"Oh, too bad." She flew over and, picking up a pink smock with her wand, held it against me. What guy would wear a smock, let alone a pink one? "And we've already altered his mind so I can't ask for a bigger size."
"Altered his mind?"
She froze, her eyes darting around the room, landing everywhere but on me. "Now, Pete. Don't get mad. I was going to tell you before we did it."
"You're going to alter my mind?"
"We, um, have to alter your mind so you don't remember us. We can’t let the world know faeries really exist. They'd expect us to make everything better for them. It would destroy the human spirit." She waved her wand and the clothes disappeared.
"So, I won’t remember you?" I asked softly.
"No."
The thought depressed me. I sank onto my bed, feeling a little sick.
"But I'll remember you." I looked into her tiny little eyes as she spoke. "Forever."
"That's not fair, Tink."
"I know. We still have time, though." She sat on the bed next to me. "We could go clothes shopping today. Do you have any money?"
"Yes. My dad gave me a little the other day. He also said my clothes were too big and told me to buy some new ones."
"Then let's go." She flew to the door and waited for me to join her, but I had no desire to do anything fun. My memories of Tink would be altered. The little imp had changed my life and I wouldn't remember her.
"Don't think about it. We still have to get you that date. Let's focus on that, okay?" She waved her wand and the door opened. "Come on. Let's go shopping."
Since I had a limited budget, we went straight to the local Wal-Mart. Tink was dumbfounded. She'd never seen a store so big.
"It has everything. You wouldn't need another store."
I didn't respond, not wanting to look like a crazy guy talking to myself. She left me in the jeans section while she flew off to check out the shoes. As if she'd find a pair her size.
It took me three tries to find the right size jeans. Maybe mom is right about me playing too many video games. I picked out four shirts and took them into the dressing room. Before I undressed, I heard Tink’s voice call out from the other side of the door. "Let me see what you try on."
And how was I to do that? There were two attendants outside the door. I'd look like an idiot walking out for no one. Grumbling, I pulled the jeans I really liked on first and an orange t-shirt with an awesome tricked-out car on the front. I picked it out carefully, remembering her aversion to cartoon characters.
I walked out. "Where did the attendants go?" I whispered, looking around the dressing area.
"I made one of them think she had to go to the bathroom," she giggled.
"What about the other one?"
"Seriously, Pete? Don't you know females only go to the bathroom in groups?" She shook her head at me.
"Jeans are good, but no cartoons. You'll need to pick out another shirt."
"This isn't a cartoon, Tink. This is a real picture of a real car."
"And it's real lame." She waved her wand at my dressing room and ten different shirts in assorted colors and styles appeared, and not one had cartoons on them.
I tried them all on, but none of the shirts were good enough. She waved her wand and ten more appeared.
"Tink, if you're going to be that picky, this is going to take all night."
"That's okay. When we came in I noticed the sign on the door. It said they are open twenty-four hours. Awesome, huh?" She smiled.
After an hour of trying on shirts, I'd reached my limit. Tink, sensing that, decided to have a little fun. The next shirt I came out in, a perfectly good, plaid, button-up shirt, turned into a fluffy pink prom dress. I would have laughed, but the attendants, who'd returned forty-five minutes ago already looked at me strangely each time I came out of the dressing room. My eyes darted to Tink. She sat on top of my many cast-off shirts, laughing herself to tears.
"Tink!" I said through a cough.
"They can't see the dress. But you should have seen your eyes." I shook my head slightly, and with a crooked smile, returned to the dressing room.
Half an hour later we finally left the store and went back to my house. "Wow. I love that store. It's amazing. I'm definitely coming here on my Dag som en människa. One more thing for my bucket list."
I placed my new clothes on the bed. "What's a Dag sum . . . whatever you said."
"Dag som en människa. It means Day as a Human. We faeries get to experience life as a human for one day. It's supposed to make us more compassionate to humans, you know, walk a mile in another’s shoes type deal, and we can more effectively work together."
