Swapped Realities

Noisy Preschoolers (RIBB Shu) 🌹

Kirika squealed in delight. "I am in preschool! Yay!"

I watched her run to a table where three other children are. "Wait, slow down," I said.

Just then, a woman came to me. "Hi there Shu, I'm Mrs Bentley. We spoke last week."

"We did?" I asked.

"Yes, don't you remember?"

No I don't.

"If you like, you can accompany your sister for today," said Mrs Bentley.

I blinked in surprise. "But I have school, right?"

Mrs Bentley looked surprised. "Er... You said that your school has an event on today, so you don't have to go. That's why you chose to start Kirika today."

"Oh, I guess I can stay then."

"Shu!" called Kirika. "Can you help me take off my jacket?"

"Sure," I said. I unzipped Kirika's jacket for her and helped her hang it up.

A few kids nearby giggled. "Baby!" called out one.  "Can't even take off her jacket!"

I was stunned to hear that. Sure, when I was in preschool I was basically doing everything by myself, but wasn't I supposed to help my sister?

Mrs Bentley called the children to sit down in front of her. "We are going to read a story! Isn't that exciting?"

"Yay!" said the kids so loudly that I had to cover my ears. You would think that I would be used to loud voices by now. I'm friends with Valt after all.

"We will be reading Cinderella!" said Mrs Bentley. "Does anyone know the story?"

Five kids raised their hands, including Kirika. "Big brother reads me stories every night," she said.

I knew the whole story by heart and had watched the Disney version loads of times (thanks to Valt). I guess that it would make sense that I would read the story to Kirika.

"Once upon a time," said Mrs Bentley. "There loved a sweet and kind girl named Cinderella. Her cruel and wicked stepmother and two selfish stepsisters made her wear rags every day and do all of the house chores."

"Why doesn't her parents do anything about it?" asked the boy.

"Cinderella has no parents," said Kirika.

"Her parents died when she was young," explained Mrs Bentley.

"I don't have a Mommy and Daddy," said Kirika.

So my parents have ignored Kirika the same way they had always ignored me. I should have known.

The kids kept interrupting Mrs Bentley as she read the story to ask questions. I mentally made notes about what I knew so far.

So in this universe, I don't know Rose. I still keep in touch with my friends from Beigoma Academy, which is good. I'm apparently the manager of the Raging Bulls now and have a little sister.

Kirika suddenly started singing. Mrs Bentley had gotten to the party where the Fairy Godmother turned Cinderella's rags into a ball gown and she was trying to sing the Fairy Godmother's song from the Disney movie. But she didn't know all the words and made up silly words on the spot.

I couldn't stop giggling. Kirika is a lot like Valt. Even though I didn't know Valt in preschool, I could imagine his three-year-old self singing songs from the movie and making up words.

"Then Cinderella met the prince at the ball, and they danced the night away."

"And then they kissed," said Kirika in a sing-song voice.

"Eww," said the other kids.

I thought about Rose again. I really missed that girl. Did she know that I was missing (again)?

"No, they didn't kiss, Kirika," said Mrs Bentley. "Well, Cinderella suddenly heard the clock strike twelve, and..."

"She ran away," said another girl. Kirika smiled at her. "Hi, my name is Kirika."

"Hi, I Amber," said the girl.

When Mrs Bentley reached the end of the story where Cinderella married the prince, the kids pretended to kiss and get grossed out.

Then it was playtime for the kids, and they all started running. I had a feeling that it was going to get messy.