The bus soon stopped near the school, and Lila and the rest of the children got off the bus. They ran into the school, excited about the new year.
Lila reached her classroom. She walked in confidently and looked around for her desk. She soon found it, a desk that had her name on it.
"Attention, class," the teacher said.
Everyone turned to look at the teacher.
"Today is the first day of the new school year," the teacher said. "I would like each of you to introduce yourself to the class. Tell everyone your name and something you like."
One by one, each child stood up. The first one was a girl named Ana. She had light brown hair, blue eyes, and tanned skin.
"My name is Ana and I like playing dolls," she said.
The next child was a boy named Travis. He had light red hair, brown eyes, and freckles spattered across his pale face. "My name is Travis and I like swimming," he said.
As each child had their turn, Lila anxiously waited for hers. She knew exactly what she was going to say. After a shy girl named Sophie who had blonde braids, glasses, and green eyes said quietly, "My name is Sophie and I like... I like... I like flowers," it was Lila's turn.
Lila stood up and said in a loud voice, "My name is Lila and I like fairies." Then she sat back down. She noticed Margaret and Karen giving her secret looks. Lila smiled as she thought about her fairy. She wondered how Ada was doing.
After each child had their turn, the teacher told them to sit at their desks. She talked about the school rules and how to be respectful of others. Then she gave them a review of the things they had learned the year before.
Finally, it was time for recess. Lila was the first out of her seat, and she ran onto the playground. She sat on a swing and began swinging until she spotted Margaret. Then she jumped off the swing. Another kid got on while Lila raced over to her best friend.
"Lila, let's talk about your fairy," Margaret said excitedly. They climbed to the top of the playground and sat down.
Lila smiled. "You should see her. She is so fun, and she even made me fly once!"
"Wow!" Margaret cried. "Is she like a Tinker Bell fairy?"
Lila nodded. "She's the same kind of fairy. But she is a water fairy like Silvermist."
Margaret smiled. "Does she know Tinker Bell?"
Lila shook her head. "She doesn't even know that other fairies exist. I need to keep it that way too. If she learns about Pixie Hollow, she will want to go."
"Oh, okay," said Margaret. "Does she know how to talk?"
Lila said, "When she talks, it sounds like jingle bells. I think she does, though."
They talked a bit more about Ada, but soon it was time to go back in the school. They went back into their classroom and learned a bit of math. After that, it was time for lunch.
Lila sat at the table with a bunch of her friends. She took out her lunch and began eating.
One of the girls, a tall, brown-haired girl who wore pigtails, pulled a notebook out of her backpack. "Did anyone find anything out about fairies over the summer?"
Another girl, Caroline, said, "I found a fairy circle near a tree."
Polly, a short blonde girl, said, "I found a bunch of little houses in the forest."
Karen said, "Lila has..."
Lila looked at Karen with a stare that told her to be quiet.
"What do you have?" asked the tall girl. Her name was Nora.
"What Karen was saying was, I have found a fairy camp," Lila said quickly.
Nora didn't look convinced. "Where?"
Lila grinned. "I found it in a tree. I tried to catch a fairy, but she bit me and flew away. But I got some pixie dust!"
"Did you use it to fly?" asked the girls, intrigued now.
"Well... Yes, I did fly," Lila faltered.
The girls were very excited now. They asked Lila all kinds of questions about the fairy camp.
"Was Tinker Bell there?" asked a girl.
"I'm not sure," Lila replied. "They all flew out so fast after they noticed me."
Then, Nora handed her notebook to Lila. "Draw the fairy camp," she said.
Lila drew it how she remembered it as best as she could. Then she gave it back to Nora. Everyone crowded around her to see the picture. Lila was finally able to finish her lunch.