Not Your Average Fairy Tale (Not Your Average Fairy Tale #1)

by Chantele Sedgwick

  Kendall was starting to get to me. She was smart, funny, cute, and annoying. She was also emotional, had a temper, but was sweet and real. Half of which wasn't even in her file. She didn't make any sense to me. She was completely different than what I’d expected.

  I also didn't know why she liked that Cameron loser. He was an idiot. Why couldn't girls see stuff like that, and why did I care?

  "I didn't plan on seeing you again for a while," Logan said as I ascended his stairway.

  "Don't get too excited. I'm just here to give you your books back." I handed him Different Sands for Different Dreams, and my personal favorite, How to Not Make Yourself Fall Asleep On the Job.

  "You don't need to return these, Ash. I gave them to you to study."

  "Well, it looks like I'm going to be a fairy forever, since Ken-I mean, my assignment won't use her last two wishes."

  Logan raised an eyebrow. "Just give her time."

  "I'm not apprenticing Father Time, Logan. That isn't my area of expertise."

  "Hey, cool it with the attitude, kid. I'm just trying to help."

  I tried not to smile. He'd called me 'kid' since I had been brought to the Academy as a child.

  "You can't call me that anymore. I look just as old as you do."

  "Appearances can be deceiving. It's cliché, but it's true."

  I shrugged. "I guess."

  "I've got about three hundred years on you."

  "Okay, you win."

  "So, tell me about this girl. Kendall, is it?"

  I folded my arms and leaned back against the railing overlooking the courtyard below. "There's nothing to tell."

  "Really? You seem, I don't know … attached? Like you care about her. I'm not the only one who's noticed a change in you."

  I shook my head and turned around, taking in the view of the campus. It really was beautiful. The only home I remembered.

  "Don't worry, Logan. I'm not forming some emotional attachment to her. I barely know her. She's my assignment and that's it. Besides, you can't form an attachment to someone that fast."

  "Whatever you say."

  I shook my head, not wanting to argue with him again.

  "It's beautiful isn't it?" He gestured toward the grounds, full of every magical creature or person left in the world. "I was here when the Academy first opened. It used to be a safe-haven for only children, but look how much we've grown. No one can ever hurt us here."

  "Not intentionally."

  He ignored me. "It's a shame we didn't have this place before you came, Ash. If we’d only–"

  "Please, don't bring that up."

  Everyone knew I was one of the first students brought to the Academy. And it did its job. It made me feel safe all growing up. Even so, I didn’t want to talk about my father. It was still so hard, knowing he was gone. It had been nearly thirteen years since he died. I was starting to forget him.

  Logan cleared his throat, bringing me back to the present. "You know, I chose Kendall as your assignment."

  "What?" This whole time I thought it had been Shenelle. “Why?”

  "I went through nearly a hundred profiles, and I didn't find any that suited you. Until I found her."

  "Why was she so special?"

  He sighed. "You two are a lot alike. You're both damaged. You've lost people who were important to you. She lost her father, you've lost your parents. I thought you'd make a good match. Help each other with your grief. I also knew she wouldn't make your assignment easy. She is stubborn. Just like you."

  I glared at him. "I don't need anyone to help me with anything. I'm not grieving. It happened a long time ago. And I'm not stubborn."

  "Ash–"

  "Please, Logan. I don't want to talk about it anymore." I closed my eyes, feeling the breeze on my face. I silently wished the wind could take the bad memories of my past away and make me forget. In a way I was still grieving. I didn't know how to make it better, though.

  "I'm sorry I brought it up."

  We sat in silence for a while.

  "I still have nightmares," I whispered. "About that night. I still hear my dad screaming."

  He placed a hand on my shoulder and I jumped.

  "I'm sorry," he said.

  I stiffened, feeling more vulnerable by the second. I had to go somewhere. Anywhere but here. The nightmares were worse now, ever since Dax had started apprenticing Logan. I wasn't about to tell him that, though. I didn't want to make things worse. Dax would think I was weak, and I wasn't weak. I'd handle it, and when this was all over, I'd pay him back somehow.

