The Fairy Frogmother

Episode 6

Zephyrine rubbed her eyes and reached over to turn off the blaring alarm on her nightstand. She groaned when she saw the time on her clock, realizing she had overslept. "Oh no, I'm going to be late for school!" she exclaimed to herself, quickly flying out of bed.

As she rushed to get ready, she frantically searched through her closet for something to wear, muttering to herself under her breath. "Why didn't I set more than one alarm? I knew I had to be up early today!" she scolded herself.

Zephyrine quickly brushed her hair and teeth and put on her clothes, not bothering with makeup or accessories. She grabbed her bag and flew out the door, yelling a quick goodbye to her mother as she zoomed down the hallway.

Once outside, she took a deep breath and flew as fast as she could toward the school, dodging trees and buildings along the way. "I hope I'm not too late," she said to herself, feeling a knot in her stomach.

As she arrived at the school, she landed outside the classroom window and peered in, hoping the class hadn't started yet. "Please let them still be taking attendance," she prayed silently.

Just then, the teacher called out her name, and she quickly flew through the window, her face flushed with embarrassment. "Sorry I'm late," she panted, trying to catch her breath.

The teacher gave her a stern look but allowed her to take her seat. Zephyrine sat down, feeling relieved but also chagrined. "I can't believe I overslept," she whispered to herself, making a mental note to set multiple alarms from now on.

Zephyrine looked around the classroom, feeling a bit anxious. Her friends were nowhere to be seen, and the teacher was starting to look upset. Just then, the door burst open, and Blossom came running in, out of breath.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry!" Blossom gasped. "We overslept! We're here now, though."

The teacher glared at them. "You're late," she said sharply. "Again."

Petal flew in through the window, her hair a mess and her robes askew. "Hey guys, what did I miss?" she asked, grinning.

The teacher sighed. "Please take your seats, everyone. We have a lot to cover today."

As the teacher taught, Petal leaned over to Zephyrine and whispered, "Hey, remember yesterday we flew around the meadow? I still can't believe you got lost." Zephyrine giggled and tried to shush her, but Petal continued, "I mean, we were only flying in circles! How do you even do that?"

Blossom, who was sitting on Zephyrine's other side, joined in, "And then we had to send Thorn to find you. He was so annoyed!"

The teacher stopped mid-sentence and turned to face them. "Is there something you would like to share with the class, Miss Petal, and Miss Blossom?"

Petal sat up straight and put on a serious face. "No, ma'am. We were just reminiscing about our last flight around the meadow. It was such a lovely day."

The teacher narrowed her eyes, clearly not amused. "Well, I suggest you save your reminiscing for after class. Now, let's get back to our lesson."

Petal nudged Zephyrine and whispered, "Did you see her face? Priceless!"

The teacher instructed the class to bring out their wands. Zephyrine began to panic. She searched through her bag, but her wand was nowhere to be found.

Petal noticed Zephyrine's distress and couldn't resist making a joke. "Looks like someone's wand-ering mind forgot their wand today," Petal teased, unable to contain her laughter.

Zephyrine rolled her eyes but couldn't help but smile at Petal's pun. She knew she would never hear the end. The teacher, however, was not amused and gave Petal a stern look before continuing the lesson.

"Zephyrine, why don't you have your wand out? This is a critical lesson." the teacher said, with a stern.

Zephyrine replied. "I'm sorry, teacher, I forgot it in my rush to get to class."

The teacher shooked his head. "How could you forget your wand? It's the most important tool a fairy has."

Petal couldn't help but joke. "Maybe she's secretly a Muggle teacher. You know, the type that can't do magic."

Blossom giggles. "Petal, stop being silly."

The teacher clears his throat. "Petal, that's not funny. Zephyrine, you need to be responsible and bring your wand to class every time."

Zephyrine nodded. "Yes, teacher. I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

Petal chimed in. "Aw, don't be too hard on her, teacher. She's still a baby witch." and winks at Zephyrine

Blossom shooked her head. "Petal, please be serious. We're here to learn."

The teacher nodded in agreement. "Thank you, Blossom. Now, let's get back to the lesson."

The bell rang.

Petal jokingly said, "Well, that was a magical experience, wasn't it?" Blossom giggled, but Zephyrine was still feeling embarrassed about forgetting her wand.

