Just Another Creepypasya Fanfiction

11. Preschool

        I pull up to the house and grin. I think that Liu and Alisper will be happy to know that my first day at work actually went well. They were so encouraging this morning that I left worried about disappointing them. But I think they'll be able to be proud of me. I paid attention, I didn't lash out on anyone, I didn't say anything too stupid, and I was able to stay awake. I'm not sure what a better first day could look like. The worst thing that happened was the anxiety attack that I had after pulling into the parking lot, and the existential dread that followed immediately after that. Despite that, it was a good day.
They're quick to greet me after I open up the door. I get hugs from both of them and they start interrogating me, wanting to know what happened. Realising that it's going to be a long conversation, I convince them to leave me alone long enough to change my clothes. Liu tries to follow me into my bedroom and I have to push him out of the doorway. We shout at each other through the door as he tells me a little bit about what they did.
I fold my uniform up and set it on top of my dresser for easy access, then open my door. I almost walk right into Liu, who was standing with his face practically pressed against the wood. I push him back with a laugh. We walk out to the living room together. Alisper is still sitting on the couch, waiting patiently for my return. I ask her about her day before talking about mine. She seems confused by it, but she's clearly appreciative. I'm sure her actual parents never asked. They probably didn't need to, let alone want to.
"I got lost on my way there," I start. "But I was still able to arrive on time, somehow. I confused the guard who was working the station. He thought that I was a new student, and it took a moment for us to realise we were misunderstanding one another. But once we got it figured out, it was a pretty good day. The boss arrived shortly after me and gave me a rundown of what the job is and showed me around the property. She told me to take advantage of the quiet moments and explore the campus. I need to get some practice with the patrol vehicle too. I haven't driven a golf cart in a while." I laugh. "It was an alright day. I started out nervous, but I started to relax as it went on. I don't think I'll have too many problems."
"That's great!" Liu cheers. "How are you enjoying the adult life so far?"
"I don't know. Ask me again next month." We laugh together.
I tell him and Alisper more about the job, getting more into detail about what I'll be doing. She listens intensely as I talk about it. She seems fascinated by the whole thing. Liu isn't as interested in it, but I'm pretty sure it's because it's easy to understand when you're an adult. It's sort of self-explanatory. I help people however they need it. There's not a lot to it.
The conversation shifts and changes a few times. Liu and I start talking about some of the cool things we'll be able to start doing once we have steady money coming in. We plan things like mall trips, vacations, museum visits, arcade visits.... All the things we used to do when we were kids that we enjoyed. Alisper listens to us quietly and confused. When it occurs to us that she probably doesn't know what any of these are, we start explaining them to her. To my surprise, she's most interested in the museums and, not so surprising, the aquariums. When fish come up, she gets off the couch and runs to check on Albert. I smile. I had a small talk with her about responsibility and since then, she's been helping out more to make sure he's well-fed and his tank is clean.
My phone rings. I see that it's Clockwork and escape back to my bedroom for some privacy. When I answer, she asks me about my first day of work. She says that she's happy for me, then moves on to the real reason she decided to call me: Alisper's enrollment.
"I tried to do it online, but I couldn't figure out the website." She laughs. "So I decided to call up there. The secretary said they have an available slot on Wednesday at noon. If that doesn't work for you, I can have it scheduled to a better day."
I tell her to wait for a moment while I pull up my work schedule. After Tuesday, I'll be free until the next week. "Yeah, Wednesday is perfect," I answer. "What is the meeting for?"
"To enroll her, see around the school ourselves, deal with anything that may be important - like how she'll get there and what lunches will look like. Get all the meetings out of the way. They recommended we bring Alisper with us so she's not as uncomfortable when she starts."
"Okay. I'll set a reminder. Do you want to come over and I drive us, or do you want to meet there?"
"I'll go to yours." I hear her tapping her phone screen. "I have my reminder set, so we are all good to go when the time comes. Before I get off here, did I tell about what E.J. said?"
The confusion makes my eyebrows furrow. "No. About what?"
"About the kid."
A terrible feeling of dread takes over my gut. I try to control the panic, but I can't do much for it. There are so many things he could have said about so many things. She could be terminally ill or fucking insane. Worse, her mother could have been lying to me when she said Alisper was never sexually assaulted. I don't think that's really worse than terminal illnesses, but if she is insane, it would be a reason why. The emotional turmoil has my body forgetting how oxygen works. I breathe in slowly to try to calm my mind. I'm going to give myself an ulcer.
