Disclaimer: I do not own Alex Rider. I do own Sasha.
For 'Charlotte'
I gave it my best shot. There are bullies, Sasha and it's the first day of school.
PS: Sorry about the confusing timeline/order. I rearranged some chapters so they are in a chronological order. New chapters will be added at the end and after a few days I put them where they belong, okay? Mostly you can guess from the ages of the characters how much time has gone by. But this is just a series of different one-shots, drabbles, drabblets and anything in-between. Don't be too hard on me, alright?
One Shot: School (~1,850 words)
Chris's calloused fingers stroke over his wife's exposed abdomen, while he leaned down to kiss her gently before the alarm could wake her. She sighed contently, then she opened her brown eyes slowly, cuddling closer to him.
"Good morning, Princess," he whispered in her ear.
Alex treated him to one of her dazzling smiles. "Morning, birdbrain."
He leaned down to kiss her again. "How are you today?"
"I am wonderful and sad and proud."
"It's her first day in school. Not her last."
"I know. It's her first step towards growing up. Soon she's a teenager and hates us."
"All the more reason to enjoy the present."
She kissed him softly, before getting up. Throwing one of his shirts and a pair of sweatpants on, she went downstairs to start breakfast. (And organizing some work-related last minute matters simultaneously.)
He dressed quickly in a shirt and sweatpants, before waking an overly excited six-year-old.
They had bought a school uniform together, all three of them, a few days ago. Sasha was so proud of her's that she wanted to wear it before today.
He woke her with a gentle kiss on the temple and tickling her. (She was just as ticklish as her mother.)
Washing and dressing she did alone, had done so for about a year now. Alex was doing her hair due to the special occasion. Usually Sasha styled her hair as well.
While Sasha got ready, he took a shower and dressed in one of his white shirts and black jeans. This was about as dressed up as he got.
When he walked into the cozy kitchen, he smelled the pancakes right away. Sasha already munched on a pile of her own, hair down to her waist and a happy grin on her face.
Snaking his arms around Alex, he bent down and stole a quick kiss. "That smells very good, Princess."
"Thank you, birdbrain. Can you flip them, please?"
"Sure."
Alex kissed him back, then she grabbed Sasha's brush to start on her hair.
The doorbell rang. Chris abandoned the pancakes – they needed a few minutes anyway – and went to open the door.
"What do you want for today, Angel? A braid?"
"A ponytail is fine, isn't it, Mum?"
"Of course."
Alex knew that Sasha would open the braid anyway if it got in her way. She didn't waste her energy on arguing with her daughter, especially on such a stupid topic.
Chris came back, accompanied by Dana and Chris sen.
"Grandma and Pops!" Sasha hugged them, jumping up from her chair.
"Is there a girl in the house who starts school today?"
"It can't be our little Sasha, can it?" Chris sen. winked at Alex who tried hard not to laugh.
"But it's me! I even got a cool new uniform," Sasha informed them.
Dana kissed her grand-daughter and hugged her back.
"Now I see it too," Chris sen. muttered.
"Would you like some breakfast?"
"No, thanks, Al. We ate earlier. I got it if you want to change."
"Thanks, Dana."
Chris poured some tea for his parents and sat down. Sasha resumed munching happily on her last pancake.
"Hey, Daddy, can you pick me up with the bike later?"
"We'll see, okay?"
"Please? I promise to be good in school. No pranks."
"You know the rules for school. No backtalk, no pranks. Be polite and use your manners. If there are mean people you can be impolite, though."
"Know who you can take. If you go karate on a bigger person, you will lose. Just be yourself and show them that beautiful smile we all love," Alex said, having reentered the room, kissing her daughter on the cheek.
Sasha seemed uncharacteristically insecure. "Okay. I'll try."
"Very good, sweetheart. Let me finish your ponytail, now?"
Sasha nodded, as if sitting still required a lot of strength and patience from her. And it did. She had been gifted with the energy level of a puppy on a constant sugar high. However, she was also very much in control of herself for a six-year-old, ever since she had taken up karate.
Dana grinned and took a picture of Alex and Sasha at the kitchen table for the family photo album. These moments were the ones you remembered the most, later.
Chris knew this was a big day for his little Angel. She had been asking to go to school since she was four and now that the day finally came, she was nervous about messing up right away. "We will go for ice-cream later. If you want you can invite someone," he promised.
Sasha's face lit up. "Awesome! Thanks, Daddy!"
Alex sent him a knowing smile. Their daughter was a little daddy's girl. She was spoiled and the 'Lake-Princess'. Every family member adored her in some way.
Outside of the school, Sasha gave everyone a last hug, kissed her parents and waved them goodbye.
