Stories of an Imaginary Werewolf

by LDEJRuff

Story two: Hermanito

Three years have passed since the Valerosa family left Italy, and Nina now has a little brother named Panchito. However, since she started elementary school, she's always been bullied. She was on her way to school one day when a voice called to her.

"Hola, Srta. Nina," the voice said. Her expression changed from happy to scared. The owner of the voice, a Hispanic bully, was cornering her.

"What do you want, Enrique?" Nina asked, her voice quivering.

"I want your dinero para el almuerzo," Enrique ordered.

"No, Enrique," Nina refused. "Mi Papi gave me my lunch money. I won't give it to you. I was trusted with this money."

Enrique became serious. "Nina, I won't ask you again. Give me your lunch money!" He ordered.

Nina quickly ignored, and continued her way to school.

Enrique became furious. "Nina Valerosa, I swear," he seethed. "You are going to regret this."

After school, Nina skipped on her way home, when Enrique and another bully, his friend, cornered her. Nina became frightened, and ran to the corner of an alley. She stopped near a crate, and thought.

"Por favor," she thought. "¡Ayúdame!"

Luckily for her, help did come in the form of a giant purple-furred Minotaur with spider-like fangs, a unibrow, gray luchador pants with matching boots, and a belt with a skull buckle. The Minotaur roared at the bullies, and they ran away screaming. Seeing that they were running, he later walked over to Nina and asked her, "¿Estás bien, chiquita?"

Nina quickly opened her eyes and saw the Minotaur, lending her a hoof. "Sí," she said, relieved. "Gracias por salvarme. It was nice of you to come to my aide."

"De nada, Nina," the Minotaur replied. "Es lo menos un amigo imaginario puede hacer para usted."

"You're a brave and wealthy guardian," Nina said. "¿Cómo te llamas?"

"Well, you imagined me," the Minotaur said, "so shouldn't you also name me?"

"Bien, déjame pensar," Nina said. "Because of you guarding me, I think I'll name you…Eduardo."

The Minotaur, Eduardo, gave a beaming look. "¡Me encanta ese nombre!" He rose up to give Nina a hug, and she jumped to hug him as well.

As the days passed, Eduardo admired taking care of Panchito.

"Goochie-goochie-goo," he said, rubbing Panchito's chin. Panchito giggled, enjoying it.

Nina also needed Eduardo to play with her, including having a pretend tea party with him, play board games with him, and even build sand sculptures at the park.

However, one day, Enrique saw that Eduardo, who scared him and his friend earlier, was being nice to Nina, and is rather kind and friendly. He went over to the park's sand box and scolded him.

"Hey, he's not a monster," Enrique said. "He's just a big sissy." He stomped at the sand bunny Eduardo sculpted.

Eduardo wailed because of this. Nina, who was once afraid of him, became angry at him and his friend for scolding her creation, and threw sand in their faces.

"Leave him alone, you big, dumb, broncuros!" Nina shouted, throwing more sand at them.

"¡Ay caramba, Nina's gone loco!" Enrique's friend said. "¡Salgamos de aquí!" Enrique replied. The two ran away from the barrage, screaming.

Eduardo was happy at Nina for protecting him, giving her a hug. "¡Gracias, Nina!" Eduardo said. "El protector se ha convertido en el protegido, y el estudiante se ha convertido en el maestro."

"De nada, Eduardo," Nina replied.

Two years have passed, and Nina's parents were planning to move north. Which is to say, they are planning to move to their English-speaking partners from above—North America. However, That would also mean, now that Nina is eight years old, that she'd have to give up Eduardo, because the apartment that her family would move to wouldn't allow imaginary friends.

"Nina," Eduardo said. "I know that our familia is moving up north. ¿Pero por qué no podemos jugar juntos como solíamos hacerlo ya?"

"Because," Nina answered. "Mi Mami and Papi say that it's time that I grew up. This may be the last time we see each other."

"Oh," Eduardo understood. "Ya veo. Ya veo."

"No te preocupes, Eduardo," Nina said. "I have a surprise for you."

Back in Italy, Leonardo received a letter from Nina.

"Hola, Leonardo," he read. "It's me, Nina. It's been cinco años since we last saw each other. Mi familia is planning to move, and I have an hermanito to take care of. His name is Panchito. Well, now that tengo ocho años, we're planning to move to Norte América. Attached to this letter is a map of where we're going. You'll meet me at the aeropuerto más cercano. I have a surprise para usted. Su creador siempre, Nina."

A month passed, and the plane from Italy arrived at its destination—the Townsville airport. Nina was waiting for her imaginary friend to come, and he came just in time.

"Leonardo!" Nina called to him.

"Nina!" Leonardo called back to her. "Ebbene, qual è la sorpresa, Nina?"

"Come on out, Eduardo!" Nina called from behind. "Leonardo," she said to him. Eduardo was coming behind her. "This is your hermanito. Su nombre es Eduardo." Nina turned to Eduardo. "Eduardo, meet your hermano mayor, Leonardo."

"I have a big brother?" Eduardo asked. "¡Eso es fantastico!"

"Ho un fratellino?" Leonardo asked. "Questo è fantastico!"

"Sí," Nina said. "Now that both of you have met, I have another surprise. And this time, it's for the both of you."

On the day that moving was complete, Nina showed her imaginary friends a big mansion.

"Che è?" Leonardo asked.

"¿Eso es todo?" Eduardo asked.

"Sí," Nina replied. "This is a mansion they call 'Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends'. They say that it's a wonderful, fun-derful place for amigos imaginarios to call their casa."

"Un posto per amici immaginari di chiamare a casa," Leonardo thought.

"Un lugar para amigos imaginarios para llamar a casa," Eduardo thought.

After the three got a tour of the home, it was time to say their farewells.

"Adiós, Nina," Eduardo said, hugging her. "Espero que podamos volver a vernos."

"Spero che potremo vederci di nuovo, anche," Leonardo replied to her. "Ed è bello sapere che ho un fratello a prendersi cura di," he continued, pointing to Eduardo.

"Buena suerte, guys," Nina said, waving at them and walking away. "Voy a pensar en ti todos los días."

"Spero di sì," Leonardo thought, as he and Eduardo saw Nina ride away in the red car her mother drove.