The bell rang for first recess and kids flooded out the door. Alixia sat down on some benches near some shade with her history textbook. A shadow formed over her, Alixia looks up and sees three girls from her class standing over her like vultures, "uh hi?" Alixia says. The girl in front, wavy brown hair that came to about shoulder-length and wearing blue collared shirt tucked into dark blue jeans, sat down in opposite her, "Alexia right, I'm Amber Addison, these are my friends Jessica and Amy, and we like wanted to welcome you to third street"
"It's Alixia" she corrected "and thank you" Alix closed her text book. The other two girls say beside her, "this is Chloe and Lauren " Amber said pointing to the girls. Amy, a blonde girl spoke first, she was wearing a green crop top and a brown skirt, she had long blonde hair kept up in a high ponytail "We thought it was like super badass when you totally shot Hunter down this morning"
"Yeah, that was really funny. What a dweeb" Lauren replied. Lauren was tall and thin, like other girls but she had short pixie cut brown hair. She wore a long sleeved pink top and a long purple skirt and unlike the other two she also had her ears pierced.
"Uh thanks, I guess. So, what kind of structure do you have at Third Street?"
"What'd you mean?"
"Some playgrounds have kings, others are ruled by a class government, some are just a free for all. Sometimes I'm not even there long enough to know them but my parents seem convinced we'll be here a while so I better know what they are"
"Well, we have king and he's a dreamy" Amber sighed. The girls turn around and look towards the giant jungle gym in the playground, atop which sat a sixth grader wearing a ."Bob" the girls swooned in unison
"Who?" Alix said, slightly frustrated as that told her nothing.
"Playground King!" gushed Chloe, pointing to the boy in the jersey. "He's totally dreamy, and all the girls are totally crushing on him because he's the king, duh!" Lauren swooned
"His royal decrees are law, and he rules with a confident charm that's hard to resist" Amber insisted
Any playground rules?"
"Loads, Rule one. Don't go in there" Amber stated pointing to a tall wooden fence.
"What's in there?"
"The Kindergartners"
"What's so bad about kindergartners, there only five?"
"Ours are somewhat… feral" there was a sudden almost warrior like cry coming from behind the fence that made Alix jump. Near the fence, slightly hidden by a tree was a boy "who's that?" Alixia pointed to an auburn-haired boy, hunched posture wearing a blue T-shirt (tucked in) to grey trousers. Amber looked and groaned in disgust, "ugh, that's Randall, sneaky little fourth grade tattletale. Ratting on anyone and everyone. Don't cross him if you can help it" Lawson and his crew are picking on a random third grader when miss Finster appears with Randel in tow.
"the kid who is getting yelled at is Lawson, a fifth-grader, and his buddies Chucko, Jocko, Buster, Cheay, Koreo, fifth grade bullies so you won't have any issues with them. Oh and I don't believe you've had the pleasure of meeting Miss Finster, always lurking and ready to bust us for the slightest thing, no thanks to Randall anyway, little snitch?"
"yikes" Alixia muttered. Mia turned and chuckled, "Yeah, those are the Ashleys: ultra-popular fourth-grade girls who think they're queens of the playground. B, Q and T – yellow. blue and green. Oh, and miss pink is Ashely A, Queen Bee. All gossipers and fashion obsessed spoiled rich girls"
"Who's that" said Alixia. Two boys both wearing sunglasses were walking over in their direction. "Oh my gosh! that's his guards. They're heading this way" squealed the girls.
"You must be the new girl" one of the boys said
"Yeah"
"King Bob wishes to speak with you" Alix stands up and walked towards the boys. Amber and co get up, but the other boy stopped them holding his hand up "alone."
Alix walked with the two boys to the jungle gym. They stopped at the base of the tower, gesturing her to go up the ladder. She climbed up the ladder and was met with who she assumed from his attire was King Bob. He was actually really attractive. He had a somewhat smooth charisma.
"You are the new girl" he said not looking at her
"Yes sir"
"Well I uh wanted to welcome you to our school" he was shuffling in his chair
"Thank you sire" he finally looked at her and she noticed how he just paused like he had been stopped by remote. He cleared his thought and quickly asked "pretty odd moving in the sixth grade" he pondered
"Army brat. I've moved 19 times in the last 7 years" the kings eyebrow raised, "But my parents are convinced ill be here for the long all so we'll see how it goes"
Alix noticed that he was starting at her, not in a nasty way. He was just staring at her with a slight smile. There was a brief pause as the King realised what he was doing. He cleared his through, trying to hide his slight 'social blunder' "As a sixth grader you already get more privileges than other students, there is a secret fifth and sixth grader club, exclusive. No-one in the younger years knows about it. Feel free to go when you wish, just inform my aids know" he said pointing to a two boys, one in a green jumper and the other in a red one.
"Any issues with any one on the playground and let me know. No sixth grader should have to deal with that kind of disrespect" Bob paused. "I saw you this morning in Mr Kowalski's class, you were actually-" He was interrupted by the sharp shrill of the school bell rings, signalling the end of first recess. The King gets out of his throne, he whispered in Alix ear "come and see me if you need anything"
The sharp shrill of the school bell rings once more for the start of second recess. Alix walks out onto the playground, she peers around looking for someone she knew or something to do.