She settled on the bed and began removing the tags from my clothes with her handy little wand. I briefly wondered if I could convince her to accidently leave it behind because I could sure use it.
"When do you get to take this Dag som . . . Day as a Human?'
"Whenever I want. Most take it somewhere between their fifteenth and twenty-fifth year. I've been thinking of doing mine soon, especially after seeing that awesome Wal-Mart store."
I grinned, unsure if I'd ever heard the words awesome and Wal-Mart together before.
"And speaking of human days, you need to decide who you are going to ask out. I think you're ready. Have you given Elise Delyser any more thought?"
"Tink, I don't know about this. What if she says no?" I sank onto the floor, picking nervously at the tan carpet fibers.
"She won't say no. You're amazing, Pete. You're funny, sweet, and hard-working. You cleaned the garage the other day without me saying anything to you about it."
"It needed to be done. Besides, my dad's been putting in a lot of overtimes since one of his employees left to have a baby. I wanted to help him out."
"Pete, two months ago you would never have done that."
"You opened my eyes to a lot of things, Tink. If not for you, I never would have done that," I said.
"But you're seeing things now without me pointing them out." She flew down next to me and sat cross-legged on the carpet. "Besides, you look great. You've worked hard, Pete. She'd have to be crazy not to say yes."
"Thanks, Tink. For everything. I can never repay you."
"Yes, you can. Ask Elise Delyser out on a date," she insisted.
"Ugh!" I lay back on the carpet and pinched my eyes shut.
"And for your assignment tonight, I want you to come up with a creative way to ask her, or whoever, out on a date."
"I haven't agreed to this, Tink."
She walked up to my face. I turned to look at her and that pretty smile. "You'll need to decide soon. Good night." She waved her wand and disappeared.
I flopped over on my stomach. Me ask a girl out? I'd rather swim with sharks than ask a girl out. But I knew Tink wasn't about to let up. I had to decide.
I picked up my yearbook and scoured the pages for the hundredth time. There were lots of nice girls I could ask, but no one jumped out at me. I didn't want to go out with any of them.
I thought about it for a long time, deciding, then changing my mind, then deciding again. I grabbed a piece of paper and a pen listing all the pros and cons of each girl. Until I knew exactly who I wanted to ask. It was obvious. What a geek I still am sometimes. Now, how to ask.
Chocolate? Maybe. I had yet to meet a girl who didn't like chocolate. Flowers? That would work too, except I didn't know what kind of flowers to get. Roses, I guess. Or were flowers too cheesy?
I paced back and forth in my room trying to brainstorm some ideas. "How am I going to do this?" My reflection in the mirror on the bedroom door caught my eye.
I'd made a lot of changes inside, but I'd made some on the outside too. It felt weird to look into my mirror and not see my old, sloppy self.
As I scrutinized my reflection, I got an idea.
*****
My mom helped me put my idea together last night. She was over-the-top excited that I wanted to ask a girl out, giving me a million suggestions about where to
go and what to do. I let her ramble, it's not like I could tell her about Tink's bucket list. I'd gotten up extra early, excited and unable to sleep. The familiar twinkling of lights sent a jolt of excitement through my veins. "Good morning, Tink."
"Good morning. You're up and ready to go already?" She smiled her pretty little smile at me.
"Got a lot to do. I've made my mind up about who I'm going to ask out."
I watched the smile die on her face. "Oh. So who is it? Elise?"
"Let's go running first." I snagged my water bottle and ran downstairs to fill it.
She stood on the small counter next to the fridge and watched. "Do I get a hint?"
"Hmm. I can tell you she's very pretty."
"Well, just because she's pretty on the outside, doesn’t mean she's pretty on the inside, you know," she pointed out.
"She's pretty on the inside too."
"Oh."
"Let's get going before it gets too hot." I smiled broadly and went outside. To my surprise, the run seemed easier today than ever before. I even took an extra lap around our cul-de-sac just because.
We got back to my house and I made us some iced herbal tea. "So who is it?" Tink asked, taking a sip from her little glass.
