Pixies and wolves

CHAPTER 2: MEETING A PIXIE

XENIA'S POV

I wake up to the smell of coffee brewing in the kitchen and slowly get up and head to the shower. I brush my teeth and have a cool shower to freshen up. While drying my hair I head to my room and get dressed in jeans and a shirt, tying my hair back and letting my fringe fall over my face covering my eyes before looking myself over one last time.

"Xenia, it's time to go", my mom calls from the stairs. I grab bag and lock my door.

"Coming", I shout back to her and race down the stairs, slinging my bag over my shoulders as I walk out the door to the bus station.

I hop on the already full bus and search for a seat. The only one open is in the very front and that suits me just fine. I hear some students whisper and talk softly and I know it's about me, but I'm used to all this by now and place my earphones in and crank my I-pod to full to block out further sneering at me. The bus comes to a halt at the next stop on the way and a small group of students hop on and head to their friends, while staring at me in disgust as though I'm some disease that has invaded their lives, only to whisper about me some more.

The bus moves on and in a short while we end up at school and I race off the bus and get to my locker before class. I swap some books and head to my class, English. I take my favourite seat at the back of the class that is always left open for me because the class doesn't my desk like it's cursed or something. I put the volume down slightly to hear some of the lecture, which is some plain old boring grammar and very annoying as I'll have piles of homework to do. I begin to wander around in my thoughts and slowly doze off into a dream that seems very real.

"Agh, Xenia, will you please pay attention to the class instead of sleeping".

The entire class is now staring at me having found a new topic to add to the list of gossip about me, while Mrs Thornton continues her moaning that I'm now not even listening to. My cheeks burn and I know I'm embarrassed by all the attention I'm given. I stare at the board for a while till a pixie catches my eye and waves at me from outside the window before hopping off the ledge and flying off to the trees near our school building. I wave a small weak wave back trying not to get caught, but the pixie doesn't see me waving.

The bell rings indicating the end of class and I bolt out before getting called to stay behind and receive some punishment or other. I head to my favourite class, art, and set my bag down grab my drawing kit from the storeroom before drawing today's piece being a bowl of fruit laid differently at each table that we are grouped in. Luckily for me I get the desk all to myself so my art stays clean. I finish the sketch and add a few colours in some art way and let it dry to one side while I begin drawing the pixie I saw in the window. Mr Pierce, our art teacher, comes over and smiles at the work I have produced and then at the new pixie I have started drawing to add to the year's collection. We get assigned a topic each year to draw on. I got to choose my own and so I took pixies as my assignment.

"Woh, that's a lovely drawing. She seems so real don't you think?" I jump at the voice from behind me to find that it's Joshua. "Sorry didn't mean to scare you".

"It's ok, no worries", I reply in an embarrassed tone, "why you over here and not with the rest of the class?" I question him.

"Well, if you would prefer I can join them but as you can see I'm all set up over here. Didn't you notice my scratching over the paper?" he replies. He replied! No one ever replies or talks to me unless they being mean. I stare at him some more in disbelief, as though im a freak or something.

"What's the matter? You look like you have seen a ghost or something".

"I've just never had anyone talk to me unless they were being mean" I comment

"You joking right?" he asks with a crazy expression on his face as if he's thinking that I'm joking

"No really, it's the honest truth" I reply with a sad expression on my face

"Well more people should talk to you, I think that then they will all realise how amazing you truly are", Joshua replied with a smug grin and tap punched my arm lightly.

"I guess so", I sigh looking at my pixie and how happy she seems to be compared to my bleak attempt of a smile.

He attempts to continue a conversation to lift my mood but realises it's to no avail and so returns to his art on the desk next to me. I peer over and see him painting a wolf, but it's so realistic like my pixies as though he seems to own the wolf.

"Interested in the wolf image I see, hmmm". He turns the page to me and I gently touch the wet paint and share in the painting interest of the wolf. After a few minutes our fingers are covered in an array of paint colours. We look at the wolf we have created and I finally grin happily for once.

I stand up and sit back at my desk and slowly add more detail to the wings of my pixie. Shading in her fragile glass like wings detailing each glimmer and vein. I add shades to her outfit of a grimy white top and shredded frills with jean like pants that cover her feet. She is wearing a belt with tools for hunting and crafts. She has a bow and quiver full of arrows for keeping pesky street cats at bay. The final shading is a background of emerald green and black around her figure. She's complete.

I add her to the collection of pixies and pack my art equipment away and get ready to go home.

Today i decide to walk home to avoid the ridicule given to me by students on the busses.

Joshua comes running after me and walks beside me for a while before striking up a conversation.

"You know, you can just ignore the students and their petty teasing and jokes. You really amazing and you can have a better time at school."

I stop walking and look him straight in the eyes before replying, "why do you keep trying to be friends with me? Surely there are other girls way better than I am that would kill to date you. So if you don't mind quit while you can because soon you'll find out for yourself that I am not what you think I am. And I prefer walking to a bus full of smelly noisy school children who look at you weirdly."

He stops following me and I turn the corner at the end of the block to walk through the park and taking the long way home.

At that moment a pixie drops from a tree and flutters her wings in front of me. I recognize her instantly as the pixie I just drew a minutes ago.

She flies onto a bush and picks a small flower, gently heads back to me and puts the flower into my hair before disappearing.

"Wait!" I shout "what's your name" I sigh as it's too late. She's gone