Chapter Text
You should be here , Jim thinks as he stares at the large building that looms before him. He glances around nervously, before deciding that the ground sure seems like a good thing to look at. He doesn't want to go in there. He doesn't know anyone. What if they don't like him? What if they think he's stupid? What if they're mean to him? He just wants to go home. Who needs school anyway?
He looks up to see another little boy his age in an embrace with his parents. Jim feels tears prick his eyes, and bites his lip. He wants that, what the other boy has, but his mom couldn't be bothered to show up to drop him off for his first day of school. No, she'd taken some extra shifts for work and wouldn't be home for another week or two. And his dad…Jim felt a tear fall down his cheek and clenched his fists at his sides. He'd never met his dad. His mom had said he was on a far away mission, in a place called Heaven, and couldn't come home. She'd said he was a hero. But Jim didn't want his dad to be a hero on a far away mission. Jim wanted his dad to be there, in this moment, hugging him and telling him he would be okay, that he'd see him after school, and then he'd wipe Jim's tears away, and give him a big smile.
"What if they don't like me, daddy?"
"Not like you? That's nonsense, Jimmy! You're a Kirk. We're known for charming the pants off of people."
Jim would giggle. His dad would hug him one more time, then give him a playful push toward the school.
Jim feels another tear fall from his eye, and lowers his head, dragging his feet as he walks toward the school. He just wanted his parents there, but they weren't, and he'd have to brave this alone. He just hoped his dad would be proud of him when he came home.