Parenting Paul

Chapter 31: Wild and Reckless

Meanwhile, Ruth and Heather were walking down the streets of London by themselves, while Ruth tried to make conversation with Heather. "I'm allowed to go all the way towards Jansen-Worth Avenue....because that's where my primary school is located, it's got this pretty nice playground there..." Ruth explained as Heather remained silent yet followed her. Ruth then turned to Heather, and studied her with curiosity. "You don't talk much do you? Besides, what's your real name? I would call you Princess Tiger, but I don't know what game you were playing with my brother, so I'm afraid I'd mess up the plot..." Ruth continued as Heather looked up at her "My name is Heather, and we weren't playing a game......he let me change my name to whatever I wanted...." Heather explained as Ruth gave her full attention. "Neat, I'd like to change my name too, whatcha think? Maybe Mabel, Estella, or Cinderella!? Yes, I rather like Cinderella!" Ruth played along as Heather giggled.

"Hey look that's my school, come on Heather, let's go play on the monkey bars!" Ruth encouraged as she yanked on Heather's arm leading her to the playground equipment where other children were playing together. "Hey guys!" Ruth began once they arrived at the monkey bars, where two other children were playing with the jungle gym set. "Hi Ruth...." One child with long curly golden blonde hair introduced herself, as Heather became silent again. "Hey there Bobbi-Anne, what are you guys up to?" Ruth asked with wonder as Heather remained quiet and watched a young boy climb the bars. "I've been trying to get Randall to climb across the monkey bars for the past 30 minutes,....he's only made it halfway so far..." Bobbi-Anne explained as Heather continued watching him.

"Shut up Bobbi-Anne, it's not as easy as it seems.....it's just easy for you, because you're in gymnastics training..." Randall soon vocalized from above the three girls, which intrigued Heather, making her approach the equipment closer. "Anyways, have you tried it yet Ruth? It's pretty death defying....almost everyone in the entire class has done it....except for scaredy pants Randall Smith!!" Bobbi-Anne teased as another girl who had been playing on the swingset ran up to the group. "Haha! Randy.....you're only halfway across! How lame!?" The second girl added in making Bobbi-Anne laugh out loud. "My baby sister who's still in nursery school can do it! Let's go! I've done it....Ruth's done it, Margaret's done it.... Everyone in Mrs. Henderson's class has done it! Everyone except you!" Bobbi-Anne mocked as she pointed at herself, Ruth and the second girl.

"Yeah, remember we all did it last Friday you, Margaret, Stephanie and I did climbing races and I won..." Ruth bragged as the two girls nodded with reminiscing joy, until Bobbi-Anne scoffed. "I would have been the winner, but the lunch bell rang..." Bobbi-Anne replied back as the second girl looked at her slyly "Yes, and you would have shaved some seconds or so off the climb if you weren't busy trying to do Olympic moves across the bars as well!" Margaret added, making Ruth giggle, however Bobbi-Anne didn't react to Margaret's comment as she had noticed Heather who was now directly underneath Randall's feet. "Umm....Ruth?" Bobbi-Anne soon questioned with suspicion as she analyzed Heather with scorn. "Yeah, What's up?" Ruth asked as Bobbi-Anne turned back to her, totally ignoring that Randall had reached the end of the monkey bar set. "Who is that girl? I've never seen her in school before...." Bobbi-Anne asked, her voice judgmentally snobby. "Oh, yeah that's my new friend, her name's Heather....but she likes to be called Princess Tiger...." Ruth explained as she stepped closer to Bobbi-Anne so she could see Heather help Randall get off the playset.

