Chapter 31

"Goodnight." Yang said softly before turning off the light and shutting the door to Summer's room. She headed for the kitchen table, where Winter was already seated, a stack of folders in front of her. "Well, Sum's down for the count. What're you up to?"

"Please, take a seat." Winter gestured to the chair across the table.

"Oh boy." Yang groaned. She obediently sat in the chair. "Whatever it is, I didn't do it."

"I think it's time we start discussing schools." Winter continued.

"I told you, I'm too dumb for college." Yang scoffed.

"Not for you, for Summer." Winter rolled her eyes. "She'll be attending kindergarten, starting in September, but we need to choose the right school."

"Can't we just home-school her?" Yang asked.

"No, that should only be a last resort." Winter shook her head. "Going to school is a vital part of her social development." Yang opened her mouth to protest, but realized she had no counter to Winter's point. Winter slid the stack of folders toward Yang. "I've put together information on several schools."

"Fine." Yang sighed. "Let's see…" She picked up a folder and started looking through the information. It included several photographs of the school, along with demographics and any details the parents of prospective students could possibly want. "This one's in Atlas!"

"Yes, I attended it." Winter noted.

"She's not going to school that far away." Yang insisted. "She's going somewhere close. I'm going to drive her to school and back every day."

"I suppose it shouldn't be more than 20 minutes away then…" Winter thought aloud. She went through the folders, pulling most and putting them on the vacant chair beside her. "That leaves three acceptable options." She slid the relevant folders in front of Yang.

"Okay, this one looks nice." Yang observed. The school was small, located next to a sizable playground, with a large fenced-in field behind it. Vale Early Childhood Academy...sounds classy. Wait...these uniforms...is this a military school?!"

"It is." Winter confirmed. "Discipline is a vital element of her education, and what better way to instill that discipline-"

"She's five." Yang interrupted. "There's no way I'm letting her go to a military school."

"Fair enough." Winter sighed. She closed the folder and placed it atop the other rejects.

"South Vale Elementary School." Yang read. "Everything looks...okay."

"It's a very good school." Winter declared. "They prefer students to enter in pre-kindergarten and attend through fourth grade, but given Summer's circumstances I'm sure they'll make an exception."

"Your cash won't hurt either." Yang smirked. "What else...Vale School of the Holy Maidens? A religious school? I'm shocked."

"I may not be a believer, but the school has a fantastic reputation." Winter explained.

"I'm not thrilled about the uniform policy." Yang cautioned. "Children should be allowed to express themselves through their clothes, at least a little."

"I agree that there is some value in that." Winter allowed. "But I don't think that should be enough to disqualify the school entirely."

"I mean, we're already down to two choices, so ruling it out isn't really an option." Yang shrugged. "Uh...no public schools?"

"What, don't you want Summer to get a decent education?" Winter scoffed.

"I went to public school." Yang huffed. Winter grinned. "Okay, point taken, but Ruby went to public school too."

"Did you like it?" Winter asked.

"Hated it." Yang answered.

"Oh?" Winter responded.

"I mean, it was alright until high school." Yang sighed. "Then came the bullying."

"You were bullied?" Winter was taken aback. "I find that hard to believe."

"Believe it." Yang insisted. "My first year was okay, but I was a...sudden bloomer. Came back from summer vacation for my second year, and bam! I had tits. I wasn't the only one, but I did stand out. Before that I was kind of plain, mostly ignored. After that I was the blonde bombshell. All the boys wanted a piece, and a few weren't afraid to say so. Some even got a little handsy, not that it was ever that serious. The girls were jealous, and they spread nasty rumors about me. The few friends I'd had distanced themselves. Being a lesbian in a small country town wasn't exactly easy either."

"That's awful." Winter shook her head.

"Yeah, well, it didn't go on too long." Yang continued. "Ruby started attending the next year. She was small, and admittedly kind of weird, a really easy target. When people started bullying her, well, I let my fists do the talking. People mostly left me alone after that, and they definitely didn't mess with Ruby." She leaned back. "Should have done it a lot sooner. So, how was your private education? I bet you loved it."

