Chapter Text
Dudley tied his new sneakers, brushing tiny flecks of dirt off the bright blue designs. Today was another day of school. Sitting at a desk, listening to the teacher drone on and on until receration time. Rec time was his favorite part of the day, because it was followed by lunch.
"Blue shoes Dudley?" Piers asked as they walked to school.
"Yeah," Dudley said. "What about it?"
"Why would you get blue shoes?"
"Because blue is a nice color,"
"Since when?"
"Since forever,"
"...don't you mean since Sinclair joined our class?"
"What? No, she has nothing to do with me liking the color blue. Why would you think that? Don't be weird,"
Piers rolled his eyes. Dudley huffed, shaking away the heat heat in his cheeks. It was windy this morning, that was it. He wasn't embarrassed.
Mrs. Bovino wrapped up her lesson on maths with a reminder about their homework packets being due tomorrow.
"Since it's raining, rec time will be inside today," Mrs. Bovino said. "Dismissed,"
Dudley made his way to the art corner. He pulled out a cranyon box, paper, and the stickers.
"Oh! Your shoes are so pretty!" A girl said from under the large art table. Her head pokes out from the opening in the center of the table. "Blue is my favorite color you know? I love your shoes,"
"Thank you," Dudley squeaked, coughing to clear his throat. "What are you doing?"
"Playing house," Carla said. "As baby Flora's Mummy I've gotta protect her from the evil queen Maddison so we're in hidding,"
Dudley turned to see Maddison, the blonde girl was holding her own baby doll and gossiping with her groupies. They each had a doll themselves, and were laughing at something Maddison said.
Carla disappeared under the table. She tugged on Dudley's pants and handed him her baby doll. He awkwardly held the doll while Carla crawled out from under the table.
"That's not how you hold a baby," Carla said adjusting Dudley's grip on the doll. "Flora is a newborn, so you gotta support her head,"
"Okay," Dudley held the doll in his arms, the smalls head in the crook of his elbow.
"Be good for your Daddy now Flora," Carla said, kissing the doll's forehead. "Mummy needs to find the diaper bag,"
Dudley watched Carla walk over to her school bag. A glance towards the reading nook had Dudley foucsing on the doll in his arms. Piers was laughing at him, again.
"Stupid Piers" Dudley said. "Blue is just a nice color. Carla has nothing to do with me liking the color blue. It's not like I asked for these shoes so she'd talk to me. That's stupid. I just like these shoes,"
The doll's eyes slipped closed when Dudley titled his arm lower, but otherwise didn't react.
"Alright, I've got baby formula and diapers, and clean baby clothes-" Carla said putting the yellow and blue bag on the art table. "Oh! You got Flora to sleep, poor baby. She must've been so tired. Let Mummy clean her up, the baby cradle is in the storage closet,"
Carla carefully took the doll from Dudley's arms with a smile.
"I'll get the cradle," Dudley said, watching Carla change the doll's diaper and dress the doll in a new outfit.
"Thank you Dudley,"
Dudley opened the storage closet, where all the extra toys and book were kept when not being used. Flipping on the light, he eyed all the different toys. The cradle had wheels which made moving it easier. There was also a few other things that looked like toy versions of house things. He grabbed a basket of toy food and dishes. A box of toy tools, and a tea set. He pushed them out of the closet in the cradle.
Carla was in the rocking chair when Dudley returned from the closet with the toys. She was signing the doll a lullaby, and Dudley started setting up the cradle for the doll.
"I'll sell my only spinning wheel, to buy my love a sword of steel~" Carla sang, her voice as soft and warm as a Disney princess.
Dudley wasn't sad when she finished, it was just a really pretty song. Piers was going to hurt himself laughing so much. If he did then he deserved it.
"Sleep well baby Flora," Carla said, tucking the doll into the cradle blankets.
"Goodnight baby," Dudley said awkwardly patting the blankets. Carla smiled, and Dudley swelled with pride. He might not know how to play house, but he was glad he was doing it right.
Carla set up the plates and the tea cups, and Dudley sat down across from her.
"It's almost Holloween," Carla said as she poured imaginary tea into their toy tea cups.
"Yeah," Dudley nodded. "I'm making cupcakes with my Mum this year because my Dad's got a meeting,"
"That sounds like fun! Not the meeting, those are boring, but baking is a lot of fun. I made a cake once with my Mama but...it didn't turn out well. Daddy kept trying to make them coffee cakes and it got really messy," she laughed.
Dudley smiled, admiring the way Carla's eyes shined when she grinned or the way her shoulders shook when she laughed. There was nothing wrong or weird about enjoying her company, Dudley thought. She was his friend, and he liked spending time with her. There was nothing weird about it.
"What do we have here?" An uninvited voice asked, standing over them. "Has the dog found a new Master?"
Dudley stood up, glaring at Maddison.
"Leave us alone," he said.
"I think not," she said. "You should know better than to befriend stray dogs Dudley,"
"She's not a dog,"
"My Mummy says she is, just like her Mother,"
"My Mum isn't a dog," Carla said narrowing her brown eyes at the blonde.
"Keep barking doggie," Maddison rolled her eyes, grabbing the doll from the cradle. "Dogs like you two shouldn't have babies, and there's no way you'd ever get a job good enough to buy one of these,"Maddison rolled the cradle towards her friends.
"This baby is mine now doggie," Maddison said. "Only respectable mother's should raise children,"
Carla balled her hands into fists. Dudley wished he could hit something.
Rec time ended shortly after Maddison took their doll away. Carla and Dudley put away their toys before heading to lunch. Carla disappeared into the library and Dudley sat with Piers.
"Carla and Dudley sitting in a tree~" Piers sang.
"Shut up,"
"Just saying, you definitely have a crush on her,"
"I do not have a crush,"
After lunch, Maddison was sent home in tears. Her blonde hair had been choppily cut to her shoulders and dyed a horrid shade of green. Carla shot Dudley a smug smile during class and he grinned.
"Definitely a crush," Piers said with a shake of his head.