A new girl dropped from the ball pit slide and stood, shaking herself off from head to toe. Harriette who'd turned to look and had been watching got the distinct impression that Sun only managed to catch hold of her because she'd done that. Sun lifted her out of the ballpit. She grinned chatting with him for a moment before and after he'd put her down before turning to look around the room when her eyes landed on Harriette and she started moving toward her.
The girl in question was a lot taller than Harriette and Emelia, she was probably older. She was built wide and squarish. She was probably the same size as Percy, the oldest kid in the daycare. She looked like she could probably pick him up too.
Harriette would have hid but she was still with the others and didn't want to abandon them to a potential bully. Harriette managed to squeak out something resembling a warning before the girl got there.
"You have trash in your hair!" the girl said and in the same breath. "Wanna be friends."
"Uh," Harriette tried.
"I'm Mayla, I'm seven," the girl said, pointing proudly at her chest. Looking closely at her Harriette could see that she had friendly eyes the color of caramel candies. She had a bright blue star painted on her face. Her hair was long and brown, and done up in two ponytails that were closed off at the ends too. She had rounded bangs that kind of circled her face. Her shirt had a cartoon rabbit on her face. "My Granny Nova has hair ties or string if you want not trash in your pretty hair," Mayla said, tilting her head, as she pointed to a woman, standing off to the side of the door into the daycare. Harriette shrugged. While she would love to have actual hair ties Vernon would break them for sure. She wasn't a fan of how much glee he'd gotten out of breaking the things she'd tried, and while string might be harder to break it could still be burned and sometimes he'd throw the burning strings at her. He was probably going to tear apart the trash she'd used but that was a lot less heartbreaking.
"Maybe later," Harriette said, shifting. "I'm Harriette."
"I'm Emelia, and you shouldn't point things like that out, it might be rude," Emelia said. "Though it's nice of you to offer."
"How is it rude, her pack may not have a lot of resources, so as the Alpha's grandchild it is my job to help," Mayla said, a bit too proud of the Pack, and Alpha bit.
"That's exactly why," Emelia said.
"Sun has hair ties too," Genni said. "He does my hair a lot of the time we're here. If you want he can do your hair like mine?" She offered.
"I can't," Harriette decided to risk admitting. "Please don't tell Mr. Sun though." Harriette added.
"Why does your pack not want you or something? Everyone should be able to be as pretty as they want," Mayla said with an odd sound coming from her chest.
Harriette looked between them then nodded.
"My parents died in a car crash before I was born," Harriette said, rubbing her arm as she curled in on herself. "My Aunt and Uncle were forced to take me, but they say I'm too expensive to keep and get into too much trouble and that I shouldn't want to have my hair done with ribbons and hair ties and stuff."
"WHAT! Why would they say that? You're a puppy not a full grown wolf, If they do that to you again, bite them and run, I can tell Grand-paw Bram to look out for you," Malay said, that odd sound still there and louder now.
"It's true, but it's okay, it doesn't bother me anymore," Harriette insisted. "Please don't tell Mr. Sun. I'll get into trouble and I won't get to come anymore. Besides I can't run away or I'll get sent to an orphanage or worse an Asylum." Harriette pouted. "That's what happens to bad kids who try to run away."
"Well, you can tell Sunny that you're not allowed to have your hair up and he can redo your hair the way you did when you came." Emelia said. "He does that for Matty and Katrina."
"Please don't tell, teachers have to tell guardians everything," Harriette insisted. "If someone finds out he'll get into trouble.
Mayla was shaking and that odd sound was very loud, her fangs were showing as she clenched and unclenched her fists.
"Mayla what's the matter," a tall man who'd been talking to Sun earlier came over. The girl shot into his legs. He was tall enough that she barely reached his hip. Harriette wondered if they were all giants, but shook that thought out. Giants weren't real.
"Harriette is in a bad pack, they threatened her and it's because her mom, and dad pasted to the hunting grounds," Mayla said, seeking comfort from her Grand-paw.
"Oh," the man said. Sun had come over and now Harriette was shifting nervously, tears were pricking her eyes and she wanted to hide. The man just focussed on Mayla for a few minutes, after a quick glance told him the girl would probably bolt if he tried to comment on it.
Harriette shifted from foot to foot, worrying her bottom lip. Shaking her head.
"I'm fine," Harriette said. "I-I…" Harriette trailed before an idea struck her. "I LIED!" Then she ran away, tears burning her eyes as she fled to a dark spot she'd noticed while climbing with Emelia and Genni earlier.
