Karen eyes drooped from boredom. Her teacher's voice now was a hypnotic
blur buzzing in the background. She had tuned him out in the first 5
minutes of class. Normally it would have taken 15 minutes but today was
brutally hot and the heat seemed to slow her brain down faster then normal.
Oh well that was okay because the window was always fascinating. Today a
bee had decided that it could fly through solids and was repeatedly banging
its head against the glass. After one particular hard head bang Karen let
out a snort. The teacher turned around and inquired:
"Do you find something particularly amusing ... Ms. Edwards?" He asked as his eyes roving the register. She had been in this class for a year and he still did not remember her name. Karen rolled her eyes.
"Not really I was just looking out the window, it was more amusing this morning then it usually is," She retorted.
"So all year you have learned nothing but what's entertaining outside the window?" His voice betrayed a hint of anger.
"No I learned lots actually all I had to do was read the textbook," Karen said. More then I learned from you, she added silently.
"Well pray tell us what you have learned from this class!" He asked dramatically.
"That this is a really boring class," Karen said earning her a couple of laughs from her peers. His face turned red, always a danger sign with this particular teacher.
"Well then tell me how you would make the circulatory system exciting?" He demanded his voice rising slightly.
"Not my job Teach," She answered using her shortened nickname she used when addressing teachers. Her classmates giggled as his face turned redder. He was about to answer when the bell interrupted him. Karen got up swiftly and smiled at him.
"See you on Monday," She added with a wink and left the room at a brisk pace. She headed outside for her gym class. A couple of her friends ran to catch up with her she listened to their conversation rather the adding in her own thoughts. She felt it again. The pain started ripping at her insides. The Monster was back to attack her. The Monster was the pain she had dubbed that had been visiting her more and more frequently. She grasped her side and bit her lip. Her friend noticed her grimace and asked if she was okay. She smiled and answered yes as always, but Karen knew something was not right.
She was unusually silent at dinner. A visit to the doctor had silenced her tongue. Her mother smiled encouragement and squeezed her arm. Her sister not noticing anything unusual chatted on. Karen wanted to shut her up but a warning glance from her mother kept her tongue at bay.
"You know it's not like she's really pretty or anything but he still likes her for some reason," She added sorrowfully. "But that's okay because he will see what she really is soon enough," Ann smiled and then plunged into her food again. Karen normally ignored her sister but today she was more annoying then normal, if that was possible. Karen sighed. She had been jealous of her sister for a long time. Her sister was the typical blonde blue eyed beauty, she also was taller then Karen. Which wasn't right with her because Karen was 15 and she was only 12. Ann topped her 5'3 inch frame by a whole 3 inches. She was still growing too and the way she was going she would probably end up being a model or something. The only thing she lacked was figure, which Karen had but didn't really faze her because as soon as Ann was done growing she would have a way nicer figure then she did. Stupid pretty blonde, Karen thought. Just they way her face was in repose made her want to punch her lights out. Maybe it was because Ann took after their mother who was a legendary beauty herself. Karen took after her father they both shared dark hair and brown eyes. Her father was of welsh descendant, and her mother had Danish parents.
Nothing I can do about it though, Karen though for the hundredth time.
"Grumpy pass the milk," Ann said. Karen practically threw it at her.
"Hey calm down, I didn't do anything to you freak show," Ann added. The insult didn't hurt because that was Karen's favorite insult she usually used for Ann.
"Both of you stop it, Ann lay off," Their mother chided before adding "We have some news for everyone when the whole family gets here," Their father and little brother JD was due to arrive home later that night. Ann knew better to ask her mother before she was ready.
"I'm leaving," Karen got up abruptly slamming her cup down and glaring at Ann.
"Whoa PMS," Ann glared back. Karen was so close to hitting her but breathed out her frustration and added.
"At least I have mine Cousin It," Karen snarled. She whirled around and left leaving the idea with Ann that she wasn't really a female because she wasn't capable of having children yet. But at that thought Karen slowed down thinking of the doctors visit. She burst outside just as a dry sob jumped out of her. A couple more but she refused to let tears come. She hadn't cried in years and she was going to start now. Letting out a breath she headed out to her family's garden and sat among the tomatoes. She then lay on her back and watched the stars come out. One twinkled, then another came out and winked at her. It was very soothing to watch them come out and Karen didn't think she just let memories of her childhood come and flash through her mind.