Petal noticed Zephyrine's demeanor and said, "Hey, don't worry about it. It happens to the best of us. Remember that time I accidentally turned my hair green in front of the whole class?" she added, with a chuckle.

Zephyrine couldn't help but laugh at the memory. "Yeah, I remember. You had to wear a hat for weeks."

Blossom chimed in, "At least your hair wasn't permanently green. You were lucky it wore off after a few weeks."

Petal shrugged. "Eh, it wasn't so bad. I kind of liked the green hair, to be honest."

The three friends walked out of the classroom, laughing and chatting about their magical mishaps.

As they settled into their seats in the next class, the new teacher, a strict-looking fairy godmother, began the class with a stern voice, "Good morning, class. My name is Ms. Hargraves, and I'll be your instructor for this semester."

Petal couldn't help but quip, "Well, aren't we lucky to have you, Ms. Hargraves? Your warm welcome really sets the tone for a great semester."

Ms. Hargraves gave Petal a withering look and continued the class without acknowledging her comment. Zephyrine and Blossom exchanged glances, knowing Petal's tendency to push buttons.

"Good afternoon, class." She continued. "Today we will discuss the qualities of a Fairy Godmother. It is imperative that you pay attention and take notes. These qualities are what make us responsible, trustworthy, and, most importantly, magical beings.

Petal whispered to Zephyrine. "More like boring and strict beings,"

Zephyrine whispered back. "Shh, she'll hear you.

Mrs. Hargraves scowled at them. "I heard that, Miss Petal. Is there something you would like to share with the class?"

Petal smiled innocently. "Oh, no, sorry. Just talking to my friend here.

Mrs. Hargraves raised an eyebrow. "Well, I suggest you focus on the lecture instead of chatting with your friends. Now, as I was saying, the qualities of a Fairy Godmother are..."

Petal mumbled to herself. "Yeah, yeah, we get it. Be responsible, trustworthy, and magical. Can't we just skip to the fun part already?

Zephyrine whispered to her. "Petal, come on, let's at least try to pay attention."

Petal rolled her eyes. "Fine, but I'm not making any promises."

Mrs. Hargraves said. "Good. Now, let's begin with the first quality..."

Petal whispered to Zephyrine, "I think Mrs. Hargraves needs a hug. She's been in a bad mood since she woke up on the wrong side of the wand."

Zephyrine stifled a giggle, trying not to get caught by Mrs. Hargraves. "I think she needs more than a hug, maybe a vacation to a tropical island."

Blossom chimed in, "Or maybe she needs to find her fairy godmother to help her chill out."

Mrs. Hargraves caught them whispering and glared at them. "Is there something you would like to share with the class, ladies?"

Petal quickly replied, "No, Mrs. Hargraves, we were just admiring your wand collection."

Mrs. Hargraves raised an eyebrow suspiciously but continued with the lesson. The girls couldn't wait for the class to be over, hoping the next class would be better.

The school bell finally rang but Mrs. Hargraves stopped them. She said. "The timetable has changed," and continued teaching on equities of a Fairy godmother.

Petal whispered to Zephyrine, "I thought the bell meant we're free, but I guess not. Looks like we're stuck here forever."

Zephyrine stifled a laugh, trying not to attract Mrs. Hargraves' attention.

Mrs. Hargraves continued, "A Fairy godmother must always be on time, and must follow the rules. Being late and forgetting important tools like a wand could lead to catastrophic consequences."

Petal rolled her eyes and whispered, "Looks like we're in for a fun time with this one."

Zephyrine giggled quietly and whispered back, "I hope she doesn't make us practice those horrible spells."

Mrs. Hargraves suddenly turned to face them. "Is there something you two would like to share with the class again?"

Petal grinned mischievously, "Oh, just how much we're enjoying this lecture on the equities of a fairy godmother, Mrs. Hargraves."

Zephyrine tried to hide her laughter behind her hand as Mrs. Hargraves scowled at them.

The bell finally rang again, signaling the end of the class. Mrs. Hargraves dismissed them, reminding them to be on time for the next class.

Petal whispered to Zephyrine, "I guess we better set our alarm clocks extra early."

