genrcsavvyĀ·:Ā /Ā (Ā youāveĀ alwaysĀ lovedĀ theĀ strangeĀ birds;Ā nowĀ iĀ wantĀ toĀ flyĀ intoĀ yourĀ world.Ā )
The village has very few things to do for children, which means that Fleur has spent much of the trip so far sulking, scrunched into a corner of her fatherās caravan with her book on dinosaurs and a bottle of chocolate milk. Itās only been a little under a day and sheās decided that she hates it. The children at Luisaās house were all already friends from school and they all stuck together, without any room in their group for outsiders. She had wanted to go to the castle but daddy forbade it, saying it was full of vampires who would want to eat her up if they saw her. She wouldāve taken that over Luisaās house. She didnāt like Romanian food and there was no television.Ā
Fleur clutches her bag close, cautious, eyes enormous. Sheās stunned for a moment by Angieās appearance. Her first thought is wondering why none of her dolls ever come to life. But she accepts it the way children accept everything, especially children whose fathers are giants who can do magic.
āMy nameās Fleur.ā She shuffles her velcro shoes and tightens her grip on daddyās jacket sleeve. With the other hand she points at Angie. āHow come youāre alive?ā
OHĀ GOODIEĀ GOODIE,Ā SHEĀ TALKS!Ā /Ā Ā whatĀ aĀ relief.Ā one - sidedĀ conversationsĀ areĀ noĀ fun.Ā itāsĀ badĀ enoughĀ thatĀ claudiaāsĀ goneĀ allĀ shyĀ soĀ suddenly. . .Ā CāMONĀ KID!Ā donāchaĀ seeĀ thereāsĀ anotherĀ YOUĀ hangingĀ around?Ā thatĀ neverĀ happens!Ā andĀ itāllĀ probablyĀ neverĀ happenĀ againĀ ifĀ allĀ youāreĀ gonnaĀ doĀ isĀ haveĀ aĀ staringĀ contest!
Ā angieĀ huffsĀ quietly,Ā supposināĀ thatĀ shynessĀ justĀ runsĀ inĀ theĀ family.Ā ohĀ well,Ā nothināĀ likeĀ aĀ littleĀ icebreaker.Ā fleurāsĀ askingĀ theĀ realĀ existentialĀ questions here.
Ā Ā āĀ Ā WELLĀ YāSEE. . . allĀ myĀ friendsĀ here?Ā theyāveĀ gotĀ stringsĀ onĀ āem,Ā orĀ theyĀ canātĀ standĀ upĀ onĀ theirĀ own.Ā butĀ me?Ā iāmĀ builtĀ different,Ā andĀ iāveĀ gotĀ theĀ partsĀ toĀ proveĀ it.Ā iāveĀ gotĀ aĀ brain!Ā wannaĀ see?Ā āĀ theĀ charismaticĀ dollĀ tapsĀ herĀ woodenĀ forehead,Ā whichĀ doesnātĀ produceĀ aĀ hollowĀ soundĀ asĀ itĀ wouldĀ wereĀ itĀ empty.Ā itāsĀ notĀ aĀ prettyĀ brain,Ā fairĀ warning.Ā butĀ whenĀ isĀ oneĀ ever?Ā ifĀ theĀ kidĀ wantsĀ toĀ know,Ā sheāllĀ knowĀ whatĀ sheāsĀ askingĀ for,Ā right?
Ā exceptĀ claudiaĀ stepsĀ in,Ā takesĀ holdĀ ofĀ herĀ freeĀ handĀ andĀ clutchingĀ it.Ā sheāsĀ grinningĀ inĀ thatĀ nervousĀ kindĀ ofĀ wayĀ thatĀ herĀ mamaĀ doesĀ whenĀ sheāsĀ spokenĀ outĀ atĀ theĀ meetings;Ā Ā āĀ myĀ mamaāsĀ powersĀ madeĀ herĀ live.Ā thereāsĀ nobodyĀ elseĀ likeĀ her,Ā sheāsĀ herĀ onlyĀ livingĀ creation...Ā well,Ā besidesĀ me! ā
Ā Ā thenĀ theĀ kidĀ letsĀ goĀ ofĀ herĀ handĀ andĀ runsĀ rightĀ upĀ toĀ theĀ other,Ā excitedĀ butĀ fidgetingĀ herĀ handsĀ nervously.Ā āĀ butĀ everybodyāsĀ special,Ā andĀ really,Ā reallyĀ nice.Ā um,Ā iĀ couldĀ showĀ you. . āĀ sheĀ turnsĀ around,Ā doeĀ shapedĀ eyesĀ searchingĀ forĀ approvalĀ whichĀ sheĀ receivesĀ fromĀ herĀ veiledĀ motherāsĀ nod.Ā thenĀ sheĀ swingsĀ back,Ā moreĀ confident.Ā Ā āĀ yes!Ā iĀ couldĀ showĀ youĀ them.Ā if--Ā ifĀ youĀ want!Ā ā
Ā Ā noĀ fairĀ forĀ angie.Ā sheĀ totallyĀ wantedĀ toĀ showĀ offĀ herĀ brain.Ā itĀ wouldāveĀ beenĀ COOL!Ā