She spots Gus sitting by himself on the outskirts of the kickball field. Alix made her way over to him, "hi Gus" she called. He looked up from his book with the same slightly startled expression of fear, his face washed with relief when he saw Alix. "Oh, hi Alixia" he said softly.
"What you doing?"
"My friends are over there playing kickball, but I already got out so I thought I would catch up on some reading of a new army book my dad got me."
"Your friends look nice" Alix says looking over to the
"They are!" Gus gushed, suddenly fuelled with a new sense of excitement "especially Mikey, the giant kid. He's got a heart of gold, he's probably my best friend of the group we spend the most time together outside of school. Next to him is Gretchen, she's a genius! Oh, the kid who's up to kick now, that's Vince. He's probably the coolest guy I know, he's the best kickball player on the whole playground!"
"Who's that feisty girl?"
"Oh that Spinelli, she's real tough alright. She actually kinda scares me, but she also defends me. Its complicated. Oh and that's T.J," he said pointing to the boy in the red cap "he's kinda the leader of our gang and he's super cool and confident and just a good guy"
"Its nice you've made good friends Gus. I'm a little jealous I move around to much to made any real connections"
"I've moved lots of times, I just got lucky. I've been to 12 school in the past 6 years"
"19 in the past 7"
"Heck, you moved more times than anyone I know! It takes a toll, don't it"
"Teah, I remember one year being really hard. It a few years ago now. That was the year my dad snapped, he had some kind of breakdown, it was really awful. They don't know I know this. I was meant to be asleep but i heard shouting and got up and snuck downstairs.
Mallory sits in the armchair, deflated, her voice trembling "Logan, we can't keep moving them. It's not fair to the kids." The sound of heavy combat boots clunk acorss the wooden floor, Alix catches a glimpse of her father, pacing the room. He has a glass in his hand filled with an amber liquid. He walks to his special cabinet and opens a bottle and pours more into his glass, "I don't decide when we're moved, Mallory. It's part of my job, and you knew that from the beginning." Logan said defensive. Mallory scoffs, "I understand, but can't you just talk to them? Explain why we're uprooting their lives again? This is no way for kids to grow up!" Mallory got up out of her chair and stormed to the kitchen.
Logan walks across the room, he stands facing the archway between the kitchen and living room, "I told you when we got together that this could be a possibility. If you wanted kids, this was the risk"
"I wanted kids. We both wanted kids! But I didn't sign up for this perpetual state of uncertainty. They deserve stability."
"What do you want me to do huh? Quit my job, leave so you and kids have a better chance of stability, do you want a divorce, Mallory?"
Mallory stared at him in disbelief, "No, Logan! Of course not!"
"Then what? What do you want me to do?!" Logan starts to breakdown and slams his glass down on the drinks cabinet. "Shh Logan. You'll wake the kids". Alix rushes back to bed before she is caught on the stairs
"That's awful" Gus commented. Alix shrugged. She tried not to think about it but it was too much sometimes. "Hey, did you want to me to introduce you to the guys?" she asked trying to move on
"Sure" he said excitedly
"Hey guys, this is Alixia. She's the new sixth grader" the gang looked over and all said hi.
"Thought you guys were playing kickball" Alix asked noticing the lack of kickballs around them
"We were but Vince is too good and we all got out" Spinelli grumbled
"What you playing now" Alix asked
We were thinking of baseball?" Vince said picking up his baseball bat. Alix smiled, "can I join?"
The gang exchanged looks of six different emotions. Little happy, little scared, little confused and little concerned
"what? If you don't want to because im new or"
"No, its fine. I'll go easy on you"
"No, don't do that. It won't be fun it I beat you" she smirked. Vince couldn't help but laugh aloud.
"I just being nice, don't wanna embarrass a sixth grader, especially since you're new and all". Vince chucked the bat over to her attempting to catch her out. Alix was prepared thought, she caught it – one handed. Flipped it over, so she was now holding the barrel, flipped it again, this time over the top of her hand, then behind her back and caught it in her other hand. Vince and the others looked shocked "that's cute Vince. I think ive got it. How a little game, boys v girls?"
"I'm down for that! Finally some real girl power, no offense Gretch"
"None taken"
"Okay then 3 v 3. You Spinelli and Gretch vs Me T.J and Mikey?"
"You're on! First to 6 wins"
"Six!"
Gretchan was up first and though not sporty managed to get to first base. Spinelli was up next and gave the ball a good smack and made it all the way to second base, with Gretchen now at third.
Alix held and taunted Vince by doing a little 'bat trick' where she whilst holding it let it go, allowing the bat to spin mid-air and then catching again. Vince threw the ball at her as hard as he could. She swung the bat and hit the ball with a hearty thwack, sending the ball hurtling through the air up and over playground. "RUN!" she yelled to Spinelli on second. Spinelli runs as fast as she could, as did Gretchan, and both managed to get home. Alix sprints around the bases and skids over the home plate
"That's three runs right there!"
"Damn she's good" Vince begrudgingly admitted
"Who is she, Gus?" T.J asked
"I don't know that much about her, our dads were army buddies" Gus shrugged. By the end of the game, the girls had flattened the guys 6 to 1.
"That was a good game, Alix" Vince shook Alix's hand "You gotta teach me those bat tricks"
"Sure thing Vince" she smiled
The bell ending recess shrieked and they all hurried back inside