Sticks and Stones

by Alexie Aaron

“I wouldn’t miss seeing you bested by the baby for the world.”

  Mia blushed. “Well, I was just trying to get into his head.”

  “Sure you were.”

  Mia followed Enos back and landed on the third-floor patio. She entered and rushed to the shower. By the time she was clean and dressed, the adrenaline had worn off, and she had started to feel a few of the stronger blows she had caught.

  The boys were downstairs. Mia noticed that Varden was dressed rather formally. “Why the fancy clothes?” she asked.

  “I’m going to request a meeting with Mrs. Messing.”

  “Oh, okay. Anything I should be worried about?”

  “No, I’m going to ask her for extra assignments.”

  “Cool,” Mia said. “Varden, if you ever have a problem that I can help you with, you will call me, won’t you? Even if you have to use the birdman channel?”

  “Yes, Mommy.”

  Brian cleared his throat.

  “Yes, Mom,” Varden corrected.

  “Brian, there is nothing wrong with Varden calling me Mommy.”

  “He’s in school now. Trust me.”

  Mia pouted but nodded.

  Lazar, who was plating the boys’ waffles, felt a pang of sympathy for Mia. She liked being called Mommy. She loved being a mommy. But times were changing, and Brian had already gone through preschool. He probably was right.

  Mia waited with the mothers as Varden walked into the building with the other children.

  Varden stopped at the small office and reached up and touched the bell.

  “Yes?” a voice answered on the other side.

  “I’d like to make an appointment with Mrs. Messing, please,” Varden delivered, just as Brian and he practiced.

  The secretary walked and looked over the counter at the small boy with the jalapeño bowtie. “And you are?”

  “Varden Martin. I’m in the three-year-old class, but I’m two and a half.”

  “Yes, Mr. Martin. Mrs. Messing has time in an hour.” The secretary wrote out a slip of paper. “Give this to your teacher, and she will remind you of your appointment,” she instructed.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  The secretary waited until Varden walked down the hall before she walked into Mrs. Messing’s office. She told her boss what she had done and why. “There he was, looking like a gentleman caller. He was trembling, but he held my gaze. I hope you don’t mind.”

  Mrs. Messing smiled. “The Martin kids are all advanced. He’s probably bored already and is looking for more work. Fortunately, I copied all the lessons that Miss Templeton had made for his brother just in case. When he arrives for his appointment, send him in. I will treat him with the dignity of an adult. I wish the adults I deal with had the dignity of a three-year-old.”

  Mia reached out and sensed that her child had settled down and turned to leave. There was no Lisa Lane-Cordoba there to ridicule her, but a few of the mothers from last year still had children in the school. They still weren’t making eye contact with her. She sighed and walked to the car where she found a bouquet of wildflowers on the seat. She picked them up and smiled.

  “I thought you may want a few bluebells that you didn’t have to pull from your nose,” Murphy said.

  Mia laughed. “Thank you for the flowers. It was a kind and thoughtful thing to do.”

  Murphy smiled. He looked back to see if anyone was gawking at Mia, but no one was looking her way. Would he always feel so protective of her?

  Mia smiled all the way home. She got out of the car, making sure she took the flowers into the house and put them in a mason jar. She took them up to her patio and set them on the small table. Mia was still worried about Varden, but the flowers helped her to see the beauty in the day. Enos had kicked her butt. She sat down on the deck and started to do floor exercises to strengthen her core.

  Mrs. Messing looked outside and groaned when she saw Mr. Knapp approaching. She had been warned by his wife that the sheriff’s department had served a restraining order on Cliff Knapp to keep him away from her and their son Cary. Mrs. Messing had a copy of the court order just in case he would try to come into the preschool to see Cary or try to take Cary out of school. She got up and met the man at the door.

  “Varden, it’s time to see Mrs. Messing,” his teacher told him. “Mrs. Busoni will take you to the office and wait with you.”

  “Thank you,” Varden said. He followed Mrs. Busoni out of the classroom. He stopped and asked, “Is my tie on straight?”

  The older volunteer smiled at the dapper little boy. She bent, tugged on either end, and said, “There now, that’s better.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Busoni.”

  The two walked to the office.

  There were loud voices coming from within. Varden sat down and waited. The secretary looked concerned and twice moved to pick up the phone and set it down again. “Mr. Knapp is being unreasonable.”

  There was a crash within the office. Varden hopped to his feet. He looked around Mrs. Busoni and saw a man waving something at Mrs. Messing.

  “He’s got a gun,” the secretary said. “Run!”

  Mrs. Busoni picked up Varden and ran to the classroom to tell the teacher. Varden sent the information to his mother via the birdman channel.

  Enos picked it up and sent it on to Victor. Mia called 911 and then took off flying.

  Varden gathered the other children of his class together, including Cary Knapp, and walked them out of the door and into the playground. He heard the muffled sound of a gun firing. Varden looked around and knew that the playground would not keep them safe. He had his class hold hands as he led them through the gate and over to the graveyard entrance behind the preschool. He saw a few ghosts and zoned in on a familiar grandmotherly-looking one. He followed her to a large crypt and ushered the children into it.

