A Little Birdie Named Jay (The Volumes of Blue- Vol. 1) #Wattys2016

Chapter 4: At Which Expectations Find New Heights

Author's note and stuff: PLEASE ACTUALLY CRITICIZE MY WORK!!! DON'T WORRY ABOUT HURTING MY FEELINGS OR SOMETHING!! In fact please HURT MY SOFT, SQUISHY FEELINGS!!! Also I'm pretty sure by now you guys know I'm crazy so... I'M RIDING A UNICORN IN MY HEAD!!! MWAHAHAKAKAHA!!!!!!!!! Also so sorry for not posting every two weeks like I said I will...
One last thing...
I'm entering the Wattys.
I'm eating ice-cream.
Ice cream is important to me.
No one is reading this, are they?
I'm a porcupine.  （＾＿＾）
Meep.

"I don't know what she's doin'! How am I'm supposed to know? I'm not a mind reader!" The chestnut boy hissed into the folds of his tattered jacket, carefully keeping his voice low as to not attract the attention of the preoccupied children around him, "How do you know she's cut out for the job? Huh? Yes, I know she's their daughter..." the boy sighed, exasperation apparent in his hushed voice, "Oh, our so called future just passed out. Yep, bye."

Jay shot straight up and collided her forehead with a brick– no, another person, and fell back on a pillow that let out a strangled yelp. The hazel-eyed girl looked hesitantly underneath her to see an annoyed blonde girl giving her a glare that could burn a barn. In response, the copper girl gave an embarrassed grin and lifted herself off the pale girl. The albino let out a huff and sulked off to a group of two other girls, most likely to rant about the disgrace she had just been put through. Rolling her eyes at the girl's behavior, Jay rose to her full height only to lightly bump her already bruised head with the ceiling of the cart, causing her to curse silently, still mindful of the child ears surrounding her.
The bruised girl adjusted herself tentatively, so her knees were bent and her head was craned down a smidgen, inducing her to come face to face with her brother, who was currently rubbing a red patch of skin from the place Jay's forehead collided with his cheek.  
    Without a word, Jay wrapped her little brother in a bone crushing hug. Ellion struggled to get out of the embarrassment, his entire face blooming up into a rose pink.
"Jay, st-stop! You're embarrassing me..." Ellion stuttered, the judgmental stares around him doing nothing for the red tomato that was now his face.
Ellion's face flamed up even more when a certain chestnut made eye contact with him, causing the sandy-haired boy to unleash a series of muffled, banshee screeches into his sister's baggy vest. Jay ignored his protests and only hugged him closer, taunting tears threatening to show the underlying fear in her eyes.
Jay whispered a secret to her younger brother, "I'm scared too."

"How's she doin' so far boss?"
"Can't be sure yet."
"The speedster told meh she fainted."
"She took on six of our best."
"Ain't she a dainty one."
"Welp, she just made things a hella a lot harder for herself."
"..."
"What?"
"They'll be returned to their fams, right boss?"
"Yeah, they will. When did Maka ever break her word."
"Maka better hopes she never finds out."
*New Connection Incoming*

    "You are absolutely freaking insane!" Ellion deadpanned, swaying not from the shock of what he just heard, but from the cart moving underneath him.
    "Language!" Jay snapped, her eyes hardening into hazel marbles.
    "That wasn't even a curse word!" Ellion exclaimed, his hands swinging wildly around, creating a personal bubble around him from the ring of children trying to avoid accidental slaps.
    "Who taught you about those? Was it Amos? I swear, when I get my hands on that little weasel I'll-"
    "Jay! I'm talking about how crazy your plan is!"
    "What? Oh yeah, that. Well, you know what they say– the crazier, the more safe a plan is."
    "No one says that."
    "I just did."
    "Let me at least–"
    "Done."
    "Really?"
    "Huh? No, not you silly. Her. Don't you like your hair sweetie." Jay was seated crisscrossed in a middle of scared children, all of them attached to some part of her for much needed comfort. The copper girl had also just finished braiding the hair of a ebony haired girl with equally dark skin. The small child smiled widely and moved aside as another girl took her place.
    "Ok, we're really doing this aren't we? At least tell me what you're going to do again." Ellion defeated, pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Sure, but this- this we can't afford mistakes." The older sister quit her joking, her lips tied in a straight line unlike the delightful coral curve it was a second ago.
"You guys know how to throw, right?"

"You underestimated her."
"What are you saying? If anything we've overestimated her."
"Not this time Rave."
"That's not... possible. She hasn't even done anything yet."
"You're in for a surprise then."

Shaky vision filled Jay's eyes as she concentrated on her delicate work, the shafts of light filtering from outside allowing only fleeting moments of clarity for what she was doing. To the side lay her vest, discarded for material, and small scatterings of leather. All the copper girl could think was how lucky none of the guards knew about real sorcery.

"All I'm saying is that Hannings is gonna have a hella of competition when she joins the ranks."
"Two birds with one stone then, eh?"

White tracings coated Jay's fingers as she finished packing the last one. Freezing sweat beaded down her forehead, reminding her that winter would hit in a week or so, as the pressure in the cart intensified along with wide-eyed stares of children. Time to start the second part.

"This is weird."
"What is?"
"She has... flour?"
"Hey. Maybe she's trying to make mama's bread."

The copper girl was almost sawed through the wood, her small pocket knife with ridges slowly eating away at thick wood floor and giving a dusty residue. A couple more good cuts and it would fall away, revealing a second floor to cut through. But that's not what she was trying to do.

"Keep ours away from the fight."
"Why?"
"I think those strange lessons of his are finally paying off."

The wheel connections were almost completely severed. Jay now held the brakes in her hand. The children now were prepared for her plan and already in position. Each of them were supplied with a precious packet of flour and some with even rarer pieces of black flint. She hoped they'll live. If they survived the crash first. And the fire after.

"We're all going to die."
"Wha-"
*Connection Severed*

The instant Jay sliced through the last wire, the wheels came off clean on the outside. Time hesitated as the cart was thrown airborne. A sickening crack was heard as they came back to earth. Stunned silence.

*Connection Received*
"What did she just do."
"Heh. Heh, she did it. This. This is about to become explosive."
"Shoot."

A/N: Again- please criticize! I will take all comments into account and will be constantly editing all chapters! Also I may post the next chapter within the week. ^_^ HURT MY FEELINGS!!!
Thank you again to everyone who reads and votes for my works! It means a lot to me... Almost more than CHURROS do and that's saying a lot. Thanks again!