to open the door.
"Fox! I can't reach! Open the door!"
"Didn't your parents teach you manners?" Fox asked. Her and Alex finally caught up to Rylee.
"Um….Please?" Rylee looked to Fox.
Fox smirked at Rylee and opened the door. Rylee ran over to Angela's statue and then watched the sun go own. After a few minutes, she smiled as the sun was finally down and the Gargoyle status started to crack and become flesh.
"Angela!" As soon as Angela became flesh, Rylee just on her.
"Rylee…" Angela was a little surprised, but grabbed Rylee, keeping her from falling and moved a little to keep her balance. Angela moved Rylee around in her arms so she was sitting on one of her arms.
"Hello Lass."
"Hi Grandpa Hudson."
Hudson smiled at Rylee. He doesn't like to be called 'grandpa', says it makes him feel old, but when he used to tell Rylee that, she would cry. So he allows Rylee to call him 'grandpa' and hoping she out grows it soon.
Then Bronx jumped from his little perch area and barked. Rylee giggled and Angela put her down.
"Hi Bronx." Rylee patted the Gargoyle dog. He barked again and licked Rylee's face, causing her to laugh.
"Look who's here."
Rylee looked to the voice. "Hi Brooklyn, Hi Broadway, Hi Lex!" Rylee waved to the Gargoyle trio. Rylee got Bronx to stop licking her and Rylee went back to Angela and she picked her up.
"How was school?" Angela asked.
"Okay I guess… I got to color and do my ABCs'!" Just then, Goliath jumped from the upper balcony and walked to the group.
"Rylee…"
"Hi Daddy!"
Goliath smiled, seeing his youngest daughter.
"Why don't you tell Goliath what you did in school." Angela said.
"K." Rylee looked from her sister to her father. "I colored and did my ABCs'."
Goliath was about to say something.
"That's not all you did today."
Everyone turned to see Elisa walk over to the group.
"Uh, oh…" Rylee mumbled.
"I had a talk with Owen on my way up here." Elisa said, and looked to Fox and Alex and watched Owen as Puck took his place to take Alex for magic lessons, Fox following behind.
"He told me you got in trouble with your teacher today." Said Elisa. Rylee looked from her mother to her father.
"Really?" Goliath crossed his arms over his chest.
"Why don't you tell Daddy want happened." Elisa said; more like ordered.
"…Um…I didn't want to do math, and…uh….I kicked a boy." Rylee looked down at the ground to avoid the looks of her parents and the Gargoyles.
"Why would you kick a boy?" Goliath asked.
"Because he was a meanie."
"Did he do anything to you?" Goliath asked another question.
"No."
"Then why kick him?" Elisa asked
"He was a 6th grader who said Gargoyles were ugly and brought in one of those mean posters with Daddy's face with an 'X' on it and drew on Daddy's face." Rylee started to mumble. "He said Gargoyles need to die." Rylee then looked at Goliath. She saw his face and quickly hid her face in Angela's neck. Goliath was giving her THE look. She knew he was mad.
"Rylee, that doesn't excuse kicking someone." Elisa said. Angela started running a clawed hand through Rylee's hair.
"What he said was mean, but kicking someone isn't going to make human like Gargoyles." Said Angela.
"It should." Rylee started to sniffle.
"Well, it doesn't. No matter what someone does, you don't try to hurt them." Said Goliath.
"What if someone wants to hurt me?" Rylee, while sniffling, lifted her head to look at Goliath's 'mean' face.
"You defend yourself if someone threats your life; or run to any of us. You don't hurt someone for hating Gargoyles." Said Goliath.
"Ay Lass. We are trying to get humans to like us. Not hate us more than they already do." Hudson spoke up.
"It's not Rylee's fault." Broadway spoke up.
"Yeah Goliath, The kid made her mad." Said Lexington.
"I think the kid deserved it." Said Brooklyn.
Rylee smiled at Broadway, Lexington, and Brooklyn for defending her.
"It's still no excuse." Said Goliath. "And you three need to stop always trying to defend her when she gets into trouble." Goliath looked at the trio, who looked down for a moment.
Goliath removed his arms from his chest and Angela placed Rylee in his arms.
"You need to watch your temper in public."
"I know Daddy. I go Gargoyle sometimes with my temper."
"That…and you can't just try to hurt people when they do something you don't like." Said Goliath.
"Why?" Rylee asked.
"Because that's mean." Elisa spoke up.
"Okay…I try to be good girl." Said Rylee.
"You are always saying that." Goliath smiled as Rylee hugged him around his neck as best as she could.
Goliath put Rylee on the ground.
"Now…what about math?" Elisa spoke up.
"Uh, oh." Rylee mumbled and tried to hid behind the closest Gargoyle, Brooklyn. Brooklyn looked down at Rylee and laughed. She peaked out from his red leg to look at her parents. Elisa looked mad and Goliath had, THE look.
"Mmmm…." Rylee groaned and tried to hid herself again behind Brooklyn.