Zephyrine giggled, "Yeah, I don't want to get on her bad side again."

As they were about to leave, Mrs. Hargraves said. "Zephyrine, Petal, and Blossom, I need to have a word with you."

Zephyrine, Petal, and Blossom look at each other, worried.

Mrs. Hargraves frowned. "I've noticed that you three have been slacking off in class and not taking your training seriously. As future fairy godmothers, you must understand the importance of your role and the responsibilities that come with it."

Petal muttered under her breath. "Responsibilities, responsibilities, blah blah blah."

Mrs. Hargraves scowled at her. "Excuse me, Petal? Do you have something to say?"

Petal quickly replied. "No, no, of course not. I'm just really focused on learning, you know?"

Mrs. Hargraves said. "Well, I hope that's the truth. Because if I catch any of you slacking off again, there will be consequences. Understood?"

Zephyrine, Petal, and Blossom replied in unison. "Yes, Mrs. Hargraves."

Mrs. Hargraves nodded. "Good. Now, you may go. And remember, I expect better from you."

Zephyrine, Petal, and Blossom hurriedly left the classroom, feeling chastised

As they flew into their class, they noticed Headmistress Ophelia standing inside, looking stern and unhappy. Petal let out a low whistle. "Looks like someone's in trouble," she whispered to Zephyrine and Blossom.

The headmistress glared at them and spoke in a cold voice. "Good morning, girls. You are all late. And not just a bit late, but significantly late."

Zephyrine gulped nervously while Blossom tried to flash a winning smile. Petal, on the other hand, couldn't resist making a joke. "Better late than never, right? We're fashionably late, Headmistress!"

The headmistress's expression did not change. "This is not a laughing matter, Petal. I expect my students to be punctual and responsible."

Zephyrine and Blossom both nodded in agreement, but Petal just grinned mischievously. "Sorry, Headmistress. We'll be on time from now on. Pinky promise."

The headmistress's stern expression softened a bit. "See that you do. Now, let's get on with the lesson." She cleared her throat loudly, causing the room to go silent. "Good afternoon, class," she began sternly. "Today, we will be splitting into two groups for a lesson on your fairy godmother training. Group A, please come to the front of the class."

Petal nudged Zephyrine and whispered, "I hope we're in Group B. I don't like the look on her face."

But it was no use. The headmistress pointed at them and said, "You three, you're in Group A. Move it."

As they made their way to the front of the class, Petal muttered under her breath, "I feel like I'm in trouble already. This can't be good."

Blossom elbowed her. "Don't worry, Petal. Maybe we'll learn something useful."

Petal snorted. "Like how to make the headmistress less scary? I doubt it."

Zephyrine giggled nervously, hoping they wouldn't get into too much trouble. As they reached the front of the class, the headmistress said. "Alright, Group A, your task is to create a potion that can cure any curse. This is worth ten points, so I expect you to work together and come up with something truly remarkable."

Blossom immediately jumped up and said, "I'll be the leader of the group!"

Tilly, an animal fairy, scowled at her and retorted, "No way, I should be the leader. I have better ideas."

Petal rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath, "This is going to be a disaster."

The headmistress silenced them with a stern look and said, "I don't care who the leader is, as long as you work together and complete the task. Now, get to work."

As Tilly and Blossom continued arguing, Zephyrine couldn't help but roll her eyes at their bickering. She turned to Petal and whispered, "Looks like we'll have to step in and save the day, huh?"

Petal grinned mischievously. "I was thinking the same thing. I'll distract them with some jokes, and you sneak in and do the potion."

Zephyrine raised an eyebrow. "You really think that'll work?"

Petal shrugged. "Hey, it's worth a shot. And if it doesn't work, at least we'll have some laughs."

With that, Petal cleared her throat and put on her best stand-up comedian voice. "What do you call a fairy who's always grumpy? A sour sprite!"

Tilly and Blossom both groaned, but it was enough to distract them for a moment. Zephyrine took the opportunity to grab the ingredients she needed and quickly started mixing them.

Petal kept the jokes coming, and soon everyone was laughing, even the headmistress. When Zephyrine finished the potion and presented it to the group, the headmistress was impressed.

