#schoolcore

“are you excited for tomorrow baby?” your carer asks as they clean up from dinner. you smile and say yes, but you can’t quite tell if what you’re feeling is excitement or worry. your carer notices the slight frown developing in your eyebrows and dries their hands before sitting next to you on the couch and pulling you into their lap.

“i know it can feel a little scary kiddo, but i promise, you’re gonna have so much fun. how about we pick out a cute outfit to help you feel better?” you jump up and race to your room, your carer trailing behind you, giggling to themselves...

“great choice angel, you’re gonna look absolutely adorable tomorrow!” you blush at the compliment and wrap your little arms around your carer’s waist. they rub your back and kiss the top of your head gently. after a moment of hushed hugs and kisses, they whisper, “let’s go brush those little fangs so we can get you to sleep, sound like a plan, sweetpea?” once your teeth and hair are brushed, your carer gets you into pajamas and tucks you into your new big kid bed, safe and sound and snuggled up with a stuffie...

you wake up to your carer gently brushing your hair out of your eyes and patting your back. “good morning little one, it's time to wake up now...” the sun is shining through your curtains, slightly hurting your eyes. you yawn and stretch, slowly sitting up. your carer holds your little face in their hands and whispers, “what does my kiddo want for breakfast? gotta have a big, healthy meal before your first day of school!” you think for a moment and then land on a bowl of cereal, some juice, some bacon/sausage, and a little muffin.

once you're done eating, your carer puts your dishes in the sink and takes your little hand, leading you to your bedroom to get dressed. “can you get ready all by yourself pumpkin?” you giggle and nod your head proudly, telling them that you're a big kid! your cg laughs and says, “alright alright, let me know if you end up needing help silly goose. [title] is gonna finish up the dishes from breakfast really quick.” you get dressed in the outfit you picked last night, but soon realize... you can't tie your shoes. your bottom lip sticks out as you walk to your cg in the kitchen and point to your untied laces sadly. “there there, [title] is right here, sweetheart. let me help. that's what I'm here for.”

you arrive at your school, nerves at full force, making your little hands tremble. your door opens and your carer starts unbuckling your seatbelt. “oh my love :( it's gonna be okay. [title] would never let you go somewhere you'd be unsafe, right?” you nod anxiously, still not meeting their gaze. “i promise, it's gonna be great! and [title] will be here to pick you up right after, pinky swear.”

you can hear the buzz of the classroom before you reach the door. your carer gives you a quick kiss and a thumbs up before gently nudging you through the door. the teacher notices you and quickly walks over to greet you. “good morning! my name is Ms. Clover and I'm so excited to be your teacher. what's your name sweetheart?” you swallow hard and whisper your name to Ms. Clover. “that's a great name! i'm very happy to meet you! let's go get introduced to the other tinies, hm?” you feel warmer after your chat with Ms. Clover, and even moreso when you realize that you're not the only kid who's feeling nervous.

Ms. Clover leads you to a table where some other kids are coloring silently. “everyone, I'd like to introduce you to our new friend, [name]!” most of the other tinies smile at you sheepishly, but one gives you a big one and moves their chair to sit next to you. “hi!! my name's Alex, i'm new to this school too, wanna be friends?” you're shocked by the sudden offer, but relieved. so relieved. you won't spend the day alone, like your anxiety was telling you.

Alex introduces you to the other kids at the table, and then brings you to the carpet where there are toys of all shapes, sizes, and colors are spread out haphazardly. “so, wha'dya like to play, [name]?” you know immediately what you wanna play with. you'd been thinking about them since last night: magnetic tiles. alex beams and runs to get the tub of magnetic shapes for the both of you. you suggest making a house and ask Alex if they'd like to help you build it. “of course i do!!! wait right here, i have the perfect thing for when we're done with construction.” they say before getting up again to get another bin. this time, it's full of little people figures. the two of you are hard at work building homes for the tiny toys, when Ms. Clover plays a melody on a blue and white instrument to get the class's attention.

“class class?” she calls. “yes yes!” the group answers in unison. you smile automatically, joy bubbling in your chest as you recognize the feeling of being part of a classroom, part of a group, a team. “it's almost time for our read-aloud! please clean up your areas and find your name on the carpet. when you hear my song again,” she gestures to her instrument, “that means cleanup time is over.” you grumble very quietly to yourself, a little sad that you won't be able to finish your project with alex. they hear your little huff and put their arm around your shoulders and sat, “aww don't worry pal!! we have centers after breakfast — we can finish then!!”

you and Alex finish putting the little people and the magnets back in the bins, when you hear Ms. Clover’s gentle melody once more. the remaining students race to their spot, and you realize with all the fun you were having with Alex, you never actually looked for your name on the carpet. you feel your heart rate rise — you don't want to get in trouble on the first day. “psst, over here,” Alex hisses from the other end of the carpet. what luck! you think to yourself. you get to sit right next to your new (and only) friend. “alright class, this week our special topic is... does anyone remember?” hands shoot up and Ms. Clover hmmms to herself before choosing a small, red-headed girl near the back of the carpet. “Delilah, do you remember our special topic?” “butterflies!!!” Delilah blurts out before Ms. Clover can finish her question, pointing excitedly to the butterfly patch on her denim jacket. “my cg made this for me!!!” Ms. Clover smiles and gasps. “wow, your carer was certainly thinking ahead, hm? very prepared! and right you are, Lilah — we are learning about butterflies this week. does anyone know any books that feature butterflies?” the other kids tilt their heads, searching their minds for any stories, seemingly coming up empty. but not you. you remember a book from your childhood, one of your favorites that ends with an image of a beautiful butterfly: the very hungry caterpillar. Ms. Clover must be able to sense that you have an idea, because right at that moment, she calls on you. she — and the other kids — love your idea. she pulls the big book version from her shelf and reads it wonderfully.

a/n: thank you for reading! if this gains enough traction, i'll post a part 2!

Rainbow divider from howdymrfinch