“Artist, sweetheart, time to get up for your first day of work,” A female voice called up the stairs. After a couple of minutes Artist could hear her mother coming up the stairs, sounding rather annoyed.

“ArtistFire, i’m not going to say this a second time get up and go downstairs” her mother almost yelled. Artist sat up and looked at her mother, she started to rock back-and-forth covering her ears.

“Artist no go work,” she finally said. The house the family lived in was rather small since it was only Artist and her mother, unfortunately Artist’s father had died a long time ago.

“Ok then I will be downstairs if you decide to come out of your room you can come downstairs and eat something” Artist’s mother said as she walked out of her daughters room. The minute her mother was gone Artist started to get herself ready for work. Artist has cerebral palsy and autism which makes life pretty difficult but she can manage it very well, well at least she has for the past couple of years.

But how will the two years of preparation to go into the field of work go for her?

When Artist had done dressing herself she crawled out of her room, because of her cerebral palsy Artist can’t walk, so she goes down the stairs on her butt.

Once Artist was downstairs, her mother sat her at the table.

“Morning squirt,” Artist’s auntie greeted her. The woman who the voice belonged to had Rainbow colored hair, and her name was Rainbow Dash.

“Morning guys!” A girl with pink hair said bounding up to them and sitting down. “Now, Pinkie you know that Artist don’t like it when ya are too loud,” A girl with a cowboy hat on and boots to match said while coming into the room.

“I know that, Applejack,” The pink girl whose name was apparently Pinkie Pie said to the other girl.

“Well hey Artist,” Applejack greeted getting no response.

Then out of the blue there came the most beautiful song of all and into the room flew to little Blue Jays, followed by a girl in a dress holding a baton.

“Morning!” The girl greeted.

“Artist want bread,” Artist finally spoke up.

“Artist, what do you say?” Her mother gently prodded.

“You say?” Artist repeated looking down at the floor not making eye contact with her mother.

“Artist we say please when we want somethin’ ya know,” Applejack tried.

“Want something?” Artist asked in confusion.

“This is harder than we thought,” Applejack whispered to Rainbow Dash.

“No kidding, I don’t have much experience with autism or cerebral palsy for that matter, but I know when it comes down to our friendship I am always willing to help,” Rainbow said competently.

“Artist is all done,” Artist said once she had finished her bread.

“Good, let’s get you to work!” her mother said excitedly.

After a couple of struggles getting Artist’s braces on they were ready. “Let’s go” Pinkie who had gone to the car squealed.

“Remember Artist if you want something use your words don’t fuss,” Ms Sparkle said to her daughter before putting her in the car and driving to the workplace.

Once Artist saw the big building, that would be her new workplace which was right next to the old army hospital, she squealed in excitement.

“Settle down, Artist,” Applejack who had accompanied them to the workplace to be Artist’s assistant said.

“Here we are!” Artist’s mom said when they pulled into the parking lot of the workplace, Applejack got Artist out of the car and placed her in her wheelchair.

“Well, have fun you guys I’ll see you at four,” Artist’s mom said give an Artist a kiss.

The minute that Artist and applejack walk to the door to go inside, a boy with what looked to appear like down syndrome had stopped them.

“Hey, you’re new here!” he said getting way too close to Artist.

Artist started to fuss.

“What’s wrong with her?” The boy whose name was James asked.

“Now you listen here she doesn’t like when you get close to her, got it!” applejack almost screeched.

“Yes, I understand,” James said with a horrified look on his face as he went inside.

Standing off to the side of the crowd was a boy who looked to be about 17 or so, Artist pointed over to where he was standing.

“Do you want to go meet him?” Applejack asked.

“Meet him,” Artist repeated.

“Ok!” Applejack said as she and Artist went to greet the boy.

“Well hey there, you ok?” Applejack attempted to start a conversation. The boy didn’t say anything he simply looked down at the ground shuffling his feet.

“You have name?” Artist asked the boy.

“Yes, the name is Jack,” The boy replied with a solemn tone.

“Your name?” Artist repeated.

“I told ya it’s Jack, leave me alone?” The boy said before going inside.

Once the girls went inside and up to the room, Artist open the door to see a boy in an electric wheelchair sitting at a table working, The others that Artist had also met previously were sitting at tables.

Artist went up to the boy and greeted him.

“Hey, my name ArtistFire, but please call me Artist,” Artist introduced herself.

The boy jolted up when he heard Artist talking to him.

“Hey dude calm down,” Jack who had been standing at the table silently listening spoke. The boy's breathing became steady again.

“There you go,” Jack said calmly. Artist looked at Jack and smiled the biggest smile Applejack had ever seen.

“Hey yo guys what up?” A guy with brown hair walked into the room making finger guns and sat down at his desk.

“Hey Jack you ok?”

“You seem awfully quiet today,” The guy whose name was John asked.

“I’m fine.” Jack replied not looking at John.

“We can talk about what’s bothering you if you want,” John continued.

“I need a moment alone,” Jack said while walking out of the room and closing the door. Jack was a tall and handsome young boy.

“So you sleep well, Harry?” John asked the boy in the electric wheelchair.

“C-could be-b-better,” Harry struggled to get his words out.

“Right, I see that we have a new addition to our workforce, let’s all welcome ArtistFire and her assistant Applejack!” John said to his group.

A chorus of greetings were given.

“Ok, settle down,” John addressed his group.

Artist was getting fussy as she pointed to the door.

“Oh, don’t worry he’ll be back,” Applejack reassured her.

At that very moment Jack came back into the room and sat next to Artist who was beaming. “Miss me?” Jack asked in his low and calm tone as he ruffled Artist’s hair.

As Applejack saw that Jack was helping Artist she swooned. “Jack and Artist sitting in a tree k-i-s-s-i-g, then comes love, then comes marriage,” James sang.

“And then comes Artist with a baby carriage,” Harry finished.

Jack shot Harry and James looks of disappointment.

“We will speak of this later,” Jack said through gritted teeth.

Author's Note

This is very loosely based off my own life. I don’t have autism but I have cerebral palsy, and I do go to work in something we here in Germany call a Werkstatt.

I hope that you will enjoy this chapter and look forward to more because they will be more right now my other story that I am working on the Victorian way of life is on hiatus.