"Snot Face...?" Fred stared as newly formed tears continued to roll down Lizzie's cheeks. She lifted her sheets up to her face in an attempt to hide from him and continued to cry.

"Alright then, FINE!" He yelled before taking in a deep breath and puffing out his chest to make himself look big and strong, "You asked for it!" He reached towards her in an attempt to commence a tickling war, but she turned away from him. He lowered his outstretched arms in defeat as the air deflated out of him like a balloon.

Fred quickly looked around the room, thinking of what to do. He stared for a moment at the Barbie car in the corner before picking it up. He flung the doll aside, laughing to himself as it hit the wall. Lizzie looked up for a moment, only long enough to see what had happened before burying her face back into the sheets.

"Snot Face, look!" he said almost desperately as he tore off his shoes and jammed his feet into the tiny car, "a perfect fit!" He began 'riding' around in the car as if it were some form of skateboard, while mocking the noises of a revving engine and screeching tires. After a few moments he became silent, waiting to hear the sweet, familiar sound of giggling coming from the little girl. But nothing happened.

He struggled to get himself free, falling over many times in the process. He became frustrated and began banging his foot against the wall until the car finally broke off. His attention moved towards the large glass window across from Lizzie's bed. He crept over to it and flung the doors open. Standing in the window sill, he put his hands on his hips and let out an eardrum-shattering rooster cry. He watched the bundle in her bed for a sign of movement, but still nothing happened. "Aw come on," he said, thinking she'd surely have a reaction, "you always love my Peter Pan..."

He jumped down from the window, slamming the doors shut again in frustration. "C'mon, Snot Face!" He cried out, running back over to her bed. "We've got to get that nasty Captain Hook!" He quickly spun around in a circle and disappeared, only to return seconds later in an eye patch with a large, shiny hook for a hand. "I hear yer after me treasure!" he said in a low, eerie voice, but Lizzie did not look up.

Fred sighed and turned around once more, this time returning in his original outfit. He thought for a moment before reaching up and tugging at his ear. Suddenly he gave it a big yank, and it began to stretch outward becoming larger and larger. Next he grabbed his tongue and yanked it downwards. He stretched it so far that it was nearly to his knees. Lastly he grabbed his nose, and with a bit of a painful expression on his face began to squeeze it. He winced as it became smaller and smaller before tapping Lizzie on the shoulder and smiled as the little girl finally looked up at him.

"Funny face com-...com-peth-tithion?" He stuttered, struggling to get his words out with his tongue hanging so far out of his mouth. But Lizzie did not laugh, or even smile. He watched as new, glistening tears began to form in her eyes before she hid from him once more.

Fred shook his head multiple times until his face finally snapped back into place. He watched as Lizzie shivered under her blanket and pulled at his hair angrily before sitting down next to her on her bed. He put his arm around her and closed his eyes in thought,, thinking there had to be something that he could do.

"Okay," he said quickly, trying to think of something fast, not being able to bear seeing her this upset. "Okay." He rubbed her back gently for a moment before snapping his eyes back open and and blurting out "Why didn't the teacher fart in the classroom?" He stared at her for a moment, knowing he would get no response. "Because she was a private tooter! HAHA!" He made an extremely loud farting noise and shook her shoulder while continuing his fake laugh, but she still didn't look up.

Fred looked away from her and stared down at the bed, feeling defeated. Every imaginary friend knows that corny jokes are a last resort, for emergency use only. If a child doesn't respond to that, you're past the point of no return. He tightened his arm around Lizzie in a last attempt to comfort her. Without saying a word she laid her head on his chest. He could feel his shirt begin to become damp with her tears. He stared for a moment before beginning to rub her back again. "It'll be okay, Snot Face.." he said quietly as Lizzie finally closed her eyes. "We'll be okay..."

He sat there with her for what seemed like hours until he could tell that she had finally fallen asleep. He gently laid her back down on the bed and covered her with her blankets before walking back over to the window. He stared out into the night, pounding his fists violently against his head. "Why, why, WHY!" He said to himself, knowing that he had once again failed at comforting Lizzie.

He slumped down to the floor, running his fingers through his messy red hair. He couldn't be reassigned to another child again, not after how hard he had tried to become friends with Lizzie. He had been with her for months now, but his antics and hyper personality only worked on her half of the time.

He looked back up at the sleeping girl, remembering the first few children he had been assigned to and how they used to laugh together almost non-stop, causing trouble, making messes and driving parents downright insane. He began pulling at the threads in the carpet, knowing that in order to stay with Lizzie something had to change, and fast.