"First, I need to shower." I downed my glass and ran upstairs. Tink stayed in the kitchen, a scowl firmly planted on her face. I laughed to myself. She's so cute when she's mad.
After my shower, we went over to the Final Rest nursing home and helped mom do crafts with the seniors. Tink sat on the piano, arms folded, definitely not amused by my little game. I saw her more than once whip out her wand and save a senior from falling over. Too bad all nursing homes don't have faeries to help.
On the way home, she didn't speak at all. After ten minutes of silence I decided to test the waters a little. "Yeah, she is really sweet, Tink. I'm excited, although I haven't decided where I'll take her yet. I thought I'd see if she had a preference. If not, maybe a movie."
"A movie! Pete, how do you expect to get to know a person sitting in a theater? You can't talk. A movie is not a good idea."
"Good point. What do you suggest?"
"Bowling."
"Bowling?"
"Yes. It looks fun and you can talk, and there's good food to eat. Yes. Bowling is perfect."
I grinned to myself. Clearly she'd never eaten food from a bowling alley. "Okay. I'll suggest bowling and see what she says."
The conversation died again, until we got to my house. "Okay, please just tell me who it is," she demanded.
"Alright. If you insist," I said casually.
"Yes. I insist," she replied with exasperation.
I jogged upstairs and grabbed the four-inch by four-inch box my mom had helped me tie a huge pink glittery bow around. I came downstairs and set it on the kitchen counter in front of Tink. My hands shook pretty good, but she didn't seem to notice.
"Her ear or some other body part isn't in here, is it?" She glanced at me, worry etched in her brow.
"Tink." I shook my head. "Open the box and you'll see the prettiest girl in the world. That's who I want to go out with."
She tugged on the ribbon. It unfolded and Tink let it drop to the counter. With her wand, she lifted the lid off the box and set it aside. She took a hesitant step closer, put her hands on the side of the box, took a deep breath, and peered inside.
Her eyes shot to me instantly. "It's a mirror."
I laughed. "Yes, I know."
"You want to go out with . . . me?" She looked puzzled.
"Yes. But I realize it means you'd have to spend your Dag som—Day as a Human with me so if you'd rather not, I under—"
"Yes. I accept."
"Really? Because I don't want to take that away from you if you had other plans," I explained.
"No. I can't think of a better way to spend my Dag som en människa than with you." She beamed, and added, "Thank you, Pete. I'm flattered."
"Thank you, Tink, for everything." I picked up the discarded ribbon and twisted it nervously around my fingers. "Is tomorrow too soon?"
"No, not at all. I'll have to talk to Jaxton, but that should be fine. What are we going to do?"
"Bowling, for one," I suggested. She laughed. "And definitely not a movie, for two. It's your one and only day as a human, Tink. I want to make this special for you. We can do everything you want to do." She started to protest, but I cut her off.
"I'll have plenty of time to go on other dates, but you only get one day as a human. We are doing what you want."
"Oh, Pete, you are the sweetest." She flew to my shoulder and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "I better get going. I'll have Jaxton bring me here in the morning. I get a full day, clear up until midnight. What time do you want me here?"
"Depends on what you want to do," I pointed out.
"A million different things." Giddy with excitement, she flew around the kitchen aimlessly.
"Nine a.m.?"
"How about eight. I want to enjoy every second."
"Eight it is. See you tomorrow," I laughed.
She waved and disappeared.
*****
At seven fifty-eight the next morning, Tink, along with a male faery, appeared in my bedroom. Dressed in a tiny green business suit, I almost laughed at him. If it weren't for the stern look on his face, I would have. For a little guy, he was formidable. I didn't dare say a word as he sized me up. Tink, of course, looked beautiful in her pink shimmery dress.
"Good Morning, Mr. Pancerella," he said sternly. "I'm Jaxton Williams. I'm here to discuss the contract."
"You can call me—contract?"
"Yes. Since Tinkanova is barely eighteen, a contract between the two of you is necessary." He waved his wand. I noted it to be longer and thicker than Tink's and wondered if it wielded more power. Remembering the painful zaps I received from her wand, I didn't dare asked Mr. Williams in case he decided to demonstrate.