Childhood. She didn't realize that in a strange way, she really missed it. It's so easy to be a child. Everything was so much simpler. Karen remembered the day she had gotten in a fight with her best friend Mandy because Mandy had said she was to old to play house any more. She remembered a pattern of other things. Some of her toys were moved up to the attic. Her parents started expecting more from her, her body changed. For a fleeting second she wished she could go back but realized it was impossible. But then she looked at the stars, twinkling at her asking for her to wish upon them, so she did.
"I wish I could go back and be a child again ... when life made sense," She murmured softly.
"How about you just never grow up?" A voice asked. Though at first it sounded like the tinkling of bells. Karen bolted up.
"Who said that?" She demanded.
"Look over here" The voice called her to look down at one of the tomato plants. Underneath one of the leaves hid a tiny creature.
"What are you?" Karen asked breathlessly. This creature was so beautiful. All she could make out was that is was a tiny person with wings. She blinked thinking it might disappear but it didn't.
"I'm a Fairy ... and DON'T say we that we can't exist because first off we do and second every time someone says that one of us dies," His tiny voice peeped threateningly. He flew a little closer so that his light started to blind her a little.
"Fairy dim the lights man your blinding me," Karen asked disbelieving slightly. Maybe she was imagining it. He seemed real enough ... all though it defied everything she had ever learned or conceived to be real.
"Sorry can't really control it," He answered. "What's your name?" Karen asked peering him over.
"Just call me Blue," he said.
"What is it short for? Big Blue?" She asked jesting slightly.
"Ha ha that wasn't funny at all." He commented dryly.
"What? Don't like my sense of humor?" Karen asked innocently.
"No," he said.
"Well to bad I'm not going to change it to accommodate you fairy man," she said.
"Hey I said my name was Blue use it,"
"Well you certainly are commanding a lot of respect their little man... ahem I mean ... Blue," She smiled.
"Hey when will you humans learn that size is not relative to power?" He asked.
"If size isn't relative to power what's going to stop me from squishing you like a bug?" She asked.
"The very thing that's going to stop you from growing up," His voice hinting a note of pride.
"Oh your just saying that because your afraid I'm going to squish you," She said smiling.
"Hey remember what I said about that sense of humor," He added warningly. He flew up to the top of the tomato plant. "Aren't you the least bit curious about me? Where I come from?" He asked.
"I haven't processed it yet. It's not every day I talk to someone the size of my hand." Karen said. "Well tell me then O wise fairy," She asked.
"Why are you so darn sarcastic?" He asked her but never the less continued on.
"I come from a place called Neverland, you don't age there, you don't grow. Think of it as a eternal fountain of youth and you have just been specially invited to come and take a drink." Blue said.
"So if I go to this place how long will I stay there?" She asked eyeing him suspiciously.
"I said eternal so that would be for a very long time," Blue said.
"What else is there? I feel as if I am only seeing the tip of the iceberg," Karen asked.
"Everything the mind can imagine, every thing you have ever dreamed of or read in story books you will find in Neverland," Blue said. Karen thought
"This sounds all very exciting Mr. Fairy but how would we get there?" She asked.
"Fly of course," He said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"But humans can't fly," She said.
"Ah but that is where I aid you," He said. He then blew some of the fairy dust onto her face. She sneezed.
"What are you doing?" She demanded. He ignored her. "Now think of the happiest thought you can think of," He instructed.
"This is ridiculous..." She began but he cut her off.
"Just do it!" He squeaked.
"Fine! Schools over, candy, puppies ... oh I don't know." She ended for a moment then began chanting more and more. The more she did it the more she believed and when she looked down she was floating off the ground. Her fear took over and that's when gravity did.
"Oh my gosh, this isn't right! It defies the laws of physics, of gravity!" She shouted.
"Magic defies all those things," Blue said.
"But there is no such thing as magic!" Karen shouted at him.
"I exist don't I?" He said.
"This is ridiculous, I'm dreaming, I've ... I'm leaving," She got up and stalked back into the house. He didn't follow her so it just made her think that she had dreamed the entire conversation. But when she got into the house she realized she didn't want to face her family. Just not yet. So she walked up to her room and decided to sleep instead. She flopped onto her bed and got under the covers. She only slept for a couple of hours before waking up again. Her thoughts churned. If she could go to this place she wouldn't be sick anymore. If this place existed it would stop her from growing ... but this place didn't exist so it was of no value to her. Unless ... if it did she wouldn't be ... anymore.
