The Kids Weren't Okay || FNAF

6 || A Boy Named Mark, August 1976

(Unedited, 5565 words)
Trigger Warnings: Cursing (slight), dramatic moments, mentions of abuse/drunkenness, implied domestic abuse, threat of drowning

The day had finally come for Benjamin's first day of kindergarten, and even though he had already gone through an entire year of preschool, the thought of her first child being old enough to truly attend school was enough to emotionally destroy Olivia Radley. Alexander stayed home from work in anticipation for the tears he expected her— and Amelia— to shed all day long. Clara had baked a cake to cushion the blow, and she even offered to come over and help Olivia with her garden, and Olivia had the best intentions to take her up on that offer. But as she Alexander stood at the bottom of the school steps with the other parents letting their kids go into the elementary school for the first time, she couldn't help but sob. Her saving grace was the fact that Amelia's preschool didn't start for another week. If she had to let go of both of her kids on the same day, she would've had a much worse time. 

Benjamin, however, was over the moon. He had waited patiently for the chance to walk through the Hurricane Elementary School hallways ever since Michael had gone to kindergarten for the first time last year. Now, he was going to be in a real class with a real teacher— not evil preschool teachers—, and he was going to learn. 

Oh, how Benjamin loved learning. 

But not only that. The school had so few kids enrolled that the kindergarten and first grade recess times had been combined and doubled because of it. The same had happened for second and third grades and for fourth and fifth grades. That meant that Benjamin got to meet Michael's school friends, all of whom Michael had been talking about since he had met them the year before. They lived across town, so Ben had never had the chance to meet them in person; but now he did, and he was ready. 

Recess was in the middle of the day, so Ben spent the morning meeting his classmates and using his mother's friendliness to make friends out of almost all of them. A few kids— beyond Benjamin's knowledge, they were kids with parents who did not like the fact that Olivia Radley had a radio show— did not want to be friends with him, but he didn't mind. By the time lunch came, he had people to sit with and he enjoyed talking to them all. 

Then, it came time for recess. 

Michael had told him to meet behind the swing set, so that's where he went first. 

When he arrived, he found Michael smiling and waving with four other kids behind him. As he approached, he heard one ask, in a really thick accent that Benjamin had never encountered before, "Dude, is your amigo the Radley chico?" 

"Yeah," Michael replied, turning to the boy as Benjamin came to a stop beside him, "what's wrong with that?" 

"Nada, I was just asking," the boy muttered, holding his hands up innocently. 

Benjamin looked at the group while Michael introduced him. 

The one that spoke while Ben was walking over was very tall with dark tanned skin and dark brown hair to match. His brown eyes seemed to glare at Benjamin even though he had implied he didn't have any reason to dislike him. He was wearing a white and orange striped shirt beneath a red jacket even though it was hot outside, and his jean shorts were noticeably stained with mud. He kept an angry look on his face as he looked at Benjamin, but whenever he looked away, his lips pulled into a smirk. 

Next to him, sitting on the back of a bench underneath the shade, was a boy with black skin that wore a blue tee shirt with white stripes on the neck and sleeves, and burgundy-colored shorts with a black belt. His hair was puffy and curly, and when he tilted his head to get a better look at Benjamin, the tight coils flopped over and bounced.