During recess, kids naturally divided into groups based on their favorite parts of the playground. There were the field kids, the swing kids, the slide kids, the seesaw kids—you get the picture. Ava and her friends gravitated toward the gravity ball court. Sometimes, they played on the court or climbed the play structure, but more often than not, they just ran around, chatting and goofing off.
Today, they had claimed the swinging bars. Ava loved them, particularly because she could hang upside down like a bat. One by one, they took turns climbing and showing off their best tricks.
"Okay, Ava, you're up!" Ricky called.
"Watch this!" The princess leaped up, gripping the bar with practiced ease before pulling herself up and over. Once perched on the top bar, a mischievous idea struck her. "Do you think I could do a handstand up here?"
"That's a terrible idea. You'll fall and break your neck," Ricky deadpanned.
"I wanna see her try!" Oppa said with far too much enthusiasm.
Encouraged, Ava carefully stood up on the bar, eyeing the one in front of her for her daring stunt. But as she fully registered how high up she was, doubt crept in.
"I... I don't know, guys. Maybe this isn't such a—WHAA!!" She wobbled dangerously, her arms flailing as she fought to regain her balance.
"Be careful, Ava!!" Heidi cried.
"I'm trying!!" Ava finally managed to lower herself back down, sitting on the bar instead. "Okay, I'm good now." With that, she hopped off, landing safely on the ground with a triumphant grin.
"That could've ended really badly," Ricky pointed out.
"But it didn't!!" Ava countered, beaming.
Anj, meanwhile, had spotted a group of boys playing gravity ball on the field. His eyes lit up. "Hey, do you guys wanna go to the field? They're playing gravity ball!"
"They're already in the middle of a game. I don't think they'll let us join," Heidi said.
"We can ask," Ava declared confidently. "I'm the princess. They can't say no to me."
"Yes, they can. You don't get an exception," Heidi shot back.
"Ooooh, look at Heidi with those big words!" Oppa teased.
"I pay attention in class. Unlike you," Heidi retorted.
"Well, I'm actually fun to be around!" Oppa snapped.
"Enough, you guys!! You're acting like five-year-olds!!" Ricky cut in. "We're eight! We're big kids now! We're better than this."
"Okay, sorry," Heidi muttered.
"Me too," Oppa grumbled.
"I actually learned a new word recently," Ricky continued. "Entitlement. And that applies to all of you, especially Ava."
"What?! Why me?" Ava pouted, genuinely taken aback.
Ricky crossed his arms. "'I'm the princess, they can't say no to me,'" he mimicked. "Yes, they can. Like, earlier at lunch, you asked me for a piece of my sandwich. I said no. Does that mean I'm getting locked in the dungeons of Carsley Palace?"
Ava stared at him, momentarily stunned, before breaking into a laugh. "You're too funny sometimes, Ricky."
"I'm serious, Ava. It's not cool," he insisted.
"Oh... sorry." Ava's grin faded slightly as she processed it. "Guess that is kinda... 'entitlement' was the word?"
"Yeah," Ricky confirmed with a nod.
"Well, at least Ava's not a total donk like Brunt Goe," Oppa blurted.
They all burst into laughter.
Until a voice interrupted.
"What'd you just say about me?!"
Oppa's blood ran cold. Slowly, he turned to see Brunt Goe—the biggest brat in the entire grade. And the biggest kid. Literally. He was massive.
"Whoa!!" Oppa took an instinctive step back, flashing a sheepish grin. "Hey, Brunt!! You look good!!"
"Don't play stupid. You called me a donk!" Brunt stomped toward him, grabbing Oppa by the collar. Up close, Oppa got a horrifyingly clear view of Brunt's jagged Cei teeth. The spikiest teeth he'd ever seen.
"We could've just played gravity ball," Anj muttered under his breath.
"If you hurt him, I'm telling Ms. Rucalo," Ricky threatened.
