Daydreamers

It all started on one dull, gloomy Monday morning. May hated Mondays as it meant another whole week at school. School was tough for May as she was picked on by the other year 3 children and was in the lowest sets for everything. Everything that is except for English. English was May's favourite subject because she could dream up stories, let her imagination run wild, and let her thoughts take over the otherwise boring day at school. The teachers told May's parents that her head was in the clouds and that if she pulled her head out for one minute then she would realise that there was more to life than silly stories and messy doodles. Every term after parents evening mum and dad would sit her down and give her 'the talk'. May hated the talk!

"You really should be concentrating on maths and science as well as English. It is maths and science that get you far in life. They contain the facts of life".

Mum would then join in with her positive look on life as always and would say;

"Look darling, we only want what is best for you. We just want you to be happy."

Well that was the funny thing, May was trying to be happy and to do that she did what she did best, May would close her eyes and take her mind away to her favourite place.

​This place was no ordinary place. This place was all hers. It was colourful, happy, the sky was always blue, the clouds always extra fluffy and white like cotton wool, the grass, a bright green carpet draping over the rolling hills that you could see for miles until it reached the turquoise, calm sea. This was May's island.

May could do whatever she wanted here. She could get muddy and no one would shout at her. She could say what she wanted and not be judged. She could be herself and no one would question it. She could be happy. She could be whoever she wanted to be.

Now May knew that lots of other children had a similar magical land made up in their heads but hers had a difference. This was a real place and she knew it because she could take one thing back and forth with her from her world into the real world and that was Shoo.

Shoo was a dragon. He was only small and could sit in the palm of your hand. He was crimson red with little yellow spikes poking out all down his back. He had a dark blue tongue. He actually looked just like a dragon you would read in fairy tales except for the fact that Shoo was very, very small!

May wasn't crazy and she knew it too but she did wonder sometimes because Shoo could be seen by no one else but her. The other strange thing about Shoo was that he wasn't invented by May. He just popped up one day and never left her side since then. Even when May wanted to be alone she couldn't get rid of him. That must mean he is real right?

Well back to this dull, gloomy Monday morning. May's day was at breaking point already. One more lesson about the lifecycle of a butterfly and she thought she might scream! Shoo was placed on her pencil case looking at the teacher as she babbled on, her mouth moving like a cod fish, her lips sucking in and pushing out as she got more and more excited. Shoo looked baffled and turned around to May and started making the same face as the teacher. May could help but giggle and as the noise left her mouth she realised that her Monday was just about to get a lot worse.

"Is there something amusing about the lifecycle of a butterfly May?"

The teacher asked as she slowly walked over to May's desk.

"No Miss Perriwinkle"

replied May, still trying to stifle her giggle as Shoo was still trying to master the mouth movements he had seen Miss Perriwinkle do earlier.

"Well I suggest that you shut your mouth for now, concentrate on the beautiful and magical world that is the lifecycle of a butterfly and then meet me for a chat after the lesson. Do I make myself clear?"

Miss Perriwinkle's voice was getting ever more annoyed as she said this, her bright orange hair becoming ever more erratic and her tight fitting blouse was starting to show signs of sweat marks round her gooey folds of skin. May couldn't help but hold her breath at the swewage smell that came out of Miss Perriwinkles mouth when se breathed all over her.

All of a sudden Shoo turned to the teacher and chanted

"Yes Miss Codfish!"

May snorted hard and covered it up, pretending she was sneezing.

"I said DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR MAY?"

Miss Perriwinkle bellowed.

"Yes Miss Codfish, I mean Miss Perriwi..."

"How dare you be so rude!"

Miss Perriwinkle interrupted.

"Go and sit outside on the chair! You obviously are not interested in learning and you need to seriously think about how you are going to get out of this one May before I get hold of your parents and bring them in. Good luck achieving that!"

"Well done Shoo, you really did it this time. You and your big mouth!"

"Oi! Freak! Stop talking to yourself!"

One of the girls shouted out at May. All the other girls started laughing out loud and chanting

"Freaky May, Freaky May!"

Even Miss Perriwinkle was giggling slightly.

May got up and grabbed her bag and book and left the class, head down, trying to avoid eye contact with all the sniggering girls. As she walked out she heard Miss Perriwinkle say quietly

"Now, now girls, lets get on with a peaceful lesson now that we have no distractions."

Distraction, May thought. Everyone just sees me as a distraction. That's all I am.

May sat on the little blue chair outside the classroom.

"I hate her"

May cried, maybe a bit too loud.

" I hate her and I will get her back. I just need to figure out how."

May's mind started to wonder.

Before she even realised what she was doing that bright blue sky swept in like a breath of fresh air, the clouds bouncing over the green hills until they had placed themselves in the perfect position in the sky. She could hear the waves crashing against the golden sand. She was there. May started walking towards the sea, winding through the valleys, down cobbled pathways until she reached the sand. She took off her shoes. It was hot against her feet as she dug her toes into the sand. She walked into the sea, the froth from the waves wrapped themselves round her ankles like white velvet gloves, longing to pull her into the clear water and take her away.