[Background: Bucket takes place shortly after Treasure, perhaps a few months afterwards, when Legolas is almost finished with kindergarten.]
'I want it!' yelped a mousy-haired boy, latching his hands onto the boat which Legolas was playing with. 'No!' protested the blue-eyed child. 'It's my turn to play!'
The toy in question was a sailboat with white sails made of canvas, the type pirates used to cross the seas with.
Now not to be mistaken, Legolas was a good-natured and caring boy who followed his teachers' instructions. Rarely would he have an unusual outburst, but he was a child, after all.
Legolas had waited for a long time to get his hand on the toy sailboat. It appears to be quite popular among the other kids. He certainly wasn't about to let his fellow classmate simply take it without a fight.
Just as the kids were tugging the boat between them, the canvas sails were torn open with a loud riiiiip. The teacher, Miss Clarys, turned to the shock-still children. 'Alright, which one of you started this?' The mousy-haired boy shrieked, 'It's Legolas! He didn't share with me!' Legolas immediately said, 'But I waited for a long time to play it! It's-'
Unheeding his frantic protests, Miss Clarys ordered disapprovingly, 'Legolas, go to the bucket.' Said boy lowered his head in reluctant acceptance, knowing it's useless to argue, and shuffled to the side of the door, where a bucket big enough for a kindergarten student to sit in lay.
The Bucket was a time-out corner for delinquents to cool down in. The child is required to fold his or her legs and sit inside the bucket in a rather uncomfortable position.
Legolas did as he was told and settled into the bucket. He was to 'sit and cool down' for 5 minutes. Totally unfair, he thought angrily to himself. Suddenly, he realized something. Ms Clarys had told them at the first day of school:
'Being in the bucket means you have done something wrong. It is not a punishment, but a quiet time that you can use to think about what you have done and what you can do to improve. You may not, I repeat, may not exit the bucket during the few minutes.' Miss Clarys had said. 'Yes, Miss Clarys.' the class chorused.
Don't leave the bucket, Legolas mused thoughtfully. He glanced to his right. The door was open. He stole a look at Miss Clarys. She was busy cheering up a classmate. It's getting rather boring anyway. He thought.
Legolas shifted in the bucket. It moved a bit to the right. He shifted again. The bucket moved again. Slowly but surely, he got closer and closer to the open door.
He made a double-check that no one noticed him before he escaped into the hallway. Shuffling along, he passed multiple classrooms and went out of the front door, only to hear an enraged and frantic voice calling his name.
'Legolas!' Miss Clarys shrieked, running after him. 'How dare you run out like that? I've been looking everywhere for you!' She started dragging him back into the center. Legolas didn't complain. He got out, even if not for long, and that's what matters.
'Yes… yes, your son…' Miss Clarys's voice faded into a drone as Legolas kicked his legs back and forth on his chair. Now that the adrenaline was fading, he was starting to worry about what his father will think about his behaviour. No good responses, he thought wearily.
After an hour or so, the bell jingled at the front door. Thranduil stepped into the reception room with a carefully neutral expression. Legolas looked up at him timidly. Miss Clarys immediately told his father everything, and finished with, '-this behaviour is utterly unacceptable. Please take your son early back home.'
Thranduil stared at the teacher for a few moments, then replied with a blank expression, 'But he didn't leave the bucket.' He scooped his son up in his arms and turned to leave, the teacher watching, dumbfounded. Legolas stuck out his tongue at her over his father's shoulder cheekily.
A/N: I need to apologise for the lateness of this chapter, due to exams, writer's block and whatnot. I was originally writing another story for Modern Mirkwood, but I got stuck. Thankfully I got an idea.
The base idea for this story is not mine, but actually from Tumblr user digatisdi. Credits to him.