"No, my experience wasn't ideal either." Winter sighed. "I've never been the most social, but I always seemed to have lots of friends. Over time I realized they weren't really my friends, they were only interested in me because of my wealth and the prestige of my name. After getting burned a few times, I stopped trying to have friends and focused on my studies instead. Weiss was the only friend I needed anyway. Things got better in college. People there didn't give a shit about who I was, I joined the artsy crowd, cut loose for the first time in my life. I had a wonderful relationship with a girl named Lisa, then...then my father found out and told me to break up with her and stop hanging out with 'miscreants.' He threatened to cut me off if I didn't and...I did as I was told." She buried her face in her hands. "Fuck, I treated them so badly, broke Lisa's heart. I should've stood up to my father but...I didn't."

"Win, it's alright." Yang reached across the table, placing her hand on Winter's shoulder. "It's not your fault. Your father put you in an impossible situation."

"You may be right...it doesn't really matter." Winter refocused. "We're getting off track. This shouldn't be about us and our hangups, this needs to be about Summer."

"Are you sure we can't home-school her?" Yang pressed.

Winter hesitated. "If South Vale and Holy Maidens don't work out then...maybe."

"Of all the things in the world she could be interested in, it had to be bloody skating." Velvet grumbled for the third time that day. Kali's suggestion had come as a surprise to both her and Blake, for different reasons. Velvet had figured Reese would be a much more passive girl interest wise, and Blake never expected her one-time hobby to rear its head so far out of left field.

"Kids love skating." Blake noted. "It's always a cool thing. The crowd tends to follow hipster fashion trends, and every city has parks and postmodern architecture to frolic around."

"I knew skaters when I was a kid." Velvet huffed. "They weren't cool or hip. They were pricks and bullies and druggos and every other week someone would have a broken or bandaged arm or leg."

"So your local group were assholes?" Blake chuckled. "My group? Apart from Ilia they weren't bad at all. They taught me how to skate, someone always had a medkit on hand, and every Friday after school we'd all bring food and stuff and share it."

"And what will this group be?" Velvet asked.

"I'll find out when I go there won't I?" Blake responded.

"You're just gonna' embarrass her." Velvet warned.

"Sure." Blake laughed. "Maybe I will, and you're gonna' watch."

Velvet let out a sigh, thumping her head against the headrest. Blake just smirked, turning the corner to her destination, some clothing store that catered to hipsters. Blake had visited on occasion for their designer t-shirts and accessories. She could order everything online if she wanted to, but browsing whatever was in stock at the time was more enjoyable. In addition to fashion, the store also had a sizeable selection of skating gear, among other things, but skating was clearly the focus. And it was there they headed upon entering.

"Hey Tannon." Blake called to the tattooed man with slicked blonde hair.

Tannon turned from his task of tidying up a display to wave. "Yo Blake, sup?" He greeted, then caught sight of Velvet. "Oh hey, you're Velvet right?" He walked forward, holding out a hand.

Velvet met it with her own, shaking it firmly. "Yeah, hey."

"Didn't think I'd get to meet you." Tannon noted. "It's been a while since Blake's been here." He withdrew, leaning against one of the display tables.

"Been busy, mom showed up, dad showed up, adopted a kid." Blake explained.

"God damn, seriously?" Tannon was taken aback. "You kinda' got me beat here, I met a chick at a beach party, but she was gone when I woke up. Didn't even leave her number."

"Ouch." Blake chuckled.

"I'll meet the right one someday." Tannon shrugged. "But anyway, you adopted a kid?"

"Yeah, kinda' why we're here." Blake confirmed. "Apparently she wants to try skating, but she doesn't think she'll be good. So I'm gonna' teach her."

"You finally gonna' get a board again?" Tannon asked.

"Yeah, two." Blake nodded. "Need one for a girl about yay high." Blake held her hand at hip level.

