A Sars outbreak. Schools are cancelled! Peep couldn't believe his ears. He didn't like the idea of people getting sick but until he got his cape situation straightened out he was glad for the break. His mom told him some guys in white hazmat suits were coming to scrub down his elementary school. It would be closed for a whole week!

Oskar tried telling Liza he saw Peep's cape floating around his room, "All by itself!"

Liza pretended she didn't believe him. "Oh Oskar," she said, "you and your imagination." She exchanged an, I'm onto you look toward Peep. Peep merely shrugged his shoulders.

Oskar became more emphatic, "The purple cape! It lives!" He grabbed for the cape. "Peep let me see that thing."

"No!" Peep argued "MOM!" Then he hid behind his mother.

Liza intervened, "Ok boys, settle down. Oskar, Peep's cape is not alive." She looked at Peep and asked, "Do you hafta wear that thing 24/7?"

Peep grinned and replied, "I sure do. It makes me feel important."

"You are important." Liza tousled Peep's honey blond hair. Then she grabbed both of her sons and yelled, "Group hug!"

Afterward Liza left for work with specific instructions for the boys to stay out of trouble.

As soon as Liza walked out the front door Oskar pounced on Peep. As boys wrestled in the foyer Oskar tackled Peep pinning him to the ground. "Now give me that cape!"

"No!" Peep shoved Oskar off of him. "Get off me! Mom said, "Stay outta trouble!"

Oskar blocked Peep from going up the stairs. "Oh there won't be any trouble as long as you hand over that cape!"

Peep yelled at Oskar, "Let me go Sporty Spice!"

"I told you to never call me that!" Oskar ran at Peep and knocked him to the ground a second time then he sat on top of him.

As Oskar struggled to untie the cape, Peep grimaced. Oskar had a few years and few pounds on him. "Hey Oskar, I never took you for the Harry Potter type! You wanna try on the cape?" Peep pretended to unfasten it.

Oskar got off of Peep and retorted, "You know I hate all that magic and wizard stuff. It's for nerds like you!"

"Fine!" Peep yelled. "Then leave me alone already! If you don't believe in magic you'll never amount to anything!"

Oskar punched Peep really hard in the arm and said, "Here's some magic you dweeb!" Then he headed into the kitchen.

Peep wished he could tell his brother the truth. For the most part they got along really well but now all these secrets! The secrets were causing wedges and the wedges were turning into walls. Peep rubbed his bicep and walked up the stairs wondering when he'd see Locket again. He thought, "How long will I hafta wear this stupid cape?"

When he got to his room Locket surprised him. "Hey kiddo!" Then she laughed, "Nice cape! Whatcha do? Wash it?" She laughed so hard she began doing somersaults in the air. She left bright blue streaky coiled lights behind her.

"Very funny, " Peep shut and locked his door. "I didn't wash it, my mom did."

Locket stopped flipping. "No kidding? I've never seen you clean a thing. She glanced at the full grown white can licking it's paws on Peep's unmade bed. "You forgot to feed Hello didn't you?"

Peep stammered, "I... uh... It was only one day."

"Welp now you have a white Persian CAT!" Then she added, "And what if you didn't eat for a day?"

Peep looked sad.

Locked upbraided him a bit more. "And I hope you like changing the litter box! Cuz now she's gonna pee and poop like a normal cat."

Peep scrunched his nose and asked, "Does anyone like scooping a litter box?"

Locket replied, "I think grandmas like it."

Peep crossed to Hello and stroked her silky white fur. "I'm sorry Hello. Can we still be friends?" Hello purred loudly then climbed onto Peep's lap. "I won't forget to feed you ever again."

Locket smiled. Her Peep was growing up. "Listen Mister, I know what you did."

Peep asked her, "What are you talking about?"

Locket answered flatly, "You made yourself invisible and Oskar saw you."

Peep's eyes grew wide. "How did you know that?"

Locket hovered near Peep and smirked, "I have tracking devices on all my magic cloaks. You never know what an evil wizard will do with one of em!"

Peep patted his shoulder. "Locket may I ask you something?"

Locket gently landed on Peep's shoulder and said, "Anything Peep."

Peep asked sincerely, "Are you just messing with me?"

Locket stood up and shouted in Peep's ear, "Never!" Then she whispered, "Peep, don't you know? You're my person..."

Peep thought about the phrase, "You're my person." No one had ever said that to him before. His mom always told him she loved him and he'd had a couple of best friends along the way but this was different. "I'm your person?" he asked shyly.

Locket sat back down and hugged Peep's neck. "Why yes! I only get one person as long as I shall live. That could be hundreds--even thousands of years! When I saw you I knew..."

"You're my person—uh fairy—too Locket!"

They sat like that for a while until Oskar started banging on Peep's door.

"Welp!" Locket flew up toward the ceiling. "Gotta fly!"

Peep stood up and shut his window. "Don't go Locket. I have so much to ask you!"

Oskar continued banging and shouting, "Open up Peep! What'd you mean, 'If I don't believe in magic I'll never amount to anything?'"

Locket whispered, "You better answer your brother. He seems quite upset."

Oskar banged louder.

Peep exclaimed, "He wants the cape Locket!"

Locket waved her magic wand over the purple cape. Blue glitter sprinkled on Peep's shoulders. "Then give it to him." She nodded toward the window and it opened--just-a-crack--and she flew out the tiny hole in the screen.

End of chapter 38

Author's Note:
I've got two chapters ready tonight! Thank you for your patience. I've been trying to open my Etsy shop at the same time as writing for Wattpad. Thank you for your continued reads, shares, votes and comments. It means a lot ❤️❤️❤️