Different kind of comfort

Chapter 2 - Mature Talk

Kate Beckett's POV

When class for the day was over for the six year olds I went to their class and waited outside their classroom. I was waiting for a specific redhead to come out but to my surprise she wasn't one of the first ones who came out. I tried to smile towards the kids coming out of the classroom as some of them looked at me with wonder in their big eyes. When the kids stopped coming out I looked around and saw all the kids leaving the corridor. I couldn't see Alexis anywhere, and for some unknown reason I started to get afraid. I didn't know why but I started to feel this worry that something had happened to her, maybe she ran away when I sent her away from my office! I was on my way to start running towards my office to see if my stuff had heard something when I heard a small voice inside the classroom. I quickly turned around and looked inside. I saw Alexis raise from her seat and walking slowly towards the substitute teacher they had had for today. I watched her as I saw her bow her head when she was in front of mr Ryan, who had been their subsitute teacher, and what I heard shocked me.

"I'm sorry for the prank mr Ryan, I promise not to do it again. I didn't know better, I thought it was going to be a fun thing, but I realized I was stupid, it made you look bad, so I'm sorry" she said with the most mature voice I had ever heard a girl her young age use.

Mr Ryan, who happened to still be blue in his face, just smiled at the girl and clapped her arm.

"Apology accepted" he said and I saw her face lit up.

"Thank you" she said before she hugged him and walked towards the door, where I still stood looking at her. "See you tomorrow!" she shouted happily as she walked out the door.

She saw me and I saw some fright in her eyes before she turned away from me and walked to her the place where she kept her bag, her jacket and her shoes. I swallowed the lump I got in my throat from seeing her eyes and walked towards her.

"You know, that was very brave of you, what you did in there" I said as gently as I could and nodded towards her classroom.

She shrugged her shoulders and pulled on her jacket.

"Did your father tell you to do that?" I asked and she looked at me like I just said something stupid.

"You really think dad would tell me to do that? He's too childish to even do that himself" she said and I widened my eyes.

I bit my lip, so he was childish.

"And how does that work at home? Are there anyone else living with you?" I asked carefully.

For some unknown reason I wanted to know more about this girl and her father. I didn't know why but maybe it was because I was scared for the girl's sake, how she had it at home.

"I know what you mean, but it's great, I love that he takes time to play with me. And gram lives with us at the moment. Dad wasn't too happy about her moving in but she didn't have anywhere else to live so he had to let her in" she closed her jacket and then she looked down at her shoes.

She let go of a sigh and sat down on the bench before she pulled on her shoes and started tangle with the laces. I saw her trying to make a knot over and over again before she sighed again and gave up.

"You want help?" I asked carefully and she looked up at me.

She was quiet for a few minutes and looked at me, I could tell she was trying to figure out if she should let me or not.

"Okay" she said at last and I smiled as I bent down to sit on one of my knees before I held up her laces.

I did it slowly so she could learn and at the same time I said the same thing my mom used to say to me.