"Well done, Group A. You've earned ten points for your work today. And Petal, I must say, you have quite the talent for comedy. Perhaps you could perform at the school talent show?"

Petal's eyes lit up. "Really? I'd love to!"

As they left the classroom, Petal turned to Zephyrine. "Looks like our little plan worked after all."

Zephyrine smiled. "Yeah, thanks to your jokes and my potion-making skills."

The two friends high-fived and headed off to their next class, feeling proud of themselves for a successful mission.

As they arrived for their next class, Blossom couldn't stop talking about Tilly and how she was so close to making them fail. "Can you believe it, Petal? Tilly almost made us fail the task worth ten points!" she exclaimed.

Zephyrine rolled her eyes and Petal chuckled, "Oh no, the horror! How will we ever recover from the trauma of potentially losing ten points?"

Blossom gave her a look, not amused. "I'm serious, Petal. It was all thanks to Zephyrine that we passed."

Zephyrine smiled modestly. "It was a team effort, Blossom."

Petal added, "And hey, now we know we can handle a little disagreement and still get the job done."

A Pixie teacher walked in with a stern look on his face and announced, "Today, we'll be learning advanced flying techniques. This is not for the faint-hearted."

Petal looked at him and said, "Well, I hope it's for the brave-hearted because we don't have any faint-hearted students here. Except for maybe Zephyrine, but that's another story."

The teacher didn't seem to find Petal's joke amusing and said, "Flying is a serious matter, young lady. It's not something to be taken lightly."

Petal rolled her eyes and replied, "Oh, lighten up, professor. We're just fairies, not pilots. How hard can it be?"

The teacher didn't seem to appreciate Petal's sarcasm and replied, "Flying can be dangerous, especially if you're not properly trained. That's why we're going to learn advanced techniques today."

Petal whispered to Zephyrine, "I think he forgot we have wings. Flying is kind of our thing."

Zephyrine giggled but tried to hide it. The teacher continued with the lesson, but Petal couldn't resist making a few more jokes throughout the class.

As the teacher began to fly, Petal looked at Zephyrine and said, "This is going to be interesting. I hope I don't turn into a birdbrain!" Zephyrine gave a nervous laugh and followed the teacher's lead, while Blossom struggled to keep up. Petal, who was having fun flying, decided to show off a little and zipped past the teacher, waving her hands in the air like a pro. "I was born to fly!" she shouted, as the other students looked on in awe.

Without looking, Petal crashed into the wall, and the jars fell over. The classroom was filled with the sound of crazy mice running around. The teacher rushed over to Petal and asked if she was okay.

Petal rubbed her head and replied, "I'm fine, but I think I may have just discovered a new spell - the Wall-Crashing Jinx!"

The teacher rolled his eyes and said, "That's not exactly what we're trying to teach you, Petal."

Petal grinned and shrugged. "Hey, at least I'm learning something new!"

Blossom and Zephyrine flew to Petal's side, checking if she was okay. Petal groaned as she rubbed her head, "Ow, that hurt more than my pride."

The teacher, clearly displeased, turned to Petal and said sternly, "That was incredibly reckless, Miss Petal. You must pay attention while flying. It is not a joke."

Petal tried to stand up and regain her composure. "I'm sorry, sir. I guess I didn't see that wall coming. Can I at least get some cheese for the crazy mice that were in those jars I knocked over?"

The teacher rolled his eyes and said, "Cheese for mice? This is a school for Fairy Godmothers, not a petting zoo."

Blossom whispered to Petal, "Maybe you should stick to ground spells for a while."

Zephyrine chimed in, "Or you could try practicing your flying with some of those cute little birds outside."

Petal laughed and replied, "Good idea, Zephyrine. Maybe I'll be the first Fairy Godmother to have a bird as a familiar."

As the teacher continued scolding Petal, she couldn't help but c***k a joke, "Well, I guess I'll just have to add 'flying without hitting walls' to my list of skills to master, huh?"

The teacher didn't find it amusing and sent them all to detention. Blossom and Zephyrine couldn't stop giggling as they made their way to the detention room.

Petal sighed and muttered, "I guess I'll just have to put my mouse-catching skills to use here."

