Hullo everyone!

Hullo everyone!

I'm back with another short story... hope you like it! And i'm telling you again, please tell me what you think of my stories!!! Criticize, whatever, but tell me something! ; )

Arzeena

Gem and Pearl – friend’s forever…

“Let’s play, Pearl,” Gem said to her friend.

“Yes, but what?”

“Hmm…” Gem looked around her and thought aloud, “we’ve already done so many things that I can’t think of any new thing to do!”

Pearl nodded and laughingly said: “Yeah! Too bad, huh! We’ve already made sand castles – “

“And made dragons attack the castles to kidnap the princesses!” Gem finished for Pearl.

They both laughed ‘til they clutched their stomachs. They often did that, finished each other’s sentences that is. And then they joined their small pinkies, like they did now, and said: “friends forever!” and hugged.

“I know,” said Gem, “let’s play with my tea set! It’s nearly tea time, anyway… I’ll go ask mom to give us a little tea, some milk and sugar!”

“O.K, go on. I’ll wait here.”

*~*

“Mama, Pearl and I wanna play with my tea set, so can you give me some tea, milk and sugar?”

“Whoa! Slow down, Gem!” Mrs. Thomas said, chuckling, “if I understand right, you want to play with your tea set?”

“Yeah,” Gem said more sedately, “and we need tea, milk and sugar.”

“O.K. Come, the tea’s nearly brewed; I’ll pour a little in that small jug. Where’s Pearl, by the way?”

“Oh, she’s waiting for me in the garden…”

Mrs. Thomas glanced outside, but saw no one.

“Where?”

Gem looked outside and exclaimed: “There she is, sitting near the sandbox!”

Mrs. Thomas looked in the direction of the sandbox: “Oh.”

“See, she’s waving. Wave, mama!”

Mrs. Thomas waved, but there was a big question mark on her face, though Gem didn’t see it as she was busy making faces at Pearl.

*~*

After Gem had gone outside with her tea set and everything she needed, Mrs. Thomas looked at her from the kitchen window. She was putting the tea set on the table that was in the garden, and while doing that, she was laughing, and talking… alone.

Mrs. Thomas knew that sometimes kids made up imaginary friends, but she couldn’t understand why her daughter needed to make up a friend. Gem was quiet, and sort of shy, and didn’t talk much. But she was sure that she had other friends. So, not knowing what to do, she’d asked Gem:

“How many friends do you have, honey?”

“Oh, I have lots of friends!” Gem exclaimed, and then proceeded to name them all.

She had quite a lot of them, but still she’d finished by saying: “And my best friend Pearl!”

“Um… yeah, Pearl,” Mrs. Thomas had responded. Her eyes had been filled with anxiety, curiosity, and a bit of amusement – like they were now.

But she hadn’t said anything more; she’d just hoped that phase would go away by itself.

A few months later though, everything was the same – Pearl was still as present as ever in their lives.

*~*

“Mama’s looking at us from the kitchen window,” Gem whispered to Pearl.

“You mean she’s looking at you. She believes I’m an imaginary friend.”

“Yeah, but she’s an adult; you have to understand…”

“I know, and that’s why I still say you shouldn’t have told her!”

“Why?” Gem asked, “She would have seen me speaking to what she thinks is only thin air anyway!”

Pearl sighed. “Yeah, that’s true…”

Gem looked down at her small cup of tea and then looked up at Pearl. Her eyes were filled with sadness. “And… and you’ll be going away soon anyway…”

Pearl looked away and nodded. “Yes, I will. You’re better now. I have to go help other kids who were like you were about six months ago…”

“I know I’ve got a lot of friends now. But it’s thanks to you and I don’t want to lose you; it’s because of you that I’m no more shy, that I can approach other kids –”

“Exactly, Gem. That’s why I came to you in the first place,” Pearl tried to explain, “so, now that you’re O.K, don’t you want other children to come out of their shell too?’

“I guess so,” Gem replied reluctantly.

Gem drank her tea and was silent for a moment. Then she decided she’d be selfish if she kept Pearl to herself, so she cheered up and put out her pinky. When Pearl joined hers with Gem’s, they both smilingly said: “Friends forever!”

*~*

Two weeks later…

“Mama, Emmy’s invited me to her birthday lunch party, can I go?”

“Yes, of course. When will it be?”

“This Saturday.”

“And who will be there?”

“I’m not sure about everyone. But I know the twins, Carl, and Carla have been invited, and Tiffany, and Sonia…”

“Hmm… and what about Pearl?” Mrs. Thomas asked.

“Oh! Didn’t I tell you? Pearl had to go away.”

“Away?”

“Yeah,” Gem answered, and didn’t elaborate. She just smiled.