Bad Day
September was drawing to a close and so far, so good. Aei Lynn survived her first weeks of school as any kindergartner should, happy and carefree. Each day she would get in Couvea's car and tell her father what she and Kyle did as they went home and Couvea would then discuss his day at work. And this day, the last day of September, started out like every other day.
The alarm clock went off; a song on the radio interrupted Couvea's dream of one day reuniting with Celeste. He grumbled and rolled over, manually shutting the radio off and was more than reluctant to get out of bed. But he did so, and changed into his clothes for the day. He combed his jet black hair into place and headed to the bathroom to brush his teeth and wake up Aei as he passed her room.
"Aei wake up, time to get ready," he said as he opened her door. She grumbled in reply to her pillow yet slowly sat up.
"I'm up," Aei said, blinking herself awake.
~Definitely my daughter. Early mornings are not her thing unless it's Saturday.~
*****
Aei looked out the car's window, watching the rain fall and land in tiny droplets on the glass. She hummed softly to herself as Couvea drove her to school. He personally didn't like the rain unless it was needed and right now it wasn't.
"I'm sorry I can't walk you inside," he said. ~We have one umbrella and I'm running on the late side. Need new car...~
"It's okay Daddy," Aei said. "I love you, and have a good day at work."
"I love you too Aei, and you have a good day too. I'll come in when I pick you up this afternoon."
He leaned over and opened the door for her. Aei climbed out, waved, and shut the door, watching her father drive off. She began walking off when another car drove up, stopping abruptly at a large puddle and splashed her.
"Hey!" Aei said, turning around.
A new fifth grader boy stepped out from the front's passenger side and glared down at the drenched kindergartner. She looked at him, icy blues glaring back.
"What?" He said in a gruff voice.
"I'm all wet be---"
"I think my brother missed a spot," the fifth grader interrupted her, waving to the driver with a grin. His brother drove off and the older boy scooped Aei up, taking her arm and dragging her to the water fountain.
"Let me go! Stop pulling on my arm!"
The fifth grader picked her up under her arms and hoisted Aei up to the fountain, sitting her on top of it. He pressed the button to release the drinking water and let it splash her face. She let out a squeaky scream, half in surprise and half in anger. It was drowned out by the water though and when the older boy released the button the excess water drenched Aei's bottom.
"What's the matter, wittle baby's gonna cwy?" The boy taunted as he put Aei's feet back to the ground. "What a little freak, blue hair on a little thing like you. I know what I'm going to call you..."
"My *name* is Aei Lynn," she growled.
"Not anymore. It's 'Little Blue Freak'."
"No it's not! And I'm not a freak!"
"Yes you are. Now get to class Little Blue Freak."
The bell rang and Aei headed to her classroom with hurt feelings and drenched to the bone. She shivered when she walked into the room, her eyes fixed on the floor. Ms. Taylor and Kyle walked over to her, a towel in Kyle's hands.
"Aei, what happened? You're soaked," Ms. Taylor said.
"I...A car stopped next to me, on a puddle..." Aei replied quietly.
"I see," said Ms. Taylor. "Okay Aei, come with me and we'll get you all settled. Class, everyone find a station and stay there until Aei and I get back." Kyle frowned, watching his best friend walk off with the teacher. He knew she'd be all right, that Ms. Taylor would make sure Aei Lynn would be well taken care of, but he felt that something was still out of place.
*****
Ms. Taylor and Aei soon returned to the classroom in dry clothes. It had taken some time but it was well worth it; Aei's outfit was now warm and comforting on her. She took her seat and slipped a piece of drawing paper out of her notebook, drawing a simple bunny surrounded by large flowers. This was to be her "great masterpiece" to bring home to her father. She was very proud of it.
"Are you okay?" Said Kyle as he walked over to Aei Lynn.
She nodded and showed her picture to him, "What do you think of this?"
"It's really good," he said, smiling. "I think the eyes are the best. It's not raining anymore, do you want to go outside?"
Aei Lynn looked outside and nodded. True, the clouds were gray and threatened to send another downpour, and there were puddles everywhere, but for now it was just nice to go outside and enjoy the cool air. The two joined their classmates and Ms. Taylor outside and went to one of the activities.
"Hey," said a familiar voice, except it sounded gentle this time. Kyle and Aei looked up to see a fifth grader standing in front of them. Her body tensed as she recognized the fifth grader from that morning, the one who had drenched her and called her a little blue freak.
"About this morning. I'm sorry," the fifth grader said. Aei Lynn slowly nodded her acceptance.