Tannon nodded. "We've got a bunch of kids size over here." He gestured for Blake to follow as he moved toward the back of the store. "And designer boards, blank boards if you wanna' buy some custom tape."

"What about protective gear?" Velvet inquired.

"Helmets, knee and elbow pads, wrist guards." Tannon pointed to a rack. "Got gloves too, but they're mostly for runners."

"Runners?" Velvet asked.

"Parkour, Sun's thing." Blake clarified.

"Oh." Velvet said.

"Personally I'd go against the designer boards." Tannon advised. "It's always better to build your own. That way you know what you're getting. With them you're buying a brand, not a product."

"Careful, the boss will bust you for not upselling." Blake joked.

"The boss'd kick my ass if I sold you crap." Tannon countered. "You're a valuable business opportunity and all."

"Damn right I am." Blake smirked.

"Bloody hell, four hundred lien?" Velvet balked at a price tag as they reached the back wall.

"Yeah, like I said, you pay for the brand." Tannon repeated. "I've got a tape book here. Got a size in mind for yours?" Tannon picked up a binder from a table, handing it over.

"Mini, thanks Tannon." Blake replied.

"I'll grab the merch." Tannon grinned, heading out the back door.

Blake flicked through the pages, browsing all manner of colors, logos and patterns, until she felt Velvet close by her side. "What if she falls off and gets hurt?" Velvet worried.

"I'll help her get back up, and on the board." Blake stated matter-of-factly.

"Blake, what if she breaks something?" Velvet pressed.

"I'll pick her up, take her to the hospital, baby her while she heals, and then help her back on the board." Blake answered.

"Blake." Velvet roused.

Blake sighed, looking at her partner. "Velv, remember Shirley?"

"Duh." Velvet replied.

"She said she loved tag, but kept tripping." Blake noted.

"And?" Velvet asked.

"She kept getting back up." Blake explained. "No matter how many skinned knees she got, she refused to stop. One day she won't trip over so much. You think that's because tripping over had no consequences?"

"And what, if Reese breaks her arm you think she'll be better for it?" Velvet pressed.

"Yes, I do." Blake answered. "Kids should run around, skin their knees, get in fights, break their bones. They're young, they'll hurt, they'll heal, and they'll learn." Blake tapped a design on the page, and Velvet looked at it - black, with white, purple and cyan stripes. It fit, Velvet thought. "We all go through it, and babying her won't help. Look at Yang. She and Ruby ran around the forest as kids, she's broken her arm in two places. Sun trains kids to jump off high objects for fun. Nora is a walking bulldozer. You think they grew up with their parents telling them to stop running so fast? Mom took me to climb trees and rock walls. Mom did that." Blake chuckled at Velvet's shocked expression. "I remember falling down one day. I was winded, struggling for breath, mom just picked me up and rubbed my back until I felt better. Then she asked me if I wanted to try again. With a smile on her face."

Blake felt herself tear up, and Velvet's expression softened. She wrapped her arms around her partner and nuzzled her shoulder. "I thought it was weird Kali didn't have a problem with this." Velvet noted.

"Mom is awesome." Blake declared. "If we can be half as awesome as her, we'll be great parents." Blake wiped her eyes.

"Alright, I'll try not to freak out too much about a four year old flying around concrete and metal on a little piece of wood." Velvet promised.

Blake smiled. "Thank you dear."

Before they headed home, Blake stopped at the nearby park. Her own board had the same striped design as Reese's, but was nearly twice its size. Donning a matte black helmet, Blake dropped her board, placed her right foot upon its surface, and for the first time in over a decade, pushed off with her left. It was like riding a bike. If she and the bike had grown up over the years. It was as if all those years had never happened, she was just a teenager, skating to the town park after school, swerving left and right. Her balance was perfect, as it always was. The trucks could stand to be a little looser though. When Velvet caught up, she was using a hex key to adjust them.

"What's wrong with it?" Velvet asked.

