Chapter Text
Melvin squeezed his Softy-Fish and tried not to chew on her, cause Mama said he wasn't s'posed to. But then he couldn't help it and did it anyway, chewing on the hard part and staring with big eyes at the TV.
His show was almost over. He knew cause the pitchers were showing up and they had words over them. Mama told him those were called the ‘credits’ and they meant it was time to eat breakfast and stop watching TV.
But today they meant he had to go to school. And he really, really didn't want to go to school.
“Mama are you sure I can't stay home with you and watch the baby? Cause you said I can sometimes help,” He stopped chewing on Softy-Fish so he could talk, “and I wanna help today cause I'm a big kid now, remember?”
Mama smiled really nicely at him and leaned down. She fixed the puffy sleeves of his dress and sighed, her breath smelling like minty toothpaste.
“You are a big kid. But, big kids have to go to school, remember?” She fixed his socks so they were up on his knees again and he pretended that he wouldn't pull them down, “You’re gonna learn all about letters and make so many new friends! Doesn't that sound like fun?”
Melvin shook his head and squeezed Softy-Fish tight, “But you and Dad and the baby and Softy-Fish and Inisisible big bird are my friends!”
And that was a lot! Melvin had lots and lots of friends and they all stayed here safe in the house! He didn't want to get more friends. They wouldn't have anywhere to sleep! Plus they might wake up the baby and then he would cry a lot!
“yes, but don't you want even more friends? They can play all kinds of fun games with you at school!” Mama finished fixing up his clothes and gave him a little pat on his head. She stood up tall and went back to getting the baby ready to go.
Melvin frowned. He didn't wanna play games at school. No one was gonna play games the way they were ‘posed to!
He stood up on his tiptoes and peeked over the table at the baby. He was sleeping all snug in his blankie and Melvin wished he could be sleeping snug in a blankie too.
“but what if the baby gets all lonely and sad cause I'm not here?” he sniffed and tried not to feel really sad cause he was thinking of how much he was gonna miss Mama and Dad and the baby.
“I promise I'll make sure he doesn't get lonely and sad,” Mama said. She held her pinky out for him and Melvin sniffed again and held his pinky out too. And then they shook their pinkies together and Melvin felt a little better.
“why don't you go and get your school bag and we can put Softy-Fish in there, okay?”
Melvin nodded and ran down the hall to get his bag, which was sitting all ready to go on his bed. It was red and blue and yellow, and Mama drew his name on the strap in big, neat letters. He flipped it over and looked at the bottom, where she also drew a fish that looked just like Softy-Fish.
He took the bag and ran back down the hall to the kitchen, his shoes making funny clacky noises on the hard floor. He liked that sound which is why he was so happy Mama let him wear his pretty dress shoes, but they still pinched his toes a little bit.
“Mama can you put Softy-Fish in my bag, pretty please?” He showed her the bad, arms feeling all wobbly because it was so heavy. After drawing his name and the fish, Mama had filled it all full with crayons.
Mama took the bag and opened it up, picking up Softy-Fish very careful and putting her in the bag too. Then she closed the bag nice and tight and handed it to him.
“can Insisible Big Bird go to school, too?” He asked, squeezing the bag since he couldn't squeeze Softy-Fish no more.
Mama made a funny face like she was thinking and tapped her chin, but Melvin knee she was just pretending and being silly!
“Hmmm, does he promise to behave himself?” she asked, looking around the room.
Melvin made the silly thinking face and tapped on his chin too. He looked around the room and pretended to see Insisible Big Bird - but no one could see him cause he was insisible!
“I think he will be very good and he's not even gonna pretend to be good like at the restaurant!” Melvin promised, giving Mama a wink so she knew he was pretending too.
She winked back and nodded very seriously. She picked up the funny baby carrier and clicked all the straps on. Melvin loved when Mama carried the baby like that because he could see the baby better than when he was in the stroller!
And the baby liked the funny carrier better cause he never, ever cried when Mama was carrying him, but sometimes he did when he was in the stroller.
“Okay, then I think he can go. Are you all ready to go?” Mama picked up the baby and put him in the funny carrier, making sure his arms and legs were poking out like a funny starfish. Melvin peered at his little face and he was still sleeping, which was good cause Melvin didn't want the baby to see him being scared.
“Are you really, really sure I can’t stay home?” He asked, following Mama to the door. She put her shoes on and picked up the jingling house keys.
“Yes, I'm really, really sure. And I'm really, really sure that you're gonna have the best day ever,okay?”
He nodded, but it was a pretending nod. Mama held out her hand and Melvin took it, letting her help him down the front stairs even though he was big enough to do it himself.
They walked down the sidewalk to the very end of the yard, and then turned and went down the real, big kids sidewalk.
It was just like when Mama and Melvin and the baby went on their walks except this time they had to walk wayyyyy further! Melvin never walked so far in his whole life!
The walk was really, really fun even though it msfr his legs tired. He saw a squirrel and a bird LOTS of dogs in people's yards. They were really loud and Melvin made sure they didn't wake the baby up, but he was good at sleeping and didn't wake up at all!
Melvin almost forgot about school until Mama stopped in front of a big, square building.
