fairy,” I screamed, reaching my voices capacity.
“You got it, boss, and my name is actually Goldenrod, if you don’t mind-“
“The car, remember, the car! You’re a parking fairy, do your one job!”
I hated Goldenrod, but she was our last hope. I had gotten a pretty nasty day, already, getting into a horrible accident with a borrowed car would just be the icing on the stupid, flopped cake that was my future. She had to be able to do at least one thing well- or else they would both be eating fries inside the fast through restaurant.
“Park, what’s wrong with you!”
“Well, let’s just say that I wasnt trained much, since no one wanted a Parking Fairy! And as far as I no, you don’t, either! So why should I help you?”
“Because you’ll die, too!” I pointed out.
“Really?”
“Duh!”
Suddenly, I felt the car lurch back, the scent of burning rubber singing my eyes. The wall was feet ahead, inches ahead, and the car was still moving towards it, unable to park, unable to stop!
If the car wouldn’t halt, they’d surely soar out of the windshield...no wonder no one wanted to use cars, after all the accidents they had gotten people into. Who wanted to get into a machine like that, when most people got into a crash at some time, or another? When it took years, and thousands of dollars, to heal the most minor of wounds. People had gotten broken appendages, broken hearts, and broken bodies. I’d rather fly, any day, touching the clouds, instead of touching the brick.
Suddenly, I felt my back slam against the seats, and I felt her hair whip back, like a rubber band. Goldenrod hid under the steering wheel, and she looked positively terrified, screwing her little eyelids shut, holding her fingers to her head. What was she doing? She was supposed to be saving all of their behinds, not clutching her skull like she was a Fake Psychic.
All of a sudden, the ancient car squealed to a halt, riding forward for a few more inches, sparks flying into the pavement. My nose was now close enough to touch the brick, and I held her head back as much as she could. Then, my neck was flung forward, my body’s arc ended by my good ol’ friend, the seat belt. The car was slowly beginning to come to a prompt end. And it stopped right before it hit the wall.
I breathed heavily, my collarbones stinging from a few shards of plastic. But I was totally fine, otherwise. You, know, except for the fact that I had almost died, and that my Fairy was totally inept at her ability- but I was alive.
“How about...we go home, now?” Goldenrod said, timidly.
“It’s not home to you. Isn’t there anywhere else you can stay besides my house?” I said, getting out of the car.
“Hey, a thank you is all I need,” she said, huffily, “and no. There’s no where else I’m allowed to go. A fairy must stay at their humans home. And you owe me, for saving you.”
I rolled my eyes so far into my head, I was sure I could see my brain, or maybe it was just all the stress that I had piled away, back in my cranium. I had been so anxious all day- I could use a hot meal, and a nap, maybe. Perhaps there were some ingredients at home I could use to make something that fairies
hated- chock full of sugar.
What about a nice, chocolate tart?
As I walked into my house, nonchalantly, I tried to hide my fairy behind my back, so no one would question me about which one I had gotten during the ceremony. But Mom was blocking the door, her arms folded over. Her eyes were steely and disapproving, and I knew that I was trapped. I swallowed. My throat was dry, and rough- I needed a drink of water.
“Hi, Mom!” I said, a falsetto smile plastered onto my face.
“ Livi , how date you smile at me like a time like this! Where were you? The ceremony ended an hour ago, and every single student came home already. Every student except for you. I waited outside your school, and you never came! Where did you go? Don’t tell me you were flying around with your new fairy, or something! I can tell that you were doing something dangerous- your hair looks like a rats nest! Did you get a Wind Ability, or something?”
I chuckled, drily, concealing it behind a cough. I was in the doghouse already, I didn’t want to make it any worse than it already was.
“Mom...I didn’t get a Flight Fairy...” I said, trying to break the news, slowly.
“Oh, for heavens sakes! Don’t tell me you got a Tornado Fairy. Last time someone had that one, their house was uprooted completely!”
“No, Mom. I got...”
I sighed.
“ A Parking Fairy .”
She was taken aback, and almost stumbled through the door. Then, her serious, uptight Mom began to laugh, hysterically. Her face turned a frightening shade of pomegranate red, and she started to shake like a leaf. Her Mom had to grasp for the silver knob, to regain her balance, and her face returned to a normal colour as she put her arm around me.
“Come on, Livi, this is a big day for you! You can tell me what fairy you got- even if it wasn’t the one you wanted. There’s no such thing as a Parking Fairy, don’t think you could fool me, after two other children. And both of them tried the same exact thing! River even said that she had recieved a Lamination Fairy! Did you get the Math Fairy, like I’ve been wanting you to get, as you’ve refused to let it go?” She said, the same hope I had, staying in her voice.
I hated to put a needle in that huge balloon of hope that she had, but she didn’t understand the true gravity of the situation. She didn’t get that I couldn’t get rid of Goldenrod, and that I could get arrested if I did. It was inordinate that she didn’t believe me, when I needed her most.
“No, Mom, I really did get a Parking Fairy. She’s right here,” I dead panned, turning my back towards her.
She began to gape, as I held out Goldenrod, who perched on my thumb. She bit it, and I leapt into the air. What a disrespectful little fairy!
“You really mean to tell me that after all that time, after all that work- you’re going to have to let her go. Our family has no use for fairies, when all they do is help you find a
parking space . It’s much better to be free, and not owe anything to the fairies, then get the worst of the crop. No offense to you, Goldenrod. But Livi has to let you go.”
I shook my head, fury welling up inside of me.
“Your daughter began to blow me away,” Goldenrod said, smugly, “and that means I have the right to sue her if she doesn’t keep me, and do anything that I tell her to.”
“Hey! That’s not what you said before!” I said.
But it was to no avail. I hated Goldenrod, and I hated fairies. But there was nothing that I could do to stop her. Mom glared at me, as if the whole predicament was my fault. What could I do?
“Well, I suppose you’ll have to keep her now,” she said, stiffly, “but you can’t even drive, Livi! This ability is the worst one out there, for you!”
And she turned to Goldenrod, fists clenched.
“What kind of awful fairy are you pretending to be? Do you think that this is a game?”
“No, ma’am, but I’m afraid I’m getting a little bit sleepy. Can you show me to my room?” Goldenrod said.
“You can sleep on the floor ,” I said, “you don’t get a bed.”
“Alright.”
I brought her into my cozy, comfortable room, and stared at the pictures, strung up on my walls, of all my friends. Goldenrod pursed her lips up at them, and the fairy settled into the thick, purple carpet, covering herself with a clean tissue, pretending to shiver.
“Your sister is a lot more photogenic than you are. She got a great fairy, didn’t she?”
“Go to sleep, now,” I demanded.
I left the door open. Fairies were known to be mischievous when they didn’t like their host, and I didn’t want to be trapped in a room with her, if she tried to park a car on me. Or worse, she could find a few matches, and set my bed on fire while I slept, leaving me to wake up in the flames. No, I was going to be careful around this one.
“Goodnight, Livi,” she smiled up at me.
I didn’t respond.
As it turned out, that was a huge mistake.
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