In kindergarten, the twins were starting to accept the other pups.
Scarlet had her group of friends, and she would lecture them a little when they said she couldn't do something.
«My daddy said I can do anything,» she would say every time.
Jaden, on the other hand, was still solitary. He would spend his time in a corner, observing the others and playing with the boring toys they had at their disposal. He had checked almost all of them, and the only interesting one was the house for dolls. It had three floors in total.
«Your sister talks a lot,» another boy said while sitting next to Jaden.
It was the same boy who caused an incident during their first days of school; he had asked them why they didn't have a father.
«I don't want to talk with you,» Jaden said.
He wasn't like Scarlet. He could keep his temper in check and remember the injustices for a long, long time. He could get back at that boy later if he said something more about his mommy.
«But you're always alone! Don't you have any friends?»
«I don't need friends.»
«Okay...»
The boy sighed, observing one of the toys Jaden had discarded.
«Oh, I know! Do you want to play ball? There's a room with a lot of balls. We even have goals so that we can play football.»
«Football?»
«You don't know what it is!» the boy exclaimed before bursting out laughing.
«Most likely, it's not interesting.»
«You have to kick a ball inside the goal. I can teach you. Do you want to come to play with me?»
«Okay,» Jaden said.
In the end, he could learn that game and move on. Either way, he was almost done checking the games in the classroom.
«Come with me, then. My name is Alex.»
«I'm Jaden.»
«I know!»
«You know?»
«Yes. Everyone knows your name. You're the Alpha's pup. My mom told me to make friends with Jaden.»
«Hmm...» the boy hummed. «So you are doing it because your mommy asked you to?»
«Maybe,» Alex said.
«My mommy also said I should make friends,» Jaden pointed out. «I always listen to my mommy.»
«I don't.»
«Oh. But you are doing what she told you.»
«It's because this time I want to. But I don't usually do what she tells me. I'm a big boy, and I don't need her to tell me everything!»
Alex lifted his chin, hands on the sides and a proud expression on his face.
Jaden frowned, confused. Why didn't Alex want to listen to his mommy? And he was so looking forward to growing up... What a fool!
Jaden couldn't help but giggle, but he followed him to the room for sports. It was very similar to a gym, except for the walls that were padded with cushions. It was intended for toddlers, after all. Since they couldn't play outdoors - in the city centre - the management had thought of creating a gym especially for them.
«To play football, you need a ball and a team. You can only kick the ball, and you have to send it in the goal. Who sends the ball in the goal first wins.»
«Oh,» Jaden said. «And are we going to play only once?»
«We can play again later.»
«Two times?» Jaden said. «Three?»
He had just learnt numbers with Nate, and he could already use them!
«We will see,» Alex replied while waving at the other kids. «This is Jaden!»
He introduced his new friend as if he was a celebrity, and the other boys stared with wide mouths. They didn't seem to mind that Jaden didn't know the rules, and they explained how they could.
«But why with the foot only?» Jaden asked. «It's easier with the hands.»
«It's easier, but easy isn't funny.»
«Okay...»
He was perplexed, but he didn't dare discuss it further.
In the end, he would be there for a little only. He would go back to his games later. He could risk spending time with the other kids.
His mommy would be so happy to listen to his adventure! For once, he could say something instead of just listening to Scarlet.
«And what do you do if you don't have the ball?» he asked.
«You try getting it.»
«With the feet only?»
«Exactly.»
Jaden nodded, tapping on his chin with a finger. The rules were pretty clear; he just needed to see how the other kids used their feet exactly. Just kicking the ball seemed too easy.
«Let's go, then!» Alex said while showing Jaden how to direct the ball. They were too distracted to notice one of the other kids approaching from behind. This one stole the ball and ran away while giggling loudly.
«And now?» Jaden said, surprised and desperate. How could he kick the ball in the goal now?
«Now we get it back!» Alex affirmed, clenching one hand in a fist and bending his arm in a sign of resolution.
They ran after the kid with the ball, but they couldn't make it in time. The first kick missed the goal, but another boy was nearby and sent it back. The other team had won, and Jaden was facing a loss with a grim face.
Still, even if it was difficult to win, he didn't dislike that game too much.
«Let's play again,» Alex said, scoffing at the loss but not as desperately as Jaden. He seemed kind of used to losing, actually.
That day, Jaden learned a little about football. He also learned that losing didn't hurt much if you could play again. He lost many, many times, but his team managed to hit the goal quite often.
They played for too long, so he couldn't count how many times he had won and how many times he had lost. Still, he was sure that both the occurrences happened more than thrice.
«I like football,» he commented towards the end of the afternoon. He sat next to Alex to rest, and his eyes started feeling heavy.
Oh, he had forgotten to take a nap that day!
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