TWELVE

“STILL NOTHING?” DAVID ASKED WHEN LAUREL CALLED him Saturday afternoon, a few hours before the dance.

“Nothing. I’ve been to the library three days in a row and there’s nothing.”

“Not even hints?”

“Well, you can read any explanation into something if you really want to, but no descriptions of…” She lowered her voice. “…faeries that sound anything like me.”

“What about Shakespeare? A Midsummer Night’s Dream?”

“Actually, those are about as close as it comes. But they still have wings and seem very magical. Not to mention mischievous. I’m not like that…am I?”

David laughed. “No, you’re not.” He was quiet for a few moments. “Maybe the stories are wrong.”

“All of them?”

“How true are most legends?”

“I don’t know. It just seems like there would be some documentation if it were true.”

“Well, we’ll keep looking. Anyway, are you ready for tonight?”

“Of course.”

“I’ll see you at eight, then?”

“I’ll be ready.”

David showed up a few hours later with a large box that supposedly held the “wings.” Laurel answered the door in her blue dress with a shawl tightly wrapped around her shoulders.

“Wow,” David said. “You look great.”

Laurel looked down, half wishing she’d chosen something less attention-drawing; everyone would be looking at her in this. The dress was a shimmering light-blue satin with silver beading, cut on a diagonal that fell in a perfect drape across every one of her curves. The front had a soft sweetheart neckline and it was backless. She was bared almost to her waist by a round edge and more of the sparkling silver beading. A mini-train provided the finishing touch.

David was wearing black pants with a white tuxedo jacket complete with tails. A red silk cummerbund encircled his waist, and he’d managed to find a cravat to fasten around his neck. White gloves poked out of his breast pocket and he’d gelled his hair.

“What are you supposed to be?” Laurel asked appreciatively.

David blushed. “Prince Charming?” When Laurel laughed, he shrugged. “I figured we could both be mythical creatures from a fairy tale.”

“My mom knows you’re coming,” Laurel whispered, leading David quickly upstairs, “but I think it’s best if we try to get the preparations all done before she knows you’re here. She might insist I keep the door open or something.”

“No problem.”

She swept him into her room and, after a cautious glance down the hallway, closed the door. Laurel untied the knot of her white shawl and let her blossom flutter free. She helped the petals back into their upright position; they’d seemed a little limp the last couple of days and didn’t stand quite so high. She turned when she heard David’s sharp intake of breath.

“What?”

“They’re just so beautiful—especially with that dress. I’m amazed every time I see them.”

“Sure,” Laurel said sarcastically. “They’re fabulous when they’re not yours.”

It took only about two minutes for David to secure the garland around the base of the flower and over her shoulders. Laurel turned to the new mirror hanging on the back of her door and laughed. “David, you’re a genius. It totally looks like a costume.”

David stood beside her, smiling at their reflection. “I’m not quite done yet.” He turned back to the box. “Sit,” he said, pointing to the chair. “And close your eyes.”

She did, starting to enjoy this now. His hands touched her face and then she felt something cold brush along her eyelids and cheeks. “What are you doing?”

“No questions. And keep your eyes closed.”

She heard something shake and then a cool mist covered the length of her hair. “Just a sec,” he said. Then she felt his warm breath, making the still-wet spots on her eyelids even colder but warming the rest of her face. “Okay, you’re done.”

She opened her eyes and stood to look in the mirror. She gasped and laughed as she turned her face to one side, then the other, letting the fading sunlight catch the glitter on her cheekbones and around her eyes. And her hair was full of glitter that sparkled and fell to decorate her dress when she shook her head. She almost didn’t recognize herself amid the glitter and glimmer of the face paint and the tinsel on her shoulders.

“Now you look like a faerie,” David said approvingly.

Laurel sighed. “I feel like a faerie. I never thought I’d say that.” She turned to David. “You’re amazing.”

“Nope,” David said with a grin. “We’ve proved it scientifically—you’re amazing.” He ran his fingers through his glossy hair with a lopsided grin. “I’m just human.”

Laurel smiled and squeezed his hand. “Maybe, but you’re the best human.”

“Speaking of humans,” David said, gesturing toward the door, “we should go show your parents. My mom will be here to pick us up in about ten minutes.”

All the tension of the evening rushed back. “You don’t think my mom will see right through this?” she asked.

“She won’t have a clue,” David said. “I’m sure.” He took both of her hands. “You ready?”

She wasn’t, but she nodded stiffly anyway.

David opened the door, then offered his arm with a flourish. “Shall we?”

