"Mandy!!!"
I threw myself into her arms.
I suppose, since I'd only met her once, that that would have been weird for her, but Ella had told me so much about her that I felt as close to her as Ella was.
"You... you're Sasha, right?"
"Yes! Mandy! Oh, Mandy! Oh, I'm so glad to see you!"
I staggered back.
"Me?"
"Yes! Oh, yes! Listen, I might have figured out a way to get home! Did Ella tell you - Ella! Oh my gosh! Is she here?"
I'd suddenly remembered Ella and my departure. I'd left her skipping away as happy as can be to be cursed, didn't I?
"Oh! Is she alright? Is she normal?"
I felt giddy and hyper. I was going home!!! I felt like dancing, like singing, like jumping up and down, like acting like I was five again! I was going home! I really was! Was it not impossible that my idea wouldn't work? Of course not! I was going home!
"Wow, this is so amazing, I can't believe, oh my gosh! Is Ella here? Wow, Mandy, Mandy, can you help me?"
She was still gazing at me speculatively.
"Slow down child, what do you mean?"
I was too excited! I couldn't waste valuable time explaining it to her! I looked back at Nathaniel for help.
He was frozen, apparently immobile, two feet behing me. He was as still as a statue. His face was hard.
I was annoyed. What was his problem? Why wasn't he as euphoric as me?
I waved the annoyance off. If he wanted to sulk for no apparent reason, I would let him.
"I think I found a way for me to get back to New York City!"
She seemed as unexcited as Nathaniel. That annoyed me even more.
"Listen, is Ella here?" If she was, she would understand. I would make her understand. She'd be just as excited as me.
"Yes... come in, come in."
So I stepped in behind her and grabbed Nathaniel's hand and dragged him in too.
The hallway was the grandest thing I'd seen in a long time.
But she led us to the servant's quarters.
"You're very lucky that I was passing the entryway when you came here you know."
"Why?"
"The dame probably wouldn't permit you staying here."
"Oh. I don't plan on staying here. I think you could help me get home!"
"And just how would I do that, dear?"
"Because you're a fairy of course!"
She stopped. She looked at me, furious.
I didn't get it. What did I say?
She dragged me into a room.
"Do not say that so loud!" she wispered angrily, "Did Ella tell you that?"
"Yes! Yes, and she explained to me that you don't do big magic and all that, but this isn't! Not really!"
"Transfering you to someplace is big magic. Very big magic. Besides, I don't even know what New York is, so I couldn't get you there if I wanted to."
I had anticipated her saying something like this. So my answer was ready.
"Mandy. I can picture New York. I can picture it so clear it almost seems real! I can hear it and smell and - and almost taste it!"
I was almost crying then, which was really annoying.
"Mandy! Please! If I can picture it as clear as day can't you will me to get to the place I'm imagining!?!"
"No! That's entirely too big of magic!"
"Wait - you mean it would work though? You could if it wasn't big?"
She sighed.
"But it is big, very big, and I can't."
"How is it big? There's no consequences! Somehow I got here, and somehow I've got to get back home! What could possibly be in the out come of letting me go home!?!"
"A lot! Listen, by some big magic, you came here, and then you met Ella and me, and you're friend out in the hall... you changed all of our lives, no matter how insignificantly by coming here. If you-"
"I don't care! Listen, if I changed there lives by coming here, I'll set it right by going home!"
"No! You're friend out in the hall! You think he is going to go back to a normal life when you're gone, as if you've never been here? You think he'd be here if not for you? Your being here has changed the course of his life!"
It was like she'd slapped me in the face. I had not anticipated this. To be honest, the thought hadn't crossed my mind once.
Then another idea hit me.
"Nathaniel doesn't have a life to go back to! He can come with me of course!"
"No. Absolutely not. It's impossible too."
"Impossible because you're not willing or impossible because it's really not in anyway possible, even if you wanted it to be possible?"
"Both!"
No wonder Nathaniel had been sulky. He had immediatly realized what I hadn't seen until it was pointed out to me.
But I couldn't leave Nathaniel.
But I had to get home!
Author's Note: Sorry, I know this is short, but please review it anyway!