A Very Special Visit (Owl Man RP #2 v Misfits)
Dec 3, 2015 16:31:17 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Dec 3, 2015 16:31:17 GMT
OFF-CAMERA
'...let's give a big Ogden Elementary welcome to our guest...OWL MAN!!'
The voice from inside the classroom makes my stomach tie up in a knot, and I instantly regret having let Lyndsey talk me into this. As if on cue, I hear her voice behind me.
'Go on, Walter. Your audience is waiting!'
'Are you sure this is a good idea?' I gulp, turning to her, but she's busy setting up the recording app on her phone, and merely waves me off.
''Course it is. They're gonna love you. Now go ON!'
She prods me in the back, and I stumble forward through the classroom door, directly into the line of sight of twenty pairs of seven-year-old eyes. I look pleadingly at the teacher, an attractive lady in her thirties leaning back against her desk, and she shoots me a tired grin, as if to say 'good luck, you're going to need it.' She then turns to her class and asks:
'Can anybody tell me what our guest is?'
'A fatty!', one of the kids calls out, making the others giggle.
'Shut up, Darryl!', a tubby boy screams in response. 'He's not just a fatty! He's a hero!'
'Is NOT!', Darryl sneers. 'Heroes can't be fat, doofus!'
'Can TOO', my little fan insists. 'You're just tryin' to make him feel bad 'cuz you like that dumb tiger guy!'
'Citizens!', I cut in. 'Please don't fight. If Citizen Darryl likes Tigre, he's within his right. Of course, he could end up being disappointed next week, but still!'
This makes the entire class titter – all but Darryl, who just glowers at me sulkily. Empowered by this, the chubby boy pipes up again:
'That's right! His team are gonna beat those jerks! Right, Owl Man?'
How do you reply to that? Do you say what you feel and break a little boy's heart? Or do you try to give him hope that you, yourself, don't have? In the end, I settle for a compromise: the truth.
'I will try my best, citizen. As will the rest of the Everyday Heroes.' The way the little boy's face lights up at being called 'citizen', like a grown-up, gives me the warm fuzzies. Shame I have to dampen his mood. 'Unfortunately, we cannot promise you success. The opposition is fearsome, and will resort to any tricks they can to ensure we're not successful.' I can't help but smile as chorus of boos greet these words; it means I'm doing something right. 'But with the combined powers of myself, El Vainillo, our trusted special guests, and all of you OWLsome little heroes, I'm sure we could get the job done!' A sudden burst of inspiration hits me. 'So what do you say? Are you all going to root for us next week?'
As a class-wide cheer starts up – even the Tigre fan joins in – I look over at Lyndsey and smile. Guess she was right; things didn't go so badly after all.
Final Word Count: 496