"What about the kid?" I ask, trying to not sound like a nervous wreck.
'Nothing bad," She quickly assures me. I feel my heart rate slow down. "He just said that he wants to have weekly or bi-weekly meetings with her so he can better learn her psyche. He said that their one visit together wasn't enough for him to pinpoint if she's mentally sound or not. We both agreed that it'd be better for her even if she is, like, stable. That trauma will eventually get to her. Might as well start dealing with it now."
Everything calms suddenly. "Oh," I say. "Okay. Yeah, that's fine. He can come over anytime."
"I'll let him know. Anything else?"
"Not that I can think of."
"Cool. I'm going to call the school and secure that meeting. TTYL!"
She hangs up before I can tease her for being one of those 'text slang' people. I put my phone back into my pocket and walk back to the living room to tell Alisper the good news. Immediately, she's excited. She asks Liu and I questions about what school is like, wanting to hear all of the stories we have. We tell her about all of the fun parts of it, and mention some of the boring. We can't have her going in expecting it to be nonstop enjoyment. She takes everything we say seriously.
'What if the other kids don't like me?" She asks.
"Then they'll be missing out on your amazing personality," I answer.
"Why wouldn't they like you?" Liu asks. "You're so nice to everyone. People like nice people."
She shrugs a little and glances down. "I don't know. My real mom and dad didn't like me."
Liu looks at me apologetically and panicked. I decide to deal with the heaviness myself. "Your real parents were really mean people," I say. "Kids aren't usually like that and even if they don't like you, they won't treat you as bad. The school, and us, won't let them."
"What if I'm too stupid and they kick me out?" She asks, moving on.
"Impossible," Liu says. "You're too smart to be kicked out for being stupid."
"And too young," I say. "But if that were to happen, we'd just move you to a better school." She appreciates my hypothetical answer.
Alisper asks us more questions about scenarios that are hard to believe would occur. We answer them all the best we can. I'm not sure if it helps her concerns, but she appears grateful either way. Once she's finally satisfied, she runs off to her room to play. Liu and I shared a humoured look. We certainly can't blame her for being nervous. She'll be at a disadvantage to her classmates, having never been in school before. I frown. They might put her in kindergarten because of that. I feel like that would make it harder for her to connect with the others.
"We should try to prepare her for this," I say to Liu.
He agrees. "But what?"
"Writing practice would probably be good. Same with numbers and basic math. It won't be easy, but it would give her a little bit of experience, so she doesn't have to start from the very beginning." I bite the inside of my cheek. "Although, I'm not sure if that would help her if she does start from the beginning. Having a one-up would be good for her self-esteem, but not if someone makes a comment about her being too..." I stop talking. She might be able to hear me. "I don't know."
Liu seems to understand what I'm trying to avoid saying. "We'll practice with her. She doesn't need to know everything, just enough that she knows she's capable. Even if they do make her start at the start, it'll help her adjust quicker. She has so much anxiety already without needing to feel like she knows less than the others."
I like his point of view better than mine. It sounds more optimistic. Her having the advantage of starting in kindergarten with a little knowledge would be better than her starting in first with little to none. Either way, there's the risk of her being accused of being dumb; either for being behind the others in her class or not being able to be in the class with her age group. I don't think anything can really be done about that. And it sucks. I hate the idea of her being subjected to bullying so early.
But at least we can do something to try to lessen that chance for her. I'm sure she won't mind at all. She's so excited about school. She'll probably get excited over being asked to trace letters.
"We need activity books," I say. He agrees.
"In the meantime, we can teach her the alphabet song and verbal counting," He suggests.
"Do you think it's too late to go to the store?"
"Probably not. Do you want to do it today or wait until tomorrow?"
I'm quiet for a moment as I think about it. "Maybe today? We can get the grocery shopping out of the way at the same time."
"We need groceries?"
"We do if we want to have something good for dinner."
He laughs. "I'll go get her ready. We'll go shopping as a family."
