My Fairy Godmonster (9 page)

I follow her into the attic and lock the door
behind us. The drums beat louder. Leaves rustle in the trees. A
seven-foot monster that looks like a cross between a leopard and
gorilla pokes out its head. Green eyes stare at me. It roars and
slinks down the limb. I hardly breathe.

“F-Faro?” My voice wobbles. “W-what’s
that?”

“Oh, did he come too? That’s a Lapilla.”

The spotted gorilla head sneaks closer. Its
leopard paws are as big as my head.

Fairy Godmonster growls. The black fur on the
monster’s neck stands up. It backs into the trees and
disappears.

Suddenly, everything is too much. My knees
shake and my head swirls. “Make it go away.”

Fairy Godmonster pulls out her whip. With a
crack, the natives and their drums disappear. The whip fizzles,
leaving behind the jungle and Lapilla.

“How utterly annoying. I thought FIMM was
fixed. You need help and I need to get home.”

Fairy Godmonster throws the whip across the
room. It hits the wall like a bullet, bores a fist-sized hole
through it before it disappears outside.

“Oops.”

“Oops? How am I going to explain that to
Dad!” I exclaim.

She goes to the window and starts to climb
out.

“Stop!” I shriek. “You can’t go out there
now! Everyone’s still up!”

“I need my whip.”

“You should have thought of that before you
threw it.”

Fairy Godmonster growls.

I close my eyes. Tears straggle down my face
and I wipe them away angrily.

“I thought you didn’t cry,” Fairy Godmonster
says quietly.

“You read minds, too?”

“No. I may be a Fairy Godmonster, but I
recognize the need to keep your emotions private. Has something
happened to upset you?”

“Other than the hole in my wall?”

“Drop the sarcasm,” says Fairy Godmonster
frowning. “Retrieve my whip and then you can tell me all about
it.”

I sneak out the front door, find the whip on
the grass and return to the attic.

“Thanks,” says Fairy Godmonster, snatching
the whip from my hand. “Now, out with it.”

I tell her about Dad leaving and about
Weasel’s lists and no dinner.

“Sounds like she belongs in Monsterdome!”
exclaims Fairy Godmonster. “Can’t wait to meet her.”

“What!”

“Oh, chill. She won’t see me. Especially when
my whip gets fixed.”

I throw myself onto the bed. “I hate that
she’s cooking, but her chili smelled good and I’m starving.”

“What’s your favorite meat?” Fairy Godmonster
asks.

“Steak.”

“Good choice! It’s the only thing I have with
me. Of course it’s Tingroc steak.”

I don’t want to know what a Tingroc is.

She reaches in her pocket and pushes a series
of buttons with one painted claw. The NTMT chip chirps.

I get dizzy as the room spins. The rest of
Mom’s furniture appears in the jungle along with a refrigerator, a
table, two chairs and two place settings.

Fairy Godmonster opens her refrigerator. It’s
completely full of red meat. She pulls out two large pieces and
plops them on the plates.

Lapilla roars and leaps out of the jungle. It
picks up the refrigerator and shakes it.

Fairy Godmonster growls. Lapilla grunts,
drops the refrigerator and backs away. She pulls out two steaks and
throws them into the jungle. Lapilla leaps after them.

She sits and says, “Dig in.”

I stare in shock as she raises the first red
bite to her tiny white fangs.

“I can’t eat raw meat. Don’t you have an
oven?”

Her smile sags. “No.”

I throw myself on the bed, blinded by the
colors in the jungle overhead.

There’s a knock on the door.

“Win, you okay?” asks David. “Claire said you
weren’t feeling well.”

“I’m okay, just tired.”

“I want to see for myself. Open the door,” he
demands.

I don’t suppose he’s going to leave, so I
drag myself off the bed and unlock the door. I stick my head
out.

“Why are you locking your door?”

“I need a space in this house that is all my
own. I don’t want Daria in here.”

David puts his hand on my forehead. “No
fever. Don’t you want some dinner? The chili is delicious.”

“Could you bring me some? I don’t want to
face anyone right now.”

“What’s going on?” he asks in concern.

He looks so serious that I don’t have the
heart to tell him about his future mother-in-law.

“I’m disappointed that I didn’t get to go
with Dad. And hungry.”

“Dinner coming up.” He hurries down the
stairs.

