The Story Traveller

by Judy Stubley

  ‘Twinkle’s little helpers are small enough in Storyland. I doubt I’ll even be able to see one here,’ she thought, as she began a thorough search of her room. Lucy looked in every nook and cranny, in every box and bag, but her visitor was nowhere to be seen.

  ‘Perhaps I dreamt it!’ Lucy said to herself, as she began to climb back into bed. Then, from the corner of her eye, she was sure she saw the top layer of her box of tissues move ever so slightly. Gently, Lucy peered inside: as she did so, she held her breath, her tongue quite still between the gap in her two front teeth, while she concentrated really hard. Yes, Lucy was sure she could just see the tiniest speck of light. At least she thought she could. Obviously, the little helper had found herself a snug soft bed.

  ‘Good morning little helper,’ Lucy said as quietly as she could. She was certain the tiny dot of light moved a little. ‘Rest there for a while,’ she whispered, ‘until I can find you a safer place to stay.’ When Lucy’s mother came to wake her, she found her daughter not only dressed, but ready to go down to breakfast.

  ‘My, you are an early bird today,’ she told Lucy.

  ‘Mum, could I have toast and honey for breakfast?’

  ‘Of course, Honey Bun. Go and help yourself. I’ll be down in a minute. Just got to help your sister with her hair.’

  By the time Lucy’s mum and sister came down, Lucy had finished her breakfast. In her left hand she carefully concealed a tiny square of toast, which was liberally covered in honey that had begun to run down her fingers.

  ‘Forgot to clean my teeth,’ she told her mother and raced back up the stairs. Quickly and quietly, she slipped into her sister’s bedroom, where she laid the tiny piece of toast on the kitchen table of Sophie’s doll’s house. She then picked up a minute jug, went to the bathroom, washed her sticky fingers, then filled the jug with water. Lucy then carefully carried the water back to the doll’s house and put it beside the honey, before going to her room to fetch the wee fairy.

  Gently, Lucy lowered the box of tissues on to the floor and invited her guest to step inside the doll’s house.

  ‘I suggest you stay here, until it’s time to go home.’ Lucy spoke in the direction she thought the little fairy might be.

  A tiny prism of light moved quickly into the house and began to sparkle from one room to the other. The tiny speck of light seemed to be everywhere at once.

  ‘She’s obviously enjoying herself,’ thought Lucy. ‘In fact I think she’s really excited.’ With a final goodbye Lucy left the little person to settle into her new home. She was fairly certain that Sophie wouldn’t find her visitor, who was so wee you had to know she was there to have any chance of seeing her. In fact, Lucy wasn’t one hundred percent certain she was there. It may have just been a little piece of sunlight that flitted around the rooms.

  ‘But I think I’m right,’ Lucy said, as she carefully closed the bedroom door.

  Only too soon, Lucy was back outside the school gates. Like clockwork, Anna and Martha stood and waited for her; though for once Diane was nowhere to be seen. As she approached, she realized Martha was saying, ‘Tea leaf, tea leaf,’ over and over, though very softly, as if it was not from choice. Martha never raised her eyes to look at Lucy once, but kept them focused on the ground. Anna’s unblinking stare, however, never wavered. She waited until Lucy was about to pass and then called out:

  ‘You’ll find you won’t be very popular with your classmates, Lucy Chase. They now know what you’re really like. I suggest you find a new school, as soon as possible.’

  Lucy held her head up high and stared back at Anna. This time she managed to hold her gaze, until she saw Anna bite her lips in irritation. A small victory, but still a victory. Then she walked on past Anna and Martha and crossed the playground.

  But her troubles didn’t stop at the gate. In the playground she found Diane, deep in conversation with a large group of pupils from her class. They all stared at Lucy with distrust. Some even pushed into her and made a play of checking their pockets. Every step got tougher. It was obvious Anna, Diane and Martha had done a good job.

  Peter caught up with her as she reached the school corridor. His presence gave her a few moments of peace, as he shielded her from the angry glares.

  ‘You’ll have to do something about those impudent miscreants2,’ he told Lucy. ‘They really are vexatious3 vipers.’ Though distressed, Lucy gave him a small smile. She wasn’t quite sure what he’d just said, but she knew he was on her side and that felt good.

  ‘I know, Peter I know. Don’t worry; I know what I’ve got to do.’

