"If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales." – Albert Einstein

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Peep was depressed. His principal, Warden Baughman, forced him to get a crew cut. This new look did not increase his popularity, it made matters much worse. The jocks called him Buzzkill or Peep the Creep.

Prissy Anablel told him he looked like he'd escaped from an insane asylum. Oh she looked sweet on the outside, with her matching ribbons and elaborate braids, but Annabel ran the 4th grade. If she decided she didn't like you then everyone had to get on board or she'd turn her venal venon on you. Peep wondered what horrible things happened to Anabel to make her so vile. Or maybe she'd been demon possessed as a little girl? Stranger things have happened.

Everyday someone would sneak up behind him, rub his head chanting, "I wish I had a watermelon, I wish I had a watermelon..." Supposedly it brought them luck. It brought Peep misery. Peep didn't like being touched, especially while being mocked. His teacher did little to dissuade the bullying. In fact she called him Private Peep which only made the kids roar with laughter (and make crude jokes about private parts.)

At least on the bus Peep could pull his orange hoodie over his head. He'd put his headphones in, blast rap music and shut out the world. Every once in a while an older bully would pull down his hood rub his head and wish for a watermelon. Peep thought, "What a stupid waste of a wish. If I had a wish I'd never waste it—ever. I'd wish to be a superstar and everyone would know my name—like that guy on Cheers! Norm!

When he finally made it home Peep grabbed a box of Twinkies and a carton of milk and ran up to his room. There, he would get lost in a game of World of Warcraft or take a nap. It was exhausting being him. He couldn't wait for his hair to grow back in. Maybe then the taunting would stop. He comforted himself by this mantra, "One day I'm gonna dress however I like and wear my hair how I want to! These posers in school are gonna grow up, work like rats in cubicles, get married and have a bunch of brats just like them!"

While Liza stayed after school for mandatory parent/teacher conferences, Peep fell into a deep sleep. All the taunting he endured at school exhausted the little fellow. Before he napped he drew the ugliest picture of Anabel and taped it to his wall, He depicted her as a giant monster eating her classmates like animal crackers.

As Peep entered into REM sleep Locket flew through the tiny hole in the screen and flew through the window--opened just-a-crack into Peep's bedroom. She noticed his buzzed head and said, "Tsk, tsk, such a shame." Peep slept on his back with his hands on his chest. He was so still and so pale. "I hope he's not ill." Locket zipped close to Peep and let her tiny blue fairy lips touch his forehead. Her lips turned a momentary bright pink. "Perfect temperature for a human boy!"

Locket handpicked the boy even naming him Peep. Unseen worlds needed help and she knew he'd be perfect for the job—if he ever woke up. She had to be ever so careful. A fairy may only reveal herself to one human at a time. If Peep's mother or brother saw her she'd have to find another open window and another unique child for the mission. She was super stubborn and only Peep would do!

Peep was her first pick ever! She didn't want to mess things up. Well except for the hair fiasco but Locket felt certain he looked better this way. She thought, "It's too bad they shaved his head, but it'll grow back."She could already see the pink fuzz sprouting all over right side of his head. Fairy magic is forever!

Locket hovered near his face. He exhaled stale breath pushing her backwards. "Someone needs a mint!" She flew above his head and layed down on her tummy. She dangled over his forehead and with her two tiny blue hands pried open his eyelid revealing an amber-colored eye. "Psssssst! Wake up Peep! Open your peepers!" Nothing. "Cheeks and elbows! Nothing wakes this boy!" If he's not careful he'll end up like Gulliver, tied down by hundreds of little obnoxious minions.

Then Locket got an idea—an awfully wonderful idea! Being aware of all creatures great and small, (within a 25 foot radius that is!) She flew down to the baseboard behind Peep's bed. In a sing-song voice she taunted, "Come out, come out wherever you are..." A centipede, 3 inches long, sporting over 30 legs slithered out from beneath the white chipped baseboard. The way it ruffled along in a rhythmic fashion sent shivers up Locket's spine. She tried admiring the way its multitude of legs moved in succession. It reminded her of tiny black ripples in the sea. Still she shuddered. However, she knew better than to judge someone based on their creepy exterior.

She spoke to the centipede, "Charlie, I need you to shimmy your way up this bed. Slither across Peep's face and wake him up."

Charlie shook his head no. He was afraid of Peep. Once he climbed up onto this very bed and snuggled close to him. He was so cold. He thought the little boy would help warm him up—maybe even keep him as a pet. Instead Peep screamed and flicked him across the room. Charlie hated living all alone behind the baseboard. He knew humans despised him. He thought, "Why do I have to have so many legs? If I were a butterfly or a ladybug I'd be adored." Charlie sighed.

"I know you're afraid," Locket continued, "but there's no bug spray. I checked. So get on up there! Scoot!"

Charlie didn't budge. He knew better.

Locket bargained, "If you do this for me, I'll give you a fairy-present."

Charlie thought, "A fairy-present! Oh boy!"

Fairies always get their way.

Charlie nonchalantly meandered his way up the blue bedskirt and made it to the top. Just as he crossed Peep's forearm, SMACK!

Charlie woke up Peep alright... However... Peep yelled, "I got you--you little bugger!" Sadly Charlie was no more. RIP Charlie.

"Oh dear," cried Locket. "I didn't see that coming." Quick as a whip she flew above the squished remains of Charlie and said, "A fairy promise is a forever promise." She shimmied and sprinkled sparkly pink fairy dust above Charlie's squished remains. The magic glitter dusted Peep's forearm, embedding a tattooed image of Charlie the Centipede. "Sorry you're not here to see this good fellow."

Peep was so disgusted by the gooey orange bug guts, with its multitude of disintegrating legs, he never even noticed Locket. "Ew... gross!" Peep ran into the tiny bathroom down the hall. He turned on the faucet, piled on a glob of hand soap and scrubbed off the bug guts. Pump, pump... Lather, lather, lather... splash, splash!

Peep rigorously scrubbed his arm but... "Oh no! Why won't this come off?" He scrubbed again until his forearm was rubbed red and raw. No matter how many times he scoured he couldn't remove the imbedded image of Charlie the Centipede. Peep shrieked.

Peep's screams woke Liza.

Locket gasped. That's my cue. Gotta fly! She zipped out the window--opened just-a-crack and buzzed out through the tiny hole in the screen.

Liza hurried to the bathroom. She knocked on the outside of door. "Peep are you okay?"

Peep yelled through the door, "Uh... I'm fine ma. I got bit by centipede." He looked at what appeared to be the finest tattoo of a centipede—ever!

"Let me in Peep. Lemme put some ointment on it."

"No ma, i already did. I'm fine, it freaked me out is all. See you in the morning. Ok? Love you."

Liza thought, 'My little boy is growing up." Speaking through door once more she said, "I love you kiddo. Night..."

Liza shuffled back to bed.

Peed admired his tattoo. He never seen a better one. It was so realistic it looked as if you could pick it right off his skin.

Im gonna need to keep this a secret. I'll wear long sleeves, skip PE... If this gets out, at school, I'll get expelled.

Peep sorta liked the idea of being expelled.

More me time!

-End of Chapter 7-

Author's note: I hope you're enjoying the story. Lil Peep inspired it. What inspires you?

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