Blush Cutiebunny's Arc

Chapter 2 of 4

Blush arrived at school early the next morning, her pocket heavy with the special cards. She walked straight to the blue house to check on everything before the bell rang. The statue stood exactly where she'd left it, the friendship bracelets still draped over its arms. She smiled and patted the golden stars at its feet. But three kids were waiting for her by the garden gate, their backpacks clutched tight against their chests. The smallest one stepped forward first. "The big kids take our snacks every day," she whispered. "They push us off the swings." The boy next to her nodded fast. "They said we can't use the slide anymore." The third kid just stared at the ground, shoulders hunched like he expected Blush to laugh. They'd seen her poster, seen the protected spot she'd made for Emma. Now they wanted hero cards too. Blush's chest got tight. She only had five cards in her pocket, and more kids needed them than she'd planned for. She couldn't make enough cards for everyone who got picked on. Then she remembered the pink cottage past the garden, the one with the pretty windows that nobody ever used. If she could turn it into a real hero headquarters, kids wouldn't need cards to prove anything. They could just go there and be safe. She reached into her backpack and pulled out the glass case she'd brought from home, the one that held her mom's special stones. Each stone caught the light different colors. "Come with me," she said. Blush led them to the pink cottage and set the case on the porch steps where everyone could see it. She placed one stone outside the case for each of the three kids standing with her. "When you need help, you come here and add your stone to the outside. That's how heroes know someone needs them." She hung the whale drawing she'd made last night on the cottage door, its swirls of blue and purple shimmering in the morning light. "This means bigger kids can't come here. Only heroes and the people they protect." The smallest girl picked up her stone and held it tight. The boy put his in his pocket. The third kid finally looked up and nodded. Blush gave each of them a card anyway, because having proof in your hand made you braver. The bell rang across the playground, but none of them moved yet. They were standing in hero territory now, and everyone could see it.