  Lucy went straight to the classroom to find her teacher, to tell her about the rumours. Miss Lewis listened attentively. As Twinkle had suggested, Lucy didn’t mention any names, just that this story was going round the class about her.

  ‘Would you please ring my old school and find out if I ever stole anything while I was there?’ she asked, as she tried her best not to show she was upset.

  ‘We know it’s not true, Lucy,’ her teacher replied. ‘There’s no need to do that.’

  ‘You believe me, but they won’t,’ Lucy said sadly. ‘Please, please telephone – they will believe it then.’

  ‘Try not to let it get you down, Lucy. I know it’s hard. But if it makes you feel better, then I’ll certainly do as you ask. It will have to wait till break time, I’m afraid.’

  ‘Thank you, Miss Lewis.’ Lucy went and sat at her desk, aware that Anna and Diane had followed her in. Anna stared at her intently. Her eyes bored into Lucy with icy spite, while Diane gave her a filthy look and made a rude hand gesture as she sat down. They had seen her talking to Miss Lewis and thought she’d told on them. Meantime, Martha was nowhere to be seen. Just as Miss Lewis started the register, Martha crept in. She gave a quick glance at Anna, nodded briefly, and then moved over to her desk, with a look of fear on her face, which was almost ashen.

  After registration, Miss Lewis came and stood in front of the class.

  ‘It’s come to my attention that there’s a story going round that Lucy Chase was expelled from her last school for persistent thieving. I don’t know where this has come from, but it’s not true.’ Miss Lewis stopped and looked round the class. ‘Would anyone like to tell me who started this rumour?’ Silence.

  Peter caught Lucy’s eye and signalled she should speak up. Lucy just faintly shook her head and looked down.

  ‘I see. You do know this is a form of bullying, don’t you?’ Still the class remained silent. ‘This school will not tolerate bullying of any kind. Do I make myself clear?’

  ‘Yes, Miss Lewis,’ came the muttered and somewhat embarrassed answer, from every corner of the class.

  ‘Lucy’s asked me to ring her old school, for confirmation that this is a lie. I’ll speak to you all again at the end of the day. Now off to your maths class.’

  The atmosphere was definitely more subdued. Several boys and girls looked ashamed, though Anna, Diane and even Martha remained defiant.

  The maths lesson went off without any more trouble for Lucy. Then, they had a period of practice on the hockey pitch. As soon as Lucy got to her locker, she knew someone else had been there: the door wasn’t shut properly. She’d definitely closed and locked it. She wasn’t surprised, therefore, to find her hockey boots missing. The games teacher wasn’t impressed. ‘I suppose you’ve left them at home, Chase,’ she said irritated by what was a recurring event from girls keen to get out of hockey practice. Lucy felt the injustice keenly, but knew the truth wouldn’t help her.

  ‘I’m sorry Miss Gammon. I must have left them in my mum’s car.’

  ‘You’ll have to play in your gym shoes then. The ground’s dry, so they won’t come to any harm.’ The gym shoes certainly survived the practice, but poor Lucy didn’t. Diane, a good two inches taller and a stone heavier, managed to bang into, trip up and catch Lucy’s unprotected ankles, time and time again, either with her hockey stick or her own solid boots. Lucy just couldn’t get away quickly enough. Th
en, a particularly vicious blow knocked her off her feet. As she went down her glasses flew off. She landed on them heavily, cutting her head as she fell on the broken frame.

  A tiny player darted across the pitch and helped Lucy up. The look of sympathy in her brown eyes brought Lucy nearer to tears than any of the bullying. She knew how hard it had been for Frances to show her support.

  ‘I’m so sorry Lucy,’ Frances whispered, her hand up to her mouth, so that only she and Lucy could hear.

  ‘Thank you, Frances,’ Lucy replied, as the other girl bent down and picked up her broken glasses. ‘Thank you so much.’

  Miss Gammon’s attention had been on the players with the ball, rather than the player using Lucy as a ball, so she just told her to stop messing about. But Lucy had suffered enough.

  ‘I’m sorry Miss Gammon, but my glasses are broken. I can’t see to play without them.’ This wasn’t strictly true, but Lucy knew she needed to get away from the physical attacks.

