"Ju-li-ette! Get out of the car!", her mother urged. Juliette knew her mother was going to stomp her foot soon by the way she spelled out her name. But she held onto the booster seat as intently as before.
She shook her head. And with that her mama's blue eyes became slits.
"Max, do something!", she ordered and disappeared from the open car door.
"Have you tried asking her nicely?", Juliette could hear her Daddy ask. Then how her mother retorted something. It didn't sound very nice.
Juliette heard the gravel crunch around and her daddy appeared in the open car door. He smiled at her.
"Hi Juliette!", he said.
"Don't you want to go look at the new daycare with mama and I?", he wondered.
She shook her head.
"You don't have to touch anyone", he coaxed.
She just shifted in her seat.
"It will be much better here than the last place. Mister Castle says everyone is really nice", he continued.
"And look, they even have a swing set!", he said and pointed somewhere where she couldn't see.
"I wanna go home Daddy…", she whispered.
But not quietly enough.
"Juliette if you don't come with us you'll have to stay in the car because we need to talk to the teacher!", her mother erupted from outside the car.
That got her moving. Being locked in the car was something she did not want to spend her morning doing.
She grabbed her blanket and desperately tugged at the seat belt, but the buckle was obviously made to withstand her child fingers.
"Careful princess", her father said and reached in.
The little girl went rigid and threw up her hands above her head as the larger hands clicked open the contraption. But as soon as it was done she climbed out of the car with her blanket in hand.
"Finally!", her mother said as soon as Juliette's small tennis shoes hit the gravel. And with a flick of her hair started heading towards the gate.
Juliette almost changed her mind right then and there, but the car door closed behind her and she was too short to open it by herself.
"You coming princess?", her father asked and held out his hand for her.
She handed him the other end of her blanket. His mouth twitched as if he was going to make a face, but he kept his composure and took it. Then followed his wife towards the gate.
Juliette knew that it kind of looked like she was a puppy on a leash when they walked like that, Emma had said so, but she didn't mind it. Not of it kept her daddy safe.
"Look Max, they have a rod, a bolt and a chain! It's like Alcatraz isn't it?"
Juliette had to agree; it did look awfully complex. Her mother tugged at it some making it rattle, but not open. Her mother groaned.
"If it's going to take this long to open it every time I might as well climb…!", she grumbled.
Juliette had never seen her Mama climb anything, so she wondered if that was even possible.
"I'm sure we'll get used to it just like the last one", her father ushered.
She did eventually get it open. What she wasn't happy about was that she had to close it again afterwards; Juliette's father pointed that out pointing at a sign on the fencing.
Meanwhile Juliette took a look at the playground. It wasn't very different from her last one really. She couldn't see all of it though, since it disappeared behind one of the buildings.
There were two buildings.
They were beige.
There were happy flowers, butterflies and bees on the brick walls. They didn't have those on the other daycare. Each house had flower beds along the sides and two doors with stairs and ramps for wagons.
Focusing on the open space before the houses she saw the swings her father had pointed out, surrounded by a neat wooden fence with a gate she assumed could be locked. There was a sandbox with a little house in the middle and plastic toys scattered in and around it; buckets, shovels and all that. Behind it was a collection of trees and bushes with paths of brown dirt trailing between the thin stems. There were some tricycles, and a small slide furthest off. Everything was surrounded by a tall wooden fence that switched into a green wired one when it faced the parking lot.
What she found most appealing was the shed on the far end of the wall. She hoped there wasn't any poison ivy growing behind it like on the last daycare.
A tug on her blanket brought her back to the present.
"Come on", her mother said.
They walked up to the building and her parents looked at the signs on the doors. Juliette thought they looked funny. It was a capital A, she had learnt that; but the small a next to it had a ponytail.
"No, it's the next one", her mother announced and the three went to the next door.
The sign looked even funnier there.
It was an O with feet! And a three taking a nap! She was about to giggle but then her mother opened the door and she remembered why she was there.
She clutched her blanket and followed her father inside.
"Hello?", her mama called out as soon as they came in.
Juliette could hear children further in.
The sound of pattering little feet sounded almost immediately and shortly thereafter a boy, who was taller than Juliette, appeared in the doorway. He had short black hair and equally dark eyes. He had a shirt with the Power Rangers on it.
Juliette took cover behind her father's long legs.
"Hi there", Juliette's father said.
"Hi", the boy nodded then turned his head back into the room he had come from and shouted with a might that startle all three:
"Caaaastle! There's people heeeere!"