He flicked his wand and a small, yet never-the-less menacing, document appeared on the dresser. I picked it up with my thumb and first finger, noting the calligraphy-like writing. Jaxton flew over next to my ear to review it with me.
"You'll need to initial each statement."
A pen with silver sparkles on it appeared in my hand as he began reading.
"I agree to abide by the following rules in regards to Tinkanova-Marie Bellitoinski while she is on her Dag som en människa. I will not encourage Ms. Bellitoinski to disregard these rules and will do everything in my power to make sure she abides by them.
"'Number one: No alcohol.' She’s only eighteen as I've already stated so it is illegal for her to consume alcohol." He pointed to the little box for me to initial.
"I'm only eighteen too. It's not like I can walk into a store and buy it," I said. He ignored me and again tapped on the little square.
Writing as small as I possibly could, I squeezed my initials into the box. Jaxton spouted off the next rule before the ink dried.
"'Number Two: No illegal activities of any kind. This includes but is not limited to: stealing, breaking and entering, purchasing and/or ingesting illegal substances.'"
"I'm not a criminal, and I don't do drugs," I barked. This stupid imp managed to get on my last nerve in a very short period of time.
"Sign, please." He tapped on the box. I looked over at Tink. She shrugged her shoulders in sympathy. I again squeezed my initials on the document.
"'Number three: No pranks of any kind. This includes but is not limited to: Destruction of mailboxes with bats or explosives. No toilet papering, commonly referred to as TP'ing, the property of friends and/or strangers.'"
"Seriously? TP'ing is a rite of passage. It's not—" he interrupted me with another tap. I roughly signed the document, this time not caring if my initials overflowed the stupid little box.
Jaxton turned the document to the next page. It contained only one more rule.
"'Number four: No jaywalking.'"
"That's it? No jaywalking?"
He answered with a
nother point to the square. "You'd be surprised how many faeries we lose jaywalking. Remember, we're used to flying, it is not natural for us to look for vehicles when we want to cross the road, Mr. Pancerella."
I hadn't thought about that. I made a mental note to watch Tink carefully when we were near the road.
"Now, if you'll sign your full legal name here, I'll be off." I signed my full name, Peter Mathew Pancerella, in my best handwriting. Okay, it wasn't calligraphy, but it wasn't half bad either.
"Sorry we have to be so strict, Mr. Pancerella, but you know how boys are."
"No, how are they?" I really didn't care for this leprechaun.
"Fickle," Tink answered. She smiled at Jaxton. "Sorry, but you do say that a lot."
"Because it's true," Jaxton said while reviewing the document. He made sure I initialed each box, even though he watched me do it, and he checked my signature. "Nice handwriting." He pulled the paper closer to his face.
"Mathew is your middle name?" he asked. I nodded. "We have it as Markus."
"That's my dad's middle name. We share the same first name but different middle names. We have the same birthday too, June 30th. Kind of cool, huh?"
Jaxton went into panic mode. I could tell by the glow he emitted. It was the same glow Tink got right before she pointed her wand at me. I ducked behind the dresser and braced myself for the zap.
"This may change everything, Tink. Are you sure you want to do this today? Maybe we should wait and let me feed this new information into our program, just to be safe," Jaxton all but begged her.
"No. It doesn't matter at this point does it? I'm here and I'm ready."
Jaxton, though still green, nodded. "Very well." He turned to me. "We'll need to leave while she changes."
Tink held up a small brown bag I hadn't noticed before and shook it. "Jeans and a t-shirt. I've always wanted to wear jeans and a t-shirt." She flapped her wings and I understood. She couldn’t wear them as a faery because her wings would get in the way.
We walked out of my bedroom, well, I walked, Jaxton flew, and closed the door. We stood there in the hallway in awkward silence, waiting.
Jaxton broke the silence. "You defile her in any way, I will hurt you." He had his wand out and pointed at my heart. "She's impressionable and innocent and you had better not take advantage of that."