𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝘆𝗲𝘀, ( 𝗺𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗿 )

[07] CRYING TO DADDY

THE PARTY WALKED AROUND THE SCHOOLYARD, picking up rocks, evaluating, and tossing it if deemed useless.

"How bout' this one?" Mike asks, showing off a rock to Dustin who shakes his head.

"Too big for the sling," He shrugs.

"This one then?" Mariella asks while bending over and tossing a rock to Lucas.

"Too dull, Ella," He responds after inspecting it causing her to sigh in response as she drops to her knees and begins crawling and searching for a rock.

"Mars, get up. You're going to get your clothes dirty. Your mom'll kill you," Mike says, grabbing her hands and pulling her up.

"My mom'll kill me for anything, Mike," She sighs before turning her head to Dustin who began babbling about Eleven's powers.

"So, do you think eleven was born with her powers, like the X-Men, or do you think she acquired them, like... Like Green Lantern?" Dustin asks, looking between the others.

"She's not a superhero. She's a weirdo," Lucas states, rolling his eyes at Dustin's seemingly idiotic comment.

"Hey! Don't be mean. El's nice," Mariella defends, smacking Lucas' arms upset.

"Nice? She barely even speaks!" Lucas scoffs, shoving Mariella softly who then rolls her eyes and tossed a rock at him.

"Why does that matter? The X-Men are weirdos, too!" Mike shrugs, furrowing his brows at Lucas. He wasn't sure why Lucas was being so... So... So mean!

"If you love her so much, why don't you marry her? Better yet, go marry Ella! We all see how you look at her. Always paying her the most attention!" Lucas teases, using a baby voice. This sparks Dustin's interest, his eyes lighting up and a smirk forming on his mouth.

Mariella looking up from the ground, brows furrowed and lips parting.

"What are you talking about?" Mike shakes his head, nervously as Mariella looks at his burning cheeks.

"Mike, seriously?" Lucas deadpans, hands going limp at his sides as he watches Mariella's cheeks begin to burn too.

"What?" Mike asks again, tilting his head and looking to Mariella as if to ask 'do you know?'.

"There! Right there! You're always looking at her and - you guys are always finishing each other's sentences!" Lucas laughs and Dustin begins shaking his head and snorts begin escaping him.

Mariella tilts her head, confused. Question to herself if what Lucas was saying was true of if he was simply just teasing.

"Shut up, Lucas," Mike says, smacking at Lucas' arm.

"Yeah, shut up, Lucas." Another voice says in agreement. The party instantly knowing that it wasn't any of them. It was Troye.

"What are you losers doing back here? Mute still hasn't come to her senses, check it, James!" Troye laughs in a taunting matter while pointing at Mariella who stood next to Dustin, rubbing her eyes.

"They're looking for their missing friend!" James snorts as he nudges Troye playfully.

"That's not funny! It's serious - He's in danger," Dustin looks up at them and defends quickly, eyebrows furrowing as he holds back to urge to push them.

"I hate to break it to you, Toothless, but he's not in danger. He's dead. That's what my dad says. Hey says he was probably killed by some other queer," Troye says, a laugh following in suit.

"Yeah? Is that so? And what does your dad know?" Mariella asks, raises her eyebrow curiously while stamping her foot into the dirt and kicking it towards him. It was a rare thing for Mariella to converse with their bullies, her friends turning to her in amusement.

"Come on, just ignore them, Mar," Mike says, grabbing her arm and beginning to walk away. Lucas and Dustin follow, shaking their heads at the cluelessness of two.

Mike lets go of Mariella's arm as they continue walking, making it a few paces before Mike falls forward onto the ground with a thud.

Troye and James laughing uncontrollably as Mike groans, holding his bleeding chin. Lucas and Dustin running hurriedly towards him and helping him up.

"Watch where you're going, Frogface." Troye shrugs while him and James begin walking off, laughing.

"You'll get what's coming for you!" Mariella shouts while picking up a rock from the ground at tossing it at them, hitting troye in the back of the head.

"You li-" He starts, walking closer to her. Mariella doing the same leaning into him, unfaltering, eyes squinted and lips pouting.

"Troye, I'd recommend you leave us alone now," She cuts him off, clenching her fists.

"What are you gonna do if I don't?" He asks, looking down at her face.

"Mars!" Dustin calls out, frightened about what Troye will do to her. Mariella stood at 5'1, Troye towered over her in comparison.

"Well, let's see. I could go cry to my daddy?" Mariella starts, blinking her eyes rapidly and conjuring false tears into her eyes before nodding with a sweet smile. Troye looking down at her with confusion at her rapid switch in moods.

"Go on now, get out of here," She finishes, turning around and walking back towards her friends and kneeling down to Mike.

And, that's just what they did. Troye and James walked off, looking to each other while shaking their head. In a way, they were frightened by the small girl's sudden outburst of manipulation. But, it'd never stop them from the future torments which awaited the party. Yet, they knew, everyone knew, never to get on the bad side of Charlie DeGray. Especially if it was because of his daughter.