"Of course you would, you little goody-two-shoes tattletale!" Brunt spat, dropping Oppa unceremoniously. But his fury wasn't over. He turned on Ricky next. "You don't care that Oppa called me a donk. You think I'm a donk too!"
"MS. RUCALO!!" Ricky yelled.
"Oh, you're gonna regret that," Brunt sneered, drawing back his arm for a punch.
A gasp. A blur of motion.
Before Brunt could land a hit, Ava tackled him. Hard.
A shriek tore from Brunt's mouth as the two tumbled to the ground.
"Ava!!" Heidi gasped in horror.
"What is going on here?!"
Everyone froze.
Ms. Rucalo had arrived.
Immediately, the entire group erupted into chaotic chatter, talking over each other while Ava and Brunt scrambled to their feet, suddenly very interested in pretending like nothing had happened.
"One voice at a time," the teacher ordered firmly. She turned to Ricky. "Richard, what happened here?"
Ricky took a deep breath and pointed at Brunt. "Oppa called Brunt a donk, so Brunt came over here to hurt Oppa. I told Brunt I was going to call you, and he tried to punch me. So Ava tackled him."
Ms. Rucalo exhaled heavily, rubbing her temples. She wasn't angry exactly, just... exasperated.
"Ricky, Ava, Brunt, Oppa—I'm afraid you're all going to the principal's office."
===
The four children sat outside Principal Shepard's office, their legs swinging anxiously as they waited to be called in. The quiet hum of the school hallways seemed louder than usual, each second stretching unbearably long. Ricky, usually calm and composed, was visibly distressed.
"I can't go to the principal's office!! I've never been in trouble before!!" Ricky lamented, his voice high with panic.
"Dude, relax. You're fine," Oppa reassured him, leaning back in his seat. "You didn't even do anything wrong. You're just here 'cause you told."
Ava, who had been idly watching Brunt out of the corner of her eye, noticed that he looked far more worried than any of them. His usually cocky demeanor had crumbled into something uneasy, his hands clenched tightly in his lap.
"You good, Brunt?" she asked, tilting her head.
Brunt exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "No. My parents said if I got into trouble again, it's over for me..." He swallowed hard. "We've got to get out of this."
"How? Ricky already told Ms. Rucalo everything," Ava pointed out.
"Well... I never actually managed to hit any of you," Brunt reasoned. "If I say sorry, maybe they'll let me off easy."
"It's worth a shot," Ricky admitted, "but you'll need to actually show that you mean it. Just saying 'sorry' won't cut it."
Brunt nodded, but then turned to Ava with an expectant look. "Aren't you, like, a princess or whatever? Can't you just, I don't know, use your special privileges to get me out of this?"
Ava snorted. "Not at school."
"Oh. Figures." Brunt sighed. After a moment, he hesitated before asking, "Oppa, why did you call me a donk, anyway?"
"Because you're mean," Oppa said flatly.
Brunt frowned. "I'm not trying to be."
"That might be true," Ricky said, "but that's not how people see it. You scare people, Brunt. The way you get angry and try to hurt someone just because they said something mean—it makes you seem dangerous."
"You also get mad when you don't get what you want," Ava added.
Brunt scoffed. "That's 'cause I never get what I want."
Before any of them could respond, the door to the principal's office slid open with a quiet hiss. Principal Agnes Shepard stepped out, her sharp yet kind eyes scanning over them.
"Afternoon, children," she greeted.
"Afternoon, Ms. Shepard," they chorused.
"I'll be speaking to you all individually," she announced. "Ricky, you're up first."
Ricky paled slightly but nodded, standing up straight as he stepped into the office. The door slid shut behind him, leaving the other three to sit in uncomfortable silence.
A few minutes later, Ricky emerged, looking significantly more cheerful than when he had gone in. Ava raised an eyebrow.
"I take it you're not in trouble?" she guessed.
Ricky grinned. "She thanked me for telling Ms. Rucalo about what happened." He practically floated past them on his way back to recess. "Good luck, guys!"
Oppa rolled his eyes. "Stars, that kid. Always comes out on top."