"Blue?" Karen called out into the darkness.
"Finally," Blue answered.
"I think I'm ready to go to Neverland," Karen said.
"Do you find something particularly amusing ... Ms. Edwards?" He asked as his eyes roving the register. She had been in this class for a year and he still did not remember her name. Karen rolled her eyes.
"Not really I was just looking out the window, it was more amusing this morning then it usually is," She retorted.
"So all year you have learned nothing but what's entertaining outside the window?" His voice betrayed a hint of anger.
"No I learned lots actually all I had to do was read the textbook," Karen said. More then I learned from you, she added silently.
"Well pray tell us what you have learned from this class!" He asked dramatically.
"That this is a really boring class," Karen said earning her a couple of laughs from her peers. His face turned red, always a danger sign with this particular teacher.
"Well then tell me how you would make the circulatory system exciting?" He demanded his voice rising slightly.
"Not my job Teach," She answered using her shortened nickname she used when addressing teachers. Her classmates giggled as his face turned redder. He was about to answer when the bell interrupted him. Karen got up swiftly and smiled at him.
"See you on Monday," She added with a wink and left the room at a brisk pace. She headed outside for her gym class. A couple of her friends ran to catch up with her she listened to their conversation rather the adding in her own thoughts. She felt it again. The pain started ripping at her insides. The Monster was back to attack her. The Monster was the pain she had dubbed that had been visiting her more and more frequently. She grasped her side and bit her lip. Her friend noticed her grimace and asked if she was okay. She smiled and answered yes as always, but Karen knew something was not right.
She was unusually silent at dinner. A visit to the doctor had silenced her tongue. Her mother smiled encouragement and squeezed her arm. Her sister not noticing anything unusual chatted on. Karen wanted to shut her up but a warning glance from her mother kept her tongue at bay.
"You know it's not like she's really pretty or anything but he still likes her for some reason," She added sorrowfully. "But that's okay because he will see what she really is soon enough," Ann smiled and then plunged into her food again. Karen normally ignored her sister but today she was more annoying then normal, if that was possible. Karen sighed. She had been jealous of her sister for a long time. Her sister was the typical blonde blue eyed beauty, she also was taller then Karen. Which wasn't right with her because Karen was 15 and she was only 12. Ann topped her 5'3 inch frame by a whole 3 inches. She was still growing too and the way she was going she would probably end up being a model or something. The only thing she lacked was figure, which Karen had but didn't really faze her because as soon as Ann was done growing she would have a way nicer figure then she did. Stupid pretty blonde, Karen thought. Just they way her face was in repose made her want to punch her lights out. Maybe it was because Ann took after their mother who was a legendary beauty herself. Karen took after her father they both shared dark hair and brown eyes. Her father was of welsh descendant, and her mother had Danish parents.
Nothing I can do about it though, Karen though for the hundredth time.
"Grumpy pass the milk," Ann said. Karen practically threw it at her.
"Hey calm down, I didn't do anything to you freak show," Ann added. The insult didn't hurt because that was Karen's favorite insult she usually used for Ann.
"Both of you stop it, Ann lay off," Their mother chided before adding "We have some news for everyone when the whole family gets here," Their father and little brother JD was due to arrive home later that night. Ann knew better to ask her mother before she was ready.
"I'm leaving," Karen got up abruptly slamming her cup down and glaring at Ann.
"Whoa PMS," Ann glared back. Karen was so close to hitting her but breathed out her frustration and added.
"At least I have mine Cousin It," Karen snarled. She whirled around and left leaving the idea with Ann that she wasn't really a female because she wasn't capable of having children yet. But at that thought Karen slowed down thinking of the doctors visit. She burst outside just as a dry sob jumped out of her. A couple more but she refused to let tears come. She hadn't cried in years and she was going to start now. Letting out a breath she headed out to her family's garden and sat among the tomatoes. She then lay on her back and watched the stars come out. One twinkled, then another came out and winked at her. It was very soothing to watch them come out and Karen didn't think she just let memories of her childhood come and flash through her mind.
