Of Fairies and Noontime

Curious

It was a Saturday morning, a day full of hope and promise; but, most importantly, no school.

Hadley was up and out of bed before her parents had shaken their dreams out of their heads. She got into her favorite yellow dress—it was just slightly brighter than the house—and tied her hair back in a messy braid. She grabbed Bartholomew from his tank and kissed his head. Some days when she did this, she wished he'd magically turn into a prince.

"Where would you like to go today, Bart? We've got a day full of possibilities that awaits."

Hadley held the frog up to her ear. He made not a sound, but simply blinked in slow motion.

"What was that? You want to go visit Dask today? What a grand idea. We can sneak out just before mother and father wake up." She held a finger to her lips and tiptoed out of her room and down the stairs. She crept into the cushioned living room, and without making an effort to put shoes on, Hadley quietly stepped outside the back door and into the backyard. The grass tickled her bare feet and the sun warmed up her chest.

Hadley looked up at the fence posts all lined up in a row, preparing to make the jump. Before she did, though, she snuck Bart through the little hole at the bottom of the posts, and he hopped through without hesitation.

Hadley backed up and got in a ready stance. Then, she sprinted towards the fence and took a leap, landing safely on the other side in the bushes.

Hadley stood up and looked at the dust on her dress. She didn't mind it, but she knew that if her parents saw a dirty dress, she'd be in trouble for sure. So she reluctantly wiped it off and went on to survey Dask's house.

It looked dark inside, as if no one was home. There wasn't a car in the driveway, so Hadley could only assume that his parents had gone into town.

Dask's house was a lot less bright than Hadley's house, but it was still a very pretty house in Hadley's eyes. It was basically her second home, one where nobody seemed to judge her character.

Hadley skipped her way towards the fence again and snatched Bart up from the ground, giving him a little pet on the head. Then, she headed towards the door, didn't bother to knock, and crept inside.

When she got inside and closed the door, Dask instantly stood up from a dining room chair.

"Hadley?"

"Dask!"

Hadley ran to him and wrapped him in an embrace.

"How have you been?" Hadley asked, stepping back.

"Had, we just talked yesterday." Dask laughed.

"I know that. I could spend all the hours in the world with you and it still wouldn't be enough." Hadley sighed, falling into distant memories.

Dask was a little bit taller than Hadley and just a little bit older. They were born just three months apart.

Dask had dark brown hair and eyes that looked like blue crystals. His hair was fluffy; it reminded Hadley of a nest that birds would lay eggs in. He always wore dark coats with brown boots and combinations of the same muted colors. Hadley always thought he had been really cool. With a name like Dask, he was pretty much destined to be cool.

Hadley once asked him why his name was Dask. It was such an outsider's name.

"Well, my parents liked the word Dusk and the word Dark, and when they put them together, they came up with the name Dask. Then they said, 'why not', and here I am."

"I was just reading a really neat book about wizards and witches." Dask explained. The two kids were now sitting at his dining room table, with Bartholomew as their centerpiece.