Unlike her classmates, Avery doesn't really care about boys, romance and fashion. Her phone contains fewer contacts than there are pens in her pencil case. Her classmates don't seem to care about her excistance, and at home it's basically the same s...
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Avery awoke the next morning, more well rested than she had felt in a long time. Warm arms were wrapped around her waist, like a snake around its prey. She pressed herself up against the mattress and felt the limp arm slide down. She looked over her shoulder, at Peters tousled blonde hair and the dark circles under his eyes. Avery recognised the weariness on his face. Too much had happened in such a short time.
As she stared at him, Peter opened his eyes and looked at her sleepily. She smiled. 'Good morning.'
Peter rubbed his eyes. A contradictory moan escaped his lips as he pushed himself upright and stretched vigorously. 'I could have slept for another week.'
'Me too,' she replied, 'but we don't have time for that.' There was a lot to be done again today. The time for rest was not now and it was almost as if the fairies could hear her thoughts because not long after, there was a knock on the door.
A cheerful, lilting voice sounded through the cottage as Lyria made her entrance. 'Wake up,' she called. 'The sun is long up and everyone is already busy.' She flew over to Avery and pulled her off the bed onto her feet. 'You're coming with me today,' she had decided.
Avery let Lyria pull her around the room, but limbs still felt heavy from the fatigue. She danced around like a rag doll. 'If Peter doesn't mind.' She looked back at him pleadingly and he smiled. 'I won't stop you.'
'That's great!' Lyria flapped her wings above Avery, causing sparkling fairydust to swirl around her.
'What are you going to do, Peter?' asked Avery, as Lyria pulled her towards the door.
'I have some things to catch up on that would only bore you. Go, enjoy your day.' He smiled as he waved her off. Avery waved back and followed Lyria towards the river.
'This is the water fairy territory,' Lyria explained. They perched on a lily pad the size of a boat in the middle of the babbling river. The water was cold on Avery's hands, but the early morning sun had warmed the leaf a little.
'Don't believe everything they say though. They can be very naive.' Lyria winked and stretched back. 'I come here for the silence.' She closed her eyes. Avery understood. The sound of the running water, the birds singing and the soft sunshine.... It was wonderfully serene. Very different from the canals on the outskirts of the city. Avery was intrigued by being small. Everything seemed so much bigger and she saw so much more than she had normally noticed; the dragonfly 's hidden among the reeds, the frogs whose eyes were just above the water and, above all, the water fairies who filled the cobwebs with dewdrops. They did this with such care that it was almost hypnotic to watch.
Suddenly, Lyria looked up and pricked up her ears. Avery could see them twitching slightly as they caught sound.