“This is it! Look at all the kids, Mel!”
He stopped with her and looked, staring at all the kids walking by. They were lots and lots of big kids, but also some small kids like him with their mamas and dads all walking into the building. Some mamas even had babies in strollers!
“is this the school? I thought mamas and dads weren't allowed to go in?” Melvin followed Mama up the stairs, which were even smaller than the stairs at home.
“well, today is a special day. Since its the first day of school, Moms and dads are allowed to come in and give their big kids one last hug before they have to go,” Mama said, squeezing his hand a little. She opened the door and they walked through, Melvin frowning when all the sounds and smells exploded from in front of him.
They were kids and moms and dads everywhere. Their shiny shoes all clacked and tapped and squeaked on the shiny floor and it made him want to cover his ears and cry. But he just squeezed Mama's hand and followed her down the long hallway.
It smelled like stinky cleaning smells and like when his big kid cousin came over after baseball. Melvin rubbed his nose with the back of his hand and hoped it would be not so stinky in his classroom.
Mama opened a door and walked Melvin into a room that was way, way quieter and smelled like warm flowers! He sniffed super hard and smelled it again, the big sniff making his head hurt a little. He squeezed his eyes closed and shook his head and was all better really fast, though.
The room was really huge - huger than even their living room! The floor was a pretty blue carpet, but didn't look very soft.
There was also lots and lots of toys.
Under the big huge window was a LOT of blocks! Melvin loved blocks! And on the other side there was a kitchen with fake foods that looked really, really fun to chew on. And there was even a bunch of stuffed animals and little toy houses in one corner. There was also some tables and little tiny chairs and then a tall table and chair at the front. Next to that was a chock-bored, which Mama had told him about and he saw on TV.
There was also lots of kids, but not so many as out in the hallway. There were lots of mamas and dads,too!
“Mama, look! Those Mamas and Dads get to stay, so you and the baby can stay, too!” He wiggled a little in excitrment, hoping Mama really did get to stay.
“They’re just giving kisses and huge goodbye, see?” Mama pointed to another Mama who was squeezing a little girl really tightly. And then the Mama waved bye-bye and walked away, right out the door!
Melvin frowned. He didn’t want Mama to leave. He wanted her to stay and be with him!
Mama walked him to the seats and pointed at a little paper. He couldn’t read it cause he wasn't good at letters yet, but Mama said it spelled his name.
He sniffed and felt his face get all hot. He really didn't like to cry in front of the baby, but it happened a lot.
“Are you sure you can't stay?” He asked, standing in front of the desk and setting his bag down on top, “I promise I'll be really, really good!”
Mama leaned down so her and the baby were close to Melvin. He could smell her minty toothpaste again and her nice perfume.
“Oh, come here baby” She pulled him into a almost-squeezy side hug, being careful so she didn't squish the baby. Melvin put his face in her neck and sniffed more of her perfume even though it made him start to cry even more.
“I promise it'll be okay. You're gonna have lots and lots of fun,” Her chest vibrated when she talked and Melvin closed his eyes and squeezed his hands and tried not to cry. Even though he was already crying. But he was trying to be quiet for the baby.
“bu-but I wanna stay wi-with you…” He sniffed loudly, rubbing his face on her shirt, “I w-w-wanna go home…”
Mama sighed really big and squeezed him a little closer, giving him a kiss on the forehead when she did, “I’m sorry, sweetheart, but you gotta go to school,”
She pulled away a little and Melvin whined, squeezing his hands together and trying really hard not to cry anymore. But he just kept crying, his throat feeling all sad and scratchy and tight. His nose was all stuffed up too, so noe he couldn't even smell her nice perfume.
“Listen, Melvin. Do you think you can be super brave for the baby?” Mama asked.
He looked at the baby, who was still sleeping, and nodded, squeezing and unsqueezing his hands while he thought about it. He could always be a super brave big brother for the baby. Even when he fell and hurt his knee he always was brave so the baby didn't get scared and cry.
“one day the baby is gonna have to go to school, too. And then you'll have to be the very bravest big brother you can be and help him, okay?” Mama put a hand on his hand and made his hair all fluffy, “do you think you can do that?”
Melvin sniffed really big to get rid of his sniffles and nodded. He could do that. He would do his best so the baby wouldn't be scared when they had to go to school too!
“I can do it….” He whsipered, and Mama gave him a big huge smile. She hugged him tight again and squeezed really, really good, “that’s my brave big kid!”
She gave him a kiss on the head and promised she loved him so, so, so much and then she got up. Melvin watched her walk away and waved, still all sniffly, and tried really hard not to cry.
He got Softy-Fish out and chewed on the hard part of her and tried super, super, super duper hard not to cry. But then he remembered how much he missed Mama and Dad and the baby and started crying so hard he couldn't even barely breath and the teacher had to give him a hug and tell him it was aright.
And he didn't mind that much cause it was a nice squeezy hug like Mama gave and the teacher lady smelled like flowers and green and warm and that made him feel better.
And he remembered he had to be brave for the baby so he could help them later and that made him feel even better. He was gonna be the bravest, best big brother ever!
