If I Never Knew You

chapter 5: First Day

If I never knew you

Chapter 5

First Day

Penny's eyes opened, they locked onto a familiar light fixture, but it wasn't hers. Hers was a soft purple with clouds along it. This was her uncle's powder pink ceiling fan. She slowly turned to look at the pillow that always had her uncle's face planted into it. He was a hard sleeper after all.

Sudden realization popped into her head. She slowly looked over at the door and the pile of uno cards. They had played until she fell asleep on his shoulder. He must have put her into his bed before crawling in himself.

The soft patting of the rain on the window told Penny her first day of school was going to be a wet one. She sighed as she walked into the shared bathroom between their bedrooms. The majority of everything in there was pink and frilly. Penny supposed her uncle was trying to please her with its looks. She wasn't into the pink and frilly. But he seemed to like it as well so she never said anything.

"Penny!" Gadget called from the kitchen. Breakfast must have been done.

"I'll be down in a minute." She called over her shoulder.

Gadget had pancakes, eggs, and sausage on the table. The juice was currently being poured.

"Alright, what's for breakfa...oh you went all out didn't you?" Penny sat down looking over the spread. She had to sit on her knees to see everything. She took the cup of orange juice and smiled into it. She loved orange juice. Soda wasn't a huge thing in the house, water, juice, and her uncles coffee.

"Alright, your backpack is still by the door, your lunch is made in the fridge. Don't forget your..."

"I know, I know..." But did she? She didn't grab it last time either. So unlike last time Gadget decided to lean into it.

"You are my niece, and Claw has an affinity for you. So please...take it." He fit the small whistle into her hand. It was meant to tell people that she was in danger and where she was. "If he were to get you, he could get me to do anything to get you back." Just like last time, last time he nearly died in some unknown cottage in the woods. He put the whistle into her hands. He sighed as he looked her in the eyes.

Was that whistle so much more important? What would happen if...

"Alright..." She put the whistle around her neck and cleared her throat.

"Alright let's get you to the bus." He walked out of the house with Penny in tow. Her backpack on her back, and her lunch in hand. She had shoved another pancake into her mouth as they walked. Gadget was always in a hurry.

The small umbrella that Penny had was dwarfed by the large one that Gadget had. He had offered to shield her from the rain, but at this age she wanted to be independent. She looked up at him for a moment and smiled at him. She did love the sound of rain on her umbrella. It wasn't unusual to see her playing in the water either. She tried her best to seem more mature, but she still acted like a child most times.

There were still a lot of things that reminded him that she was still just a child. Even her reaching up and holding his pinky. This time he pulled his pinky from her hand. She was almost surprised, but he dropped his umbrella and picked her up. Hugging her tightly to his chest.

For a moment Penny was surprised when he pulled back, he had never done that before. But it was apparent why he did so as he picked her up. Hugging him too, she was able to feel him shaking. He didn't want her to go, but she was told the school was incredibly safe...right? No one could get in without her uncle or the chief coming to get her. It was on her papers.

Slowly he pulled back when he heard the squeal of the school bus brakes. "Alright, have fun, make lots of friends, and listen to your teacher." He set her down and collected her umbrella since they weren't allowed at school.

"Alright Uncle Gadget. Love you!" She called out as she waved to him. Oh his heart sang to that.

"Love you too, kitten." oh the names.

The doors closed behind Penny. She walked up onto the bus to go to her seat. Much to her dissatisfaction there was that mean girl from the mall. With that girl that followed her around. They were accompanied by a brown haired girl.

"Oh no, it's you..." The girl rolled her eyes and scoffed.

"The one with the granny shoes?" The girl asked. Penny shook her head and sat down.

"They're just shoes, I don't know why you're so mad about it. You aren't wearing them." Penny sat her backpack on her lap and sat down where she was told to by the bus monitor.

(0)

Claw looked up from his own breakfast. Muffins, coffee, and a single egg. He looked up over his muffin that seemed to have spikes coming out of it.

"That brat of yours is going to school." A woman walked in putting down a huge pile of bacon.

Claw smiled over his coffee as he grabbed a handful of bacon.

"Perfect. It would seem its best to get her today. We'll close one side of the bridge near her school. and make it seem like a checkpoint." He chuckled leaning back in his chair as he looked into his camera feed. "Once we have the brat, Gadget will do whatever we want."