Sun found her a moment or two later, probably having been told all about everything. And now no one probably ever wanted to play with her. This vacation was going to be the worst. She was going to get locked in the bathroom of the hotel and then she'd get beaten and locked in her cupboard and she wouldn't be allowed to eat again. Maybe Vernon would actually starve her this time. Tears were spilling out of her eyes as she tried to calm down. She shouldn't have told them. She should have just lied and said she liked her hair this way. Then she'd still be able to play. Sun sat near her for a moment before saying anything.
"Permission to touch?" Sun asked. Harriette wasn't sure why he asked but you aren't allowed to say no to a teacher. So she nodded, flinching when he put a hand on her shoulder, but he just left it sitting there. They sat there another moment.
"I'm not going to tell anyone," Sun said. "I'm not allowed to call anyone who could actually help you, and I'm not required to tell your guardians anything except allergies and other medical stuff." Sun started rubbing soothing circles into her shoulder. "I'm sorry that you have to go through that at home. Home should be a safe place. But while you're here you are safe. When you feel better you can come back out and rejoin the group of girls you were playing with." Sun gave her a gentle little pat and a hair ruffle. "And I can redo your hair whenever you'd like too. It'll be our little secret." He winked. "Oh! What's this?" He said. Harriette looked over at him. "Behind your ear… is that…? Could it be..?" Harriette watched with a small level of confusion as he reached behind her ear and produced a candy from it. Harriette's heart picked up and worry turned in her stomach before Sun spoke again. "A Sundrop!" Sun said cheerfully. "You should keep it." He winked Harriette was sure now that's what the head turning motion was supposed to be. And Harriette realized he must have put it there himself. A small surprised giggle escaped her before taking it shyly. Sun patted her on the head and then scooched out. Harriette looked at the little candy, watery smile falling before she started sobbing again.
"Is that the sound of a sad pup, I hear. But that can't be Sun loves to make sure all the pups here are happy, but maybe if I leave this little thing here, the pup could find it and give it a good home," a female voice said, as a handmade Sun with ears and a tail was put ever so gently down, and the female voice walked away humming a song. Harriette reached over, gripped the Sun Plush against her chest next to the Moon plush she already had. She'd give it back later. She wondered where the Moon was. Maybe he was the naptime attendant. They had naptime at school after all. And you slept at night. Another shuddery little sob spilled out from her chest.
Why were they being so nice to her? Harriette wondered. She didn't deserve it, she was a bad kid.
(Trigger Warning for Minor Trans phobia. Minor because it's a child and they apologies later)
When Harriette came out the other girls were waiting for her. A red haired boy that looked similar to Genni had joined them.
"Harriette!" Emilia called to her. "Are you feeling better?" Harriette nodded shyly.
"Sorry," Harriette said.
"It's okay," Genni said. "It's not your fault though." She added. She elbowed the boy next to her.
"I'm Ron," the boy said, sounding kind of bored. The girl rolled her eyes.
"Anyway, let's play now!" Emelia said. As they started off Mayla stepped next to Harriette.
"I'm sorry," She said. "I didn't mean to upset you."
"It's okay," Harriette said. "It's not your fault." Emelia pointed to the toy area with a whoop.
"Since your probably feeling a little tired, how about we play with some toys," Emelia said. "We can do all kinds of things with those!" Emelia started tugging them toward the section. Harriette nodded, happy to move on from the stressful encounter.
"What should we play?" Mayla asked as she followed. "Oh, oh! We could play superheroes!"
"I don't think that they have any action figures,' Emelia said. Crossing the threshold of the section. She started skipping a little.
"We can still play superheroes!" Mayla said. "We'll just have to match a story for the character."
"I mean, you can do a lot with something simple," Ron said.
"That's true I guess," Emelia said. Mayla had caught up to her and they were looking through the shelf. Harriette looked around, seeing that there were still toys left over from one of the other kids' games. She went over to start sorting them out to put them on the shelves.
"Oh! That's a good one!" Emelia shouted, bouncing. She was standing next to Harriette looking over her shoulder at one of the soft toys that Harriette was holding. It was a little bear with an elecriblue mark around his eyes and over its mouth, a red line around it, spikes on his shoulder and a lightning mard on this chest, and line under his mouth too, spiked bracelets, bowtie and hat. Harriette thought the design was a little busy but the lightning bolt was cool.
"Oh, here," Harriette handed the other girl the stuffed animal.
"Thanks! Freddy's my favorite!" Emelia said. "Isn't he cool?!" She shouted, Mayla and Genni were joining them.
"I dunno," Mayla said. "I think Bonni's the best, but it's okay if you think Freddy's better." Mayla was holding a soft rabbit doll, it was blue with an electric blue star on its face like she had.
"No way, both of you are wrong!" Genni shouted. "Roxie's the best!" She shouted pointing to the gray wolf woman on her shirt.
"Oh! Roxie is pretty cool," Mayla agreed. "But I think Bonni's cooler."
