The First Words
Ossie arrived first. She peeked through the gap in the door, looked over her shoulder to make sure nobody from her old class could see her, and stepped inside. She sat near the middle and stared at her feet.
Pippin came next — chin up, arms already crossed, ears flat against his head. He sat at the far end of a bench and looked at the wall.
Miko swung in through the doorframe, landed with a thud, and immediately spotted a beetle crossing the floor. He crouched down to watch it. The beetle was not aware that it had an audience.
Dori floated in quietly, found a bench near the window, and looked up at the ceiling.
Elton walked in slowly, as if trying to take up less space with every step. He sat at the very edge of a bench — trunk curled in, ears tucked, shoulders rounded — like he was trying to quietly disappear.
Ruby was last. She stood in the doorway, looked at the five strangers, said nothing, and sat down by herself. Her face was completely unreadable.
The six of them sat there. The room was very quiet.