“Nice butt,” says Fairy Godmonster.

“Yuck. Don’t say that,” I moan.

“Well, it is.”

“You’re making me a wreck,” I say.

David returns with a huge bowl of chili
smothered in cheese and onions. Two large slices of baked bread
steam on the plate next to it. I take it from him.

For some reason, my eyes get watery.

“Thank you, David.”

“Sure, Win. Need anything else?”

“No.”

“Get some rest. John and I will meet you in
the barn at six.”

“‘
Night, David.”

I wait until he leaves to take the food
inside. I set it on the table and dig in.

“You could slow down and offer me a
taste.”

“Sorry, Faro. Help yourself.”

She lifts a spoon and I try not to stare at
her four fingers.

“Mmm. I might have to try more cooked
food.”

“Do you kill the things you eat?” I shudder,
not really wanting to think about it, but needing to know.

“I’m a fairy! We don’t do things like that,”
she sniffs. “All of our supplies come from FIMM Central. Organic
and simulated.”

I give her a slice of bread and finish the
chili. “I’m going to bed. Tomorrow will be a long day.”

Fairy Godmonster sighs. “I’m not spending
another day alone.”

“You weren’t alone.”

She grins. “I’ll try to get my whip to
work.”

Cinderella didn’t have these problems. Why do
I?

The NTMT chirps and the fridge and dinner
things disappear.

“What else do you have in that thing?” I
ask.

“Travel necessities. You’ve seen my exercise
equipment. I also carry clothes, food, restraining devices - ”

“What!”

“Some of my clients are difficult to handle,”
she replies.

“Don’t tell me any more.”

“My, aren’t we grouchy. Get some sleep.”

I climb into bed and set the alarm for 5:30
a.m. I want to get downstairs and out of the house before I have to
see Weasel.

Lepilla sticks his head out of the
leaves.

“EEK!” I leap to the floor. Shake
uncontrollably.

“Don’t worry, he’s harmless,” Fairy
Godmonster says putting her arm around me. I tingle from her
touch.

“How do you know?”

“No teeth. His were rotten and the Tooth
Fairy pulled them out.”

“He could swallow me whole or claw me to
death.” I shiver.

Fairy Godmonster laughs. “I’ll be right
beside you.”

“That’s supposed to make me feel safer?”

She frowns. “At least the Bogeyman won’t get
you.”

“Well, that’s a comfort.”

“Sarcasm pinches your face,” she says.

“I’m sorry,” I mumble.

“You should be.”

I pull the covers up. “‘Night, Faro.”

“Sweet dreams.”

I stare into the trees above my head, but
don’t see Lepilla. I wonder if I’m going to survive the night.

Chapter 15: Slippery When Wet

I open my blurry eyes and squint in the
bright sunlight. Where is my pillow? I moan and turn over with
difficulty.

Lapilla’s sleek leopard paw hangs across my
shoulder. Gorilla eyes stare into mine.

“EEK!” I scream.

Lapilla shrieks.

I leap onto Fairy
Godmonster. She sits up, knocking me out of bed. I almost crash to
the floor.
Her hand snatches my arm and
lifts me back like I was a feather.

My heart thumps like it’s going to pop out of
my chest.

“What’s going on?” Fairy Godmonster removes
her eye mask.

“That monster was sleeping next to me!”

“You’re alive, aren’t you?”

The alarm goes off.

Lapilla roars and jumps to a tree. Brown poop
drips down on my pillow.

“Eeuuww! Gross!” I leap off the bed,
shivering and holding my nose.

“What’s that?” Fairy Godmonster groans.

“Monster poop.”

“I mean the noise,” she says.

“The clock alarm,” I answer.

“Monster nights are much longer,” she
moans.

Still shaky, I get dressed.

“See you later, Faro.”

She rolls over grumbling, “Much later.”

“Please don’t leave this room. And clean up
the mess.”

She puts on her eye mask. “Fairy Godmonsters
don’t take orders.”

“Fine. Enjoy the smell.”

I sneak down the stairs. I’m relieved that
nobody’s up. I hurry out the kitchen door.

Kong jumps up and down when I enter the
stable. I feed the horses grain and let them into the pasture. Two
geldings, six mares and three colts thunder away. The dawn streaks
through their flying manes. Breath catches in my throat. Running
horses are the most beautiful sight in the whole world. They stop
and put their velvet noses to the grass. A wave of loneliness
sweeps over me. I miss Dad. We always watch the horses
together.

