The Friday Night Fairy
by Jill Tinker
The storm was raging outside. Huge raindrops bounced off the roof and flashes of lightning lit up the dark sky. Georgie hid under the pillows. She wanted her Mum… or even her Dad. She had Donna. There was a loud bang. The thunder rolled on and on. Georgie tried to shout out. No sound came.
Donna was downstairs. It was twelve steps away. That was all. Georgie had counted them on her way to bed. She liked numbers. They made her feel better. Counting made her forget what was worrying her. And lots of songs had numbers in them.
Every night her Mum sang ‘There were ten in the bed’. Georgie always fell asleep before the end.
Friday nights were different. Donna looked after her. She lived two doors up and she couldn’t sing. She couldn’t catch a ball. She couldn’t skip. She couldn’t do jigsaws.
There was one thing she was good at. She told great stories. Georgie didn’t know if they were real. They were funny and they always had happy endings. She wanted to believe them. But Donna told lies!
“We had such a good time last week.” She told Georgie’s Mum.
That was a lie.
“Georgie knows lots of games.”
That was true. She knew tons of games. She never got to play them though. Donna sent her to bed.
“You need loads of sleep at your age.” She said.
Was that a lie? Georgie didn’t know.
At Christmas her Mum said
“Santa only comes to girls who are asleep.”
When she lost her first tooth she said
“The tooth fairy waits for you to go to sleep before she swaps the tooth for money.”
Why didn’t they want to see her awake? She wondered.
Maybe the tooth fairy had worse spots than Donna. She must have worse teeth. She took children’s spares. She must have a huge mouth to need so many. It must have enormous gaps waiting to be filled.
Georgie shivered. She was scared. Too scared to be alone.
“Donna!”
Georgie tiptoed to the top of the stairs. She looked down. She started to walk down.
She started to count down. Three…two…one.
“What are you doing? You should be in bed.” Donna didn’t look pleased to see her.
“I can’t sleep.”
“It’s only thunder.” Donna grinned. “You’re not scared, are you?”
“No.” Georgie lied. “Are you?”
“Course not.”
There was another bang.
Georgie jumped.
Donna jumped too. Her face was red. She looked scared.
Georgie didn’t want to be alone.
“Have you ever seen the tooth fairy?” She asked. If she could just keep Donna talking she needn’t be on her own.
“No.” Donna didn’t sound as though she wanted to talk.
“Or Santa?”
“No. They’re not real, you know.”
“They are. I got a pound for my last tooth and I always get presents at Christmas.”
“So what does this tooth fairy look like then?”
“Ask her.” Georgie pointed to the window.
A flash of lightning lit up a pretty face. Her dress sparkled. She smiled and waved her wand.
Georgie waved back.
Donna ran up the stairs.
The door opened. Her fairy Mum and Santa Dad were back from the party.
“What’s the matter with Donna?” Her Mum asked.
“Anyone would think she’d never seen a fairy.” Her Dad pulled off the Santa beard.
“She hasn’t.”
Georgie’s Mum and Dad laughed.
“Maybe we should have warned her we’d be coming back in fancy dress. It’s not as though we’re monsters though.” Dad said.
“Come on, Georgie.” Her Mum took her hand. “How many in the bed?”
“Ten.”
They went up the stairs singing “There were ten in the bed”.
And found Donna hiding under the bed.
Question Time
1. What did Georgie like to do to help her not to worry?
2. Why were Fridays different than other days?
3. Who did Donna and Georgie see in the window?
4. Who were Georgie’s parents dressed up as?