A chair was pulled out and heavier footsteps were heard.
A man showed up in the door. His hair was made out of braids Juliette noticed. And he wore glasses. And his skin had the color of chocolate.
"Aa, Mr. And Mrs. Sommers!", he greeted.
"And Juliette", he added and nodded at her.
"Welcome to Omega point daycare!", he said and joined them in the hallway. Juliette disappeared behind her father's legs even further.
"You must be Castle", her mother said and stepped forwards to shake Castle's hand.
He shook it.
"We are all very excited to have you joining Omega point", Castle said.
Then Juliette had to stumble forward when her father decided that he had to shake hands as well, leaving her without a cover there in the strange hallway. Her eyes darted around at this newfound situation; and jumped in a start when she found the boy from the door standing right next to her.
He was looking at her.
"My name's Kenji, I'm six", he said suddenly and stuck out his hand.
Her eyes widened and she scurried backwards.
"Don't touch me…", she warned.
"Why?", he asked.
"Because you'll die", she said.
He gasped.
"Why?", he gawked and cocked his head at her, his hand falling down to his side.
"I have cooties", she replied eyeing the way of her parents, pronouncing the word as if it was the plague. Or cancer. Adults said cancer was bad. Almost as bad as cooties.
His eyes widened to the size of plates.
"Wow!", he breathed and studied her with newfound fascination.
Just then the adults decided to interrupt.
"Ju-li-ette! Don't start with that! Max why don't you watch her…!?", her mother exclaimed with crossed arms, sending a glare at her husband.
"She's your daughter too you know…", he muttered.
"Aah, it's what you mentioned in the email, yes?", Castle asked Max.
"Yeah…"
"None of that when you meet the others, understood?", her mother said and started ushering Juliette towards the door Castle where was standing. It looked like a shepherd steering a sheep with Juliette scurrying forward to avoid touching her mother's outstretched hands.
Still Juliette froze in the doorway.
There were kids everywhere. Drawing, running, tumbling, building, with their heads deep in dress up boxes, flipping through picture books, kneading dough. Everyone playing. Everything covered in the high pitched chattering of young children.
She saw Kenji take a seat at one of the tables.
She hadn't noticed him walk past her.
And she would have turned on her heel and retreated to the tambour if there hadn't been legs in the way.
Castle walked passed her and got something from the wall. And moments later a cow bell toiled in the room with a clear cling clang.
"Okay kiddies! Quiet down…"
The talking dissolved and suddenly every pair of eyes in the room were aimed at them. Juliette clutched her blanket.
"We have a new buddy joining us today", Castle continued.
"So I want you all to be extra nice, so you don't scare her away!", he said and wagged his finger at the lot. But it wasn't very stern and he received a shower of gentle giggles.
He turned to Kenji.
"Kenji, why don't you introduce Juliette to all of your buddies while her parents and I talk some more?"
"Okay", Kenji said.
He looked at her and made a hither motion with his hand.
"Come here", he said.
She briefly glanced between him and her parents.
Her mother scowled slightly.
"Go on, Sweetie", she said.
"But nothing about… that ", she added, then followed Castle out the door.
Seeing she had no choice Juliette reluctantly obeyed and sat down on the stool next to Kenji.
Some of the children had come to gather around the table, but some were still playing.
"Okay everyone!", Kenji said, putting on a formal tone.
" This ", he held out his arm and pointed at her without touching her, "...is Juliette."
The children stared.
A boy with glasses wiped his nose on his sleeve.
"I'm Kenji, but you already know that", Kenji continued.
He redirected his hand to point at the girl next to him. She had been sitting and drawing with crayons when Juliette got in. She was blonde with brown eyes.
"This is Alia."
Alia did not say anything, but merely glanced up before continuing to draw.
"That's Brendan", he said and pointed at a pale boy.
"Hello!"
Juliette thought he sounded funny, but she didn't say anything.
"He's from England. That's why he sounds funny", Kenji said, startling Juliette.
"I do not…!", Brendan complained.
"Do too", the girl next to him said.
Brendan blushed.
"And you're not allowed to give him any forks, because he tries to put them in the electrical outlets", Kenji continued.
Brendan blushed harder at that, but did not deny it.
"That's Lily", Kenji said, nodding at the girl who had talked before.
The girl with short curly brown hair waved.
" Hi. "
"She's killer at memory", Kenji whispered.
