It Starts Here / 𝗯𝘅𝗯 (✓)

1: Dinosaurs and Dimples

CHAPTER ONE
Eight years old

Felix Vuong is eight-years-old when he learns that no one really likes his dinosaurs as much as he'd like them to.

It's a terrible epiphany that he has at such a young age. The disappointment is enough for Felix to refuse playing with the other kids. According to him, all they want to do is be on the swings and go down the slides. Even when they ask him if he wants to play soccer, he turns them down (this takes a lot for him to do. Soccer is almost as good as playing with dinosaurs, but only almost, Felix has to remind himself when he watches the others play).

Felix doesn't want to be with the other kids if they don't want to play with dinosaurs with him, so he plays on his own instead. When the teachers ask him if he wouldn't rather go play with the others and leave the dinosaurs with them, Felix lies and says that it's funnier playing by himself.

It's when his mother drives him to school and tells him to play with the other kids that Felix starts to rethink his decision. She also sighs. The expression is the same as when Felix accidentally spills his milk at breakfast. 

It makes Felix sad that he is making his mother sad, so when Wednesday comes around (his favorite day of the week), Felix leaves his dinosaurs at home.

He thinks it'll be fine. It's his favorite day of the week after all, so the good will equal out the bad, but he's wrong. It's not okay and no one notices because no one cares about his dinosaurs like he does.

Sitting on the small hill on the playground with his empty hands in front of him, Felix decides that he doesn't like Wednesdays anymore. If it really was the best day of the week, then it would've given him something as good as dinosaurs, something better even. 

He wonders idly if Thursday would do better.

"Hello."

Felix turns his head. It's another kid, looking down at him, hair falling into his eyes before he pushes it away again. Felix doesn't remember the boy's name, but he decides to call him Dimples when the boy smiles and two of them appear.

Felix likes his dimples, but instead of telling him, Felix picks at the grass, looking the other way again. 

"Hello," Dimples echoes. "Do you wanna play?"

Felix doesn't reply. He doesn't want to play. He wants to sit here in the grass that is itching his naked legs and arms and think about his dinosaurs alone and how he wishes people would care. 

"Well, do you?" Dimples asks again.

Felix shakes his head. He wants Dimples to leave him alone, but instead the boy sits down beside him so their knees are touching. "Okay."

Felix glares at him. He'll make him leave if he won't do it by himself. 

"You don't even have any toys to play with," Felix says, unkindly. "Why did you ask if you don't have any toys with you?"

Instead of getting angry, Dimples seems to consider the question. "We could go on the swings."

"I hate swings."

"What do you wanna do?" Dimples asks.

Felix shrugs.

"Where are your dinosaurs?" This time when Felix looks at Dimples, his eyes are big. Dimples seems satisfied with this reaction and adds, "Did you forget them?"

"Do you like dinosaurs?" Felix asks. It's a test and secretly, he hopes Dimples will pass it.

Dimples consider this question as well. "I like your dinosaurs."