The first day of school finally arrived. Ferry had the task to bring Andrew along everywhere and show him everything so he better adjust to his new school and life. Peter had insisted on that aspect.

Now, Ferry's group had another member, whether they liked it or not. That morning, Ben shook hands with Andrew, smiling and trying to make him feel comfortable. Matilda, instead, had a different approach to the newcomer. After she studied him for a few moments, she began a thorough interrogation.

"So... How many foster homes did you say you had?"

"I didn't," Andrew replied naturally, smiling. "But I had five."

"You must have had many siblings, right? How many were they?" Matilda continued, untroubled.

Andrew hesitated for a moment, "Well, there were nine of them..."

"What were their names?"

"I— I can't remember them all... It happened a long time ago and—" 

"Try."

"Well, there was Philip, George, Stephen, Paul, Mark, Callum, Mathew, Ben and... George."

"You said George twice," Matilda cut him short.

"I did? That's because there were two Georges."

"And you only had brothers? No sisters?" she continued without giving him time to breathe.

"Yes. Only brothers..."

"And the places where you lived? How were they?"

"Not as beautiful as this one," he said, and his eyes glittered with joy. "They were gloomy, cold, and the sunlight was always pale," he added, frowning.

His answer took Matilda by surprise. She stopped the interrogation, giving Ferry a meaningful look. She opened her mouth to ask something else, but they just arrived at school. In the highschool's yard, there were groups of boys and girls chatting, laughing, happy to see each other again.

Danny Stevens, who has turned into a well-built young man, greeted Matilda with a big smile on his face. The girl didn't seem as happy to see him, though.

"Hey, Matt. How are you?"

"Hey, Danny," she muttered, not in a good mood all of a sudden.

Yet Danny wasn't discouraged, "May I carry your bag?"

"No, thanks," she rushed to answer. "I can carry it myself."

"I have new football cards," he said. "Somebody brought them from the Big City. Would you like to see them?"

Matilda was mad about football and everything related to it.

"Of course," she said, all smiles. "See you later, boys," she added, and she carried on with Danny by her side.

The boys mingled with the other youngsters, trying to reach the entrance of the high school. They didn't get to move forward too much because Celia Haughty and her friends cut their way.

"Hey, Andrew," she said, with a perfect smile. "Welcome to Goodharts High!"

"Thank you," he simply said.

"If you need a guide for a high school tour, let me know. I'd be more than happy to show you the things around here." She then noticed Ferry, "Hey, Elf. I see you didn't get any tan this summer. Again," she giggled. But when her gaze fell on Ben, she stopped, studying him as if seeing him for the first time. "You look better without glasses, Ben," she said in a perfectly normal tone. "You have pretty eyes..."

Then, after a moment of hesitation (while Ben blushed until the tip of his ears), she turned on her heels and walked away, followed by her friends. They burst into giggles soon after.

"She noticed... She noticed..." said Ben as if for himself.

Ferry didn't have the time to ask what he was talking about. He bumped into Billy Pride or better said, Billy bumped into him. He was the most popular boy in school. He was always followed by five or six solidly built young boys. His uniform was custom made, tailored from the finest fabrics. He was wearing as if a gentleman in an exclusive club. Same as he was wearing the permanent smirk on his face.

"So we finally meet your brother, Donovan," he spat the words in everyone's laughter. "Oh, wait a minute. He's not even your brother. You are the abandoned orphan. But don't worry," he grinned. "I'm sure there are orphanages for freaks like you."

"Mind your own business, Billy," said Ferry, trying to pass him by.

But Billy was still standing in his way.

"I'm just curious who's going to adopt you. Probably a family of blind people. Who else would have the courage to face you every day?" he laughed.

This time, Andrew stepped between Ferry and Billy, "What's your problem, mate?" he said. Although a lot thinner than Billy, he was one head taller than him.

"Ooh, the new Donovan is scary," said Billy in his friends' laughter. Then, his gaze turned dark, "You're nothing but a pitiful peasant if you ask— "

But then, he stopped. The smirk vanished from his face which turned red. Billy choked out of the blue, and a strong cough shook his body.

"Let's go, Ferry," said Andrew. "There's nothing to see here," he added, and they all stepped away. Behind them, Billy was still coughing as if on the verge of dying.

Ferry and Ben were still bewildered when Steph, Ben's girlfriend, showed up, her high-pitched voice like a bird's chirping. Without too many words, she took Ben by the arm and dragged him with her. Ben obliged.

Ferry was about to ask Andrew what just happened. But then, he saw May. She passed them by, accompanied by one of their classmates, a girl called Rebecca, just as shy as she was. May wasn't in Celia's group anymore. She said she didn't have much in common with Celia, anyway. Now, she was wearing a cardigan over her uniform; the cardigan had the colour of the clear sky and it matched the blue flower in May's hair. She waved at Ferry when she saw him, a small gesture that might have gone unnoticed. She smiled at him, then walked by without saying a word. She didn't need to, anyway. To Ferry, seeing her was enough. He closed his eyes and smelled the scent of the flower in her hair.

Andrew observed the whole scene, a small smile appearing on his lips. Somewhere, in a corner of the schoolyard, Billy watched the new-comer, still shaken by the cough.

*

Diners had turned into a burden for Ferry. Peter and Andrew were the only ones talking and laughing. They were telling about the events of the day and making plans for the future. Peter intended to take Andrew on a fishing trip somewhere far, where he hasn't been for years. Then, he was telling funny happenings from his childhood and the two of them were laughing so hard, that the whole house was echoing.