I go inside to muck out their stalls. I have
two finished and the bedding in place by the time David and John
arrive.

“Hi, Sis! You’re an eager beaver,” says
David.

“Got a lot to do today.”

“You must be feeling better,” he adds.

“Yeah.” Wish I had as much enthusiasm as
David. But then, I’m not getting married.

“Show me the manure.” John laughs and picks
up a rake.

I laugh with him.

With two men to help me, it doesn’t take
long.

“Can I talk with you privately?” I ask
David.

“I’ll be in the kitchen eating your
breakfast, David.” John smiles and saunters away.

“What’s up, Win?”

“How much are you going to be able to help me
with stable chores?”

“We’ll help you muck them out twice a
day.”

“I still have to exercise most of the horses.
Either by riding or on the hot walker,” I say.

“How many hours a day?” he asks.

“Dad said I could cut it down for the next
couple of weeks, but it will still take a little over three hours.
That’s not counting the grooming after.”

“Give me a schedule. I’ll put the horses on
the walker and groom them, if you ride and groom the others.”

“I’ll alternate them. We’re not going to put
the two pregnant mares on the hot walker since their foals are due
after the wedding.”

“Sounds good. Let’s get some breakfast. I
have a lot to do to get the garden ready.”

I’d forgotten about the garden. “Are you
going to change it much?” I ask.

“I have to add quite a bit.”

“Like what?” Anger shoots through my
head.

“Benches to seat at least two hundred guests,
a few trees and the rest I’m keeping secret. I’ll be blocking it
off.”

My throat gets dry. I croak, “When?”

“When the plants arrive and I finish with the
building. The deliveries are going to be late.”

“Why can’t you have the ceremony someplace
else on the ranch?”

David turns me to face him. “I know how much
the garden means to you. I would

never do anything to change the essence of
it. I promise, you’ll love it.” He pauses. “Mom will, too.”

I hold back the tears. What is the matter
with me? I’m turning into a wimp.

He grabs my hand. “Let’s eat.”

“Mrs. Dudley gave me two lists of housework
that have to be done before your wedding,” I tell him.

“Claire can help during the day and I’ll help
in the evenings. It can’t take that much time.”

“You didn’t do much cleaning at school, did
you?”

He grins. “No. One of our roommates had that
chore.”

“I thought so.” I follow him into the kitchen
and sit down.

Weasel has breakfast on the table and
everyone is eating.

Mr. Dudley smiles over his pile of bacon and
eggs. “Being in the country sure gives you an appetite.” His phone
rings and he turns it off.

A glimpse of a yellow jumpsuit glides past
the doorway. Fairy Godmonster is riding in-line skates. I choke on
my bacon.

“You okay?” David asks, patting my back.

“Yeah.” I take a drink of milk, hand
shaking.

Claire asks, “Are you sure you don’t want to
go shopping with me, Winifred? Dad’s ordered a limousine and
there’s plenty of room.”

“Thanks, I have to exercise the horses.” My
voice shakes.

Claire frowns. “Maybe we can go another day.
When I get back, I’ll help you with the housecleaning.”

“I want to go,” Daria says. “It’s boring
here.”

“I don’t know, Daria,” says her mother. “You
don’t like shopping.”

“I never get to do anything with my
sister.”

“You never wanted to before,” says
Claire.

Daria stares at me defiantly. “I do now.”

Mr. Dudley says, “Oh, let her go, Erminia.
Once Claire is married, they won’t see each other very often.”

Weasel’s fork stops halfway to her mouth.
“What do you mean, Otis?”

David adds, “I thought you knew, Mrs. Dudley.
I’m starting my landscape architecture business here in
Oregon.”

She turns pale. Her mouth tightens. “No, I
didn’t. I assumed you would be coming back to Boston.”

“I’m sorry, Mother,” says Claire. “Daddy said
he was going to tell you when he gave us his wedding gift.”

“His wedding gift? Besides this wedding,
we’re giving you the traditional gift from

the bride’s parents, the silverware.”

“My fault, Erminia. It slipped my mind. I
meant to tell you. I’m giving them money to start their business
instead of buying them a house.”