Briony just shrugged. After watching enough movies she had worked this part out herself. “I’m their sad little girl in the corner.” She stopped skipping and stared at the windows of the school. “The one who lost everyone in some terrible accident and probably saw everything.” She wasn’t sure how she managed to sound bored by her own explanation. “Except I didn’t.” It was just that when she started school she didn’t know or like anybody, and the kids closest to her all seemed unsettled from the beginning. She hadn’t been all that surprised. “But that way teacher makes others come over and play with me so then they have to sit near by,” she added with a smile. Couldn’t just ignore what teacher told you to do. Couldn’t run away from a little girl who had a grip about as strong as your dad’s. “Pretties?” Briony eyed Bubbles’ hair with a vague suspicion – but only because she had seen this demon on television that had huge horns and then later had it confirmed by someone else that demons really could have in real life. “They noticed my ears are a bit pointy and they just think it’s a thing. Ooh, or my eyes. That one’s better.” Her heels clicked together. “But that just makes them go wash their faces. The teachers, I mean.” Kids didn’t do stuff like washing their face in cold water because they were unnerved. They started crying instead. It got boring after a while.
“Think if I bit her they’d have me put down?” Briony’s face brightened up at that thought. It was immediately the next thing she wanted to try. Could her teeth induce fear, or did it have to be skin? Because then it would just be even more interesting if she refused to let go. “When you do, can I watch?” Because it wasn’t a matter of her parents allowing her to have a puppy, it was how fast they could obtain the right one. “And what kind’s the best?” Some were as big as her. Or they grew as big as her and she would eventually be able to ride it like a pony. She’s feeling the prickles too. The prickles that Briony never ever felt unless she was just cold and needed to shiver. The ones that everyone else associated with Fear – with her, if you knew your Vices. Weird that demons could affect each other like that. “Yeah.” She gave an amused smile, “Rachel hates it when I use that as a curse-word. But she can put her head in the oven before I start saying ‘goshdarnit’.” Yes, she was nine, and there were certain borders nine year olds were not supposed to cross – especially those who had been adopted by a religious family – but Briony tended to stomp all over them then doodle childish atrocities on them with her favourite-coloured sharpies. And that, her mind informed her after a moment, made Bubbles eighty-one. Her eyes widened a little in awe. That was just cool in her opinion. But then being a demon was just cool in her opinion. “Because no one ever suspects the kids?” She rocked back on her heels, looking more and more amused. Countless movies gave the distinct impression that children were not to be trusted but people never paid attention, and yet there were two perfect reasons to standing right on the playground.