  “We have to be quiet,” he told them.

  “Are we playing a game?” one of the larger boys asked.

  “We are all hiding together. It’s a team sport,” Varden said. “We stay here until my mother or Sheriff Braverman finds us.”

  “Where are you?” Mia asked Varden.

  “Saving the nest. My class and I are safe, hiding in the rose lady’s crypt in the graveyard,” he said.

  “Stay there. I’m going to save the other children.”

  “Yes, Mommy.”

  Mia landed in the playground. She opened the door to Varden’s classroom, wrapped a wing around herself, and moved quickly into the building. There was blood on the floor in the hallway leading to the office. It looked like someone had dragged a body away. Please don’t be a child, she thought. “Hello, this is Mia Martin, can I talk to whomever has the gun?” she called out.

  A shot fired and embedded in Mia’s wing. She backed into a classroom. There she found two teachers and the four-year-old class. “Hello, Miss Susie, forgive my Comic-Con costume. I’m Brian’s mother.”

  The pale shaking woman nodded.

  “Do these windows open?” Mia asked.

  “Yes, but it’s quite a drop to the ground from here,” Miss Susie said.

  “Mia, Enos and I are outside,” Victor sent.

  “Come to the west side. I’m going to hand children out the window.”

  “Varden?” Victor asked.

  “He got his class out, and they are hiding with the Countess in her mausoleum.”

  Mia turned around and whispered, “I’m Varden’s mother, and we are playing a game. Would you like to play too?” she asked the children.

  The trembling children nodded.

  “I’m pretending to be a big mommy bird, and I’m going to drop each of you out the window to two other birds who will catch you. We are all going to be very quiet. The big birds will take you to where your mommies and daddies will find you.”

  The children moved happily to the window. Mia opened the awning window and confirmed that Victor and Enos were there before she and the other t
wo teachers picked up the children and slid them downwards. Enos led them away to the safety of the nearby beauty salon while Victor pulled the window out and the teachers climbed through. Miss Susie waited until her associate escaped before she allowed Mia to help her out of the window.

  Victor waited for Mia, but she shook her head. “There’s someone bleeding inside.”

  Victor looked towards the street. “Law enforcement is here. Things may escalate. You have your children to think of. You’ve done your best, come on.”

  Mia, to Victor’s surprise, did.

  Victor replaced the window, and the two ran away from the building.

  Mia pulled out her phone and dialed 911 and told the operator that the children had successfully been moved out of the preschool. She was with the three-year-olds, and her associate, Enos Ahlberg, was protecting the teachers and the four-year-olds at the local beauty salon.

  Tom received the information. He lifted the megaphone. “This is Sheriff Braverman. I would like you to toss out your weapon and come out with your hands up.”

  “I want my son! Bring me my son and no one else gets hurt,” Cliff Knapp called out.

  “That’s Cliff Knapp, the father of one of the three-year-olds. He was served a restraining order yesterday afternoon. The court deemed he was a danger to his wife and children,” Chambers told Tom.

  Tom lifted the megaphone and called out, “I’m going to call you on the phone. Pick up, and we’ll work out how you can see your son.”

  Tom turned to Chambers. “Find out how many people are left in the building.”

  “Yes, Sheriff.”

  Mia landed with Victor, and they walked to the crypt. “Hello, I’m looking for Varden Martin and his friends.”

  Varden jumped out and said, “You found us!”

  Victor looked confused.

  “They were playing hide-and-seek,” Mia explained.

  “Yes, we found you, but you are still the winners!” Victor said.

  The tiny children looked up at the mammoth man with their mouths open.

  “We were trying on our Comic-Con costumes when we found out about the game,” Mia explained, pointing to her wings.

  The children bought it and were easily led away from the mausoleum to the office of the cemetery. Varden had started singing a song, and the others joined in. By the time they reached the office, all the children were tired but in a good mood.

  Andy walked out and asked, “Who has to go to the bathroom?”

  Five hands raised.

  “Boys, follow me. Girls, follow Mrs. Martin. Mr. Ahlberg will watch the rest of you in the breakroom. Mr. McKinney has Oreos!”

  This elicited a cheer from all the children.

  Varden looked up at Victor. “I saved the nest.”

  “Yes, you did.”

  “Sariel said, if you’re up against a villain who is bigger than you, run and hide.”

  “He was right. I’m proud of you, Varden. You have shown valor.”

  Varden beamed. He walked into the building, past the coffins, and into the room where a dusty man had set out paper cups of water and two packages of Oreo cookies on a long folding table. Coffin rests were substituted for benches.

  Mia walked in with her charges. She sat the girls at the table and returned to Victor. “If you want to go, now would be a good time.”

  “Mia, when I heard the call, I was worried. I feared that Varden would run at the man with the gun.”

  “Honestly, I did too, but Sariel’s lesson must have resonated with Varden.”

  “Why did he give such a lesson?”

  “Altair had been watching Varden and worried that he would protect the nest the only way he’s seen it protected.”

  “In battle,” Victor confirmed.

  “Why didn’t Altair give him the lesson?”

  “Sariel commands more respect than Altair does. He knew Varden would listen to him.”

