Balalaba* The sound of daddy blowing on my tummy woke me. "Daddy!" I playfully yelled. He smiled, "Good morning sunshine, time to get ready for school." "Ok," I said while sitting up. "Race you to the bathroom!" I said in a dash. Daddy ran close behind me. We brushed our teeth together at the sink and he combed my hair while I was having breakfast. Daddy looked so nice in his work clothes. The night's suit hugged his semi muscular figure, concealing the white shirt he had on underneath. The tie, untied, hung each side down his neck. He smelled like wild flowers and wood, his cologne was sweet and rural, like a forest. "Do you want pigtails CJ?" He asked, caressing the fragrant grease into my hair. "Yes please." I smiled admiring the painting on the wall. It was a sunrise in the desert. It looked lovely, and peaceful. After daddy finished eating he went onto one knee and asked me to tie his tie for him. I gleefully complied. We got into the car and before I knew it, we arrived at school.

He opened the door and we immediately turned a corner and began walking down the hall. I felt a sense of unease. Distant chatter and noise trickled into the halls from the first grade classrooms. As we walked past the footsteps and screeches we made onto the floor, only heightened my discomfort. I squeezed daddy's hand, just a little tighter. He looked down on me and smiled. Then he turned to the door. It was decorated with various stickers and numbers. In the center was "Mrs. Apate's class." Then as daddy was about to knock on the door I whispered. "Wait! What if they don't like me?" I clung to him. "They'll love you, trust me." He smiled.

Knock Knock Knock* "Ohhhhh someone's at the door." Mrs. Apate said in a cartoony way. "I wonder who it is?" She playfully continued as the children laughed. "Come in," She said while opening the door. The room was like a wonderland. Pink, blue and purple items and objects were everywhere. The colors on the wall were bright and vibrant as if it were painted by God herself. Tiny paper birds danced around in circles from the ceiling fan overhead. Hesitant, I look at daddy, "Are you ready?" He smiled. "Mmm-hmm," I nodded slowly and we walked in.

"Class I would like to introduce our new student, CJ…" Mrs. Apate paused "Last name?" She whispered "Just CJ." He whispered.

"CJ? Would you like to take a seat?" Mrs. Apate politely requested.

"S-sure" I stuttered, as my knees shook quietly. As I sat down and placed my bag onto the desk, I rested my chin on it. Daddy waved at me while he was leaving, and at that moment I felt so scared that tears began to well up inside me. I hid my face into my bag as I silently cried.

After the bell rang, "CJ?" Mrs. Apate called as she walked toward me. "Are you ok?" She asked. I looked up at her. "I noticed that you began crying when your father left. I didn't say anything, because I didn't want everyone to know." She continued as she bent over to talk to me. "It's ok." She said, as I smiled in gratitude. As I hurried outside to play with the other children, I heard laughing. Before, I turned the corner of the hall to go outside. I stopped. "She's so weird." A girl said "Yeah, I was looking at her when her dad left, and you would not believe what I saw." Another added. "She was crying!" They laughed. "Uhgh, crying like a first grader, I'm definitely not playing with her." A boy said, I felt so insecure and sad. "What was her name again?" A girl asked "CJ, more like Pee, J. " They laughed. I ran back into the hall and saw a lady that seemed to be dressed up like a teacher. I slowed down, because running became harder as my vision blurred. Wiping my eyes with my wrists I walked up to her. "Ohh, are you lost?" She kindly asked. "Where's the bathroom?" I asked. Then She walked me to the bathroom.

I went into one of the stalls, curled up on the toilet and cried. After some time I heard my name. "CJ?" Mrs. Apate called.

*Knock Knock Knock. She knocked on the stall. "Go away." I said. "CJ, don't you want to tell me what's wrong?" She asked, "Don't say my name." I cried.

"Hey, we can talk about this together. No more class today ok? Just you and me." She softly pleaded. Her request was almost irresistible, as if her voice was seductive. "Ok." I said.

She took me into the teachers' lounge and I saw the lady that helped me earlier. She looked at me with pity. "I miss daddy." I said "I wanted to play with the other children but… but I was too scared" I said. I didn't tell her about the mean things the children said, I was afraid she would laugh at me too. "It'll be ok." She comforted me. "I'm here if you want to talk ok?" She continued. I heard a memory whisper in my mind "Dad will protect you." She hugged me.

Buzzzzz, Buzzzzzzz* Her phone began ringing.