#my bebe... sobs

“Maddy Estelle.”

“Yes ma’am?”

Perfect. Pleasing to the eyes. A descendant of her Excellence, Lady Vudu.

“You don’t say ‘yes ma’am,’ you hurry into her office!”

“Ah, right, sorry, sorry…”

Beauchamp Boarding School.

Maddy didn’t know why she was here. She knew why, but she couldn’t grasp the thought process behind her parents’ decision to send her.

Eleven years old. Hands clasped in front of her, just below her waist. She walked into the office with her beloved guardians, but the director, smoking something she didn’t like the smell of, waved them out and then she was alone.

“Maddy Estelle… you’re not too bright, are you?”

“I like to think I am.”

The older woman laughed at her, crimson button eyes glinting humorlessly.

“You like to think, huh?” She was sitting in a large chair behind a desk, separated from Maddy by a long pane of plexiglass. “Have a seat, Miss Estelle.”

Miss Estelle? She walked a couple paces and had a seat, folding her delicate hands, crossing her long legs, tugging nervously at the short skirt that exposed her thighs.

The air was tight.

She suddenly regretted dressing so loosely.

“This is Beauchamp. I’m Ms. No-Nonsense. You’ve been enrolled for next semester. Tell me about your current education.”

No room for friendliness.

No room to breathe.

Maddy was still determined to keep her head up, though.

“I have tutors…” She tried, then swallowed the words, finding them embarrassing, for some reason. “I- I mean I’m homeschooled. I take advanced classes and I’m very adept, or so I’ve been told.”

Something about the woman’s stare made her doubt every syllable.

She didn’t blink.

She didn’t rouse.

She didn’t approve.

She didn’t like who— no, what she was looking at.

“Homeschooled. That’s all you had to say, doll.”

“I’m sorry…”

“No, you’re not. Here at Beauchamp, we apologize.”

“I…”

There was a rock in her stomach. The unease came to a head, the world was spinning and she suddenly wasn’t in the center of it anymore.

“I apologize.”

———

The months following had been quiet.

She watched, one by one, as her tutors disappeared. Seeing them around the home became scarce, and then, finally, they would all approach her, at their own time, in their own way, to say goodbye.

Some of them gave her gifts. Sewing supplies from her domestics tutor. A pretty pair of ruby red ballet shoes from her dance instructor. A stuffed rabbit with a note attached from the one who taught her sign language.

One of the last to go, but also one with one of the largest impacts would have been her algebra instructor. Mid-sixties, a retired professor who took up contracts with rich families to personally instruct their children.

His goodbye was the longest. He met her in her bedroom, pacing around, giving a grand speech about their wonderful time together, came up to her and gently kissed her knuckles.

His gift was his knowledge, he’d joked, but he was empathetic, and knew from her silence that she was disappointed.

Maddy actually hadn’t spoke the whole time, and he realized it as his gestures grew less and less grand. Eventually, he was beside her on the bed, twiddling his thumbs, quietly going on about how he was pained to be robbed of the pleasure of teaching her calculus.

To end, he patted her on the shoulder and made his departure swift. Maddy, however, found herself reluctant to let him leave.

So she followed.

She followed down the long hall, walking through the daylight that felt cold on her skin. Too many memories were hiding in those orange lights. Too much sorrow was clashing with them in her heavy heart.

“Why?” She called, stopping him in his tracks, watching his head slowly peer over his shoulder. Calculator. She thought, clutching the rabbit she couldn’t seem to put down even tighter.

“Why what?” He hesitantly called back, but turned fully around, hands stuffed into his pockets. Light cut across his figure, bathing his squarish body, giving him an ethereal glow.

“Why are you all leaving? Why am I being sent away?” She felt like a toddler, scared and confused, voice teetering on the cusp of tears. “What did I do wrong? I can fix it… I’ll fix it.”

“My dear…” He’d caved then, huffing, speed-walking over to her, kneeling in her path.

“You will tell no one of this. Do you promise?”

“I promise.”

Because somehow, he’d always understood her best. Self-assured but playful. Never condescending, never taunting, always sufficiently careful, ever fond.

“I don’t know the whole of it, and I’m sorry this had to befall you. From what I’ve been able to glean, however, one of your folks has brought bad blood on the family and it’s the only way to keep you safe.”

“What? That doesn’t make any sense, though. Why not send me to live with Uncle Mackery—”

“I don’t know.” He repeated, exasperated, strained, and Maddy could see the pain glimmering in his eyes, the way his fingers dug into his knee.

Silenced, she pursed her lips and nodded.

It would have to be good enough.

“I don’t believe the arrangement will be permanent, at the very least.” He continued, sighing, rising, dusting himself off. “I hear the ladies at Beauchamp are wicked at first. Certainly they will mellow out, yes? The best thing you can do for yourself is follow their instruction and keep your wits about you, alright?”

“Right.”

“Good. Then hopefully we may meet again, Miss Maddy.”

“I do hope so as well, Mr. Casio.”

…

Empty.

Empty as he disappeared down the hall, empty still as he made his way to the doors. Emptiest when she heard them shut.

Yet, for all the windows, she did not see the immediate tragedy to befall him— the bullet that went through him, nor the men who dragged his writhing body into their sleek black vehicle before speeding off.

For Maddy was curled up on the floor, allowing the darkness to close in.

She would never see him again.

Though the gesture was kind, the effect was, overall, completely negative.

Not only did Mr. Casio lose his life, he also did something far more distressing in his undoing.

He gave Maddy one fat lump of false hope.

(like most of my Drabbles, there’s alt versions to this one lmao… in one of ‘em she breaks his arms- but I went for something softer. she’ll get her crash out. eventually, kekeke…)

...

Grabs Bebe Maddy.

Carries her to Yijun.

Places her down in his lap and wraps a blanket around her.

Pats her head.

AAAAA NOOOO MADDYYYY.... I LOVE SO MUCH WHYYYY...

Bebe Maddy will be kept safe from this. Grrr.. At least in my heart..