My Perfect Bird

Chapter 9-Forbidden

"Hey, Miss G." You didn't hear the voice that had been calling you for the last five minutes. "Miss G?" It paused before yelling. "Miss Grandala!" Your head snapped up and you were met with a group of children standing beside you. Fiona had been the one saying your name.

"Sorry, I was just thinking. Is something the matter?"

A few of them shared looks but Hugh spoke up. "We we're wondering if we could have a picnic later?"

"Well I'm not the ymbryne in charge, am I?" You asked them a rhetorical question. "Why don't you ask Miss Peregrine instead of me."

"But Miss G! She won't listen to us!" Aaron joined the conversation.

"And what makes you think that she'd listen to me?" You asked not expecting a good answer or an answer at all.

Now every child looked at each other, each with a look on their faces that was hard to read. "Because she's in love with you." Emma and Olive said at the same time. "Is she not? I thought it was obvious to everyone." Now only Olive spoke.

"I can assure you, she is most definitely not in love with me. And if she were, it wouldn't be a very wise decision on her part." You said calmly though were freaking out inside.

"It'd be wise. Very wise. You're great!" Aaron said happily.

"No, it's not that I think little of myself. But ymbrynes having relationships, especially with one another, it's looked down on. Because we supposedly can't focus on multiple things at once and having a romantic relationship would draw our attention away from our children." You paused trying to read the expressions on their faces. Some seemed upset, others sour, and a couple didn't really understand. "Though I don't believe that. I'm wonderful at multitasking. And my children would remain my top priority regardless. Not that I'd ever get in a relationship to begin with." You said before they could get any ideas.

"I think we're off topic." Millard said, you hadn't even realized he was there.

You nodded thinking back to the original conversation topic. You could at least make Alma's job easier. "Alright, I'll ask her. But you'll have to do something for me." They nodded eagerly, waiting for you to continue. "You need to follow all her rules. And Millard, you need to quit running around in the nude. People keep running into you, I have twice and both times were rather uncomfortable."

"Aw darn it!" The air yelled and stomped off.

"He didn't say no." Emma pointed out. "Well I guess that's a yes! Thanks Miss G, we'll be on our best behavior. She's in her study, go ask now!"

You sighed and left the room, walking down the hall until you reached the right door. You knocked and waited for permission to go in, entering when you got it and closing the door behind you. You looked around the room, noting it was your first time being in it. "Do you need something, dear?" You drew your attention back to Alma who was sitting at her desk. She seemed to be writing something.

"Oh right, you're not too busy are you?"

She shook her head with a smile. "No, just writing a letter to Miss Avocet. We've been exchanging letters since your arrival. Naturally she likes to be made aware when wights attack. She's been asking if you're ever going to leave and make your own loop again. Though I suppose I don't really have the answer to that one." She gave you a sad questioning look.

"Well, do you want me to leave?"

"Not necessarily. I enjoy your company." She admitted, setting down the pen she held and looking down at the floor.

"I don't mind staying. And I'm sure Ellie and Aaron don't either. They love it here and they've made such good friends with your children." You said with a small smile.

"Our children." She corrected.

"Pardon?" You had been caught off guard.

"If you're going to stay, then you're going to help me run the loop. We'd be the ymbrynes of the house, meaning any children wouldn't just be under mine or your care, but both of ours." She gave you an unsure smile, as though nervous for your reaction.

"That sounds nice. Your, no, our children are wonderful." You said, correcting yourself when you slipped up. "But onto the reason I'm here. I'd like to go for a picnic later, if we could?"

"The children put you up to this, didn't they? They begged me for a full ten minutes before they realized they weren't getting anywhere. 

"I must admit, they did. But I do really want to go. Please?"

She sighed and muttered something about being too tired for this before nodding. "Alright, fine." She said reluctantly. "But if anyone misbehaves we're coming right back home."

"You don't need to tell me to behave. The children are the ones you should be worried about." You grinned at her as she stood up and walked over to you.

"True enough." She gave you a short kiss before walking over to the door and opening it. You turned your newly red face to look at the ground as you left the room, her following close behind.

"Miss G, did you do it?" Emma asked when you turned into the parlor. She was going to say more but silenced herself when Miss Peregrine walked into the room as well.

"I'm afraid she's much more convincing than all of you." She said with a smile before walking away again.

"And you say she doesn't love you?" Emma said with an eye roll when Miss P was out of hearing range.

"I fear she does..." You whispered mostly to yourself.

"What's that supposed to mean? Has something happened between you two?" Emma said with an eyebrow wiggle.

You took a deep breath and looked around. When you found no one else was around you whispered to the girl. "We've kissed but nothing beyond that. You're right, she probably loves me as I love her but that's the problem."

"Wait. Back up. You've kissed her? When was this?!"

"Well, yesterday. And then again just now.. Listen Emma, quit shipping us."

"Shipping?"

"Oh right. Sorry I keep forgetting your loop is so much older than my old one." You sighed at the reminder. "Listen, just stop trying to get us together. It won't work. I don't want it to work."

"But you're practically already together! And why don't you want to be with her. You've already admitted to loving her."

"I wouldn't except you to understand. You're not an ymbryne, you've never been through the school and you're not aware of the rules. It's forbidden for an ymbryne to be involved in a romantic relationship of any kind, as I mentioned earlier. And it's all the more worse if there's a relationship between two ymbrynes. It'd only cause problems for everyone if Miss Peregrine and I were to date. And if anything got out, the council would likely make me leave and my my own loop again."

"But that's so fucking stupid!" Emma nearly yelled.

"Language, Miss Bloom." Miss Peregrine walked back into the room. "Miss Grandala, would you help me prepare lunch for the picnic." You nodded, giving the girl you'd been talking to one last look before leaving with the woman you wished you could love without dooming you both.

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I'm good at causing problems.