Daughter of Pennywise

Saving Niki

The first grade teacher looked over at the little girl, "clown girl" as her other students called her. Ezra hadn't caused much problems and was very polite. Ms. Killie was ashamed of the unprecedented fear she felt towards the child and was glad that at least Niki was there for the girl.

Niki looked over at Ezra's art project curiously. "Why do you always paint the same things?"

"I don't know." Ezra shrugged, her fingers sticky with paint and glitter. On her page was swirls of black and red, with the center a brilliant orange. Purple glitter had been sprinkled over the top of it.

Niki's was what appeared to be a strange gray blob on a big green blob, but she swore it was a cat on a hill. Adding more gray paint with her own brush she said "You always paint something like that."

"That's cause she's a freak!" A table of boys behind them laughed. The one that had spoken was Thomas.

"You shut your mouth before I knock your teeth in!" Niki brandished her fists.

Ezra slumped in her seat, embarrassed both by the bully and her overprotective cousin. Ms. Killie looked over at Niki's loud threat, exasperated. "There will be no fighting in my classroom, or anywhere else Miss Nicole."

"Yes ma'am." Niki bowed her head, appearing chastised, but Ezra didn't miss the dirty look towards Thomas or the gleam in her eye while she did it. By the way Thomas bared his teeth, neither did he.

🤡

"Hurry up Ezie!" Niki bounced on the balls of her feet, waiting for Ezra to shove her things in the black, nondescript backpack.

"I'm workin' on it! I'm workin' on it!" Ezra called back, roughly cramming her notebook of childish scribbles in her backpack, probably ruining it.

Jumping up Ezra hopped towards the classroom door, balancing the half zipped bag on her knee, struggling to close it. "Come on! You're so slow!" Niki whined. "The weekends not going to enjoy itself." 

Ezra finally was ready and flung her backpack over one shoulder. Niki whooped and pumped a fist in the air as they raced out of the classroom.

They had made it about twenty feet down the hallway when Ms.Killie intercepted them. "Whoa!" She put her arms out, causing them to skid to a stop on the linoleum. "Girls no running in the hallway." She said teacherly before turning to Ezra. "May I speak with you a minute?"

Niki groaned and slumped over. "Why? We're waisting minutes." She said rudely.

"It's okay. You can wait outside." Ezra said softly, hands in her sweatshirt and shoulders slumped.

"Thank you." Ms. Killie said as Niki dragged her feet out the doors. Bending her knees so she was a little closer to the strange girl she said. "Is something wrong Ezra?"

"No." She mumbled, causing the teacher to have to lean closer.

"You just seem so unhappy all the time." Normally Ms. Killie would've made the student look up, but the lowered head and long strands of pale hair mostly obscured Ezra's marks. It helped the teacher's anxiety about the girl subside a bit.

Ezra shrugged in response. "I'm happy at home."

Ms. Killie straightened. "Alright then, but if there's anything I can do...." she trailed off uncertainly as Ezra speed walked outside.

Ezra glanced around in the bright sunlight. After a moment of not seeing Niki she started towards the sidewalk, thinking she might be waiting there. After about two steps Ezra heard a distant taunting. Following the noise she darted around the building.

Thomas and two of his friends had cornered Niki. From the forming bruises on Thomas' cheek she had gotten a few hits in, but she looked worse for ware. Her lip was bleeding and she was trying to get to her feet from off the ground.

"Leave her alone!" Ezra yelled. In the back of her brain she was shocked. She didn't ever remember yelling at anyone before and definitely not at school.

As they jeered and stalked towards their new target, she let them surround her.  Something powerful and frightening was making her body tremble. It stung her skin as her fists clenched on their own. Was this what a bomb felt like before it exploded?

Thomas reached out to shove and she growled "Don't touch me."

For a moment Thomas looked almost scared, but then a cocky smile formed on his face and he shoved her hard. 

She stumbled and almost fell but kept her feet as he went to do it again. This time his hand barely brushed her when he and his buddies where flung back.

It looked like purple and black smoke had exploded from her. Fast and merciless it tossed the boys at least five feet back. They landed on their backs, gasping for breath, before stumbling to their feet and running like their was no tomorrow.

The power drained out of Ezra as quick as it had come. Shocked, she looked over to Niki. As her cousin got to her feet the look of... wow was planted on her face.

"That was totally awesome!!" Niki yelled, a huge grin on her face as she ran to hug her rescuer.