  Shrugging Logan off, I stepped away from him. "I have to go," I said.

  ***

  The only place I could think of going to was Kendall's house.

  I checked her room first, but she wasn't there, so I closed my eyes, grasping my wand with one hand. After a second of imagining her face, I saw her in my mind. She was sitting on some bleachers in her high school gym.

  Her head was down, her eyes shut. I focused on her image, and opened my eyes, pleased that I was now sitting behind her on the bleachers. Her blond hair looked perfect, as always.

  She sat alone, watching the drill team practicing a dance on the gym floor.

  I leaned down so my mouth was near her ear. "Kendall?"

  She jumped. "Oh." Her hands flew to her face, wiping her tears away.

  I hesitated and then slid closer to her. My arm went around her, and she leaned her head against my shoulder.

  We sat in silence, watching the dancers practice.

  My hand stroked her hair, and I wondered why I was starting to feel so different around her. Like she’d been missing from my life for the last seventeen years. She felt so familiar to me now. Like we were meant to find each other. Maybe Logan was right. Maybe we could help each other.

  "I'm such a loser," she said.

  I pulled away. "What are you talking about?"

  "I don't know." She sniffed. "I just, I don't have anyone anymore. Cameron's an idiot. My mom is either too protective of me, or lately, not protective enough. I've treated Tessa like crap. And Ellie..." Her eyes found her sister, practicing with the rest of the drill team.

  "What about Ellie?" I asked.

  "She's just so perfect."

  I watched her sister, dancing with the rest of the girls. I wasn't sure what made a dancer perfect, but I could tell she was good and enjoyed dancing.

  "I miss it." She leaned her head on my shoulder again, and I didn't move away.

  "Dancing?"

  "Yeah."

  "Why don't you do it again?"

  She shook her head. "I can't."

  "Why not?"

  "I just can't."

  "Talk to me. Please."

  She shook her head and sighed. "The accident was all my fault. If I'd been ready to go, it never would have happened."

  She was quiet for a long time. I was about to respond when she started talking again. "I was drill mistress and had to be at the Homecoming game. I was going to be late for the half-time show." She glanced at me. "Being drill mistress as a junior almost never happens, so I never missed a game to make sure I stayed in good standing. Anyway, that night my dad told my mom and Ellie to go ahead, so he could wait for me to finish getting ready and drive me to the school. My dad and I had always been close." She closed her eyes. "Dad started getting in the driver's seat, but I begged him to let me drive. He gave me the keys.

  "I don't remember everything about that night, but I remember the car that came around the corner too fast. The headlights shone right in my eyes, blinding me, and then all I remember is tires screeching, my dad calling out my name, and slamming into something hard. There was a lot of broken glass. A lot of blood." Her voice quivered on the last word.

  "I was in and out. I remember people cutting me out of the car. The pain was horrible. My face, my legs. I was freaking out, calling for my dad, when everything went quiet. And dark. I woke up in a hospital room two days later. My mom sat on the edge of the bed, and her face was
red and puffy." She shook her head. A tear ran down her cheek, and I reached out, wiping it away.

  "I'll never forget the look on her face. When I asked about Dad, she told me he didn't make it."

  "I'm so sorry." I had the sudden urge to tell her about my own parents, but decided against it. It was her time to talk. Not mine.

  "If I had let him drive, he'd still be ..." She choked on the last word, and I pulled her closer.

  "Then you wouldn't be," I said.

  "At least my mom would have him still," she said. "She wouldn't blame me for taking him away every time she sees me."

  I turned her face so she was looking at me. "She doesn't think that."

  "She does. I can see the pain in her eyes. She never talks about it. She'll never forgive me. She isn't even my mom anymore. She’s a totally different person now."

  "That's not true." My own eyes were starting to water, and I blinked a few times, pushing the tears back.

  "You can't know that!"

  I hesitated, thinking maybe I shouldn't say anything, but the words came tumbling out of my mouth before I could stop them. "Your mom loves you. I know she does."

