My names April and I am a huge fan of the supernatural. For hours I research monsters, from Banshees to Faeries (Faeries being one of my favourites), and talk nonstop about them to Michael. Michael has been my best friend since the 3rd grade. We are inseparable. Although Michael would be more interested in playing his Xbox instead of listening to something he was not interested in, he is always content listening to my ramblings.

Today instead of hanging out at Lillipa Lake, just down the road from our school, like we do every weekend, we were sitting in my bedroom. I hate my room because it’s still decorated like a 5 year olds room. The walls are painted pink and there are still small multi-coloured butterflies hanging from the ceiling.  Instead of posters of boy bands and hunky teen celebrities on my wall, there was a large picture of a fairy plastered right above the head of my bed. When I was a lot younger I had adored this picture. At night I would often stare at the picture and dream of a wonderful fairy land that was filled with lollies and unicorns. Looking back now I realize I was foolish for thinking such a place could exist and couldn’t look at the picture without those memories returning.

I was lying down on my bed, lazily looking at Michael who was sitting on the floor creating a paper aeroplane out of his last month’s school report. Michael is a smart guy, he really is, but for some reason he just doesn’t commit to his school work. I’ve heard his and my mother talking to each other out in the kitchen a few nights ago about his school efforts. Apparently his mother thinks I distract him to much with my nonsense about the supernatural. I, however, know it’s nothing to do with that and that she simply does not understand. Michael’s parents had split up 3 months ago and ever since then he went downhill. But hopefully starting year 11 in school this year will change things.

Interrupting my thoughts, Michael threw the aeroplane at me and made a loud ‘BANG’ sound as it collided with my hip. I picked up his aeroplane and poked my tongue at him, then threw it back. He caught it swiftly and smirked.

“So, excited for school?” I asked, waiting for the expected reaction.

“No. Can we please talk about anything but school?” he gave me a quick death-stare and then smiled.

“Sure, let’s talk about the new twilight movie coming out, breaking dawn. I’m a fan of classical vampires but I reckon that the way they portray them in these movies is absolutely ridiculous. I mean seriously, how is a sparkling vampire scary?”

He rolled his eyes and gave me another one of those I-cant-believe-your-talking-about-this-again-for-the-bazillionth-time look. I threw my hands up in surrender and dropped the subject.

It’s not my fault I have this undying desire to talk about this particular subject. Michael calls me obsessed. But I prefer to think of it as…gaining important knowledge in case I ever met a real monster. Yes, I do believe that there are real monsters out there, hiding in the shadows, sneaking around with precise movements so that they won’t be discovered. I have a theory on fairy-tales. They must all have some truth to them. I mean, you couldn’t just conjure up a complete monster with precise details like Dracula. For centuries stories have evolved around these and kept some truths intact. Just because you haven’t seen something, dosent make it real. I know I’m going to meet a monster someday. What will I do when that day comes…? Smile and shake his/her hand or run away screaming. I’m not so sure.

Michael left earlier that evening after we raided the kitchen and watched cheesy sitcoms till the sun went down. I gave him a hug as we made our way to the front door. The light shining from the hall outlined his tussled brown hair and dark brown eyes. His soft pinkish-pale lips and toned muscles revealing through his tight green t-shirt made him look… angelic. If this was a romance movie or if we were a couple, this would be the perfect moment to wrap my arms around him and plant a soft kiss on those lips. The gentleness of those lips upon my own… the taste… Oh my god I can’t believe I just imagined kissing my best friend. He is my friend, nothing else to me but a friend, I told myself walking down the hall behind him.

Giving myself a mental kick, I managed to say goodbye to him, not blushing, as he walked down the driveway and returned to my bedroom. My mind cleared as I looked at my desk scattered with paper of uncompleted homework and study notes. Great, I thought to myself, why didn’t you do your homework at the start of the holidays? Year 11 starts tomorrow. Last thing I want is a stack load of homework in the first semester, while settling in with my new classes. Giving myself yet another mental kick, I pulled over the desk chair and began writing my English essay on the themes involved in the novel ‘To kill a mockingbird’ and algebra.

3 hours of hard labour later, lazily looking at my alarm clock, it read 12:30pm. Tomorrow waking up at seven o’clock for school definitely won’t be easy now. I stood up and stretched, then changed quickly into my frog and Lilly pad pyjamas. Cuddling in bed and under the blankets, I soon fell into a blissful sleep.