Samwell Elementary AU - Chapter 1
I started the thing. You can read it below or on my AO3. I am really terrified about this but going to keep on writing and keep on sharing. This is a work in progress and I hope to finish and post chapters on Thursdays.
Jack is seated across from his daughter’s room, absentmindedly humming the Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood theme song. Maisie’s door is closed, but he can hear her banging around in her room as she picks out her outfit for the day. Jack tries to ignore that anxious feeling he has, tries to squash it down deep. It will be her first day of Kindergarten, and that is a big change for her. But Jack reminds himself that she went to preschool for three days a week last year, and did fine and then the year before that when she was only just three years old, she went to preschool twice a week and did fine. Kindergarten just feels an awful lot bigger, and he knows it is. But, he also knows, that worrying too much about it won’t do either one of them any favors.
“Maisie…” Jack calls through the closed door once he finishes his humming. He glances down at his watch, wondering how long it will take his daughter to pick out her outfit. She insisted that she do it herself today because she’s a big girl now. Hearing that felt something like a gut punch to him, but he had managed to school his facial expression—forced a smile though it hurt—and agreed.
“Almost done, Papa!” Maisie sounds almost winded and that causes Jack some concern.
His phone vibrates in his pocket and he fishes it out. His lips curl into a smile as he reads the text.
Uncle Crappy: Jack-attack! How is your beautiful ass today? Oh, and you?
Jack: Both of us are fine. I’m waiting for Maisie to finish getting dressed. She is picking out her own outfit today, and I’m not allowed to help. Then Camilla will be coming over, and we’ll both be dropping her off at Samwell together.
Uncle Crappy: Excellent, I will see you there, brah! Also, Bitty is the best kindergarten teacher we’ve got. And Maisie is going to kick ass as a kindergartner.
Jack: Thanks, Shitty. See you then.
Jack pockets his phone once more, and as he does, Maisie’s door opens. She steps out of her bedroom, looking almost shy. She is dressed in a Falconers’ jersey, bright pink leggings, and one of her poofy purple skirts. She’s wearing rain-boots that do not match, one is blue with pink unicorns all over it and the other is black and shiny. Jack hopes she remembered to put socks on with those boots. Her dark hair is a mess and needs to be brushed. Her big, brown eyes that look just like her mother’s, are gazing up at him.
“I love the look, kiddo,” Jack says, and Maisie’s face lights up. She jumps up and down excitedly before hugging him tight around the legs. Jack laughs, “we need to brush your hair before your Mom gets here,” Jack explains as he ushers her to the bathroom.
The conversation on the way to Maisie’s new school is light and easy-going. It was a couple of years after their daughter was born (about a month before her second birthday) that Jack and Camilla realized they no longer worked well as a married couple. They struggled a little while longer, trying to rekindle what they had had back in college and at the start of Jack’s professional career. But the sparks weren’t there, and they realized, it would be better to call it quits. The divorce had been painful even if it was something they both felt was right for them, and their daughter. There have been ups and downs, but Jack is confident and he knows Camilla is too, that they made the right decision for their family. Co-parenting can be difficult at times, but they work hard at it and have fallen into a routine.
He is grateful to have a partner like Camilla in parenting.
“Did Papa do your hair?” Camilla asks lightly, craning her head to look in the back seat at their daughter.
Maisie nods her head up and down, making her slightly uneven pigtails bounce up and then down. “Yep!”
“You are getting better at it, Jack,” Camilla says just loud enough for him to hear, before speaking up louder for Maisie. “It looks great, just like your outfit.”
Jack can’t help the way he feels proud about getting better at doing Maisie’s hair. He is best at pulling it back into a simple ponytail. Braiding hair is still beyond his skill level, even after watching numerous videos on youtube. He has even tried to practice braiding on Shitty’s hair, but it always ends up a mess. Probably because Shitty seems incapable of sitting still long enough, and he is always exaggerating how much Jack pulls on his hair when braiding. Pigtails, he likes, even if they are somewhat lopsided, but he would like to be able to do more for his daughter.
They pull into the school parking lot and Jack climbs out of his car. He moves around to the back, opening the door. Maisie has unbuckled herself and jumped down from her seat. She looks at him with bright eyes, absolutely happy and thrilled with the upcoming adventure of a new school year. Jack feels a mixture of emotions as he looks at her: happy, excited, terrified, and anxious to name a few. His daughter does not seem to have an ounce of fear or anxiety. She has jumped down from the car, holding onto his hand for minimal support. Camilla hands her herDaniel Tiger backpack, and it looks impossibly big on her small frame. Jack is aware of other families with kids walking into the school, and some look just as small as Maisie while others look too big. Way too big to be going into the same school as his daughter. It is a little jarring to know that she’ll be that big too one day. Maisie reaches her left hand out towards him, her mother already holding her right. Jack forces a smile as he takes his daughter’s small hand in his. He tries to forget how scary this is to him, and instead, tries to feel only happy about it like Maisie is.