"Good job Randy..." Heather encouraged Randy, making him turn and smile at her as the other three girls continued watching. "Thanks, I appreciate that..." Randy replied back as Bobbi-Anne turned to Ruth with her arms crossed. "Where'd you meet her? Is she from Mrs. Etting's class? You know those kids are losers....." Bobbi-Ann asked with her voice still scolding, as Margaret nodded in agreement, "Yeah Ruth, she speaks weird.....have you noticed that?" Margaret added in as Bobbi-Anne nodded. "Yeah well....um, because umm...she uhh..." Ruth stammered as Randy approached the group with Heather behind him. "Lay off her....at least she's nice to me... unlike you Bobbi-Anne Barington!" Randy defended as Bobbi-Anne gasped, and Ruth shrugged in agreement. "He's got a good point Bobbi-Anne, Heather's new in town, and you're making fun of her..." Ruth added in as Bobbi-Anne stepped closer to Heather and studied her intensely, "So Heather....where exactly are you from? Huh? Timbuktu? Or perhaps the island of misfit toys?"" Bobbi-Anne questioned as she walked around Heather trying to analyze every inch of her. "Umm, I'm from New York City....and I was born in Tucson, Arizona..." Heather answered with nervousness as Bobbi-Anne swiftly turn to her, showing off her bouncy Shirley Temple style curly hair and menacing green eyes.

"What makes you think you can just add yourself into MY friends group? I'm the one that calls all the shots.....You can't just insert yourself into the playground like La-Dee-Da......there's specific rules in place.....placed by me! The most popular girl at St. Elizabeth's Primary School and NOTHING's gonna change that!" Bobbi-Anne continued as Heather shifted her eyes down and noticed that the playground was built on top of a large wood chip pile.

Back at Jimmy's house, Paul was sipping tea slowly as Jimmy paced around the kitchen trying to collect his thoughts, and clear his emotions. "I just can't believe you got this child into your care, and you didn't contact me....it's concerning and reckless..." Jimmy soon spoke, making Paul turn swiftly at him as he placed his cup down aggressively. "What the bloody hell was I supposed to say to you about it? 'Hey dad, this random guy just dropped off this 5 year old on my doorstep?!'" Paul asked angrily as Jimmy sighed and put his hands on his face trying to relax once more. "Alright....alright.....have you talked to the people at the Social Care office yet? Are they aware of this young child's whereabouts?" Jimmy asked as Paul turned away and pulled his cup closer to himself. "No....I haven't...." He answered as Jimmy sat down in the chair next to him.
"I think you should call them, ask them if they'd be able to help you locate her family, and maybe even bring her back home to the states....and in the meantime, they might be able to help you find schooling options for her,...the school Ruth's attending St. Elizabeth's Primary School is quite impressive, if I do say so myself" Jimmy suggested as Paul nodded, "Yeah, I guess she should be with her mother.....it's what's best." Paul agreed as he walked up to the phone. During this time, at the playground, Bobbi-Anne was still ridiculing Heather while the other three children watched awkwardly. "So tell me! Why should I allow you to be my friend?!" Bobbi-Anne asked, her voice snobby and brute. "Bobbi-Anne? I think she's just Ruth's friend...." Randall tried to add in, as Bobbi-Anne turned to him. "Shut up! You're just a little cry-baby Randy! You don't get to decide who gets to be in the group." Bobbi-Anne scolded as Heather bent down, and grabbed the wood chips, and then in a similar manner as Paul did with the drumsticks earlier that day towards Alan, threw them towards Bobbi-Anne's shoulder

"Ow!!" Bobbi-Anne screamed as Heather watched her wince with pain and shock. "Woah! Did you just hit Bobbi-Anne with wood chips!?" Ruth asked as Randal and Margaret watched speechlessly. "I'm not gonna let anyone talk to me or my friends like that, not ever!" Heather soon yelled as she grabbed more chips and flung them at Bobbi-Anne. "Ow!!! Stop it, freak!" Bobbi-Anne screamed as Margaret huddled her from behind, while Randall and Ruth remained quiet. "Princess Tiger will not stay in her cage! I'm loose and wild! I'll bite you!!" Heather soon snarled as she hopped to the ground and crouched down on the splintering surface towards Bobbi-Anne and Margaret. "RAWR!!!!!!!" Heather soon growled as she pounced back to her standing position, charged at Bobbi-Anne and pushed her down to the ground as she bolted off down the street much to the shock of the other children. "HEATHER WAIT!!" Ruth yelled with worry as she watched Heather dart down the street.