  Andy walked in followed by three little boys. “Attention, I need each of your names. Mr. McKinney is going to write them down so he can let your parents know that you’re here eating Oreos!”

  The kids cheered again.

  “He’s Maeve’s godfather,” Mia said proudly.

  Victor, who had been at the christening, knew this but let Mia feel proud on Andy’s behalf.

  Enos was enjoying the attention of the ladies from the beauty shop. They helped him calm the children and the teachers. “So, you were all trying on your Comic-Con costumes?” Miss Susie asked Enos.

  “Yes. We are all going as birds. It was for a video game party. That’s why we look so mean,” Enos said, pushing his wings back as if he couldn’t control them.

  “That’s like cosplay, isn’t it?” Becky Ann, the colorist, said. “My college roommate dresses like a Klingon when she’s at a Star Trek party.”

  “Talk about scary,” Enos said.

  “And hairy,” Becky Ann added, showing Enos one of the pictures on the phone.

  Chambers walked into the shop. “Can I please speak with one of the teachers?”

  “Here,” Miss Susie called out.

  “I need to know who is left in the building.”

  “Mrs. Messing, her secretary Doris Hines, Mrs. Busoni, and Cora Jones.”

  “Thank you.” Chambers stepped away and radioed the information to Braverman. He walked back and asked, “I need a list of the children here. The three-year-olds are safe and waiting at the cemetery office with Mrs. Martin.”

  “Mrs. Martin was amazing. She walked down the hall and was fired at but didn’t let that stop her. She found where we were hiding. She helped us out of the window and to safety,” Miss Susie told Chambers. “I had Brian last year in my class.”

  Ted arrived at the cemetery and shook Victor’s hand before gathering Varden in his arms and hugging him until Varden protested. “You were so brave. I’m so proud of you.” He whispered in Varden’s ear, “Why are Mommy and Victor here with their wings showing?”

  “It’s a costume. Mommy was making costumes for Victor and Enos. They helped the other class out the windows…”

  “Okay. Mia, where are my wings?” he asked, walking over.

  “I thought you were going to be Batman.”

  “Batman’s cool!” one of the boys called out.

  Varden walked to the table. Two boys scooted over and asked Varden to sit with them.

  Mia turned away, her eyes filling with tears.

  “I’m going to go now and see if the sheriff could use someone with my abilities. Nice to meet all of you,” Victor said.

  “Take care,” Mia sent.

  “I always do,” he returned.

  ~

  Murphy sidled up to Tom. “Would you like me to do recon?”

  “Please,” Tom said, staring straight forward.

  Murphy moved into the building. One of the women was on the ground. Her shoulder was bleeding. The other three women were huddled in a corner with the man nervously holding a gun on them. He was too upset to be reasoned with in Murphy’s opinion.

  Murphy returned and told Tom what he saw. Victor walked up, sans wings, and Tom asked, “How do the two of you feel about being deputies?”

  “I’ll get the gun. You subdue the man,” Murphy said. “Don’t kill him. They frown on that around here. Give me to the count of five before you come in.”

  “Mr. Knapp, Cary went out to play with the other children,” Mrs. Busoni said again. “I’m sure he will be back soon.”

  “They aren’t in the playground. I checked.”

  “I wonder where they are?” she asked.

  “I’m sure that she told them to run,” Cliff said, moving his gun in the direction of the teacher on the floor. Suddenly the gun was wrenched out of the man’s hand, and it floated towards the hall. Cliff chased after it and ran into a mountain of muscle.

  Victor grabbed him and strong-armed him out of the building. Tom was waiting. He cuffed Clif
f and read him his rights. The EMTs entered the building with Chambers.

  Enos checked the parents’ IDs before he let them take their children. Andy did the same at the cemetery. Finally, just Varden and Cary Knapp were left. Tom had called ahead that he would be picking Cary Knapp up himself. Cary’s mother was at the station giving a statement.

  Tom arrived and walked over to Varden, knelt, took off his star, and pinned it on Varden’s shirt. “I will never doubt again that you can not only defend your mother but others too. Thank you.”

  Varden shook his hand and ran over to show Ted his badge.

  “Now you, bird lady. Nice costume by the way. You look more like an angel,” he said. “Thank you. By removing the children, we stood a chance at getting it resolved.”

  “Who was shot?” Mia asked.

  “Varden’s teacher Miss Jones. She rushed at Cliff, giving the four-year-old class a chance to take cover and for Varden to lead the others to safety. She’s on her way to the hospital. Mrs. Busoni said there was another gunshot.”

  Mia reached over and pried a bullet out of one of her armored feathers. “Here.”

  “I’m surprised you didn’t continue to rush the shooter.”

  “I needed to get the children out. And then I listened to some good advice and let you deal with the problem.”

  “Well, thank you for that. Murphy and Victor took Knapp out. I’m going to deputize Mr. Ahlberg, at least in my paperwork. This thing is going to blow up once those parents start talking.”

  “Make sure Cora Jones gets all the credit for saving the children. List the rest of us as concerned citizens.”

  “I’m sorry, but I’m going to be giving Varden a citation, maybe a medal. I want to stress that by him leading the children away from danger, he saved them.”