Entwined | Bucky Barnes *On Hold*

Chapter Five

~Bucky's POV~

Playgrounds always felt weird to me. Not those found in parks, but the concrete squares that were joined to the side of school buildings. They didn't feel like they were a very encouraging place to play, as the chalk pictures on the floor were almost completely gone from the light rainfall this afternoon, and the few picnic benches in the corner were a little too damp to be sat on comfortably.

That didn't stop Amelie and I choosing this school for D'Arcy, with the help of our social worker Emma. D'Arcy had been attending a school on the other side of the city, but after all that she had been through, it was decided that a new environment would likely help her mood improve. Being surrounded by old friends may hurt her more if they ostracised her for being mute.

We had briefly spoken to that school, but there were several worries from the headteacher, and instead of being encouraging and positive, like this school's head, the previous one was on the edge of sounding morbid as they went into far too much detail about why D'Arcy probably shouldn't return.

And that's how we ended up here, on a Monday afternoon. The first school pick up, and Amelie and I were waiting nervously to hear all about D'Arcys first day.

"Do you think she's okay?"

"I don't know, doll."

Amelie bit her lip again as she squeezed her arms tighter around herself. "Do you think anyone's picked on her?"

"Amelie, just relax, she'll be outside in a second."

"But-"

She was cut off as a squealing crowd of children emerged from a doorway, waiting for their teacher to let them go one by one. D'Arcy was too short to spot in the groups pushing each other, and I immediately straightened my back to try and find her.

She was stood near the back of the group, clinging to the hand of a chubby boy, both looking nervously at the wall of parents they faced. Her eyes scanned each adult, until she spotted us and waved. The boy beside her found somebody too and he waved at them as the teacher dismissed them both.

D'Arcy dropped his hand as she reached us, speeding up to fling her arms around Amelie's legs. "Did you have fun?" Amelie gushed, bending down so D'Arcy could hear her.

She nodded, grinning widely as she stepped back. She pointed to the boy who was now stood a few feet away from us, then pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from her pocket. 'This is Owen. He doesn't talk, because he's deaf.'

"Really?" Amelie tucked a hair behind her ear, "how do you talk to him?"

'With paper.' D'Arcy wrote, before turning her blue notebook so we could see what she'd written. 'He has a whiteboard too.' 

"That's wonderful!" Amelie looked back at me, nudging my shoulder. "Isn't it Bucky?"

I nodded quickly, and glanced at the boy who was signing quickly with who I presumed was his father. "It's brilliant sweetheart." I ruffled her hair, to which she playfully pushed my arm away.

She skipped over to Owen, and patted him softly on the shoulder. In seconds she had written out a message to him, and slipped it into his hand.

"Maybe we should invite him round for tea one night." Amelie mumbled. "Or a play date thing. It's good she's got at least one good friend."

"It's only her first day darling, leave her be." I murmured, hooking an arm around her waist and pulling her close into my side as we wandered over to D'Arcy.

"You must be D'Arcys parents?" The man stood with Owen asked, a smile on his face.

Amelie nodded, "Are you Owens Dad?"