After the talent show fiasco Peep couldn't wait to rid himself of his cowboy gear forever. He and Anabel managed to come in first place doing their Hoedown Showdown. Liza and Oskar sat in the front row grinning from ear to ear. No matter what Peep did he put 100% of himself into it. Peep was unaware of the sneers and jabs coming from the 4th and 5th graders and he didn't much care. He was preoccupied with Locket's disappearance and if he had to make nicey nice with Anabel one more night he could do it.

As soon as the show was over Liza offered to take her boys out to celebrate. Peep refused. He had no appetite and his glittery garb was itching him in places he couldn't scratch. He wanted nothing more than a hot shower and to see his tiny best friend. Liza was a bit worried but thought the night must've taken a lot out of Peep so they went through a Jack in the Box drive thru. Normally Peep liked their soggy tacos and chocolate thick shakes but he said, "I'll pass... I just needed some shut eye and to burn this outfit if ya don't mind." Then he fell asleep in the back seat looking like the most adorable cowboy you've ever seen.

When they got home Peep stripped down to his SpongeBob boxers, his long sleeve cobalt blue tee shirt and the intricate scarf Locket knitted for him. Quickly he handed his cowboy gear to his mom. His sparkly outfit could go to the dump for all he cared.

Handing his mother the pointy white cowboy hat, boots, blue glitter vest and matching chaps he said, "See that these find a good home in the trash can ma." Then he hurried upstairs and took the hottest shower he could stand. As he watched the blue glitter swirl down the drain it made him miss Locket even more. Was he crying? He felt his cheek but he couldn't tell since he was drenched. Stupid girl making me care about her then she goes missing. He wanted to be mad. Being mad felt a lot better than feeling heartbroken. Heartbroken won. He dried off with a fluffy powder blue bath towel then put on his post Christmas red-flannel pjs and headed to his Fortress of Solitude a.k.a. his bedroom.

He forgot to give Hello her pellet. Thankfully being a clever kitty she jumped on Peep's leg climbed up and and meowed, "Helloooooo, helloooooo, helloooooo...."

Peep got the idea. "Oh I'm sorry miss. Are you hungry my little friend?" He plopped a kitty pellet in her pink bowl, added three drops of water and watched her gobble up the meal. Hello's sweetness softened the pain just a bit but soon after he found himself crying once again. When the kitty finished eating, Peep put her inside his fleeced pajama top and both of them were sleeping in no time.

Liza peeked in to check on Peep and noticed the pair snuggled up together. Hello was purring so loudly she wondered how Peep could sleep through the kitten's motor boat noises. Then she looked over Peeps room. Boys tend to have messy rooms but other than a stack of clean or dirty clothes (your guess is as good as mine) everything seemed tidy enough. Next she sniffed Hello's litter box and thought, "How curious? It's perfectly clean." She snickered to herself and thought, "Don't look a gift kitten in the mouth." Was that kitten exactly the same size after all these months? Noooooo.... Can't be! Or can it? Liza, herself, was starting to believe in the impossible. A kitten who doesn't grow? A house painted my favorite colors overnight? Peep's hair? What is up with Peep's hair?

Peep dreamed he was in Fairy World but he remained the same size. The air smelled sweet like cotton candy and everything in the town, including its inhabitants, were very little—so little in fact that whenever the townspeople saw Peep they gasped then screamed in horror. "Giant! There's a giant!"

Peep tried kneeling down and explaining how he was just a little boy. It did no good. As he knelt down he squashed a teensy bicycle rack full of fairy-sized bicycles in every color imaginable. Thankfully no fairies were hurt in the process. Then he wondered why would fairies would need bicycles when they can fly? Then he thought, "Perhaps certain fairies have to earn their wings or maybe if they're bad they're punished by losing their flying privileges?" So that's what's happened to Locket? That's why she hasn't been around to annoy me! She be grounded--literally.

As Peep stood up a chubby fairy with red hair piled on top of her head like a strawberry ice cream cone flew in front of Peep's nose. As she came into focus he noticed she had a matching red mustache and sported a monocle over her left eye. Now Peep was uncertain if it was a he or a she or perhaps all fairies are merely we?

The chubby fairy cleared her throat and spoke, "Young giant what is the meaning of this? You've destroyed the town's bicycling sharing program and have frightening the daylights out of my constituents."

"I'm sorry sir—ma'am... Uh... I didn't mean to. What are con-sti-chu-its?"

The chubby fairy held out a fancy carved walking stick and bopped Peep hard on the nose. "Are you being a wisenheimer? Is that it? Listen here young giant, I'm the mayor of Fairy Town, and before I have you locked up, explain to me the meaning of your unannounced visit and senseless vandalism!

Peep chuckled to himself as he wondered what teensy tiny jail in Fairy Town could hold him. Then he remembered what happened to Gulliver in Gulliver's Travels and gulped. "Pease Mayor..."

"Mayor Trudgebottom..."

Peep continued, "Please Mayor Trudgebottom, I mean no harm truly. I'm just looking for my friend Locket. Have you heard of her?"

Mayor Trudgebotton was visibly shaken. "Have I heard of her? Why everyone knows Princess Locket." Then she became red faced and accusatory. "What have you done with her young giant? She's been missing for months."

Peep began crying. His tears began flooding the pristine sidewalks lined with rainbow daisies.

Mayor Trudgebotton hit Peep once again with her walking stick. "Stop crying young giant or you'll ruin the landscaping."

Peep sniffled then wiped his tears on his orange sweatshirt. "I promise I haven't seen her. I came here because I'm worried about her." Carefully he walked about Fairy Town. He did his best not to step on anything or anyone. Thankfully most of the fairies lived high up in the trees. He called out for his best friend, "Locket! Locket! Where are you?"

Hello woke Peep up by licking the salty tears on his cheek with her rough kitten tongue.

Peep sat up in bed and asked, "Locket where are you?"

-End of Chapter 26-

Author's note: Well I'm back on the schedule to do a chapter a week. I hope he finds Locket soon! What do you thinks happened to her?
Thank you thank you thank you for your reads books and comments! I am in the world to me and make my day! 💋🥰⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️