I thank him as he gets up. I get my phone out and make up a list of items we need. I want to make something really good for dinner as a way to celebrate. I didn't let my nerves control me into driving past the college this morning. I deserve a treat for that. Not to mention, I'm enjoying cooking. I want to do it more and be able to make all sorts of meals. I can't do that if I don't expand my knowledge. Tonight, we're having pumpkin-shrimp curry. I've never made a curry dish before, so I'm excited. Scared too. We're getting a frozen pizza or something as a backup option.
I get so caught up in my list making that I don't notice Alisper and Liu standing next to me. I'm only aware of their presence after I hear her whispering to Liu, asking if they should tell me they're ready. I apologise to them for the wait, then ask Liu if he wants to drive so that I can add the rest of the ingredients we need. He accepts the request.
I hold Alisper's door open for her while she gets into the car, then close it gently behind her. As always, she thanks me. I get into the passenger seat in time to hear Liu grumbling about how I never hold open his doors. I tell him that he never compliments my cooking. Alisper laughs at us.
We listen to the radio on the way to the store. I tell them about what I'm thinking of making for dinner and ask for their opinions. Liu is nervous about it, but says he's willing to try it. Alisper asks us what curry is. After we explain it to her, she says that she doesn't care; she'll try it too. Their lack of enthusiasm leaves something to be desired, but I'm not bothered by it. I'd say that same thing if Liu were the one to come up with the idea. It's a fair reaction to being asked about something you've never experienced before.
When we pull up to the store, I read off our shopping list to them and ask if there's anything else they think we need. They make a few suggestions, then we decide that we're ready to head in. Liu and I get out of the car first. Usually, Alisper is preparing to open the door, but not this time. She stares at me through the window as I step closer to the handle. She jumps out of the car and watches me closes it. Then, she takes my hand. We catch up to Liu, who already started walking. He holds open the store doors for the both of us, and we both thank him. He smiles at me.
Liu gets a shopping cart for us to use. We start with the little things that don't need to be kept cold, such as toilet paper and new toothpaste. The paper at the house is too thin for Liu's preference, and the toothpaste tastes bad according to Alisper. We start in the dental care aisle and Alisper asks if she can pick out her own toothpaste. We tell her yes. Immediately, she runs a couple feet down and grabs a pink tube. She shows it to us to make sure it's okay. Supposedly, it's bubblegum flavoured. She starts jumping around when we tell her she can still get it. I remember when I used to get excited over toothpaste, and decide to grab a tube for myself. I want to clean my teeth with pink bubblegum.
Liu gives me a funny look. "You too?"
"Yeah," I say back. "Why not?"
He shrugs and gets one for himself. We're all going to smell like bubblegum from now on. When we decide that we don't need anything else from this section, we head off for where they keep the toilet paper. Liu grumbles about how he doesn't like that they don't keep it with the other toiletries. All I can do is agree with him. But the reason why is clear to me.
We pass the aisles where they keep the kid's toys. Alisper ignores them, but Liu isn't capable of resisting the urge himself. He asks Alisper if she wants to look at stuff with him, then tells me that they're going to look at activity books when they're done here. I take the cart to do the rest of the shopping. I get the paper first, then go in search of the ingredients I need. Thankfully, I don't need to get a lot of stuff. Some things we already have at the house. I just need to get the shrimp, curry powder, pumpkin puree, squash, shallots, and coconut milk. I gather everything that I can in the grocery section, then go back towards the front of the store. They have a big box full of pumpkins and squash. I end up getting five pumpkins total, which earns me a strange look from another shopper. I quickly explain that one is for dinner, three are for carving, and the small one is for another recipe I haven't decided on yet. She moves on with her life.
A sudden craving for ice cream hits me after I set the final pumpkin in the cart. I pick out a few cartons for us, then go to find Alisper and Liu. They're now in the section where the store keeps all the video games and movies. They're flicking through CDs when I get to them. Alisper has a small stack of books in her arms. She puts them into the basket and start saying that she can't wait to show them to me. Liu makes fun of me for having a pumpkin obsession, but he can't hide his own excitement when he hears what they're for. We then have to explain to Alisper what pumpkin carving is. We promise to teach her together and start talking about when would be the best time for that. Liu has the brilliant idea of us having a pre-Halloween day. He says that we can spend the day shopping for costumes and decorations, then putting up the decorations, and carving up the pumpkins. We ask Alisper what she thinks of the idea.
"Okay, that sounds fun," she says. "But what's Halloween?"