The Amazing Wolf Boy

Part 24 - The Fairy Snowglobe

For the next couple of days, I had to watch my step at school. Literally. It seemed the entire football team was gunning for me, tossing objects in my path as I hurried between classes, trying to trip me. Once as I was walking through the halls, a book came skittering across the floor at me. Another time it was an apple. Then the halls would boom with laughter to make sure I knew who’d thrown it. Often it was Eff himself.

It was stupid and petty and totally not beneath him. It was also not without precedent. I remember at my old school, James Dawson flung a handful of pencils at the feet of his lacrosse rival. The kid wrenched his back and had to sit out the entire season, and James didn’t make the team anyway.

Jocks. They’re a different breed. But what Eff and his beefy friends didn’t know was that I had enhanced hearing and reflexes. They weren’t going to trip me up no matter how many times they tried.

Thursday at lunch, Brittany threw me a curve. “We have to put our study sessions on hold for a few days.”

I was watching how delicately her throat moved when she swallowed her yogurt, and at first I didn’t register what she said. “Stop studying? Why?”

“Tomorrow is my niece’s birthday. Miley. I told you about her. She’s turning three. So Butt Crack and I are driving up to give her a present. If we go right after school, we’re sure to get invited for dinner. My sister’s a great cook.”

“Where do they live?”

“Kissimmee.”

I frowned. “Kiss who?”

She laughed and shook her head. “You really are a newbie. Anyway, it takes a couple hours to get there, so I won’t be back until late.”

“Well, tell little Miley happy birthday from me. What did you get her?”

“That’s the problem. I don’t know whether to buy clothes or a toy.”

“Kids want toys,” I said. “There’s nothing worse than opening a gift and finding clothes.”

“You think so?”

“Sure. You buy clothes to please the parents, not the kid.”

Brittany smiled. “I’m going to the mall this afternoon. Can you come with?”

My heart somersaulted. She actually wanted to be seen with me in public. This was way better than studying. “No problem. I’ll even help you pick out a birthday card.”

We drove out to Wellington. It’s a small town, and I expected the mall to be rundown, but it was state-of-the-art. It had two floors and palm trees growing under skylights. I saw a lot of kids, and remembered Maxwell and Lonnie inviting me to the arcade for a Tie Fighter tournament. Apparently, this was a designated hang out.

I was so proud to be with Brittany. I wanted to hold her hand, but didn’t have the nerve. We walked along the storefronts. She made fun of the dresses on the mannequins. Then she made fun of the people going in to buy them.

“They’re probably getting ready for Jana’s party,” Brittany told me.

“You mentioned her party before. Who’s Jana?”

“She’s this really rich girl. She has all these stables and a gazebo and stuff. Every year she throws a formal birthday party. February twenty second. It’s huge. Like event of the year huge. The stores will actually run out of decent dresses.” She laughed and nudged my arm. “I heard last year she had life-sized ice sculptures. Can you imagine ice sculptures in Florida? I would’ve gone just to watch them melt.”

“You weren’t invited?”

“Sure, I was. Everyone is. Our entire grade. It just isn’t my thing, that’s all.”

I felt a sinking sensation in my stomach. February twenty first was the next full moon, which meant Jana’s party fell on a waning moon. There was no way I could attend that party. I hoped I wouldn’t be expected to go.

We went into Planet Toys. Contrary to my advice, I had no idea what to buy a three-year-old girl—although I knew better than to suggest anything stereotypic, like a doll. Fortunately, all the toys had age groups printed on the boxes. We ended up with a barnyard set. It was bright and bulky, and sure to be a hit.

As we left the store, I saw Eff coming out of a clothing shop a few doors down. He stopped to stare, looking at first surprised and then angry. He might have started something right then, but he was with a woman, likely his mother. I pretended I didn’t see him and walked at Brittany’s side, carrying her bag.

We went into Annie’s Hallmark for wrapping paper and a card. Brittany froze in the doorway, and then stepped to a display of snow globes as if drawn to them. She seemed entranced. Then she shocked me further by pulling down a globe with fairies in it.

My uncle would say what girl doesn’t like fairies. That just goes to show how little I know about girls because I did not expect it.

“Look,” she said breathlessly, holding the thing so I could see.

I will never forget the look of pure delight on her face as she shook the globe and tiny flower petals swirled among the fairies. It played a tune. I didn’t recognize it, but Brittany hummed along. I promised myself that if I had to go without lunch for a month, I would buy her that snow globe.

The next morning, I told my uncle I didn’t need a ride into school and would take my bike. It wasn’t as tiring as I expected. In fact, the quiet of early morning was enjoyable.

That would not be the case, I knew, on the long haul to the mall. But I was excited to buy Brittany a gift. Something she really wanted.

After school, I hopped on my bike. The sky was blue and cloudless, and the air was warm in the sun but cool in the shade. I paced myself, hoping to keep my newfound super-strength in reserve for the ride back.

I was tired when I finally made it to the mall. It was late afternoon, and the parking lots were filling up. I had to ride halfway around the back before I found a bike rack. It felt good to stand up and walk.

I bought the snow globe first thing—checked it over, made sure the music played fine. At my insistence, the clerk stuffed the box with tissue paper. I didn’t want anything to happen to it on the way home.

I sat in the food court with a tall drink and people-watched for a time. The mall was crowded, like there was nothing better to do on a Friday afternoon. I caught sight of Eff walking with two of his football thugs. He was texting on his cell and didn’t notice me.

After a while, I picked up my bag and headed outside. The setting sun turned the sky bright orange. I hummed the tune the snow globe played as I skirted the parking lots and made my way to the back of the mall where I’d left my bike. I wondered if I should wrap the present, but no, I wanted to keep it casual.

There was no one around. I was beginning to think I’d walked the wrong way when I saw the rack and my lone, beat-up bike. I quickened my pace.

With a squeal of tires, three cars leapt the curb, blocking me in. Doors opened even before the vehicles came to a stop. Jocks swarmed out as if from clown cars with a dozen occupants. They all wore white T-shirts and football-player hair. Then I saw Eff, his face lit with awful glee and a two-by-four in his hand.