Childhood. She didn't realize that in a strange way, she really missed it. It's so easy to be a child. Everything was so much simpler. Karen remembered the day she had gotten in a fight with her best friend Mandy because Mandy had said she was to old to play house any more. She remembered a pattern of other things. Some of her toys were moved up to the attic. Her parents started expecting more from her, her body changed. For a fleeting second she wished she could go back but realized it was impossible. But then she looked at the stars, twinkling at her asking for her to wish upon them, so she did.
"I wish I could go back and be a child again ... when life made sense," She murmured softly.
"How about you just never grow up?" A voice asked. Though at first it sounded like the tinkling of bells. Karen bolted up.
"Who said that?" She demanded.
"Look over here" The voice called her to look down at one of the tomato plants. Underneath one of the leaves hid a tiny creature.
"What are you?" Karen asked breathlessly. This creature was so beautiful. All she could make out was that is was a tiny person with wings. She blinked thinking it might disappear but it didn't.
"I'm a Fairy ... and DON'T say we that we can't exist because first off we do and second every time someone says that one of us dies," His tiny voice peeped threateningly. He flew a little closer so that his light started to blind her a little.
"Fairy dim the lights man your blinding me," Karen asked disbelieving slightly. Maybe she was imagining it. He seemed real enough ... all though it defied everything she had ever learned or conceived to be real.
"Sorry can't really control it," He answered. "What's your name?" Karen asked peering him over.
"Just call me Blue," he said.
"What is it short for? Big Blue?" She asked jesting slightly.
"Ha ha that wasn't funny at all." He commented dryly.
"What? Don't like my sense of humor?" Karen asked innocently.
"No," he said.
"Well to bad I'm not going to change it to accommodate you fairy man," she said.
"Hey I said my name was Blue use it,"
"Well you certainly are commanding a lot of respect their little man... ahem I mean ... Blue," She smiled.
"Hey when will you humans learn that size is not relative to power?" He asked.
"If size isn't relative to power what's going to stop me from squishing you like a bug?" She asked.
"The very thing that's going to stop you from growing up," His voice hinting a note of pride.
"Oh your just saying that because your afraid I'm going to squish you," She said smiling.
"Hey remember what I said about that sense of humor," He added warningly. He flew up to the top of the tomato plant. "Aren't you the least bit curious about me? Where I come from?" He asked.
"I haven't processed it yet. It's not every day I talk to someone the size of my hand." Karen said. "Well tell me then O wise fairy," She asked.
"Why are you so darn sarcastic?" He asked her but never the less continued on.
"I come from a place called Neverland, you don't age there, you don't grow. Think of it as a eternal fountain of youth and you have just been specially invited to come and take a drink." Blue said.
"So if I go to this place how long will I stay there?" She asked eyeing him suspiciously.
"I said eternal so that would be for a very long time," Blue said.
"What else is there? I feel as if I am only seeing the tip of the iceberg," Karen asked.
"Everything the mind can imagine, every thing you have ever dreamed of or read in story books you will find in Neverland," Blue said. Karen thought
"This sounds all very exciting Mr. Fairy but how would we get there?" She asked.
"Fly of course," He said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"But humans can't fly," She said.
"Ah but that is where I aid you," He said. He then blew some of the fairy dust onto her face. She sneezed.
"What are you doing?" She demanded. He ignored her. "Now think of the happiest thought you can think of," He instructed.
"This is ridiculous..." She began but he cut her off.
"Just do it!" He squeaked.
"Fine! Schools over, candy, puppies ... oh I don't know." She ended for a moment then began chanting more and more. The more she did it the more she believed and when she looked down she was floating off the ground. Her fear took over and that's when gravity did.
"Oh my gosh, this isn't right! It defies the laws of physics, of gravity!" She shouted.
"Magic defies all those things," Blue said.
"But there is no such thing as magic!" Karen shouted at him.
"I exist don't I?" He said.
"This is ridiculous, I'm dreaming, I've ... I'm leaving," She got up and stalked back into the house. He didn't follow her so it just made her think that she had dreamed the entire conversation. But when she got into the house she realized she didn't want to face her family. Just not yet. So she walked up to her room and decided to sleep instead. She flopped onto her bed and got under the covers. She only slept for a couple of hours before waking up again. Her thoughts churned. If she could go to this place she wouldn't be sick anymore. If this place existed it would stop her from growing ... but this place didn't exist so it was of no value to her. Unless ... if it did she wouldn't be ... anymore.
"Blue?" Karen called out into the darkness.
"Finally," Blue answered.
"I think I'm ready to go to Neverland," Karen said.