Alex whispered in her ear: "You can do this, Angel. I believe in you."
Sasha seemed relieved; she relaxed to her usual sassy self. "Remember to bring the bike, please! You promised, Daddy!"
Her family laughed. Then Sasha turned around and went inside the school building. This was her first real day of school.
She went to homeroom first. A nice looking young woman sat behind a desk. Sasha greeted her politely.
"Good morning. I am Aleksandra Lake, but everyone calls me Sasha," the blonde girl said to the surprised elementary teacher.
"Nice to meet you, Sasha. I'm Ms. Miller. Why don't you sit down next to Freddy?"
"Who is Freddy?"
"I am," a mischievous looking brunette boy said. Freddy was two months older, he revealed. He liked football/soccer and was a fan of Chelsea FC. Sasha grinned at him, instinctively knowing she had found a kindred soul.
Some other boys made a derogatory comment about Freddy talking to a girl.
Said boy defended Sasha fervently for knowing her exactly five minutes.
Needless to say, they were soon best friends.
During lunch break Freddy introduced Sasha to some other kids from his football team. Sasha wasn't bothered that they were all boys except one girl. The group got along well enough.
"Do you want to play a little footie? We still have time, " Freddy wondered.
"Sure. As long as you don't treat me like a doll," Sasha challenged, smiling openly.
The six of them went outside.
Unfortunately the boys from earlier wanted the only football as well.
"You want to play with a girl? Can you even play, blondie?" the biggest of them mocked.
Sasha huffed. Nobody got away with mocking her like that – especially not her friends. "I can play better than you. And for your information, my name is Sasha, not blondie."
The biggest and tallest of the boys stepped forward, trying to intimidate her.
Since Sasha was Sasha, she wasn't doing him that favor.
"Listen, I don't know what your problem is, boy-who-I-don't-know. Just leave it alone."
"Mark, leave Sasha alone. She is cool." Freddy didn't help.
The tall boy tried to push the half a head smaller girl back, so she would trip or fall to the ground.
Sasha caught his hand and stopped him from doing just that. "Sorry, but I don't like pushovers. Don't ever mess with me or my friends, okay? I am a yellow-belt in karate," Sasha warned. Then she let go off his hand.
"O-okay," the boy stuttered. He and his friends ran away.
Freddy grinned and high-fived her. "I do karate too. Which dojo are you going to?"
After lunch, Sasha was called into the principal's office. Her homeroom teacher, the boy from earlier and the principal all waited for her. The disapproving looks from the two grown-ups told Sasha everything she needed to know. She guessed that the boy had tattled on her.
"Miss Lake, please take a seat. Do you know why you're here?" the principal asked in a stern tone.
"No."
"Matt here says you bullied him with your friends to get the only football for lunch," Ms. Miller explained.
Sasha turned her most innocent look on the two grown-ups, adding a quivering lip for good measure. "I did not do anything but defend myself. You can ask everyone else."
The two teachers exchanged a look. Could this poor, innocent girl really be a bully?
Sasha noticed it. She had won this battle.
"Well, since it's only your first day here, we'll let it slide. If this happens again, though..."
Soon after they were dismissed.
The second they were out of earshot of the teachers, Sasha turned to Matt. "You are a coward. I don't like you and if you ever do that again, I will come after you. Leave me alone and everyone is going to be happy."
When school was out, a certain green motor cycle waited in front of the building.
Sasha squealed in delight, running towards her father. "You came with the bike! Thank you, Daddy!"
Chris caught her mid-run, laughing. He noticed a brunette boy and four other kids following his daughter. Only one of them was another girl.
Honestly, he hadn't expected anything else.
"I'd do anything for you, Angel. Why don't you introduce me to your new friends, huh?"
"Well, this is Freddy and the guys from football. We played during lunch."
"Which one did you want to take along?"
"Freddy, would you like some ice-cream? My dad said I could invite someone."
"If it's not too much trouble..."
"Of course not! Can you drive both of us there?"
"Sure. Take your pick. Side car or sitting behind me?"
"Freddy, would you be okay in the side car?"
"Yeah. That's so cool!" Freddy replied, obviously happy to come along at all.
Chris grinned. He checked their helmets, told Sasha to hold on tight and started the machine, leaving a class of first graders gaping at them.
Needless to say that Sasha was soon declared to be the coolest girl ever by the guys and greatly despised by most of the girls. Nothing would change that with the years. After all, the first impression determines most relationships.
Not that Sasha cared overly much. She had her friends and needed no one to gush about her hair, her clothes. She knew who she wanted to be and that her family loved her. She was a sassy, back talking blonde she-devil which her teachers would get to know very soon...
Today however was perfect for her, even though she had been called into the principal's office.