The songbird's wings

Chapter 2

"We're here, love. Do you want me to walk you in?"

"No. I'm fine, mother. Thank you."

"That's a little too bad. Well, I'll be here when it's time. Be good, honey. I love you."

"I will. I love you too, mother."

With that, I was off.

"Oh! Welcome back, Octave dear! Take a seat and we'll begin, dear."

"Yes, Ms.Goodweather."

Things had proceeded as they usually had, the day coasting by until recess.

"Alright children! Go on! I will call you back here when it is time to resume."

"Yaaaay!!!!"

This was greeted as the highlight of the day, something I didn't exactly agree with, as the "fun" wasn't a thing I fully shared in. I spent most of my time drawing alone, never going quite far outside of watching. I usually did this unbothered, managing into sink into the shadows, though never entirely.

"Hello!"

Much like now.

"....Hello."

"Are you alone again today?"

"Almost."

They giggled. 

"You're always so funny, Octave! You never fail to me make laugh."

I'd been attending public school a full week, and for that entire week they've been watching me. They had brown, messy hair, tinted skin, and the oddest eyes I'd ever seen, a color I could only describe as "electric custard," dull and creamish, yet bright and shocking at the same time. They had just started to approach me directly, and I had no idea as to why. 

"What do you want?" I asked, raising a brow.

They only smiled.

"Not much today. You'll be busy. Just watch out." They said cryptically, walking off and successfully catching my attention as I rose to my feet, planning to ask them what they'd meant before something round flew straight for my head, whipping around in a quick moment of heightened reflex.

"Hey! Toss it back!" A boy called to me, making me aware that I now held the ball in my hands.

"Just watch out," then echoed through my head, making sense a whole minute later. But why would I be busy? Unless....

"C'mon! Hurry up!" The boy huffed impatiently.

"Maybe she can't hear us."

"Maybe she's head-soft."

"Maybe she can't hear us 'cause she head-soft."

...Honestly.

I took a deep breath, ready to retort....

"Hello there. My name is Octave. I am not a girl."

calmly.

"Then you're a boy?"

"Wearing a dress?"

"I'm Octave."

"Huh?"

"What's that mean?"

"It means just what it means: I'm Octave; I wear what I want and do as I please. I know how to dance and clean, but also how to fix cars and play ball. In fact...."

I felt a little smirk grace my face. I wasn't the smug type, but I was feeling very, /very/ confident.

"I can play it better than any of you-in a dress, and without a single patch of dirt gracing my frame."

"What? Is that a challenge?"

"I think it is."

"She talks funny."

"It /is/ a challenge. I can beat all of you, in a team, with only myself. Give me no players."

"Hah! Skirt-kid's a risk-taker!"

"Sure is!"

"That's quite a bet....maybe we should think about it if they feel that confident...."

"Why'd they think they were gonna get players?"

"Actually, I'm not. It's not risk's I take....it's a lack of nonsense."

"AND a trash-talker! Alright! When do we prove you wrong?"

That smirk of mine was only getting bigger. Why was I so confident? I know I'm good, but why am I seeking trouble like this?

"How about right now? It hasn't been that long since you nearly hit me with that ball of yours, and therefore not long before I was minding my own business, and therefore, we still have a bit of time."

"You wanna get your butt kicked /now/? Heh, okay. Guts. I like that. LINE UP!"

With that, we all took positions, the group of boys against myself. 

I smiled.

This was going to be fun.