Laurel’s mom caught them as they were headed down the stairs. “There you are,” she said, brandishing her camera. “I was afraid you’d try to sneak out on me.” She studied Laurel with a smile. “You look gorgeous,” she said. “You look handsome too,” she added to David.

“Where’s Dad?” Laurel asked, surveying the living room.

“He had to work late tonight. But I promised him tons of pictures. So come on, smile!”

She took about fifty pictures before David’s mom finally honked for them.

Laurel pulled David along behind her as her mom called out to them to have a good time. David’s mom gushed over them too, but she’d already gotten pictures of David, so they got off the hook with only five or six more of the two of them together.

By the time they were done, Laurel had almost changed her mind. “It’s too attention-getting,” she whispered to David in the back of his mom’s car. “Someone’s going to figure it out.”

David laughed. “No one’s going to figure it out,” he assured her. “I promise.”

“You better be right,” Laurel grumbled as they pulled into the high school parking lot.

“Look at you!” Chelsea squealed when she and David walked into the decorated gymnasium. “David said the wings were going to be awesome, but I had no idea they would be this good.” She made Laurel turn a full circle. “You know, it kind of looks more like a flower than wings, don’t you think?”

“They’re like, flower-wings, I guess,” Laurel responded nervously.

But Chelsea just shrugged. “They’re totally gorgeous. David, you’re a genius,” she said, touching his shoulder.

Laurel stifled a grin. David would get most of the credit for her flower tonight, but that was fine with her. Especially when the other option was everyone finding out she’d grown it!

Chelsea sniffed at her shoulder and Laurel stiffened. “Wow,” Chelsea said, sniffing openly now. “What did you spray on these? I’d totally pay for whatever you used.”

Laurel was stuck for just a second, then she said “Actually, it’s just this old perfume I’ve had forever. I don’t even remember what it’s called.”

“If you ever don’t want it, I do. Mmmm.”

Laurel smiled and looked meaningfully at David as she inclined her head toward the other side of the room. Away from Chelsea’s nose.

“We’re going to go get something to drink,” David said, taking Laurel’s hand. Luckily, Ryan walked up and Chelsea was distracted enough that she didn’t follow them.

Laurel left her hand in David’s. He hadn’t exactly said this was a date, but he hadn’t said it wasn’t, either. She preferred to think it was. Despite her hesitance to call him her boyfriend, she wasn’t completely sure that wasn’t what she wanted. What else could she want in a guy? He was sweet, patient, smart, fun, and he made no secret that he adored her. She smiled as she followed him. Walking hand in hand might start a few rumors, but she didn’t mind.

As she walked, everyone made way for her “wings.” People who’d never spoken to her before sought her out to tell her how cool her costume was. Everywhere she looked people were watching her. But it didn’t make her nervous tonight. She knew what they were seeing—she’d seen it herself in the mirror earlier. She looked magical; there was no other word for it.

A slow song started at about eleven thirty and David finally claimed her for his first dance of the night. He’d hung back, chatting with his friends and watching her most of the evening as several other guys had asked her for dances.

“So tell me,” he said, drawing her close, “was it all that bad?”

She smiled up at him as she placed her arms around his neck. “Not at all. You were totally right.”

David laughed. “About what?”

The smile remained on her face, but her words were serious. “Everyone can see me for what I am, and no one’s afraid or freaked out. No one’s calling wacko scientists or anything. They just think it’s cool.” She hesitated then added, “I think it’s kind of cool.”

“It is cool. It’s awesome.” He grinned. “You’re awesome.”

Laurel’s gaze dropped to his shoulder, but a tingly warmth spread through her.

“So how does it feel to be a faerie?”

Laurel shrugged. “Not so bad. Of course, it wouldn’t be like this every day.”

“No, but if you can just get used to the idea, then maybe you can start thinking about whether it’s true.”

Laurel stared at him in amusement. “You want it to be true!”

“What if I do?”

“Why?”

“Because being mythical by association is as close as I’m ever going to come.”

“What do you mean? You’re Prince Charming.”

“Yeah, but—you know—not really. But you? Laurel, I think it’s true. And it’s awesome. Who else is best friends with a faerie? No one!”

Laurel smiled. “Am I really your best friend?”

He looked down at her with serious eyes. “For now.”

She stepped in closer, laying her head against David’s shoulder for the last half of the song. When it was over, she pulled him in closer for a hug. “Thanks,” she whispered in his ear.

He grinned and offered her his arm dramatically. “Shall we?”

He led her back to the table where most of their friends were sitting and Laurel dropped into a seat. “I have to say, I’m totally exhausted.”

