Friendship Dance by Titania Woods Page B

ask!’ he snapped, his voice shaking. ‘No, I’m not OK.’
    Twink blew out a breath. Fine! She’d just keep quiet, since she couldn’t say anything right.
    Stripe buzzed up. Seeing Chauncey-Oberon’s wing, he turned to Twink with a questioning expression. ‘I suppose we’re going to need some help getting back to the palace,’ she admitted. ‘Can you do anything, Stripe?’
    He nodded, and flew quickly away.
    Twink pulled her knees to her chest, wondering how much longer Stripe would be. He’d been gone ages already – they’d miss the dance at this rate!
    Chauncey-Oberon’s orchid and emerald suit was sadly battered from the fall, and looking down, Twink saw that her dress wasn’t much better. She sighed. So much for looking like she belonged in the palace.
    Suddenly she realised that Chauncey-Oberon was staring at her. ‘What?’ she said.
    â€˜What did you mean, we need some help?’ he repeated slowly. ‘Why don’t you just fly back alone?’
    â€˜And leave you here?’ said Twink in surprise. ‘Of course not!’
    â€˜Why not?’ demanded Chauncey-Oberon. ‘You could be back in time for the dance. You could tell Queen Mab that you saved the wasp Queen, all on your own.’
    â€˜But I wouldn’t do that,’ said Twink in confusion.
    Chauncey-Oberon glowered at the pine needle his feet were resting on. ‘I would,’ he said in a low voice.
    â€˜I don’t believe you,’ said Twink hotly. ‘I don’t think you’re as awful as you make out – even if you are the rudest boy I’ve ever met! No one who helped the wasp Queen the way you just did could be all bad.’
    Chauncey-Oberon fell silent, playing with a loose emerald on his suit. ‘Nobody likes me, you know,’ he said finally. ‘Not even my parents. I hoped maybe they’d be proud of me if I did something amazing, but – but the truth is I was fooling myself. They’ll never like me, no matter what I do.’ He looked up, his eyes bright with tears. ‘How did you find out?’ he asked.
    Twink’s throat tightened. ‘I – I’m sorry,’ she faltered. ‘I should never have mentioned it, not in a million years. But Chauncey-Oberon, I’m sure your parents like you! They’re just really busy –’
    He shrugged, wiping his eyes. ‘How did you know, though?’
    â€˜Jay knows one of the boys at White Cloud,’ confessed Twink. ‘But no one was going to say anything to you! We all felt bad for you, even though –’ She stopped.
    â€˜Even though I acted like a total moss brain,’ finished Chauncey-Oberon. He leaned back against a stone and sighed. ‘Nobody likes me, they never have,’ he repeated. ‘So I suppose I don’t give them the chance any more. Why bother trying?’
    â€˜But of course you should bother!’ exclaimed Twink. ‘You need friends; everyone does.’
    â€˜Oh, it’s easy for you ,’ said Chauncey-Oberon, throwing a pebble. ‘Everybody likes you – I saw that right away, from the first moment we met! But what if you were me, and – and you never said anything right? And everyone teased you once they found out that your parents were never at home, and you lived with a nurse ?’
    â€˜Do the other fairies tease you for that?’ echoed Twink. ‘But that’s awful!’
    Chauncey-Oberon made a face. ‘They used to, at my old school. So now I just try to act more important than anyone else. My family is very important, you know, and – and sometimes it impresses the new boys, before they get to know me.’ He looked down at the ground.
    Twink’s heart ached for him. But before she could say anything else, a buzzing noise reached their ears.
    Stripe reappeared with a dozen other wasps, carrying a stretcher made of thick paper between them.