#spoiler alert: sterling's not calling her a witch 👀

[ceruleanmusings]

Blood Diamond; Year Five

Year Four

@myloveforhergoeson @witchofinterest @raging-violets @partiallypearl

"What's that?" A blond boy—an upside-down blond boy—jabbed his finger in James' direction.

James looked down—or, rather, up, since the gold necklace now hung around his face. Adjusting his grip on the smooth metal of the jungle gym, his eyes crossed as he took in the piece of jewelry. "A necklace."

The boy shook his head and stepped closer this time, pointing at the symbol on the end of the necklace hanging by his nose. "What's that?" he repeated.

"A star."

"It doesn't look like a star."

"It's a star of David. My bubbe gave it to me."

"Oh." The boy tilted at his side, turning his head upside down. His long, blond hair lifted off his head, mimicking James' brown locks, revealing two thick, light eyebrows. "Well, it's nice to meetcha, David."

"My name's not David!" Letting go of the bars, James flipped over and landed on his feet. He held his hands out, waiting for the wooziness to pass, and turned to the boy who now stood straight again. "It's James." And he thrust out his hand like Brooke taught him to when he met someone new.

"Hi James! I'm Kendall!" Kendall grabbed his hand and gave it a few hearty shakes. And when he smiled, dimples popped into his cheeks.

James stared. "You have holes in your face," he stated.

Kendall shrugged. "Mommy says they're angel bites."

"Why would an angel wanna bite you?"

"I dunno. Maybe I smelled good?"

James took a step forward and sniffed at him. "You smell like oatmeal."

Kendall shrugged again. "My baby sister threw it at me." His arm jutted outwards, nearly clothes-lining a boy running past him. He didn't notice, or didn't care. "My mommy and my baby sister are over there."

James spotted a woman with red hair pulled back into a ponytail, wearing a large red flannel shirt with tattered ends placing a series of kisses on the round cheeks of a giggling baby. They looked happy.

"That's my mommy," James said, pointing. Brooke, by comparison, didn't look happy at all. Not with the way her dark eyes narrowed and her eyebrows furrowed; with crossed arms, she stood off to the side of the other mommies gathered under the decorated pavilion and barked at someone into her phone.

"She looks scary," Kendall said, nose wrinkling. "Is she a witch?"

"No. But I think that's what my daddy calls her so I don't know."

"Oh."

"What does you daddy call your mommy?"

"I don't have a daddy."

James blinked. "Everybody has a daddy."

"I don't."

"Well, where'd he go?"

"I don't know. All mommy said was he's gone and we have to take care of each other now."

"Oh." How would someone's daddy just disappear? James always knew where his dad was; in bed sleeping most of the time. And when he wasn't sleeping he was going on adventures, that's what Sterling said. And that's why James spent a lot of time with his mom. But he didn't mind, he loved being around his mom. Even if she was grouchy a lot. One day she'd want to play with him and he'd be ready. "Do you wanna go find him?"

"No. I'd rather have cake." Kendall's eyes trailed back to the pavilion where a table decorated in large 5s had a blue and white cake sitting in the middle of it. "Danny's cake is chocolate, I think."

"I love chocolate," James said with a sigh. Not that they had much in the house. Candy and sweets were scarce, even at Halloween. He could only get a piece of candy when he was quiet for a long time.

"Me too!" Kendall gushed, eyes lighting up. "I really like chocolate pudding."

James gasped, eyes widening. "Me too! But my mommy won't let me have it."

"Why not?"

"Because she says I'll get messy and she doesn't want me to get messy."

"Really? My mommy lets me paint with it."

"She does?" James' eyes nearly popped out his head. Playing with food was unheard of in his house. Every time he tried to make a game with his dino nuggets Brooke told him to be quiet and eat. And if he tried again, she'd cut the heads off the big ones, telling him they were extinct. She always jumped to the end of the story.

"Yeah! When we're at the beach. I get to eat it, too."

"Wow! Your mommy sounds fun!"

"She is! She's the best mommy ever! She's letting me play hockey too!"

"What's hockey?"

"It's so fun! You get sticks and you can whack things with them and you get to ice skate!"

"I love ice skating!" James gushed. "It feels like flying!" Well, the one time he went it did. It was one of the rare moments he and Sterling and Brooke spent a day out. The ice was slippery and he thought he'd fall but he held onto Brooke's and Sterling's hands and he was safe. And at one point Sterling carried him on his shoulders while he skated around. They flew so fast, James was reduced to exuberant giggles and chanting for his dad to take him flying again and again.

"Yeah, it's really fun! We're going tomorrow."

"Can I come too?"

"Let's ask my mommy!"

Kendall took James' hand and lead him over to his mom as she put the baby back in a faded stroller. She put a bright pink pacifier in the baby's mouth only for the baby to spit it out a second later. The two boys approached as she picked it up. "Mommy, this is James. He's my friend," Kendall said, lifting up their clasped hands as if for proof. "He likes ice skating too and wants to play hockey. Can he come with us?"

"Well hello James, it's nice to meet you," the redhead woman said with such a warm smile James felt like he'd been bathed in sunshine. "I'm Mrs. Knight"

"It's nice to meet you, too!" Stepping forward, James held out his hand. Mrs. Knight laughed as she shook it. Her hands were warm too. Brooke's were always cold. "Can I come skating with you?"

"We should probably ask your mom first," Mrs Knight said, lighting tapping a finger to James' nose.

"Okay, she's over there." James stared hard at Mrs. Knight as he declared, "Make her say yes."

Mrs. Knight laughed and stood. "I'll see what I can do. Wait here."

"This is my baby sister, Katie," Kendall said, pointing to the stroller.

"Hi Katie." James leaned his head into the stroller, waving at the little girl. She grinned a gummy smile, reached out, and tugged his hair. hard. "Ouch!" Jerking backwards, James rubbed at the aching spot on his head.

"Yeah, she does that sometimes," Kendall said with a small smile.

Head still stinging, James laughed. His new friends were fun.