David leaned close to her ear. “What do you expect? The sun’s been down for hours. All good faeries should be home tucked into their flower beds.”

Laurel laughed, then started when someone tapped her shoulder. A senior she recognized from school was standing just behind her. “Hey, this fell off when you stopped dancing. I figured you’d want it back.” He handed her a long white-blue petal.

Laurel stared wide-eyed at David. After a few seconds, David took the petal from him. “Thanks, man.”

“No problem. What did you make that out of? It feels like an actual flower petal.”

“That is a trade secret,” David said with a grin.

“Well, it’s seriously awesome.”

“Thanks.”

The senior ambled back into the crowd as David laid the petal on the table. Laurel was strangely embarrassed to have it sitting there where everyone could see it. It felt intimate—as if David had laid out a pair of her underwear. “Did it just fall out?” David asked, leaning close again. “Did you feel it?”

Laurel shook her head.

“It couldn’t have been yanked out without you noticing, could it?”

Laurel remembered the excruciating pain when she tried to pluck one of the petals a few weeks ago. “No way.”

“Laurel,” David began, so quietly she could barely hear him, “isn’t this what Tamani said would happen?”

Laurel nodded quickly. “I didn’t believe it; I couldn’t. It was too good to be true.” Her mouth said the words automatically, but her mind fixated on the obvious question. If he was right about this, was he right about me being a faerie?

David looked at the floor behind her for a second, then ducked down and sat back up holding two more petals. He grinned at the group and shrugged. “Looks like my creation is falling apart.”

“That’s all right,” Chelsea said. “Dance’ll be over in a few minutes anyway.” She smiled at Laurel. “It was gorgeous while it lasted.”

“David, can we go wait for your mom?” Laurel asked desperately.

“Of course. Come on.”

Laurel frantically picked up petals all the way to the door as David led her through the crowd. But every time someone bumped her, more petals fell out. By the time they’d made it through the front doors, only a few petals still clung to her back, and her arms were full of them. “Did I get them all?” she asked, searching the ground around her.

“I think so.”

Laurel sighed and rubbed at her face. A shower of glitter sprinkled to the ground. “Shoot, I forgot.”

David laughed and looked at his watch. “It’s twelve o’clock. You gonna lose a shoe too?”

Laurel rolled her eyes. “So not funny.”

David just pushed his hands into his pockets and grinned.

“How does it look?” Laurel asked, turning her back to him.

“Can’t tell with the tinsel on.”

“Good.”

She paused for a long time and looked down at the armful of petals. Her throat felt dry as she looked up at David. “It’s true, isn’t it?”

“What?”

She shrugged but forced herself to say it. “I really am a faerie, aren’t I?”

David just smiled and nodded.

And for some reason, Laurel felt better. She chuckled. “Whoa,” she said.

His mom pulled up a few minutes later and they scooted into the backseat. “Oh, the wings fell apart,” she said. “It’s a good thing I already took pictures.”

Laurel didn’t say anything as she turned and picked up two more petals and added them to the pile.

They pulled into Laurel’s driveway and David got out to help Laurel to the door with her armful of petals. “There’s only five left,” David said, looking at her back. “And those will probably fall out while you’re sleeping.”

“Ha! If they make it that far.”

David paused. “Are you relieved?”

Laurel thought about that for a minute. “Kind of. I’m glad I won’t have to hide anything anymore—except maybe a mark where the bump used to be. I’ll be glad to wear tank tops again. But…” She hesitated, gathering her thoughts. “Something changed tonight, David. For a few hours I liked the flower. Really, really liked it. It felt special and magical.” She smiled. “You did that for me. And…I’m really glad.”

“Remember, you’ll get it again next year. That’s what Tamani said, right?”

Her brow wrinkled at the sound of his name.

“We could make it a tradition. You can come out of hiding and be a faerie for everyone to see once a year.”

She nodded. She liked the idea more than she could have predicted before tonight. “The other girls will be jealous,” she warned. “They’ll all want you to make wings for them too.”

“I’ll have to tell them that only Laurel gets wings. They won’t know just how true that is.”

“You don’t think anyone will catch on?”

“Maybe. There’s always someone who secretly believes in myths and legends; or at least parts of them. Those are the people who will look beyond the obvious and see things in this world that are truly wonderful.” He shrugged. “But they won’t say anything, even if they do. Because the rest of us who view the world as logical and scientific wouldn’t see the truth if it was posted up on a billboard. I’m lucky you hit me over the head with it—I’d have never seen you for what you really are.”

“I’m just me, David.”

“That’s the best part.”

Before she could say anything, he leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, then turned with a murmured good night and headed to the car.