"It's al---"
"I'm sorry you're such a stupid gullible Little Blue Freak!" The older boy pushed her backwards into the mud and laughed, pointing at her. Kyle rushed to his best friend's side and began to help her up, until the bully shoved Kyle into Aei Lynn. She fell back into the wet dirt with Kyle sprawled out next to her, face first. The other children, from fifth graders to kindergartners, found this incredibly hilarious and began laughing hysterically.
Ms. Taylor ran over to the two kindergartners and fifth grader when she saw what had happened. Scowling at the older boy, she helped the crying little ones up and guided them back inside.
"It's all right, the day's almost over and your parents will be here soon to pick you up; and as for that boy I'll to his teacher about what he did."
"He put me on the fountain this morning!" Aei Lynn said in-between tears.
Ms. Taylor kneeled down, eye-level to Aei and gently pulled her into a hug. "It's all right."
*****
"Rain, rain, go away, come again another day," Couvea sang softly in his car. It was raining yet again but at least now it was the afternoon and he could spend the rest of this rainy day at home with his daughter.
"Like on a day when we're off," he grumbled. He parked 'Ol' Crappy' and got out, opening the large black umbrella and lifting it over his head. Couvea walked into the kindergartner building and blinked when he saw his Aei Lynn wrapped in a blue blanket and a white towel.
"Mr. Devasc?" Ms. Taylor asked. The gothic looking man nodded, smoothly trotting up to them.
"What...?"
Aei Lynn hugged her father's leg. He could now see she was wearing a baggy, paint stained shirt and sweatpants under the blanket. The towel covered her head, a few strands of wet blue hair sticking out from the corners.
"A fifth grader---"
"Thankyou Ms. Taylor," he sighed and picked up his little girl. "That's all I need to know for now. I'm sure you did everything you could but I'll take over from here."
*****
Home, sweet home. Aei was dry and comfortable again and her masterpiece hung up on the fridge door. Father and daughter sat side by side on the couch and talked for hours about that day. He smiled warmly when she finished and lightly stroked her hair.
"Listen to me, Aei Lynn. Some people are two faced, and mean. And can give you days that are just awful, but there are other days that are better and other people who are not two faced and nice. A bad day doesn't mean the end, it just means that there will hopefully be a better tomorrow. And you are *not*, nor will you ever be, a little blue 'freak'."
September was drawing to a close and so far, so good. Aei Lynn survived her first weeks of school as any kindergartner should, happy and carefree. Each day she would get in Couvea's car and tell her father what she and Kyle did as they went home and Couvea would then discuss his day at work. And this day, the last day of September, started out like every other day.
The alarm clock went off; a song on the radio interrupted Couvea's dream of one day reuniting with Celeste. He grumbled and rolled over, manually shutting the radio off and was more than reluctant to get out of bed. But he did so, and changed into his clothes for the day. He combed his jet black hair into place and headed to the bathroom to brush his teeth and wake up Aei as he passed her room.
"Aei wake up, time to get ready," he said as he opened her door. She grumbled in reply to her pillow yet slowly sat up.
"I'm up," Aei said, blinking herself awake.
~Definitely my daughter. Early mornings are not her thing unless it's Saturday.~
*****
Aei looked out the car's window, watching the rain fall and land in tiny droplets on the glass. She hummed softly to herself as Couvea drove her to school. He personally didn't like the rain unless it was needed and right now it wasn't.
"I'm sorry I can't walk you inside," he said. ~We have one umbrella and I'm running on the late side. Need new car...~
"It's okay Daddy," Aei said. "I love you, and have a good day at work."
"I love you too Aei, and you have a good day too. I'll come in when I pick you up this afternoon."
He leaned over and opened the door for her. Aei climbed out, waved, and shut the door, watching her father drive off. She began walking off when another car drove up, stopping abruptly at a large puddle and splashed her.
"Hey!" Aei said, turning around.
A new fifth grader boy stepped out from the front's passenger side and glared down at the drenched kindergartner. She looked at him, icy blues glaring back.
"What?" He said in a gruff voice.
"I'm all wet be---"
"I think my brother missed a spot," the fifth grader interrupted her, waving to the driver with a grin. His brother drove off and the older boy scooped Aei up, taking her arm and dragging her to the water fountain.
"Let me go! Stop pulling on my arm!"
The fifth grader picked her up under her arms and hoisted Aei up to the fountain, sitting her on top of it. He pressed the button to release the drinking water and let it splash her face. She let out a squeaky scream, half in surprise and half in anger. It was drowned out by the water though and when the older boy released the button the excess water drenched Aei's bottom.