  ‘You’d better see Nurse about that cut,’ Miss Gammon told her, as she noticed the blood trickling down Lucy’s forehead. With enormous relief, Lucy walked off the pitch.

  A quick clean-up and a plaster, and she found herself free for another fifteen minutes. Lucy fetched her spare glasses and then dashed to the library, where she found a book of 100 Stories of Cinderella. Never had a quarter of an hour passed so quickly. Lucy didn’t even hear the bell, until Miss Watkins, the librarian, silently reminded her.

  As Lucy walked into the locker room to put the library book away, she saw Diane and Martha hastily shutting her locker door.

  ‘So it was you, Martha Stewart, who pinched my boots,’ she said, too angry to be afraid. ‘What have I ever done to you? And you, Diane Walker, you’re nothing but a bully. One of these days you’ll know what it’s like to be kicked and pushed about by someone bigger and stronger. I notice your precious Anna gets you two to do all the dirty work! She won’t be the one to get in trouble will she?’

  Martha looked terrified. Her hands fluttered restlessly and she gave Lucy such a pleading look. Lucy suddenly realized, the ashen face, the scared looks, it was Martha who had a history of stealing. Anna had obviously known this, and had used this knowledge to get her to steal Lucy’s shoes. Some friend! No wonder the poor girl looked so worried.

  Diane, surprised that Lucy had found the courage to face her, stood there for a few seconds, biting her nails, not sure whether she should continue the argument. Finally, she walked away without a word, followed by the nervous Martha. Lucy put the book away and returned to class. She was left in relative peace for the rest of the day, though she was aware of constant hostile glances from Anna and Diane and more pitiful ones from Martha. She was obviously worried Lucy would tell Miss Lewis.

  ‘Let her sweat!’ Lucy thought. ‘Though I don’t intend to say anything.’

  At the end of the day Miss Lewis spoke to the class again.

  ‘I spoke to Lucy’s old headmistress, who was very shocked to hear the lies told about her. She said to tell you that not only was Lucy not a thief, but she won the highest award her school could give in her final year: The Three Nevers: Never Absent, Never Late, Never Discourteous.’

  Lucy went pink with embarrassment: she’d only wanted them to confirm the rumour as untrue. However, she did find her journey on the bus home pleasantly friendly. As if wanting to make up for their unkindness, her class mates went out of their way to include her in all their chatter: except Anna, Diane and Martha. For once they seemed to be the ones on the outside.

  Lucy felt much happier and definitely excited, as she got off the bus. She’d dealt successfully with the rumours: now she could look forward to the wedding. Also, she’d decided where she wanted to go to next on her travels. This weekend was going to be extra special.

  As Lucy walked down the front drive, she kept a look out for a dandelion clock. Then, just as she was about to give up, she saw one just under the hedge, by the bird bath. It was a beauty. She picked it and carefully carried it to the house.

  ‘Hallo darling,’ Jo Chase gave her daughter a kiss as she let her in. ‘What’s the dandelion clock for?’ ‘I’ve got to draw it for home work,’ Lucy said, a little worried at lying to her mother.

  ‘Where’s Sophie?’

  ‘She’s next door, playing with Janie,’ her mother told her, before she returned to the kitchen. Lucy gave a sigh of relief. She wouldn’t have her devoted sister dogging her every step.

  But as Lucy began to climb the stairs her mother came into the hall, wiping her hands on a cloth.

  ‘I’ve just realized, you’ve a plaster on your head. What happened?’

  ‘Accident during hockey! ‘Fraid I broke my glasses as well.’

  ‘Were you bullied again?’ her mother asked. ‘Now, don’t lie to me Lucy, or I’ll ring the school.’

  ‘Yes Mum, but it’s over. It won’t happen again.’

  Jo Chase went to hug her daughter, but Lucy managed a laugh and said:

  ‘Mind my clock! I don’t want it striking the hour just yet.’ Her mother shook her head and went to the bottom of the stairs.

  ‘I don’t know what I’m going to do with you, Lucy Chase! You’re as stubborn as your father, and that’s saying something!’ With that she retreated to the kitchen. Lucy knew her mother would go straight to the telephone and tell her dad and she was right.

  When Lucy got to her bedroom she put the dandelion clock in the glass by her bed and then went quickly and quietly into Sophie’s room. She knelt down on the floor and peered into the doll’s house. She was sure it was in a much tidier state than when she had left. She took a quick look at the miniature kitchen table. The tiny bit of toast did look even tinier and the water jug empty.