  "I know. I just wish she'd be my mom again. Treat me like her daughter again.” The moment the words were out of her mouth, she froze. “Oh no!” She sat up straight and I withdrew my arm. My shoulder tingled where her head had been resting, and I wished she hadn’t moved.

  My heart sped up. I wasn't ready to grant her other wishes yet. I wanted her to take her time. I wanted more time with her, but once she said the words I wish, I had to grant them no matter what.

  My wand appeared in my hand and my magic surged through it. Blue sparkles shot out of it, covering us.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered.

  “I didn’t ... I mean ...” She groaned.

  “You said I wish. I had to grant it.”

  “I didn’t mean to say it! I was upset!”

  I reached out and touched her cheek, not knowing what to say.

  She sighed and stared out into the gym. She didn’t say anything for a long time and I didn’t bug her. After what seemed like at least ten minutes, she finally spoke again. "So, what happens now? Will my mom be okay? Since I made that wish?"

  I nodded. "It may take a few days for her to get back to normal, but it will happen. She won't forget the grief, but she'll remember you and Ellie and how much she needs you. And the other way around."

  "I hope I did the right thing."

  "It was a good wish, Kendall. You need your mom."

  "I know." She smiled and bumped my shoulder with her own. “Thanks for finding me. I don’t really like to be alone.”

  “I’ve noticed.”

  She met my eyes, blushed, and looked away.

  I stood and stretched. "Do you need a lift back home?" I asked, grinning.

  She glanced at me and grimaced. "No way. Been there, done that, almost threw up after."

  I laughed. Traveling fairy-style wasn't that bad. She just wasn't used to it.

  "Your loss," I said, shrugging.

  "You can ride with me if you want. I drove. I'm not the biggest fan of cars, well, you know why, but it gets me from point A to point B." Her eyes widened. "Ugh. I sound like my mom." She shook her head and started down the bleachers.

  I followed her down and around the corner toward the parking lot. "I hope you're a good driver. I've never ridden in a car before."

  "You serious?" She raised her eyebrows, and then frowned when she saw my smirk. "You're such a liar," she said, quickening her pace. "They have cars where you come from?"

  "Of course. Not a lot of us use them, but those who can't 'teleport' have no other option. I guess they could ride a bike. Or run, like centaurs and satyrs."

  "Centaurs? Like the horse people?"

  I tugged on her arm and she stopped walking. "Don't ever call them that. It hurts their feelings. Their bodies are horsy, but they're more human at heart. And they have nasty tempers. Not as bad as trolls, but still pretty bad."

  "Please tell me you're joking."

  "I'm totally serious."

  "Huh. Weird."

  "Pretty much."

  "All this magic stuff really is interesting, but it freaks me out that magical creatures really exist."

  I shrugged. I was used to it. "Are you going home, or just driving around?"

  "Where else would I go?" she asked. "It's Saturday afternoon. Cameron isn't speaking to me, and Tessa's grounded for being too late last night. Ellie's at practice and my mom is at work." We reached the car, and she was careful not to talk to me with people standing around the parking lot.

  I got inside, cringing at the fuzzy pink steering wheel and flower lea draped around the rear-view mirror.

  "Nice décor." I tried not to gag.

  She rolled her eyes. "It's not blue. Oh, and when are you going to change my room back? My mom finally noticed it. She didn't really care, but Ellie wouldn't stop asking about it. I told her I wanted to change my room around and decided my new favorite color was blue. She didn't believe me. I'm such a bad liar."

  "You're right about that."

  She glared at me. "You'd better change it back."

  "Never," I said. "Did you shear a sheep and make this yourself?" I petted the steering wheel. Pieces of fluff came off and I waved my hand trying to get it off.

  "Yep. We breed pink sheep."

  "Weird." I chuckled to myself. She was just about as sarcastic as I was. I liked that.

  The sound of her laughter filled the car. I smiled. I liked her laugh. It was musical. Not scary or loud like some creatures I knew, but pretty.

