How to Ditch Your Fairy by Justine Larbalestier Read Free Book Online Page A

boded wel.
    “I came to pick you up.”
    “But, Dad, you know I’m not—”
    “Sorry. It’s not being picked up, is it, if I’m walking with you?
    I’ve come to walk you home. I thought we could go the long way, by the river, grab a sundae. You haven’t gone over your fat alowance today, have you?”

    “No, I’m clean.”
    “Superb.”
    Although Dad didn’t believe in fairies, he and Mom had been understanding about my not riding in cars. Concerned, but understanding. I wondered if that was about to change.
    I said good-bye to Rochele and Sandra. They were going to check out Our Zora-Anne’s new shop in the city. Rochele had tried to convince me to go, saying that her aura was sparkling and that she was sure her fairy would work for al three of us, despite that being almost entirely unprecedented. She was convinced too that Our Z-A’s shop was going to be the best in the city. But by the time I’d walked there and then al the way home, I’d be too tired to any homework. Besides, I wasn’t in the shopping mood.
    “See you tomorrow,” Steffi caled, waving as he walked by. He and Stupid-Name had their arms linked like little kids.
    “There’s nothing I’d rather do than walk along the river, Dad.”
    This was not true. There were many things I’d have rather done.
    Including go into the bathroom, lock the door, and lie fuly clothed in the tub and stare at the cobwebs on the ceiling.
    Why wasn’t it me with Steffi? Stil, taking a walk with my dad and eating a sundae wasn’t anywhere near as loathsome as watching Steffi and Fiorenze goo- gaing al over each other.
    We walked for ages in silence. The path beside us was crowded with cyclists, skaters, and bladers, the rumble of their wheels almost drowning out the sound of boats on the river. There weren’t many other walkers; most of the people using the footpath jogged or ran.
    A blimp floated along the river with Our Z-A’s name in the city colors of gold and green; trailing out behind was a green and gold banner that read: Fairy Love Can Be Yours . I watched the uneven reflections distort the letters til they looked like a green and gold jigsaw puzzle floating on water. Almost pulchritudinous. The blimp rose to go over the bridge and veered past the bright lights on the other side. The city, where Rochele and Sandra were probably already trying on gorgeous clothes. A pack of skaters zoomed by, yeling out some wholy un- doos tauntage, just because I stil had my uniform on. Probably Arts students.
    On this side, once we’d left the school behind, it was parkland for as far as you could see, which in the dark wasn’t very, even with al the fancy new lighting along the paths. Trees, bushes, flowers, climbing wals, skater ramps, restrooms, bubblers, more trees, bushes, and flowers. But no basketbal courts or cricket ovals. I wished there was time for us to shoot some bal on the way home. I missed basketbal so much it hurt.
    I wondered what was up with Dad. Why the sudden need for alone time with me?
    “Are you finaly going to give Nettles a quokka?” Nettles had been nagging for one ever since she saw a quokka special on World’s Cutest Animals . Little kangaroolike creatures about the size of a cat. They were pretty adorable. But Nettles did not have a good track record for pet maintenance: several dead fish, a lost cat, and two guinea pigs that Dad ended up looking after ‘cause Nettles kept forgetting to feed them.
    Dad laughed. “The no- smal- marsupials- in- the- house rule stil applies.”
    “Does that mean you’l be getting her a big marsupial then?” I said, with a smile that I hoped he’d think was mischievous and would distract him from whatever it was I was in trouble about.
    “Very drol. How’s school?” Dad asked, and I knew exactly what was up.
    “Mom sent you, didn’t she?”
    Dad nodded. He didn’t look fuming, but then he never did, which was why it was him coming to talk to me and not Mom. Dad’s the enforcer. Mom says