How to Ditch Your Fairy Read Free

dodgy.”
    “Oh.” My mother studied biology at UNA. It’s the best university in the city, which, naturaly, makes it the best in the world. “Wel, I heard they’re only rich because they inherited the money.”
    “I heard that too. Apparently her grandmother invented some kind of computer thing.” Rochele shrugged. “That’s not the point.

    Fiorenze’s parents know about fairies, and fairy auras are her mom’s pet theory. She has these special mirrors and you can see your fairy’s aura floating al around your head. Mine’s purple.”
    “You went to Fiorenze Stupid-Name’s house! To our sworn enemy’s home? You talked to her parents?” How could she?! We had a pact that neither of us would ever have anything to do with poxy boy-magnet Fiorenze Burnham-Stone, who’s even more annoying and pretentious than her name.
    “Basketbal, Charlie. She’s captain. Remember? It wasn’t just me. The whole team was there! I have to socialize with her. Plus she was sick al last week and I agreed to fil her in on al the stuff that isn’t in the notes.”
    “Stupid basketbal team.” Mention of it did not make me happy.
    I’m astral at sports—we’re both at New Avalon Sports High, the best Sports high school in the city, probably in the world—but I’m not very tal. Okay, I’m not even slightly tal. I’m the opposite of tal. The shortest girl in my class and I always have been.
    My mom says that makes me more environmentaly sound than everyone else, because I take up less space and use less resources.
    But that is no comfort when you try out for the basketbal team and everyone laughs at you. “Hey, shorty,” they caled.”You need a stepladder?”
    Back at Bradman Sports Middle School I’d been the star point guard, averaging six assists a game. Six! And my ten points a game wasn’t bad either. Tragicaly, none of that was on show at my high school basketbal trial. I was one for twelve from the floor with only two assists. It was like there was Vaseline on the bal. And my two assists. It was like there was Vaseline on the bal. And my strength, free throws? I didn’t make a single one.
    I wasn’t even selected for D-stream basketbal. Al because of one poxy day.
    As long as I could remember al I’ve ever wanted to do is play cricket and basketbal. I couldn’t wait for the New Avalon Sports High tryouts. It never occurred to me I wouldn’t blitz in basketbal.
    I’d actualy worried that by the time I got to the final year of high school and had to pick one, I wouldn’t know what to do. But I might not get to make that choice. My next chance to try out for basketbal wasn’t until the beginning of next year! So many months away … But I practiced whenever I could. Next time I was determined not to have a bad day.
    “Our basketbal team is not stupid,” Rochele said. “Anyway, none of us like her. But she is our captain. I can’t avoid her!”
    Fiorenze Burnham-Stone wasn’t liked by any of the girls at school because she’s stuck-up and won’t talk to the rest of us, but mostly because of her every- boy- wil- like-you fairy. Even though she’s not that smart, or fun, or pulchy, or anything realy—al the boys want to be with her.
    “I wasn’t at her house for fun, you know,” Rochele said. “It was pep-talky and strategy and you know.”
    “Is her house as big as everyone says?”
    “Bigger,” Rochele said. “I only talked to her mom ‘cause there were al these books about fairies, but not supermarket-lite books, serious books, with not-fun covers and long titles. I was curious.
    You’re the one who always wants to know about fairies. You should talk to her parents. Her dad has written books about fairies.
    Whole books! They’re, like, world experts.”
    “Who believe in auras?”
    “I saw mine in her mom’s mirror. And this morning I had to blink and blink before I could see right, it was so thick.”
    “You don’t think it was just sleep in your eyes?”
    “That’s what I used to