11-Periwinkle

Peep looked suspiciously at Locket. "How do I know you're real?"

She zipped over to the globe on Peep's desk. She landed on the North Pole. "How do you know Antarctica's real? You've never been there."

Peep huffed. "That's stupid."

Locket began pumping her legs, running and spinning the globe with her tiny blue feet. It spun faster and faster until it came loose. The globe rolled across the desk then thudded on the hardwood floor. It rolled across the room landing in Taz's fuzzy wuzzy doggie bed.

Peep retrieved the globe and screwed it into its base. "Maybe all of this is one long dream? Or you're a fig-man of my imagination?"

Locket flew over to Peep and sat on top of his computer monitor. She swung her legs. "If I'm merely a dream or a figment of your imagination then I'd say you have one H-E double hockey sticks of an imagination!"

Peep agreed. "I'll say! This shocking pink hair, this creepy tattoo...Plus I invented you!"

"Peep if this is all merely dream then why are you afraid to show your mother the tattoo?"

Peep objected, "NO WAY she'd probably have it lasered off or something!"

Locket sucked in her breath. "Oooh that wouldn't be wise."

Peep asked, "Why not?"

"Peep, have you heard the word permanent?"

Peep recited, Permanent, P-E-R-M-A-N-E-N-T permanent."

Locket was impressed. "Wow!"

Peep boasted, "I came in first place in the 2nd grade spelling B."

Locket felt like showing off too. "Can you spell: pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis?"

Peep clicked his tongue. "You made that word up!"

Locket spelled the lengthy word on computer's keypad by jumping from letter to letter. "No I didn't! See!" She read, "Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis refers to a lung disease contracted from the inhalation of very fine silica particles, specifically from a volcano."

Peep sighed. He disliked Locket one upping him. "Guess I'll stay away from volcanoes." He changed the subject. Rubbing his arm he asked, "So how permanent is this centipede tattoo?"

Locket flew over to admire her handiwork. "Charlie is dead but his memory will be on your arm forever!"

Peep asked, "What if I get a skin graft?"

Locket was intrigued, "What's a skin graft?"

Peep liked knowing something Locket didn't. He also enjoyed grossing her out. "Well... doctors cut a piece of skin off of your butt and sew it on someplace else."

Locket gagged. "Ew... So you'd rather have butt-skin on your arm forever? I'd much rather have a centipede." Locket tiptoed along Peep's arm. Charlie's so charming don't you think? Charming Charlie's would be a cute name for a boutique."

"No, that's dumb..." A mischievous grin crossed his face. "I've got an idea! If you clean my room, everyday for a year, then I'll believe you're real!"

"Ha!" Locket objected. "Someone wants to get out of doing his chores! Think bigger Peep!"

Peep's yes grew wide. "I've got it! Change the color of my house. It's all boring white... My mom wishes we had the money to make it yellow with blue shutters and a blue front door to match. Oh and how about a doorbell that plays the tune: You Are My Sunshine?"

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when clouds are gray. You'll never know dear how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away.

Locket was pleased. "Now you're thinking little one!"

Insulted, Peep asked, "Who you calling little? You're like 2 inches tall?"

Locket did summersaults in the air and sang, "Small in size, mighty in magic!"

Excited to make his mother happy, Peep said, "Okay let's do this!"

Locket stopped tumbling. "I can't..."

"See? You're-not-real." Peep fell backwards onto his bed. "I'm just dreaming."

Locket hovered horizontally to Peep's face. "I can't right now. It's still daylight. If anyone, besides you, catches me doing magic I may never return to you--ever!"

Peep sarcastically asked, "Isn't that convenient? My mom and everyone else will think I've lost my mind... No way I'm going back to a shrink!"

Locket was confused. "They want to shrink you?"

Peep pulled the covers over his head. "Never mind..."

Things were not going well. If Locket couldn't convince Peep she was real, she'd be in danger of losing him. Then she remembered a loophole in the fairy bylaws. "Peep, if you're able to convince another human I exist—and they believe it with all their heart... I may appear to them briefly. But only if you're in a jam."

Peep pulled the covers off his head and asked, "Grape or strawberry?"

"Huh?" Locket was confused.

Peep stood on the bed and jumped, slamming his hands against the ceiling. "Well, if I'm in a jam I prefer strawberry!"

Locket caught on. "Har de har har..." She promised Peep, "When you wake up tomorrow morning this entire house will be buttercup yellow and periwinkle blue. I just love the name periwinkle don't you? Then she said periwinkle over and over until the word sounded altogether strange.

Peep joined her repeating "periwinkle" until they were both laughing so hard they couldn't catch their breath.

How about I prove I'm real in a different way?... " As Locket concentrated she grew brighter and brighter. She snapped her fingers. "I've got it! I'll get you a fluffy white kitten with periwinkle eyes."

Peep bargained, "I'm not really a cat person."

Locket snickered. "Of course you're not a cat-person—you're a little boy!"

Peep tired of things getting lost in translation. "I mean... The only way I'd want a cat is... if it could stay a kitten forever!"

Locket answered, "Now you're talking! One fluffy white kitten with peri--"

Peep interrupted. "—Wait can you make it not poop or pee?" Peep hated the idea of scooping out a litter box.

Peep was really testing her fairy-limits. "I suppose... But your kitten will only stay a kitten as long as you feed her a magic fairy-kibble. If you forget--even one day--she'll turn into a regular cat." 

She thought, "This is a purrrrrrrrr-fect opportunity for Peep to learn other worldly responsibilities."

"Deal," agreed Peep. They shook on it.

A fairy promise is a forever promise!

Excited Peep rubbed his hands together.  "Okay! Make me a kitten!"

"You're a silly boy! Fairies can't create life, however we can alter it. I know a beautiful Persian cat named Pricilla. She recently gave birth to 6 adorable kittens. I'll see if she'll let us adopt one. Be right back." POOF! She disappeared.

Locket reappeared in 5 seconds holding a fluffy white kitten in her arms. She hovered outside Peep's window.  Compared to Locket the kitty was the size of a lion! The kitten could not fit through the window--opened-just-a-crack, nevermind the tiny hole in the screen.

"Pssssst Peep! Open the window."

Meow.

-End of Chapter 12-

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