weatherfeatherTitle: Instant Friends
Rating: G
Pairing/s: none
Character/s: Gwen, Merlin, Elyan
Summary: Little kids meet in a kindergarten playground at snack time.
Warnings: bullying
Word Count: 553
Prompt: #195 Friendship
“Alright everyone, line up against the wall please!”
The three-year-olds in Ms. Anika’s class form a line against the outside wall of the preschool building. Ms. Anika makes her aide Mr. Elyan do a quick head-count to make sure all twenty of her children are in the line. Then she starts handing out today’s snack.
The children are less than thrilled about their snack of orange slices and crackers, and many of them ask for a cookie instead.
“Cookies are only on Fridays,” she reminds each of the kids who ask for a different snack.
A group of boys walk off together moaning loudly about how their parents give them cookies at home any time they want.
Ms. Anika inwardly rolls her eyes and turns back to the next student in line.
The group of boys walks to the far side of the playground where a girl is sitting alone against the fence. She is behind a ball bucket, and the boys take advantage of her hidden position and the teachers’ distraction with the other kids.
“Gimme that,” says one of the boys to the girl. He grabs her snack out of her hands and shoves it into his mouth.
“Hey!” she says. “That’s mine!”
Through a mouth full of crumbs and with juice flowing down his chin, the boy says, “Want it back?”
“Ew!” the girl says.
The other boys in the group laugh as they follow their thief friend away.
The girl looks down at the ground.
"Wanna share mine?" a new voice says from above her.
Her eyes are shining with the beginnings of tears when she looks up, but she nods when she sees he’s holding out a cracker and slice of orange for her.
“Here,” he says, and he moves his hand closer to her.
She takes the snack and starts to nibble on the cracker.
The boy sits down in front of her and finishes his own snack. When he’s done, he says, “I’m
Merlin. What’s your name?”
The girl swallows the last of her orange and replies, “Gwen.”
“Wanna play airplanes?” Merlin asks. Before Gwen can respond, Merlin jumps up, puts his arms out, and starts making noises. “Bjooooo! NRRRrrrrr!”
Gwen only stares at him.
“Come on,” he says.
Gwen stands up.
“Stick your arms out.” Merlin reaches over to grab Gwen’s hand. “Like--” Merlin lifts Gwen’s arm up so it’s parallel to the ground, then motions for her to do the same with the other one. She brings the second one up, too. “That! Yes! Now chase me!” he says. He runs a few steps away from her. “Make noises!” he says.
Gwen follows after Merlin. She ducks under the monkey bars and says, “Woosh!”
Merlin counters with another, “NrrrrRRRRRrrrr!” as he rounds the sandbox.
Merlin looks back at Gwen to see if she’s close, and Gwen’s renewed “woosh!” gets cut off by her laughter as Merlin runs straight into Mr. Elyan’s leg and bounces off looking confused. Merlin smiles back at her, and then he starts up his run again before she can catch up to him.
Gwen picks up speed and follows him.
Elyan catches Anika’s eye and nods in the direction of Gwen and Merlin. Anika smiles at Elyan, and then their attention is pulled back to the playground at large.