As they flew into the detention room, Petal couldn't help but let out a loud sigh. "Great, just what I needed," she muttered under her breath. Blossom and Zephyrine both shot her a sympathetic look, but Petal just shook her head.

Mrs. Hargraves sat in the room's corner, her eyes piercing as they entered. "Late again, I see," she said in a disapproving tone.

Petal couldn't resist the urge to make a joke. "Well, you know what they say, better late than never... unless you're in detention," she said with a grin.

Mrs. Hargraves didn't seem amused. "You three are here because of your careless behavior during flying class. You need to understand the dangers of not paying attention."

Blossom spoke up, "We understand, Mrs. Hargraves. It was a mistake and we promise to be more careful in the future."

Zephyrine added, "We take our training seriously and we want to be the best fairy godmothers we can be."

Petal nodded in agreement. "Yeah, what she said."

Mrs. Hargraves gave a small nod of approval. "Good. You may begin your detention. I expect you to complete the task I've assigned to you."

Petal groaned, "What's the task?"

Mrs. Hargraves handed them a stack of dusty old books. "You will each choose a book and read it cover to cover. Then, you will write a one-page summary and present it to me."

Petal rolled her eyes. "Well, at least we'll be expert bookworms by the end of this."

Blossom and Zephyrine both chuckled and together they settled in to begin their detention.

Petal let out a loud sigh as she looked at the stack of books again in front of her. "I feel like we're in a library, not detention," she whispered to Blossom and Zephyrine.

Blossom rolled her eyes. "Well, we are here because you crashed into a wall and knocked over a bunch of jars."

Zephyrine added, "And the teacher specifically told us to be careful and pay attention."

Petal pouted. "I know, I know. I just got distracted."

They all settled down to read and write their summaries, but Petal couldn't concentrate. She kept fidgeting in her seat and tapping her quill on the table.

Blossom shot her a look. "Can you please stop that? You're making so much noise."

Petal huffed. "Sorry, sorry. I just can't focus."

Zephyrine leaned over to her. "Maybe you should take a break and clear your head. Go for a walk or something."

Petal brightened up. "That's a great idea! Maybe I'll go check out the gardens."

Mrs. Hargraves looked up from her book. "No, Petal. You are here to serve your detention. You may not leave until it is completed."

Petal deflated. "Oh, okay."

They continued working in silence, but Petal's mind was wandering. She couldn't wait to get out of detention and fly around the gardens. She just needed to get through this one-page summary first.

As Mrs. Hargraves said time was up and asked them to submit their work, Petal suddenly jumped up from her seat, exclaiming, "Wait, wait! I haven't even started yet! Can I get an extension please? I promise I'll write the best summary you've ever seen!"

Blossom and Zephyrine rolled their eyes, knowing full well that Petal was just trying to buy some more time. Mrs. Hargraves wasn't fooled either, and sternly replied, "No, Petal. You had plenty of time. Detention is for learning responsibility and accountability, not for making excuses."

Petal slumped back in her chair with a pout, muttering under her breath, "Responsibility and accountability? More like torture and misery."

The school bell rang for dismissal, Mrs. Hargraves said. "Petal should stay behind to complete her summary"

Petal let out a groan as the other girls gathered their things and left the room. "Why me?" she muttered to herself as she watched them go.

Mrs. Hargraves gave her a stern look. "You know why, Petal. You need to finish your summary."

Petal pouted. "But it's so boring! Can't I just do it later?"

"No, you cannot," Mrs. Hargraves replied firmly. "You should have taken your task seriously in class, and now you have to face the consequences. Now, get to work."

Petal sighed and picked up her pen. "Fine, but I'm going to need a lot of coffee for this." She began to write, muttering to herself as she went. "Once upon a time, there was a girl named Cinderella...no, wait, wrong story."

Mrs. Hargraves raised an eyebrow. "Petal, please focus."

Petal nodded and continued writing, but couldn't resist making a few silly comments under her breath. "And then the Fairy Godmother appeared, but she was really a giant chicken...no, too weird. How about the Fairy Godmother was actually a teapot? No, that's even weirder."

Mrs. Hargraves sighed. "Petal, I appreciate your sense of humor, but please try to stay on task."

Petal grinned mischievously. "Sorry, Mrs. Hargraves. I'll try to be good...but I make no promises."