"No way!" Genni stomped her feet.
"Doesn't that just mean we aren't fighting over which one gets to play with which?" Harriette asked, offering the younger girl the doll that matched her shirt. She pouted a moment before her face brightened and she took the doll.
"You're right," Genni said. "I know Roxie's the best, but not having to fight for her is better."
"Exactly," Harriette said.
"Which one's your favorite?" Emelia asked.
"Oh, um-" Harriette hummed. "I don't think I even know who we're talking about." Harriette smiled. "But I was just planning to use my plushies, or one of them I guess." Harriette pointed to the pair that she currently had tucked into her shirt.
"Oh! That works," Genni said.
"You don't know about the other animatronics?" Ron asked. Harriette shook her head putting the last stuffed toy back on the shelf.
"What about you? Which ones are your favorite?" Harriette asked.
"I don't care," The boy shrugged, turning away from Harriette. "I like the colors red and gold? They don't have a lion animatronic anymore."
"Oh, well, how about this one?" Harriette offered a lion doll with a red scarf for some reason. Harriette thought it seemed a little silly since it already had a mane, but Ron said he liked the color red.
"I don't need help finding a stuffed animal," Ron grumbled. "But whatever, thanks, I guess."
"You're welcome," Harriette said, trying her best to smile.
"Yeah," Ron and the other made their way to a spot out of the way of the shelves and continued the discussion of what to play.
"Okay, so we're the Glamrocks," Emelia stated.
"We don't have a Chica," Genni pointed out.
"Oh! Uh well who wants to be Chica, I can if no one else wants it," Emelia said.
"That works for me," Genni said.
"We don't have a Monty either," Ron pointed out.
"You can be Monty since you're the only boy," Genni said. Ron shot Harriette a dirty look.
"Emelia and her are playing boys," Ron pointed out. "And what about him?" he pointed to Harriette, who flinched shrinking behind the plushies of Sun and Moon that she'd pulled from her shirt. "What even is his deal? Why are you playing with a bunch of girls? Why don't you play with other boys and leave my sister alone, you weirdo?"
"Ron!" Genni shot to her feet. "Harriette's a girl, her name is Harriette, so you owe her an apology." Genni made sure to speak clear and forcefully, stomping her little food against the padded floor.
"What? Why should I apologize? Just because he's pretending to be a girl, that's gross," Ron said, then he turned to Harriette. "Hey," he said, trying to get Harriette to look up at him, even though Harriette knew that she still closed her eyes. "Hey! Why are you pretending to be a girl? Do you think it's funny to trick people?" Harriette shook her head. "What's your problem then? Do you think it makes it easier to get closer to girls? Well, I'm not going to ignore it if you think you can just-" Something soft hit something else. "What the heck?"
"Stop it!" Genni shouted. "You're being mean and cruel and, and a bully!" she stomped her foot. "You can't just be mean to people and make up stories about them and their feelings just cause it suits you! That's what bullies do! And I don't want to play with a bully!" Genni was in tears now. Mayla stood to comfort her, Emelia's arms wrapped around Harriette then.
"I'm sorry he's being a meanie," Emelia said.
"But he's-"
"What's going on?" Sun asked, coming over to figure out what all the shouting was about.
"What even made you think she was a boy?" Mayla asked.
"He's got short hair," Ron pointed out.
"And you have a girl's haircut, does that make you a girl!" Mayla asked.
"I do not have a girl's haircut!" Ron said.
"There was a girl in my class who got gum in her hair and it had to get cut really short," Harriette pointed out.
"Exactly, just because someone's hair is short doesn't mean they're a boy," Sun said. "And long hair doesn't mean a girl." Sun said, to help.
"That's stupid, he's a boy!" Ron shouted pointing at Harriette. Harriette flinched again, tears pricking her eyes. "He's wearing boys clothes, and he's got short hair and he's dirty and smelly and covered in bruises, and girl's don't rough house!"
"I'll show you rough housing," Genni practically growled.
"No rough housing in the daycare," Sun said. "Ron, it's not nice to call people things they don't like. If you don't know what to call someone you can just ask them. Right Harriette?" Harriette flinched. Tears growing in her eyes. "But you don't have to right now. Ron, you should apologize first." Sun said, voice kind. Harriette felt sick. She was icky and gross and wrong. Why couldn't she just be normal.
"Why should I-!" Ron started.
"I'm sorry," Harriette said.
"What?" Sun, Mayla, Emelia and Genni said.
