main building, down by the pyramids, I suddenly spotted supergirl Eve and her mate Debbie laid on the grass and I felt again for the silver pen. They were sunbathing with their shirts half undone, and in the flashing light I thought Eve was waving me over with her tie but I was in a bit of a daze mind you. I decided to head over anyway and give back the pen. I always figured her and Debbie were the sweeter ones of the group, but they still could’ve told me to fuck right off. I made arrangements to meet the Prick and Abi in the form room later on – they were already halfway down the concrete, flirting in the light bits and dark bits. I watched the sun-kissed goddesses roll over a couple of times. And I walked and walked down past the concrete and clover patch, staring at the playing fields going gold and green and that’s when I realised all the suffering was over.
Butterfly
The sun came out on Friday and so did I. I stirred in the cocoon, and out of the blue a crack was forming. The light began to burst in, and with a bit of wriggling I squeezed out of the sleeping-bag and blinked my eyes at the world. My blue wings were soaked, and I shivered a little bit then rubbed my antennae and had a yawn. God I needed that. I read in the handbook you have to dry your wings thoroughly before flying off, so I sat about looking at things and being bored. Until I spotted the two girls sunbathing. They were more goose-pimpled than tanned, though – it was pretty freezing. It started to dawn on me I must’ve woken up too early, but I took advantage of the rays and fluttered them wings. I wouldn’t mind getting back to bed, but when I turned round on the clover the chrysalis had shrivelled up and blown off. I sighed then squinted as the boy wandered across the grass. I wished he’d keep his head up and not be so self-conscious about the bruises, though. On such a shiny day, there was nothing to be down about.
‘Hiya,’ Adam said shyly once he reached us. ‘I’ve got your pen.’
‘Oh, right,’ was all Eve could say, frowning. I nearly laughed because she didn’t seem interested in him, and there was a funny silence. I was getting dizzy stood head-down, but in an hour or so I’d be young, free and single. It was exciting. Adam pulled a silvery pen out of his pocket and handed it to her – I caught a glimpse of myself in the reflection. I was incredible blue with glitter-glue wings – I knew it was worth getting teased when I was a sad green caterpillar. I was so ecstatic I could’ve jumped off the clover right there and then, but in the end I didn’t want to show off or die.
‘Thanks,’ Eve said, buttoning up her school shirt.
‘So, how are you doing?’ the boy asked next, and you really had to feel for him.
‘We’re fine, aren’t we,’ Debbie giggled, crossing her legs on the rough grass. ‘You revised for that test yet?’
‘The Science?’
‘Yeah.’
‘Nah, not really,’ Adam replied, but you could tell he had. ‘It alright if I sit for a bit?’
The girls laughed and nodded. They shuffled to one side and cleared a space for him on the running-track, then Adam pulled off his coat and sat down on it cross-legged. He kept his head down and pretended to tighten his laces, then eventually asked, ‘So what youse been doing down here? Just sunbathing and that?’
‘Yeah,’ Eve said, clenching a fist round her high ponytail. ‘As you can see, we’re golden-brown.’
It was an excuse for me to look down their shirts, but Adam was too polite for all that. Debbie laid her chin on her knuckles – next time I was going to be reincarnated a teenage girl. She rolled over and she sighed, ‘I’m hungover.’
‘You go out last night?’ Adam asked, raising his eyebrows.
‘Nah, just went round my boyfriend’s. Dead knackered.’ ‘You ever go to pubs and stuff?’ he asked next as Debbie took Eve’s pen and wrote her name really fancy on her hand. Being a butterfly I wasn’t much into
Butterfly
The sun came out on Friday and so did I. I stirred in the cocoon, and out of the blue a crack was forming. The light began to burst in, and with a bit of wriggling I squeezed out of the sleeping-bag and blinked my eyes at the world. My blue wings were soaked, and I shivered a little bit then rubbed my antennae and had a yawn. God I needed that. I read in the handbook you have to dry your wings thoroughly before flying off, so I sat about looking at things and being bored. Until I spotted the two girls sunbathing. They were more goose-pimpled than tanned, though – it was pretty freezing. It started to dawn on me I must’ve woken up too early, but I took advantage of the rays and fluttered them wings. I wouldn’t mind getting back to bed, but when I turned round on the clover the chrysalis had shrivelled up and blown off. I sighed then squinted as the boy wandered across the grass. I wished he’d keep his head up and not be so self-conscious about the bruises, though. On such a shiny day, there was nothing to be down about.
‘Hiya,’ Adam said shyly once he reached us. ‘I’ve got your pen.’
‘Oh, right,’ was all Eve could say, frowning. I nearly laughed because she didn’t seem interested in him, and there was a funny silence. I was getting dizzy stood head-down, but in an hour or so I’d be young, free and single. It was exciting. Adam pulled a silvery pen out of his pocket and handed it to her – I caught a glimpse of myself in the reflection. I was incredible blue with glitter-glue wings – I knew it was worth getting teased when I was a sad green caterpillar. I was so ecstatic I could’ve jumped off the clover right there and then, but in the end I didn’t want to show off or die.
‘Thanks,’ Eve said, buttoning up her school shirt.
‘So, how are you doing?’ the boy asked next, and you really had to feel for him.
‘We’re fine, aren’t we,’ Debbie giggled, crossing her legs on the rough grass. ‘You revised for that test yet?’
‘The Science?’
‘Yeah.’
‘Nah, not really,’ Adam replied, but you could tell he had. ‘It alright if I sit for a bit?’
The girls laughed and nodded. They shuffled to one side and cleared a space for him on the running-track, then Adam pulled off his coat and sat down on it cross-legged. He kept his head down and pretended to tighten his laces, then eventually asked, ‘So what youse been doing down here? Just sunbathing and that?’
‘Yeah,’ Eve said, clenching a fist round her high ponytail. ‘As you can see, we’re golden-brown.’
It was an excuse for me to look down their shirts, but Adam was too polite for all that. Debbie laid her chin on her knuckles – next time I was going to be reincarnated a teenage girl. She rolled over and she sighed, ‘I’m hungover.’
‘You go out last night?’ Adam asked, raising his eyebrows.
‘Nah, just went round my boyfriend’s. Dead knackered.’ ‘You ever go to pubs and stuff?’ he asked next as Debbie took Eve’s pen and wrote her name really fancy on her hand. Being a butterfly I wasn’t much into
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