"Nothing." Blake replied. "Look, you see this rubber here? The tighter you screw this nut, the less it flexes, and the harder it is to turn while leaning. I like it looser. A beginner like Reese would probably want it tighter."

"Oh, I didn't know they had those." Velvet noted.

"You thought they were just wheels on the board didn't you?" Blake snickered.

"Well it's not like I asked to look at one up close and personal." Velvet groused.

"Well." Blake dropped the board again. "Now's your chance." Blake beckoned to the board.

Velvet stared at the board, then at Blake. "No." She refused.

"Come on now." Blake laughed.

"Nope." Velvet repeated, crossing her arms.

"It's just a board." Blake insisted. "Come on, give it a shot."

"Newp." Velvet looked away.

"Chicken." Blake teased.

"You and the kid can crack your heads open, I don't care." Velvet huffed. "I will remain standing to say I told you so."

"Oh, so now you don't care." Blake pressed.

"Yep, I'm the cold and uncaring one now." Velvet scoffed. "Go on, go show off for the cool and hip teens. Go on." Velvet waved her hand towards the skate park. It was fairly well populated, music softly playing from someone's speaker.

"Alright, I will." Blake smiled, kicking the board into her hands.

"Fine." Velvet said.

"Fine." Blake turned and walked away, hips swaying with just a little more exaggeration than usual.

Velvet stared, until Blake looked over her shoulder and laughed. "Stupid sexy hipster punk." Velvet grumbled, before following.

Yang found the whole situation uncomfortable. Winter had insisted she wear a sort of formal, dull dress, and now she sat in an office as Winter chatted with the headmaster of South Vale Elementary School. The pair were checking out the school, seriously considering enrolling Summer. It had started with a tour, which went well enough. The school was quite impressive, large, clean, with all the amenities. Several classrooms had computers for each child, and all had a computer-linked whiteboard at the front. They gym and athletic fields were in great shape, fully kitted out with all the equipment an elementary school could conceivably need. Even the cafeteria impressed, with their tour guide describing the hot, fresh-cooked meals served every day.

Now Winter was asking questions that were over Yang's head. She did not care about the curriculum, or the demographics, or the teacher/student ratios. When Summer got to high school, when her education really started to have an impact on her life afterward, then Yang would care. Right now Yang just wanted a place where Summer could be safe, where she could be happy, or at least a place she could tolerate. She still vividly remembered how difficult it had been for Ruby in elementary school. She had been bullied mercilessly, in spite of Yang's efforts to protect her. Her parents had wanted to send her to another school, but money and circumstances made that impossible. But Yang had the money, there were options for Summer.

"I'm honored that you would consider this school for your daughter, Ms. Schnee." The headmaster smiled, their extended Q&A apparently over.

"And I have to thank you for allowing Summer to enroll on such short notice, and in such unorthodox circumstances." Winter responded. "I think this would be a wonderful place for her, but it's not just my decision. Yang?"

"Hmm?" Yang shook herself from her daydreaming.

"Do you have any questions Ms. Xiao-Long?" The headmaster asked.

"Yeah actually, uh, at the orphanage, Summer had some difficulty with bullying." Yang replied. "What do you do to protect the students here?"

"We do not tolerate bullying here." The headmaster declared. "But at the same time, we expect our students to have the strength to stand up for themselves."

Yang stared blankly at the headmaster, who smiled back. Yang glanced at Winter, whose expression had shifted, then back to the headmaster. "Nope." Yang said.

"What?" The headmaster asked, tilting his head in confusion.

"Winter, let's go, we're done here." Yang stood. "I've heard enough."

"I'm inclined to agree." Winter admitted. "I don't think this is the school for Summer."

"But our-" The headmaster tried to protest.

"Save it." Yang cut him off. She borderline dragged Winter from the building, mumbling under her breath all the while. "Stand up for themselves, how's a five year old girl supposed to stand up for herself…"

"Hopefully Holy Maidens will have a stronger policy against bullying." Winter sighed.

"It'd fucking better." Yang growled. "Or we're homeschooling Summer."