Phys Ed

-Grrface-

It was around 10:30 in the morning. The sun shined down upon the green grass covering the P.E. field at American Lakes Elementary. The field was filled with third-graders playing soccer. Running back and forth, chasing the black and white ball from one end of the field to another, screaming and hollering at one another.

Thomas Koskov stands on the edge of the field watching the game, enjoying the feeling of the hot sun on the back of his neck. A sheen of sweat glistened on his arms and beneath the bill of his cap his brown eyes followed his kids back and forth down the field. These were his kids. He wasn't their father, just their P.E. instructor, but he would protect them more handily than anyone else would. He would die to protect any one of these kids.

His thoughts turn away from the game on the field to the recent news reports. Alexander Reed, Alicia Crandall, and now Samuel Kincaid. All children all missing without a trace. Someone should have protected them. The fury rises like a storm in his heart. What he wouldn't give for just one minute with whatever sick fuck was stealing children. If it was some random mortal, a murderer or a pedophile, then he would take him to pieces, and if it turned out to be one of the gentry then he might die trying without a second thought.

His fantasy of beating the life out of kidnappers was broken by a little voice. He looked down and found that a little girl with blonde pigtails had run up and spoken to him. She called to him by his nickname. Used only by his younger students and his fellow fae.

"Mr. Grrface?" She said; "Rudy said a naughty word."

He looked up and found that the game had stopped and two boys had started arguing loudly with one another. One boy; Rudy, whom the little girl had told on, shoved the other prompting the other boy to shove Rudy back. They both collapsed on the ground grappling and rolling in the clumsy way that young boys wrestle.

This brought a smile to his face. Boys being boys. He let the kids fight it out for a moment - walking, not running to the scene. It was good for them. He knew they would be better for it in the end, and he was here to be their coach not their mother. When he got there he reached in and pulled them apart. Large hands on each of one of their shoulder's, his grip firm but not painful. He leads them off field, as the soccer game resumes behind them. He looks at Rudy. Then he looks at the other boy, a red haired kid named Charles. He clears his throat before he speaks. A low, growl-like, rumble. His voice is a deep tone.

"Alright. Tell me what happened. Charles goes first."

Charles explodes with his explanation. "Rudy kicked me in the shin on purpose and then he called me a b-word!"

"Nuh Uh! You kicked me first and said I played like a girl!" Rudy yells back at Charles. He looks up at Thomas. "He started it Mr. Koskov, honest!"

Thomas shakes his head, his tone rebuking "It doesn't matter who started it, you don't kick each other. You don't call each other names. And you don't fight in school. Both of you, two laps around the field, and if I see you two arguing again then I'm going to get really angry. You two get me?"

"...yes Mr. Koskov..." they both mumble.

"What was that?" Thomas narrows his eyes slightly.

"Yes, Mr. Koskov!" Yelling, this time.

"Hit the road." Thomas shouts, giving them both a little shove on the shoulder. Both kids take off jogging. He glances at his watch. 10:50am. 25 minutes till class changed and 35 minutes until the second grade class. He turned back to the game, crosses his arms, and lets himself enjoy the warm weather being outdoors.