  ‘I wonder if Sophie’s been playing with it,’ was Lucy’s first thought. Then on reflection she said out loud:

  ‘Of course not! My visitor’s been very busy! Little helper,’ Lucy called softly, ‘are you there? It’s time to go home.’

  A bright prism of light moved across the bedroom and drifted down the tiny stairs. Lucy put her finger out and sensed, rather than saw, the little fairy sit on it.

  ‘Would you be kind enough to tell Twinkle I’d like to visit Yeh-Shen in China, Ash in Ireland and Vasilisa in Russia.’

  One small helper alone was far too quiet for Lucy to catch her reply, but she was sure the message would be carefully delivered to the fairy godmother.

  Lucy walked back into her bedroom and took the little helper over to the dandelion clock.

  ‘Get ready for take off,’ she whispered. Lucy then carefully carried the dandelion over to her window, which she opened wide.

  ‘Goodbye, little helper. See you soon.’ With a puff she sent the tiny parachutes blowing upwards into the sky. She stood and watched them until they’d all disappeared from sight. Only then did she close the window and change out of her school uniform.

  Half an hour into her homework, Lucy’s mum popped her head round the door.

  ‘Thank goodness it’s Friday,’ she echoed Lucy’s earlier sentiments, as she pushed her hair out of her eyes. ‘I’m off to fetch Sophie, but before I go let me have a look at that knock on your head. You’d better show me your glasses too.’

  After a quick inspection of the wound and the damaged spectacles, Jo Chase let her daughter get back to her work. She didn’t mention the bullying again.

  That night, when Roger Chase returned home, he wasn’t so calm. Lucy could hear his comments, as he discussed the matter with her mother.

  ‘This is getting nasty.’ He sounded really angry. Jo Chase tried to calm him down.

  ‘Lucy still seems to be coping. She thinks the worst is over, so don’t go on about it too much.’

  ‘This is the last time I won’t interfere. One more incident and I’m going to the school.’

  ‘I agree,’ Lucy’s mother replied.

  ‘Meantime, I’ve got something that might help. Where’s Lucy?’

  ‘Doing h
er homework in her room,’ his wife replied. ‘Now go gently.’

  ‘Yeah, Yeah.’ Roger Chase took the stairs two at a time, and was soon standing by his daughter’s desk. Lucy had just finished her homework. She was attempting to draw a dandelion clock from memory, still uncomfortable at lying to her mother.

  ‘Hi darling! Mum tells me you’ve had more agro today,’ her father said, trying to keep it light.

  ‘Nothing I couldn’t handle,’ Lucy said defensively.

  ‘Good, but I have something for you, which might help.’

  He handed Lucy a box. Inside was a pink mobile phone. Lucy’s eyes lit up immediately.

  ‘For me?’

  ‘Yes, for you, my pet. If you ever find yourself in a jam you can ring one of us.’

  Lucy took the phone out of the box and father and daughter sat happily side by side on the bed, as they read the instructions.

  ‘There’s just one thing I’d like to know,’ Lucy said, as she plugged the phone in to charge the battery.

  ‘What’s that pet?’

  ‘Will I be able to use this abroad?’

  ‘Yes, but remember we’re not going abroad this year darling, what with the move and everything.’

  ‘I know that, Dad, only…’ Lucy said no more but had a strange little smile on her face.

  ‘I get the feeling I am missing something. Are you going on a trip that I’ve forgotten about, Lucy Lou?’ ‘No, Dad…’

  Unaware that Lucy was about to say more, Roger Chase got up and kissed Lucy on top of her head.

  ‘Well, Lucy Lou, I must go and spend some time with Sophie Su.’

  ‘Only in my dreams,’ Lucy finished so quietly, her father never heard her.

  CHAPTER SEVEN – Happy Ever After

  Lucy was glad Cinderella and Prince Charming were getting married on a Saturday. She didn’t think she’d have felt like going to school after a Royal Wedding and a visit to China!

  When the time came to join Speed, Lucy picked up her new mobile. She reckoned if she got smaller it would too. Luckily, she was right and she put it in the pocket of her cloak. Speed wasted no time in getting her to the Palace, where she was met by Twinkle and her little helpers.