"What's the matter, wittle baby's gonna cwy?" The boy taunted as he put Aei's feet back to the ground. "What a little freak, blue hair on a little thing like you. I know what I'm going to call you..."
"My *name* is Aei Lynn," she growled.
"Not anymore. It's 'Little Blue Freak'."
"No it's not! And I'm not a freak!"
"Yes you are. Now get to class Little Blue Freak."
The bell rang and Aei headed to her classroom with hurt feelings and drenched to the bone. She shivered when she walked into the room, her eyes fixed on the floor. Ms. Taylor and Kyle walked over to her, a towel in Kyle's hands.
"Aei, what happened? You're soaked," Ms. Taylor said.
"I...A car stopped next to me, on a puddle..." Aei replied quietly.
"I see," said Ms. Taylor. "Okay Aei, come with me and we'll get you all settled. Class, everyone find a station and stay there until Aei and I get back." Kyle frowned, watching his best friend walk off with the teacher. He knew she'd be all right, that Ms. Taylor would make sure Aei Lynn would be well taken care of, but he felt that something was still out of place.
*****
Ms. Taylor and Aei soon returned to the classroom in dry clothes. It had taken some time but it was well worth it; Aei's outfit was now warm and comforting on her. She took her seat and slipped a piece of drawing paper out of her notebook, drawing a simple bunny surrounded by large flowers. This was to be her "great masterpiece" to bring home to her father. She was very proud of it.
"Are you okay?" Said Kyle as he walked over to Aei Lynn.
She nodded and showed her picture to him, "What do you think of this?"
"It's really good," he said, smiling. "I think the eyes are the best. It's not raining anymore, do you want to go outside?"
Aei Lynn looked outside and nodded. True, the clouds were gray and threatened to send another downpour, and there were puddles everywhere, but for now it was just nice to go outside and enjoy the cool air. The two joined their classmates and Ms. Taylor outside and went to one of the activities.
"Hey," said a familiar voice, except it sounded gentle this time. Kyle and Aei looked up to see a fifth grader standing in front of them. Her body tensed as she recognized the fifth grader from that morning, the one who had drenched her and called her a little blue freak.
"About this morning. I'm sorry," the fifth grader said. Aei Lynn slowly nodded her acceptance.
"It's al---"
"I'm sorry you're such a stupid gullible Little Blue Freak!" The older boy pushed her backwards into the mud and laughed, pointing at her. Kyle rushed to his best friend's side and began to help her up, until the bully shoved Kyle into Aei Lynn. She fell back into the wet dirt with Kyle sprawled out next to her, face first. The other children, from fifth graders to kindergartners, found this incredibly hilarious and began laughing hysterically.
Ms. Taylor ran over to the two kindergartners and fifth grader when she saw what had happened. Scowling at the older boy, she helped the crying little ones up and guided them back inside.
"It's all right, the day's almost over and your parents will be here soon to pick you up; and as for that boy I'll to his teacher about what he did."
"He put me on the fountain this morning!" Aei Lynn said in-between tears.
Ms. Taylor kneeled down, eye-level to Aei and gently pulled her into a hug. "It's all right."
*****
"Rain, rain, go away, come again another day," Couvea sang softly in his car. It was raining yet again but at least now it was the afternoon and he could spend the rest of this rainy day at home with his daughter.
"Like on a day when we're off," he grumbled. He parked 'Ol' Crappy' and got out, opening the large black umbrella and lifting it over his head. Couvea walked into the kindergartner building and blinked when he saw his Aei Lynn wrapped in a blue blanket and a white towel.
"Mr. Devasc?" Ms. Taylor asked. The gothic looking man nodded, smoothly trotting up to them.
"What...?"
Aei Lynn hugged her father's leg. He could now see she was wearing a baggy, paint stained shirt and sweatpants under the blanket. The towel covered her head, a few strands of wet blue hair sticking out from the corners.
"A fifth grader---"
"Thankyou Ms. Taylor," he sighed and picked up his little girl. "That's all I need to know for now. I'm sure you did everything you could but I'll take over from here."
*****
Home, sweet home. Aei was dry and comfortable again and her masterpiece hung up on the fridge door. Father and daughter sat side by side on the couch and talked for hours about that day. He smiled warmly when she finished and lightly stroked her hair.
"Listen to me, Aei Lynn. Some people are two faced, and mean. And can give you days that are just awful, but there are other days that are better and other people who are not two faced and nice. A bad day doesn't mean the end, it just means that there will hopefully be a better tomorrow. And you are *not*, nor will you ever be, a little blue 'freak'."