"I'm sorry, I'm gross," Harriette said standing up. Tears pouring out of her eyes, she shifted her hold of her plushies so she could wipe her eyes trying to get the tears off her face. "I'-I'm sorry I'm gross and weird and wrong and bad. I-I-I didn't mean to be bad!" Harriette sobbed, burying her face in the plushies and curling in on herself. "I-I'll go. I'm sorry, I won't-I won't be a bother. Please don't fight. I'm sorry I'm bad." Harriette sobbed. "I-I-I'll." Emelia and Mayla and Genni looked horrified. Finally realizing how gross and weird and bad, bad, bad Harriette was.
"Harriette," Mayla reached toward Harriette, to push her away or punch her or shove her away, or maybe she'd just recoil, before any of that could happen Harriette ran away. "Harriette!" They yelled, whatever else they said was lost to Harriette's mad dash to find a hiding spot. She found one hidden in small gap in the play structure tucked into a small spot that hopefully nobody saw or would find her. She curled in on herself and sobbed. Harriette stayed there sobbing for several minutes she missed her blanket, she missed her cupboard. At least inside her cupboard she couldn't be called bad, she wouldn't be able to gross anyone out. She couldn't be bad, and get into trouble for being bad if she was in her cupboard.
"Harriette?" Genni's voice called. Harriette covered her mouth and curled up even tighter.
"Harriette, no one think your gross!" Emelia said.
"You're not bad! Genni's brother was just being a jerk," Mayla called.
"Yeah!" Genni called. "You're my friend and I want to play with you!" Genni called. Emelia, Mayla and Genni were close to Harriette's hiding spot, and Harriette couldn't stop the gasping sob that heaved it's way out of her throat. Emelia's shoes turned toward Harriette's hiding spot, but then she turned away. Mayla did the same but a little more jerkily. Genni copied the older girls and faced the same direction the other girls were facing, the same direction Harriette was facing. Harriette curled a little tighter.
"You don't have to come out if your not ready to," Emelia said, she sat down next to Harriette's hiding spot. "You can hide as long as you need. We won't look if you don't want us too either. So you can take your time to feel better." Harriette sniffled.
"Promise," She croaked.
"Promise," Emelia held the hand closest to Harriette's hiding spot out toward her, a little out but not too much. Her pinkie held out wards. Harriette wrapped her own pink around hers. She kept her pink linked with Emelia's as the other girl continued. "We can play here if you want." Emelia said, Harriette squeezed her pinkie. "Okay," she said, then to the other girls. "Can you two grab the toys we were going to play with?"
"Yeah!" Genni said, voice excited. "We'll be right back, Harriette!" She leaned down, not enough to pear into Harriette's hiding place, but enough that Harriette could tell she'd leaned down.
"Let's go," Mayla said, heading over.
"Later, when you're feeling better we can do the spinning thing," Emelia said. "Or we can climb some more. Or we can just draw at the tables. Whenever you're ready." Harriette felt herself start to smile. The other two came back quickly and the three of them played through the small gap into Harriette's hiding place.
Once Harriette was feeling better, she was ready to climb out of her hiding spot and face the rest of the daycare. She rubbed her face to clear away her tear tracks and snot.
"Sorry for running away again," Harriette said. Standing up in the center of the three girls.
"It's okay," Emelia said. "Sun always said that some people need a little patience. I'm glad your feeling better." She took Harriette's free hand, still carrying the toy that Mayla and Genni had brought for them. They left the play structure, Harriette feeling a small smile on her face as she followed the other girls. Heart warming from the light link of her and the other girl's hand.
"Hey," Ron's voice called. Harriette looked toward him, almost numb kind of sad. Emelia stepped between them.
"What do you want?" Emelia said. She was holding Harriette's hand a little tighter. Genni had stepped next to her. Mayla was growling at him.
"Yeah, yeah, I know, I was a prat," Ron said. "I was mean for saying what I said, and I'm sorry. You don't have to forgive me or nothin', I just owed you an apology." Ron said. "Anyway, I guess see ya." Ron waved. He was looking anywhere but her face, and he looked embarrassed, but he kept glancing at her, with sincerely sorry eyes.
"Thank you for apologizing," Harriette said. "I'm not sure I'm ready to forgive you. What you said really, really hurt me, and it wasn't very nice and-"
"That's fair," Ron said. "Like I said I didn't apologize to be forgiven. I apologized cause I was wrong and owed you one."
"Yeah," Harriette said. "I'll- maybe we'll play again another time." Harriette said trying to smile.
"Yeah, maybe another time," Ron went the opposite direction as them.
"Are you sure you want to play with him?" Genni and Mayla asked.
"You don't have to play with someone who's mean to you," Mayla said.
"It's okay, he wasn't trying to be wrong, and as soon as he realized he was wrong he apologized." Harriette said. That was more then her Uncle and Aunt ever did. She wasn't sure she'd ever really gotten an apology from Dudley but at least he was acting nicer.