Devon Page
Devon had gone back to the school the next morning, her hands stuffed in her pockets with the book Kassie had let her borrow tucked under one arm. The Man in the Hood.
Devon looked over the cobblestone path that led to the large stone building of the Stormwind Public School. She watched the children arriving, mostly in pairs with other children and few with a parent or parents. She watched them play, all bundled up in the brisk Stormwind morning air and smiled to herself.
She spotted two girls standing by the stairway to the entrance. One was somewhat a small and timid looking girl with her back pressed to the cold rock wall that became the railing. The other was older, or perhaps big for her age, standing over her almost menacingly as she snatched a ball from the timid girl's hands.
Devon frowned and didn't think twice before she approached. She must have looked mad, because the bigger girl looked up at her and whimpered. "I- we were just playing!" Devon knew that tone, that look in the girl's eyes. She'd been in trouble before, likely a lot. She said nothing before she looked at the other girl, still somewhat cowering and sinking into her thick layers like a turtle into it's shell.
Finally, Devon smiled. She knelt down between the two of them. "Playing, huh? What are your names?" The bigger girl answered first after flinching at Devon's unintentional tone.
"Sue." She looked nervously at Devon with wide brown eyes. Devon looked to the other girl, waiting.
"A-Amy." The girl looked absolutely petrified, her blue eyes locked on Sue behind her fogging lenses.
Devon looked between the two of them. "Sue, Amy, do you two play together like this a lot?"
Sue spoke up quickly. "No!" But Devon looked to Amy for confirmation, brow raised. Amy nodded nervously, finally locking eyes with Devon. Sue grew increasingly nervous and her eyes looked like they were starting to gloss over with tears.
Devon looked at Amy again. "Do you have a lot of friends, Amy?" The small girl shook her head, but she finally seemed to be relaxing a bit.
It was Sue who spoke up. "She doesn't talk to anyone, all she does is read stupid books all day." Sue puffed out her cheeks like she was mad about it.
Devon thought a moment. "But Amy brought that ball to school today, doesn't that mean she wanted to play with it?" She raised a brow, looking between them again. Amy didn't move, she was frozen.
Sue looked at Devon, then to Amy, and finally to the ball. She huffed. "She brings toys sometimes but she never plays with them with anyone."
Devon almost snapped back. "Well how could she if someone is always taking them away?"
Sue flinched again, but gathered her courage. "Well at least if I have it my friends and I can play with it. She'd just sit there and stare it."
"So you have a lot of friends, Sue?"
The bigger girl paused a moment. "I have...a couple." At least she was honest about that.
Devon smirked and looked to Amy again. "Amy, do you want to play with Sue and her friends? With -your- ball?"
Sue blinked and looked like she was about to protest when Amy spoke up. "Yes..." It sounded like squeaking mouse, terrified and small. Sue closed her mouth without saying anything for a long moment. She stared at Amy, then looked up at Devon again.
Devon smiled. "Sue, ask Amy if she'd like to play with you and your friends." She nodded toward Amy.
Sue huffed again. "What? But why? You just asked her already." Devon gave the girl a little glare and she rolled her eyes. "Amy, do you want to come play with us? We'll all play with your ball."
Amy hid in her layers again, slowly stretching her neck until her mouth was above her scarf and she squeaked again. "Yes..."
Sue's entire mood changed. She smiled wide and handed the ball over to Amy. "This is yours, it's almost time for class to start so lets play after lunch, okay?" Amy nodded timidly and Sue ran off.
Devon sighed heavily and finally stood up. Amy looked up at her and squeaked out a "thank you." The girl held her ball close.
Devon shrugged. "No problem, kid. My little sister was sort of like you. I was more like her." She jabbed a thumb toward where Sue had run off and the book under her arm slipped a bit.
Amy giggled. "Well, you're a nice lady, so maybe Sue will be nice too." Before Devon could respond, she spoke again. "I like that book, it's one of my favorites." She pointed.
Devon glanced to the book, a bit embarrassed. "You've read it? Isn't it a bit above your grade level?" She raised a brow, and Amy nodded. Devon hung her head a moment. "Well, if you say it's good, I guess I better keep reading it." She grinned.
Amy went to speak again, but the bell sounded and she finally realized that she was the only student still outside. A familiar voice spoke from the heavy wooden double doors atop the stairs. "Amy, come on, time for class." The voice was soft and feminine.
"Yes, Mrs. Heartwood!" Amy ran inside cheerfully, almost tripping on the stairs in her rush.
Devon turned to leave but froze as she heard the same voice call her name. She spun on a heel and smiled nervously. "Yes, ma'am?"
"What do you think about a councilor job?" Therese Heartwood beamed a bright smile.
Devon almost laughed. "Councilor?" She shook her head. "No way, I'm not cut out for that and you know it."
Therese shrugged and her smile settled down into a cool and neutral one. "I suppose you might be right. How about...a monitor? Just an extra pair of eyes around the school looking out for trouble? We couldn't afford to pay..." She added that last bit sadly.
Devon shoved her hands back into her pockets and leaned back on her heels a bit, thinking. "Well...I don't really have other obligations as long as it doesn't interfere with my training."
Mrs. Heartwood beamed that smile again. "I'm glad to hear it. I'll see you at eleven." And with that she stepped back as the doors began to heave closed.
"I uh...I returned the books!" She called in right before the heavy doors slammed shut. That was why she'd come here to begin with, to let her know. She pulled one hand from a pocket and rubbed at the back of her neck. "Eleven...alright..."