"Oppa, you're next," Principal Shepard called.
Oppa groaned, dragging his feet as he entered the office. When he finally returned, his expression was predictably sour.
"How bad?" Ava asked.
"She gave me an assignment," Oppa grumbled. "I have to write a whole paragraph on why I shouldn't call people mean things." He scowled. "She always makes me write something. And I hate writing."
Ava smirked. "Enjoy your essay."
With an exaggerated sigh, Oppa trudged off, leaving just Ava and Brunt in the hallway.
"Ava?"
"Guess it's my turn," she muttered, standing up. She took a deep breath before stepping inside.
Principal Shepard gestured for her to sit. "Ah, Miss Ava. Your friends have been very forthcoming about the incident. I trust you will be as well?"
"Of course, Ms. Shepard," Ava said, settling into the chair.
The principal folded her hands on her desk. "Now, I understand you tackled Brunt to the ground. Would you care to explain why?"
Ava sat up straighter. "Brunt was about to punch Ricky, so I stopped him before he could."
Shepard nodded slowly, considering her words. "I do not condone violence, Ava. However, I also understand that you acted to protect your friend. That said, I still have to write it up. You did tackle another student."
Ava sighed. "I understand."
The principal leaned back slightly, studying her. "Though, I must say, you seem to have a rather... sympathetic view of Brunt. Care to explain?"
Ava hesitated for a moment, then decided to just say what was on her mind. "Brunt's actually not that bad of a kid. I think he's just... misunderstood."
Shepard raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"He seemed really sorry for what he did. Or, well, almost did. He didn't actually hit anyone—he just said some stuff and grabbed Oppa. But Oppa did call him a donk," she pointed out. "Brunt said he doesn't try to be mean, and I believe him. Maybe he just doesn't know any better. I mean... we're all just kids."
The principal was silent for a moment before nodding thoughtfully. "That's why he needs to learn from his actions. But I do appreciate you speaking up for him. No one's ever done that for him before." She smiled. "You truly do live up to your title, Princess Ava."
Ava beamed at the compliment.
"I'll make sure Brunt knows that you vouched for him," Shepard continued. "And... I'll consider loosening his punishment."
Ava's smile widened. "Thank you, Ms. Shepard. I think what Brunt really needs is a friend."
"You have a kind heart, Ava," Shepard said warmly. "Don't let anyone change that about you. You are dismissed."
Ava stood, thanking her before stepping out into the hallway. She found Brunt sitting there, looking more nervous than ever.
"If you want," Ava offered, "I can wait for you."
Brunt looked up at her, surprised. "You'd do that?"
"Sure." She smiled.
For the first time that day, Brunt smiled back.
===
"So what happened?" Heidi asked.
"He just had to write a paragraph like Oppa, but he knows that if he messes up again, his parents will be called," Ava said.
"How did you not get a paragraph?" Heidi asked.
"Probably special princess privileges or something," Anj assumed.
"I don't think so. Maybe she just thought I didn't need an essay or something," Ava guessed.
"Well, either way, that was really cool of you to help Brunt out like that," Anj said. "If he was like that to me, I wouldn't have been so kind to him."
"That's because you're a donk," Ava said, giving him a playful grin.
"Boo on that, Ava," Anj scowled. Ava and Heidi both laughed. Ricky, who was with them, rolled his eyes.
Anj crossed his arms. "You stick up for Brunt, but I'm the donk? That's favoritism."
"Special princess privileges," Heidi teased, nudging Ava.
Ava smirked. "It's just the natural order of things. Brunt needed a friend, you just need to be humbled every now and then."
"Boo on that," Anj repeated, shaking his head.
Ricky let out a dramatic sigh. "Stars, you're all ridiculous."
"You love it," Heidi said.
"Not even a little bit," Ricky deadpanned.
Ava and Heidi shared a knowing look before bursting into laughter again, while Anj muttered something about unfair treatment. Ricky just sighed again, resigning himself to the chaos.