Sheila sat back
in front of the TV. Pathetic dorks!
By the way, the
last thing she needed was Shaula around. It was the end of the
holidays, there was only one week left to the first day at her new
school, they have moved in town recently.
Wilt sat on a bench in the park, trying to wake up Shaula. He still couldn't believe his eyes. On her head, there were two cute feelers, looking like thin black lines, and they both ended in a small yellow pompon. But the most impressive things were the two large, shiny butterfly-like wings on her back.
She moaned
something and slowly opened her eyes. The net moment she backed away
as if she'd seen a ghost.
- WILT! What…?
How come…? Oh…? Where's Sheila…? Oh, no! – she touched her
feelers, then her wings – goodbye! You… you'd hate me now…!
- Stay – Wilt
placed his hand on her shoulder – please, I'm sorry, just tell
me. Who are you?
Shaula looked
at the ground, then wiped away a tear.
- I am
Shaula the Joyful Fairy (t. J. F.), thought up by Sheila when she was
5. I was supposed to look like her, to grow older with her… and
so I did. Until suddenly the kids started bullying her, and she
decided to become „the coolest girl around". She trained her
fighting skills on me. And before, she never ever took me to meetings
with her friends. Never ever shared the happy moments with me. I was
supposed to cheer her up, and she used to take out all her sorrow and
anger on me. In the end, she said I can go wherever I want, she never
wants to see me again and so on. Then she showed me an article about
Foster's. Then I decided to show her I am normal, I'm not an
imbecile jerk… well, I don't know what I was thinking. Honestly.
- I am still
your friend, Shaula.
- Thank you,
Wilt – as they hugged, the heart on Shaula's chest started
glowing.
Coco was just
bringing in more buckets for Eduardo's tears, and Mac comforting
Bloo when the doorbell rang.
- Aaargh! –
Bloo jumped on Mac's head – who's gonna be adopted now! Who's
next!
As Frankie
opened the door, they all remained speechless.
- A-ha! –
said Bloo after a while – so you're returning Wilt! What's
that, you're not stisfied with him? You know what I call the ones
who abandon their imaginary friends so carelessly? A…
- Bloo! –
said Wilt, pulling Shaula apart – can't you see she's one of
us?
- I don't
know if I can ever call this place my home – said Shaula, standing
in the doorway of the room – where am I gonna sleep…?- Ah-ah, this
bed's taken! – Bloo jumped in his bed – and under the bed too!
And that other bed as well! And the nest is Coco's property, so…
- and he stuck his tongue out at her.
- Bloo! –
Wilt raised his finger – I'm sorry, but I don't think this
method is okay.
Bloo stuck his
tongue out even more, then turned around on the bed and pulled the
cover up.
That exact
moment Frankie entered, followed by two stronger friends.
- Yes…
slowly… here! – then she pointed at the brand new bed – this
was the only room where there was still some space left, sorry!
Shaula, hope you like your new bed!
It even had her
name on it.
- Thank you –
her eyes filled with tears.
Bloo already
couldn't stand her. Coco layed dozens of eggs for her. Eduardo was
still a little scared of her. And Wilt… well, he liked her.
Nightmares… no!
- Sheila!
- Shaula!
Happy little
girls. A cute 5-year-old and her best imaginary friend, a sweet
little fairy, which looked excatly like her.
- I've
always wanted to be a fairy… now you are my fairy!
- Three
wishes! – Shaula giggled.
- I have
them! – Sheila hugged her tightly – stay with me, be my best
friend forver, love me as much as I love you, Shaula, Shaula, Shaula!
- I will,
Sheila! Promise me the same!
- I promise!
- Sheila and
Shaula, best friends forever!
The heart on
the fairy's chest was glowing brightly and intensely.
- Can I go
with you at Emily's birthday party?
- Sorry, but
no. Imaginary friends are not invited.
- Are you
going to the luna park with Cathy? Can I go?
- No, sorry.
That's not a place for imaginary friends.
- Did Jenny
invite you to the zoo? I'd like to go as well.
- NO!
IMAGINARY FRIENDS CAN'T COME! – shouted then 8-year-old Sheila –
Shaula, you always want to come with me when I have meetings with my
friends. When will you understand that little girls' programmes are
NOT FOR IMAGINARY FRIENDS?
- Oh Shaula,
Holly said I'm stupid and ugly!
- Come on,
I'm here to comfort you, Sheila!
- Yay, I'm
so happy! – Sheila danced in her room smiling.
- Can I ask
you why? – asked Sheila – share your happiness with me!
- Northing
of your business, FAIRY!
Days turned into weeks… weeks turned into months… and months turned into years. And it was always the same story.
Until things went even worse.
- Sheila,
what happened? – Shaula flew to her. She had a black eye.
- It's all
your fought!
- What…?
Why…? I…
- You! I
drew a picture of you, they asked me about it, I said it was my
imaginary friend, they called me a stupid nerd for playing with
fairies…
- I'll
teach those bullies a lesson! – Sheila hit her cushion, her ball,
and, in a quick rage, ripped her teddy bear in half.
- Sheila! –
Shaula flew to her – oh, no! I'll repair it, sorry…
BANG!
- Sheila,
NO!
- Sheila…
please… - Shaula was shaking like a leaf, tied to a wall – stop
it…
- Shut up! –
she pointed at the wound on her arm – look! They're still
stronger then me! I'm the dork at school, I'm the bullies' main
target! And I won't tolerate it any more!
She used her
wings as a shield…
- Let me
out!
- Silence!
Shaula cried
desperately in the narrow place of the wardrobe, locked inside
hermetically.
- But
Sheila, I'm hungry!
- Take this!
– Sheila slipped inside an old, dried cookie.
Shaula
nibbled at it swallowing her tears. Her feelers were hanging sadly,
her wings were fading bright colours. It's been a long time since
the heart on her chest glew.
Strapped to
the wall once again… her tears flowing down her cheeks…
- I like
this… especially that you're so keen on helping me… to aid me
in my training… - Sheila took out a baseball bat.
CRACK!
- MY WINGS!
NO!
It's been
a weak since she last hit her. She sat in the corner, her legs pulled
up, unable to fly any more with her broken wings. Her eyes were cried
out.
14-year-old
Sheila cracked her knuckles and smirked.
- This is my
last day at this stupid school… then we're moving…
- Sheila, I
can't believe this! – Shaula, once again locked in the wardrobe,
heard her ex-friend's mother's voice – you were FIGHTING in the
school's garden!
- I won,
Mom, I won!
Terrifiying
shouting… screaming… noises…
- Shaula…
come out… - Sheila held up the baseball bat - thank you for
everything… I have beaten the bullies up thanks to you... let's
play a bit more!
- Damn, the
holidays are almost over! – Sheila cracked her knuckles as she lay
on the bed – nah, hope I'll find someone to beat up to keep me
from getting bored.
Shaula sat
in the corner silently.
- Ah, fairy!
– Sheila said – you can go now.
- Where?
- Your
business! You'll just make a bad impression on the others… a cool
girl like me does not play with fairies!
Take a peek at my profile... pictures are better than descriptions, aren't they?