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[color=slategray][sub][i]The tail end of the day.[/i]
Featuring: [color=a52521][b]Owen Lyon[/b][/color], [color=008967][b]Lil Boss[/b][/color], and some kids
Location: Kindergarten classroom[/sub][/color]
[/center][hr][hr][indent]Owen had a few things he did that he didn’t much talk about. For starters, he didn’t have much friends, and beyond that point [i]even if he did[/i] have a huge friend group, he wouldn’t tell them about his classes and what he was considering to pursue as a career anyway. It wasn’t necessarily their business. As such, only one of his peers knew what Owen did for his last two periods, and that’s because Trixie Kingsley had forced the administration to give her one of his schedules, so they could maximize time spent together. She had often shown up to see him during his sixth period, with a snack, a hug, a kiss and an ‘I love you.’ But not for two months now.

And they were starting to notice.

You see, for some of the later hours in the afternoon, Owen Lyon was an aide for the kindergarten part of the school district. He drove from BHHS proper to the elementary school, where he went to the kindergarten class and just hung out with little kids for a couple of hours. Owen was a reading buddy, a castle constructor, a professional swing pusher, an excellent colorer, allowed to use the [i]real[/i] scissors, and he sometimes let them play games on his phone. He was basically their hero.

But they had begun to notice.

Bless their hearts, they thought it was their fault, too. 

As Owen put down the timeless classic he’d just now finished ([i]Where the Wild Things Are[/i]), he looked around at the kids and grinned. [color=a52521][b]“You guys wanted to hear my favorite book from when I was your age, right? There you go.”[/b][/color] The kids nodded, and Owen slid the book into his backpack, and while he looked down, one of the kids slowly raised her hand. One he glanced up and saw it, he called on her. [color=a52521][b]“Yes? What’s up?”[/b][/color]

[b]“How come your girlfriend doesn’t come anymore?”[/b]

Owen froze, he locked up. He didn’t have a reply, he didn’t know what to say. Why did the kids even care? How did they even notice? Geeze. [color=a52521][b]“Uhm… she’s just really busy lately? She might… never come back. We’re not really friends anymore.”[/b][/color] Owen explained, trying his best not to get emotional and to make it as easy to understand for the little dudes as possible. [color=a52521][b]“We had an argument, and now she doesn’t… want to talk to me. Ever again. It sucks a lot.”[/b][/color]

[b]“But you made her smile a lot! That means you made her happy!”[/b] The young girl protested, and Owen could feel his heart drop. He brought a hand up to his face and rubbed at his eyes, taking a breath to steady himself before he replied.

[color=a52521][b]“Yeah, that’s what I thought too. I guess I didn’t, though. Maybe things changed.”[/b][/color] Owen said slowly. Why did this always happen to him? First A Double, now the kids? Seriously? [color=a52521][b]“It’s okay, though. I think she’s happier now… without me. Really, it’s okay. We’ll be alright.”[/b][/color] There. That should do it, right?

Wrong. Dead wrong.

The girl shook her head, [b]“Nu-uh! I heard her say it. She [i]loves[/i] you. And she’s real pretty! She’s probably a princess, and you know what princesses say? That love is forever! That’s what Cinderella said.”[/b]

[b]“Yeah and Belle!”[/b]

[b]“And Ariel!”[/b]

[b]“Or Snow White!”[/b]

[b]“Or Rapunzel!”[/b]

Raised by the screen. He didn’t live in a Disney fairy tale, but he couldn’t say that to the kids. He definitely didn’t want to be the person who robbed them of their innocence, that was something better saved for someone like… Hailey. Hailey would probably enjoy that. [color=a52521][b]“Maybe she’s a princess, but I’m no prince.”[/b][/color]

[b]“I bet she thinks you are! Ask her.”[/b]

Yikes.

[color=a52521][b]“I can’t do —”[/b][/color] Owen was cut off as something was shoved in his face, a bright red flower, probably a tulip or something — Owen didn’t know flowers too well, that was more Isaac’s thing. He did, however, know the kid. Bartimaeus. Ty. Jeramie, the power couple. Their son. [color=a52521][b]“Uhh…”[/b][/color]

Luckily, the kid was already talking. [color=008967][b]“Give her this. I picked it myself. It’s the most beautifulest flower ever. It’ll make her smile for you more. [i]Trust me.[/i] If you give her this, she’ll turn back into your princess, and you into her prince. That’s what mama would say! And she’s the smartest person dad knows. I asked him! Trust me. This flower will fix it all for you.”[/b][/color] Owen stared at the kid for a little while, before reaching out and taking the flower.

[color=a52521][b]“Thanks kid. I’ll give it a shot.”[/b][/color] He looked at his watch and stood up. [color=a52521][b]“Alright, I gotta take off. See ya later, alligators.”[/b][/color] In response, the class chimed back, mostly in sync.

[b]“After a while, crocodile!”[/b]

Owen shouldered his pack and, gently holding the flower by its stem in his fingers. As he walked out, he let out a long breath and stared at the trashcan, half considering throwing the flower away. But hey, maybe the kid was right. Least he could do, was keep the flower. There was no way he could hand it off to Trixie though.

Maybe Stella or Luna would give it to her for him.

[hr]

[color=slategray]And so day one has passed and we enter the time after school. Cheerleading and football tryouts are coming up, including the replacement of Captain O'Connor on the football team. Other than that, you're free.
 Do whatever you want.

I hear Captain Cuddles has an awesome special on Mondays, because no one likes Mondays.

But pizza heals all wounds.[/color][/indent]