[Little Adventures] | A CGLRE/Agere Story

"You looked kind."- [Chapter Seven]

Upon further inspection, the bus ride to Caretot Academy was quickly revealed to be one of the strangest experiences June had ever lived through.

For one, it was loud. In the back of the bus, there were lots of older kids, the ones that knew each other and choose to come back for another year at the academy. They got caught up and gossiped and were comfortable with each other.

June hoped that she'd reach that level of comfort with someone. It was also weird seeing so many students that decided to come back when she was planning on leaving as soon as possible. She had heard some rumors that some buses are for new kids, and other ones are for the returning ones.

If that was true, then the other buses must have a lot of older students. She had seen so many tales online about people who walked in skeptical and ended up loving the environment. She surely wouldn't be one of them.

She'd get her one year and leave as quickly as she could. She wasn't a little, she didn't belong here, she wouldn't enjoy this.

Surely.

The overall energy spread throughout the bus was odd, too. Weirdly comforting, and safe. Like no matter what she did, or who she spoke to, someone would be there to help if she needed it. This feeling, of odd safety, was weird considering the fact that she didn't know anyone.

But everyone was so seemingly kind, and for the first time in her life, she almost wanted to be the one to reach out and try to befriend someone.

With Lacie, she didn't need to reach out. She had been sitting alone at a lunch table, with a notebook and a lunch tray, scribbling down the last of her math notes, when the cheery and popular blonde had sat down across from her, pulling her into a friendship that would inevitably end up in ruins.

At some point, June had plugged in her earbuds and started playing a simple playlist, something she turned to when she was anxious, placing the buds in her ear and sliding her phone into her hoodie pocket. She rummaged through her bag for something to do.

Her hand landed on the fidget toy she had been given on her testing day, the little squishy ball. She pulled it out, squeezing it in her fist mindlessly and turning it in her hand. The soft song kept playing in her ears, the tune luring her into a soft calmness.

She swung her feet back and forth under her, looking out the window with childlike wonder and watching the buildings pass by. The strangest thing about the bus ride was how strangely calm she felt in a situation where she had expected herself to be anxious.

She had been so worried, until she let herself relax and turned on some calming music. She almost didn't notice it when someone slid into the seat next to her.

She jumped, not knowing why she was so startled by the presence of another person. It was like she suddenly had to be pulled out of whatever daze she had been in, where the only things that mattered were the soft music playing in her ears, and the buildings she watched pass by through the window.

"Hi," the person chuckled. "I can sit somewhere else, if you want." They offered.

"No, no," June shook her head. "It's okay."

She paused her music, stuffing the earbuds in her pocket with her phone, doing the same with the toy. She missed the music immediately, not liking how loud and overwhelming the bus felt once again.

June looked at the other person, who sat in the seat next to her as the bus drove off. They seemed to be an older kid, a boy, maybe?

She couldn't tell. They could easily pass as either.

"Are you a new little?" They asked.

She hummed a bit, "Yeah. You?"

"10th grade double. I don't regress all that much tho, I'm caregiver-leaning." They explained. "I'm Benny, he/him pronouns, please." he added.

Benny wore a deep green sweater, over a white-collared shirt, his fluffy brown hair short enough so that it didn't fall over his eyes. His eyes were also brown, and his skin was a light and pale color.

"June, she/her." she replied, smiling a bit. She wasn't the one to turn away conversation, even if talking to new people was a bit scary. If someone spoke to her first, she didn't have much trouble holding up casual small talk.

"I really can move, if you wanna be alone. I know how nerve wracking the first few weeks can be, I understand if you just wanna be by yourself for now." he repeated himself, giving her a soft look that was really comforting. There was this feeling about him, soft and caring, supportive and sweet.

June could understand why he was a caregiver.

"No, it's fine," she mumbled softly, shaking her head.

"Okay, cool," he seemed hesitant to agree, but he did so. "Are you excited to go to Caretot?"

June thought for a moment, before promptly saying, "No, not really."

"Well, it's not gonna be fun if you have that attitude," he told her. "I was really excited to come to the academy, I was already fairly sure of my classification before I got it."

June wondered what that felt like. Knowing what was coming once taking the test. Not being constantly anxious about what your results would be and how they would affect your life.

She knew, that somewhere in the back of her head, she had thought about the possibility of 'Little' being the results on the slip in that envelope, and how likely it was. But she didn't want to believe it then, and she still didn't want to.

"Why are you sitting with me?" she suddenly asked. There were so many other seats on the bus, and if he was a returning student, then he probably had friends he could be sitting with.

"Well, you were alone and I prefer to not be by myself. I didn't sign up for the bus all my friends are on in time, and you looked kind...so, yeah." he shrugged.

"Okay." she replied simply, looking out the window. She really didn't feel like talking anymore, though she couldn't explain why. That feeling of anxiety seemed to settle back in, and she felt a feeling on homesickness, even though she hadn't been away from home for long.

Just the idea that she wouldn't be sleeping in her own bed that night...it freaked her out. Who decided it'd be a good idea to make a bunch of anxious age regressors stay away from home for months on end?

"Do you have any questions about Caretot?" Benny asked next, pulling her attention away from the window once more. June hummed in thought before talking.

"Where's the best place to go if you wanna skip class?" she joked, Benny's eyes widening.

"That's not something I'll answer! I do not endorse littles skipping, that's not good!" he rambled in a scolding way, June's smile growing across her face. After a moment, Benny paused, a skeptic look in his eyes. "You were joking, weren't you?"

"Mhm," June confirmed, earning a smile from the older boy.

"That's not funny." Benny decided.

"It was a little funny." June argued.

June found that Benny was really easy mess with. He didn't pick up on jokes right away, and would assume that June 100 percent meant whatever she was saying, despite the obvious sarcasm in her voice at points.

He was also just fun to talk to, and he didn't force her to interact if she didn't want to, letting her go back to playing music in her ears and looking out the window when the conversation dyed down a bit.

June was glad Benny had sat next to her that day, she had finally made a friend that didn't judge her.

What she didn't know, was that she'd find many more of those throughout her time at Caretot Academy. 

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A/N: June made a friend! He's not a main character, but he is gonna be a supportive, cool character throughout this story that's just there for her! I hope you guys like him! and sorry i never update this, I literally have so much written (I've written a few chapters ahead) but I just forget to post it!