Love Song Read Free

gripped her forehead.
    Spinning around and crawling out of the tube in a hurry, the girl standing in front of it took a step back to allow Marceline’s exit. Only to take three more back to press against the railing of the jungle gym in slight shock when Marceline continued to step forward, eyes narrowed.
    “What the hell, pervert? Standing over someone when you’re wearing a –“
    Marceline stopped in the middle of her sentence, having recognized the girl from the previous day. She blinked in recognition, straightening out of her menacing lean over the shorter girl.
    “You’re that kid from yesterday,” she said, as if the girl didn’t know who she was.
    She stood still, the girl, as she stared at Marceline. She didn’t look scared, though Marceline looked scary. But rather, patient. She was waiting for Marceline to calm down, so she could speak – so to speak.
    And as Marceline waited for her to respond, the girl reached inside the breast pocket of her shirt, taking out a small piece of paper. Marceline watched as she unfolded it to present to her. She had left it folded over once, wanting Marceline to open it herself.
    But Marceline simply stared at it, at a loss for what was happening. When did she even get over there?
    “What is this?”
    In lieu of an answer, the girl held the paper out further, waiting for Marceline to accept it. And with some reluctance, she did, eyeing the girl skeptically while doing so. Unfolding the paper, she tucked a swaying strand of her chestnut waves behind her ear as she looked down to view the page. On it, written in very neat hand writing, read,
    “Thank you.”
    Marceline stared, blinking blankly down at the lined paper that had been ripped from a notebook. Her brows shot up, and when she looked up to respond, the girl was already making her way down the jungle gym.
    “Wh – Hey, wait!”
    Almost startled by the swift and silent movements, Marceline hurried after her, jumping over the railing in a parkour manner and landing beside the girl. She spun around with a gasp, her hand raising to clench at her uniform’s shirt.
    Marceline was smiling as she stood. She couldn’t help it. It was so damn cute.
    Never in all her years of helping kids, did she ever receive a thank you on paper before, and while the person was right in front of her, no less. And what’s more, she hadn’t expected it. Hell, she never expected to see this girl again, let alone have her go out of her way to try and show her gratitude.
    “You’re welcome,” Marceline replied with half a laugh. “So, you do speak English. Or at least write it.”
    Unexpectedly, the girl laughed, nodding. Only not really. Her body language and smile suggested that she was laughing, but she remained, for the most part, silent. Marceline stared in somewhat of an awe. She half expected to get another glare for mentioning their shared language.
    “So, you’re okay, then. No broken legs, I take it.”
    The girl shook her head in response, tilting back and forth on the heels and balls of her feet to showcase the truth of her answer, her arms folding behind her back playfully. Marceline nodded, glancing down at her pale legs, only partially concealed by her black knee-high socks.
    It was then that they both heard the sound of a group of people approaching the park. A group of girls. Marceline looked over nonchalantly while the girl’s head spun with alertness. It was the same group of girls that had picked on her the day before.
    “Oh, hey. Aren’t those –“
    Marceline trailed off when seeing the girl give what almost looked like a rushed bow before waving and running off to leave the park. All Marceline could do was hold out her hand and watch her run, she’d done it so fast. And after seeing her vanish from her line of sight, she couldn’t help but laugh.
    Weird kid.
     
     

April 5 th
    Diary,
    So I helped this kid girl out yesterday that was being bullied. She was at the park. I was there hiding from some jocks