  "I could eat," I hinted.

  "Well, let's go grab a burger then," she said.

  I frowned and folded my arms. "That's not acceptable."

  "Why?" she asked, her voice quiet.

  "You can't just eat a burger. There has to be at least two. Or a double cheeseburger. Mmmm." I leaned back and got comfortable in the passenger seat.

  We went through the drive-through of a local burger stop, and before I knew it, my two cheeseburgers were happily in my belly.

  "Those were awesome," I said. "I haven't had a cheeseburger in forever."

  "Yeah they were. I'm stuffed."

  I glanced at Kendall, who was looking content as she drove back to her house. "I can't believe you actually listened to me and ate two!"

  "Hey, just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I can't eat."

  "You're freaking awesome."

  We got back to Kendall's house, and I was actually having a good time with her. I never realized how funny she was.

  "So," she said, plopping down on her couch. "What's your world like? Can you tell me about it?"

  I joined her on the couch, and put my hands behind my head. Leaning back, I closed my eyes and stretched.

  I could feel Kendall's eyes on me. Watching me. Waiting for me to say something. It's not that I didn't want to tell her about my home, I just wasn't sure what to say.

  "It's green," I said.

  "What?"

  I opened my eyes and looked over at her. "My home is very green. Lots of trees, bushes, grass. Lots of flowers." I wrinkled my nose in distaste. "It always smells like flowers."

  "You live in a forest?" she asked, smiling.

  "No." I couldn't help but smile back. "And I don't live in a tree either, so don't ask."

  She laughed. "You keep destroying my childhood fantasies of fairies!"

  "Sorry. I live on a huge campus. Like a college, but way bigger. It's actually ... how do I put this?" I thought about it, glancing at her expectant face. "Like a protection agency. For magical creatures.”

  "What do you mean by protection?"

  "We've never been well received, or even liked by humans. We're different. Different is bad in the human world. What it all comes down to is we can do magic and you can't. It's mostly adults that have the problem, which is why we only appear to children, or teenagers."

  "Why?"

&n
bsp; "You're most likely to believe in us." I wasn't sure why I was telling her so much. "Some of you," I nudged her, "might freak out a little when we first appear to you, but almost every time you end up believing."

  "Do people ever tell others about you? Like, sisters or friends?"

  I raised an eyebrow. "Would you believe someone if they told you they had a fairy godmother?"

  She frowned. "I guess not."

  "No one else can see us, remember?"

  "That makes sense, I guess." She was quiet, gathering her thoughts. "So, are you, like, immortal?"

  I burst out laughing. "No! Thank goodness!"

  She looked confused.

  "Would you want to live forever?" I asked.

  She thought about it for a moment, and finally shook her head. "No. I don't think I would."

  "How would it be to just wait around forever, doing the same things over and over?" I shook my head. "I'd get so bored. I get bored now!"

  "Me too." She smiled. "What other kinds of magical creatures live with you? Besides the horse people."

  I laughed at that. "Well, a lot of us aren't really magical creatures. We just have magic in our blood. Take my friend Sam. He's a human with magical tendencies, like me. He's actually half elf."

  "Half elf? Really? Are you an elf too?"

  I shook my head. "I don't know what I am. I had a human father, but I have no idea who or what my mother was. All I know is she left me when I was very young."

  "Are you close to your dad?"

  I stiffened. "I was. He died. A long time ago."

  "I'm sorry," she said. "Looks like we have more in common than I thought."

  "Yes. We do." I shook my head. I'd told her too much already and didn't want to answer any more questions about my past. Not yet. "So, back to Sam. He's been learning magic since he was a kid and will graduate soon. Once he passes his apprenticeship, he'll get to choose what field he goes into. He wants to be a timekeeper. Like, be able to stop time, keep it flowing, you know. That sort of thing. He's apprenticing Master Time right now." I frowned, remembering why I was even with Kendall in the first place.

  "So, you wanted to be a fairy?"

  "Heck no."

  "Then, why are you here?"