"Then there's Ian-"
" 'sup ?"
"-and Emory."
"Hi there!"
The two boys were sitting on the rug further off building a tower of blocks.
"And lastly, Sara and Sonya."
Juliette startled again. The girls who looked up at the sound of their names looked exactly the same! One of them was elbows deep in a doctor's play set. The other had a piece of cardboard in one hand, and a crayon in the other.
"Hi!", they said in unison.
"There is-"
Suddenly the front door opened, making all the children turn their heads.
"Hi Adam!", half of the children greeted.
The who had come in had brown hair and blue eyes.
Very blue eyes.
"Hi", he said back. Then he frowned.
"Who's that?", he said.
Juliette blushed a little, because it was obvious he was talking about her.
"This", Kenji explained; he seemed to be the one explaining a lot of things on Omega point,"is Juliette!"
Then he lowered his voice into a conspiring whisper.
"You're not allowed to touch her though. She has cooties. "
Adam widened his eyes a little in horror. Or, Juliette assumed it was horror.
"Oh, okay...", Adam said.
"She's starting here today. Right Jay?"
Juliette blinked.
Jay?
"Yes, I am...", she said.
"Huh...", Adam pondered. Then he went and left his backpack, but just as quickly he returned to the all-room and sat down by the table.
The children started asking Juliette about how she managed to not-kill anyone at home, which she explained with the diligent use of gloves and blankets, but they almost right after that another door opened. And once again all the children turned their heads.
It was Castle and Juliette's parents. The had just opened to door though, but they were getting ready to leave.
"Don't tell my mama or daddy I told you guys. They get mad...", Juliette whispered to them, feeling a little ashamed.
Kenji eyes went wide at this.
" What…? Do they want people to touch you by accident, and die from it?"
Juliette shook her head.
"N-no it's not-" But before she could explain the door opened fully and Castle and her parents returned.
"Okay princess, it's time for mama and daddy to leave", her daddy announced.
Juliette stood up and walked up to them.
"We'll come get you at five, okay?", her mama said. She leaned down to kiss her, but Juliette backed away. It made her mama scowl.
Juliette felt bad, but she didn't want to hurt her mama either.
"Bye Princess", her daddy said and waved. He knew that Juliette liked that better. She waved back.
"Bye."
"Have fun with your new friends, okay?", he said.
Then he and Juliette's mama left.
"Oh, good morning Adam!", Castle said when he noticed that Adam had shown up.
"Okay, kiddies, now that everyone's here it's time for morning assembly!"
The day continued. The kids, or kiddies as Mr Castle called them, were very nice to her. They didn't try to touch her, or tease her about her cooties, like on her last daycare.
Sonya and Sara took it extra seriously and examined her using their instruments. They were super careful not to touch her bare skin, and listened to her breathing, her heart beat. They used a tiny hammer on her knee to check her reflexes and even looked down her throat with a tiny flashlight. - Castle stopped them when they wanted to stick a popsicle stick into her mouth as well. -
They had snacktime, then it was time to go outside.
All the kids had to put on vests, purple ones. Juliette thought that was strange, because on her old daycare they only had to wear vests for when they left the playground, but Kenji explained that that was because the adults were bad at telling the kids apart. Because there were other children.
Some were mere toddlers. They wore orange vests.
Juliette didn't like to admit it, but she got nervous around toddlers. They didn't understand when she asked them not to touch her. And she didn't want to hurt them.
There wasn't any poison ivy behind the shed.
She thought she was going to sit there alone for the rest of outside-time, but after a while; she didn't know how long because she didn't have a wrist watch like Emma did; someone came around the corner.
She was worried it was going to be one of the smaller children and quickly stood up.
It wasn't a smaller child.
It was Adam.
He was just as surprised as she was.
They looked at each other for a second, then Adam turned heel and retreated the way he had come from; back to the main play area.
Juliette remained where she was, not really knowing whether she was supposed to do anything. She wanted to be alone, but she hoped she hadn't made Adam sad in case he had also wanted to sit behind the shed.
Maybe she would ask him next time they had outside-time. After thinking about it some more she realized she wouldn't mind having some company. As long as there was no touching.
Then she heard the bell. That meant Castle was calling them inside again. It was time for lunch.
Don't be shy to give me ideas on stuff to include, or how to pre-school-ify stuff!br /
BTW I don't really know the difference between daycare, pre-school and kindergarten; FEEL FREE TO CORRECT ME!
Review