“Uncle Crappy!” Maisie squeals as she spies Shitty standing near the school entrance. Jack has to hand it to his friend, he cleans up nicely for work. Maisie wriggles out of her parents’ hands and runs towards Shitty, who scoops her up into a hug and spins her around. Seeing and knowing that one of his oldest friends will be teaching at the same school, will be in the same building as Maisie, settles Jack’s nerves. Shitty is hugging Camilla now and looking expectantly at Jack who moves in for a hug of his own.
“Okay, Sir Maisie, your favorite uncle needs to get to his own class. Killer outfit, by the way.” Shits says, setting down Maisie who pouts.
“I wish you were teaching me, Uncle Crappy!” Maisie says, crossing her arms over her chest. There’s a stubborn look in her eyes, and Jack knows she is rearing up to argue her case.
Shitty squats down to Maisie’s level, resting a hand on her shoulder. “I know, kid. Me too, but you know what? Mr. Bitty is a great teacher. You told me you liked him when you met him the other day.” Shitty pauses for a second or two, before stage whispering, “I have it on good authority he bakes little pies for all his students on the first day. You wanna get your pie, don’t you?” He straightens up, winking at both Jack and Camilla. Maisie now looks absolutely thrilled, once more, to be going to school.
They say their goodbyes to Shitty, and his daughter takes the lead. She walks a little ahead of her parents, not wanting to hold either one of their hands. Jack at least knows he can grab her quickly if he needs to. They weave between parents and kids saying their goodbyes to each other. He plays professional hockey, and this won’t be the first time he has left Maisie. But it feels different because when he is on the road, he knows she is with her mother. But today, they will be dropping her off with a virtual stranger, and not just for a couple of hours, but all day long. He feels Camilla nudge him gently in the shoulder with her own. Jack looks over at her quickly.
“It is going to be okay, Jack,” Camilla says, loud enough for him to hear.
“I know. I just… I can’t help but worry,” He admits, and Camilla nods her own head.
“Yeah, me too.”
They have reached Maisie’s new classroom. The teacher, a short blond man with brown eyes and a ridiculously cute nose, is standing by the door. He smiles to the three of them, before crouching down towards Maisie’s level. He has the promised mini pie in his hand, and he hands it to her.
“Hello Miss Maisie, I really like your boots.” He says, and Maisie takes the pie. She frowns for a second, looking at her teacher.
“Uncle Crappy calls me Sir Maisie because I’m a knight.” Jack watches as the teacher’s lips twitch into an amused expression before he schools it and manages to look serious.
“I am so sorry, Sir Maisie. I had no idea you were a knight,” he explains, looking sufficiently shamed.
Maisie watches him for a few seconds before her face lights up into a smile. Then she sing-songs, “It’s okay to make mistakes! Try to fix them, and learn from them too.” Good ol’ Daniel Tiger, Jack thinks. Maisie then turns to her parents.
“Bye Mom! Bye Papa!” She gives them hugs and then bounds into the classroom. Camilla had slipped into the classroom with her and is showing Maisie where her cubby is to put her backpack. Jack watches the two of them, oddly frozen on the threshold of the door.
“She will be okay, Mr. Zimmermann,” Eric Bittle says, and Jack looks over at the smaller man. He has an encouraging smile on his face that reaches his dark brown eyes. They seem to twinkle and Jack feels momentarily breathless. This isn’t the first time he has met Maisie’s teacher—there had been a parent’s night the week before and then just last night, an open house for the students to see their classroom and meet their teacher—but a smile from Mr. Bittle being directed solely at Jack, does things to him, that he really needs to not focus on. Jack manages what he hopes is a natural smile of his own.
“Uncle Crappy?” Bittle teeters, “I may have to start calling Shi-… Mr. Knight that myself,” and then he laughs and Jack finds himself laughing too.
“It seemed better than Uncle Poopy,” Jack admits, his cheeks turning a little red. Mr. Bittle laughs even harder and Jack likes it.
“Well, I won’t keep you from getting your goodbye hugs, Mr. Zimmermann,” Bittle says gently, and Jack nods his head before stepping into the classroom. Maisie calls him over excited to show him her cubby and the table she will be sitting at during class.
“Jack, I have something I want to tell you,” Camilla says. They are almost back to Jack’s house for her to pick up her car. Then he has to go to practice. Jack glances at Camilla out of the corner of his eyes. He still feels a little tense from dropping their daughter off, and he is looking forward to skating with his team.
“What is it?” He asks, his gaze now focused on the road ahead of him.
“Steve and I… well, I’m pregnant Jack. We are going to tell Maisie about it soon, but I wanted you to hear it from me first.” Camilla says, somewhat breathless like she had been holding those words in for way too long. Once the meaning of the words sink in, Jack finds himself smiling. He knew that Camilla and Steve were serious. They lived together and Steve was just great with Maisie. His Maisie was going to be a big sister… and then Jack realized he had stayed quiet for too long. He could feel Camilla staring at him.
“Camilla, that is great news! I am happy for you both. Really,” he adds.
When they pull into his driveway, he gets out of the car to give Camilla a tight hug. “Congratulations again,” he says.
He watches as she gets into her car and drives off. Jack stares at his own car, knowing things are definitely going to be different now. Mostly, though, he does feel happy for his ex and he holds onto those feelings. Tries not to let the worry about how Maisie will feel get to him. He gives his parents a call before he heads to practice.