Midale

Chapter Four: Being Gifted

 *Ten Years ago*

"I'm going to be a doctor when I grow up and I am going to help a lot of people." Lydia beamed as she twirled around in her white lab coat which was too big on her. The sleeves hung from where her little arms ended but she couldn't be bothered. She was over come with happiness at the thought of her future. Her innocence and naive age was too ignorant of the reality of the cruel world around her. She had her own little bubble of perfection and dreams.

Little Madison trotted down the school hallway towards her class along with Lydia. She was dressed in a little pink dress with a jewel ornamented tiara on her head. She was a princess today.

The Career day at school was one of the most awaited events of the year. The kids dressed up as their ideal professionals and pretended to be them for the day.

"Why do you wanna be a princess?" Lydia's eyebrows furrowed as she looked at her best friend. She knew Madison was anything but a girly girl, but her choice of dress today countered her hypothesis.

"Because I think Princesses are brave. I want to make this world a better place and fight for my country." She informed, straightening her shoulders to appear as dauntless as she wanted to be someday.

"Girls don't fight, they're weak. All they can do is play dress up." George Finley's bulky figure appeared in front of them and he didn't waste anytime shooting them with the taunt. Madison's little fists clenched and she stepped forward.

"I am not weak." She defended herself.

"Yes you are." He claimed and roughly shoved Madison, sending her to the floor. She winced as her elbow hit the ground first and the skin on it split open, but she didn't cry. Her shiny tiara had fallen off her head and now lay on the tiled floor beside her.

Lydia rushed to help her friend up but Madison put up a hand to stop her.

"I can get up myself." She said through gritted teeth, keeping her eyes fixed on the bully in front of her. She hated George with every part of her being. He thought that just because he was bigger than the kids in the classes lower than his, he could treat them however he wanted to. It was time to let him know that he was dead wrong.

"George leave them alone." Before Madison could take a stand for herself, Miles appeared behind them. He was almost the same age as Madison, but he still held an air of superiority around him.

"Kid, why don't you make me." George challenged and his two sidekicks behind him snickered, enjoying themselves. Miles quietly walked towards George. His deep blue eyes mirrored his rebellious nature. He was not one to stand around and let bad things happen to people, he was better than that.

His hands tightened around the spray bottle he held behind him so it was out of George's view. The bully's smirk widened as he got closer, and fear started to creep inside of him.

What if he couldn't do it?

His eyes flickered to Madison who still stood there, holding her head high defiantly. Her fearlessness was all the encouragement he needed.

He stopped right in front of George.

"Well?"

In one quick movement he flung his hand forward and unloaded the pepper spray right in his eyes. George cursed and stumbled back, his smirk now turned into a full snarl. Miles didn't wait for another second and whipped around to run in the other direction.

"Run!" He screamed to Madison and Lydia and they all scampered out of the presently empty hallway. Madison bent down to pick up her tiara before dashing after Miles, Lydia in step right beside her.