Ferry tried to make conversation as he used to, if only for his mother's sake. But Peter barely noticed him, as if he wasn't even there. Ferry didn't care about it too much. But he knew that his father's indifference was hurting his mother like a thousand little needles in the heart.

The two kept on chatting when his mother's calm voice interrupted them,

"I'll always remember the day I gave birth," she said. "A woman never forgets that day. It was night, and it was raining. Actually, it was pouring. When I got to the Hospital, lighting bolts crossed the sky. I've never seen fireworks, but I thought that's how they must have looked. The sky was celebrating the birth of my baby... " 

A tomb-like silence fell over the entire room. Not even Peter dared to interrupt her. Eileen was looking through him, lost in memories.

"I wanted that child so much..." she continued, and tears glittered in her eyes. "He came late when I almost lost hope I would ever be a mother. It was the happiest day of my life. I remember everything from that night. But what was stuck in my mind was the little bundle in my arms, trembling with life. His puffy little face, his small fingers... And the cuticles that you could barely name nails. The white puff on his face and the tip of his ears...

"I even remember every conversation I had that night. The Nurse's words. My baby was marked, she said. I was surprised by her sayings. Then, she showed me a small birthmark on his left shoulder blade. It was a brown mark, the shape of a pear. Perfectly clear on his soft, white skin...

"Do you have that mark, Andrew?" she asked, turning towards him and looking him dead in his eyes.

For the first time, Andrew seemed troubled. He stood still for a moment, avoiding her gaze. Then, he pushed his chair, rose from the table, and rushed upstairs to his room without saying a word.

"See what you've done, woman?" Peter roared, hitting the table with his fist. "You hurt the poor boy's feelings. When will you begin to act like a mother?" he added, rising from the table and throwing the napkin on his plate. Then, he stormed out the door.

In the room, only the clock's ticking could be heard. And the ticking of two hearts, frightened of what the future might bring.

*

That night, Thyme, his raven-friend, visited Ferry. They haven't seen each other for days. The Donovan home was now silent. Andrew has locked himself in his room and didn't come out that evening. Peter made his bed on the couch where he fell asleep after he came from the tavern.

Ferry was telling Thyme about the events of the day.

"What do you think all that means?" asked Ferry. "I mean... he behaves like a normal boy. Is it possible to be who he says he is?"

"From what you told me, apart from the incident with Billy, nothing seems to tell us he's a fairy. Still, why didn't he want to show his birthmark? We must stay vigilant. But say, how did he react after the Billy incident? Did he say or do something suspicious?"

Ferry hesitated. He avoided Thyme's gaze.

"I don't know... I wasn't paying attention..."

"What do you mean you weren't paying attention? Why?"

Ferry rose from his bed and went to the window. He could feel his friend's penetrating look in the back of his head.

"Well... That's when I saw May..."

Thyme came closer. "Why does this girl have this effect on you?" he asked.

Ferry felt a lump in his throat. "I think that what I feel about her I never felt about anyone.." he confessed.

"Yes, but you become careless when she's around. As if nothing else matters anymore. You're reckless, your head in the clouds... That means one thing — you're vulnerable. Someone might take advantage of that," he shook his head.

Ferry sighed. He knew that, too. It wasn't the first time May's presence absorbed him entirely.

"I think... I think I'm in love with her," he said in a low voice, his chin to his chest. "Have you ever been in love?" he asked, turning to Thyme.

This time, it was Thyme's turn to hesitate.

"We are not allowed to fall in love," he almost whispered. "It is forbidden by the Book of Fairies."

"What do you mean?" Ferry wondered.

"You see, when I and the ones my kind were created, our meaning was to serve and protect our Creators. We cannot breed because our bodies can't do that. Our bodies cannot create or give life. We are not male, nor female. Of course, we can look like a man or a woman if we are meant for a certain fate. I look like a man because the force of a man is needed in war. But we can't have a family. We don't have desires, we can't feel the passion. But we do have feelings. That's why it is forbidden to fall in love."

Ferry placed his hand on his friend's shoulder. "That is the most terrible, most stupid law I've ever heard of. Being forbidden to love... How about you, Thyme? Have you ever loved someone?"

Thyme slowly nodded. "Yes... And still, I've always put duty above love. Above everything. But you are right. No one should forbid love."

*

A couple of days passed. Peter was still sleeping on the couch. Andrew was still not talking to Eileen. Ferry still didn't know how to handle such a situation.

That morning, it was quiet in the kitchen. Eileen was preparing sandwiches for the boys and the lunch box for Peter. He was reading the paper, sipping from his black tea. Ferry was trying to eat his bread and butter, but couldn't. He felt as if chocking with every bite. He was hoping Andrew would come down faster so they could go to school and not feel that tension which wrapped his home like a heavy cloak.

Andrew eventually came downstairs. He said good morning to everyone, without smiling. He still hasn't put on his uniform's jacket and the tie. The boy was only wearing his uniform's white shirt. He was just standing in the middle of the kitchen without saying a word. After a while, all eyes turned on him.

But Andrew was only watching Eileen.

"Do you really want to see my birthmark, Mom?" he asked her without blinking.

Eileen didn't answer, looking at him troubled and a bit worried.

With quick moves, Andrew took off his shirt and turned his back to everyone. On his left shoulder blade, perfectly visible, there was a brown birthmark, the shape of a pear. 

Thank you for your thoughts, comments, and amazing theories on this story! I want you to know I read and appreciate them all, although sometimes I don't reply. Your passion for my stories is overwhelming. Can't wait to see what you think of this chapter.