Tessa looked over at the girl in her car. Ezra was slouched in the passenger seat, her eyes downcast. Tessa wasn't as good at reading the girl as Helen must have been, she could tell she was nervous. To be honest so was Tessa.
Though she thought she had gotten accustomed to to Ezra's face sometimes it still gave her a shock, but she figured she had to get used to it, eventually. "Are you scared?"
"Yeah." Ezra said simply. "They'll hate me."
"I doubt it."
"They'll at least be scared of me." There was a certain sadness in her voice.
Tessa sighed. She was probably right. "Not scared. Maybe unnerved."
"That's the adult way of saying scared."
Tessa pulled into her brother's driveway with out answering.
☠️
After their initial shock Christopher and his wife, Millie, were nice enough to Ezra. Though by the way they threw nervous glances over their shoulders Tessa could tell they were uncomfortable.
Ezra was polite and courteous to the max, just how Tessa knew she'd be. It was just a matter of when Niki and Emma showed up.
Tessa's motherly instincts screamed at her to ferret Ezra away, before her cousins could hurt her. Tessa didn't think Niki would be cruel to her, but one couldn't help but be put off by the marks. Kids often had a harder time hiding it and Niki had the annoying habit of blurting whatever was in her head.
And Emma... Tessa shook her head to clear it. Let the chips fall where they may.
They were all sitting in the kitchen when the kids came home. Tessa saw Ezra tense visibly as Emma and Niki came around the corner.
Emma spotted her face first, and her ear splitting scream shattered the silence as she ran to Millie clinging to her skirt. "Mommy! The devil's in our house!"
It would've been comical if it wasn't for the crushed expression on Ezra's marked face. Millie ushered the sobbing child off and they went into the other room.
The awkward silence they left behind was broken by a small voice. "Hi." Niki had walked up to Ezra, brazen as you please, and held out her hand. "I'm Niki."
Ezra took it hesitantly, as if expecting some cruel joke. "Ezra."
Niki smiled, showing her two missing front teeth. "I like your name and your face."
Ezra smiled back. "Dido."
Niki smile turned mischievous. "Do you like magazines?"
YOU ARE READING
Daughter of Pennywise
FanfictionEzra Monty was born with the face of a clown. Her uncle Christopher, his wife and daughter think she is the devil's spawn and if her grandparents were still alive they would agree wholeheartedly. And they're not far off. After Pennywise the dancing...
