"Have a nice ride!" She said with a wink. Mark chuckled to himself at her lively behavior. Just as he found an empty seat the bus took off with a lurch which almost sent him down the aisle. "A live one alright."

He watched the the country side pass by his window until the rain picked up so much, all was a blur. The wipers swished wildly, and through the bus driver's window, he could just make out his stop. The bus whizzed past.

"Hey! Don't we stop there?" The old lady just tugged her hat down lower, as if she hadn't heard him. The other passengers ignored him. Mark sat back in his seat and grumbled to himself, convinced that he would miss gym today.

They had gone on for some time when the driver slammed on the brakes. Mark tried to see where they were, but the rain would not let up. The doors swung open, and a crowd of brightly dressed people swept in. Mark stared in awe...they were completely DRY! Shutting his gaping mouth, he tried to compose himself. He took a look out his window, just to check.Yes it was still raining. He looked again at the new passengers-nope, none of them carried an umbrella. How was this accomplished? The seats were filling up, and it became necessary to share. A young woman with red hair,wearing a green organza gown sat next to him. "Um, hello." She must have sensed his uncertainness, for she only giggled. He tried again. "Crummy weather we're having."

Again, she giggled. "Well ,I'll get no secrets out of her." Mark turned his attention to the window, his mind in turmoil. After a few moments he dared a sideways glance at his seat-mate. What odd ears she had. Small, and coming to a point at the top. Catching his glance she giggled yet again. What an aggravating girl! He looked around the bus at the other dry passengers. They all had pointy ears. Fairies.

The bus came to an abrupt stop, and the little driver stood up on her seat facing the passengers. "Here we are, everybody off!" She bellowed.

The passengers surged forward. "Well, she said everybody," Mark explained to himself, as he followed the crowd. They popped out of the doors and found themselves in front of a turreted castle in the afternoon sunlight. The girl who had sat next to him giggled once more, then grabbed his hand and led him towards the castle's large wooden gate. " Hurry, Mark! Or we'll be late for the ball."

"You know my name?" He managed to gasp out.

"Of course. Don't you know who I am?"

"A fairie?"

"Yes! that was a fairie bus and this is a fairie castle.Silly!" her voice was like wind chimes.

" A fairie bus. Of course. Note to self: always check destination before boarding." Mark sighed to himself.

Before he could say another word, the fairie led him to a sparkling ball room, and whisked him off in a waltz.

"What's your name?" He managed to ask over the loud orchestra.

"Tigra."

Mark changed partners several times, but all of them were fairies and all of them had pouffy ball gowns on that he had to be very careful not to step on.

In the fun of it Mark forgot his bewilderment. He ended the set with Tigra, and they went off in search of the banquet tables. With a plateful of mouth-watering treats [as only fairies can make them] he observed the other party goers. "Hmm, I'm the only human. At least, the only person wearing jeans and a t-shirt." But when he looked down, he saw that his jeans had turned into outrageous orange pantaloons,and he sported a green shirt and purple vest. "I wonder when it changed?" he asked aloud. Tigra tinkled her customary giggle and then the dancing continued. As the afternoon turned to eve, a trumpet sounded and the dancing ceased.

"It is ended now. They need the room for another party tonight" Tigra explained.

"Cinderella's ball by any chance?" Mark quipped.

"Actually-yes," Tigra laughed. They boarded the bus again in the twilight. Soon the motion of the bus and the large supper put Mark to sleep. Through the haze of sleep he heard "Medowveil exit!" He opened his eyes with a start. Where had Tigra gone?

Glancing around the bus, he saw he was the last passenger aboard. They were at the stop at the gym. Medowveil, just like the driver said. But what of the dancing and-and-the fairies? Mark picked up his gym bag and walked to the front of the bus.

"Have a fun time!" Said the pink faced old lady with a wink.

Mark stared at her hard before hopping off the bus. "Thank you- I HAVE had a fun time!" She winked once more then closed the doors and sped off. Mark watched the bus travel down the wet street, then made his way through the afternoon rain to the gym.

"Stupid feast." Jasmin muttered, as she stood at the top of the stairwell looking down on the other fairies wandering towards the banquet hall in a loud, disorderly, tummy-rumbling mass. She hadn't been invited. She was always invited! Why hadn't she been invited to this! The spring ball! Only the most elite fairies were invited, she knew, but didn't she come from one of the most powerful fairy families? Of course she did. "Stupid feast." She muttered again.

She threw herself over the side of the balcony and floated down towards the garden outside, away from all the noise and light-hearted frivolity. She stopped her downward descent by a window and looked in. All the fairies had entered the hall and were sitting down at an empty table. Entertainment before victuals, as was customary. She continued her downward journey, not wanting to see and not hear the diversion she knew was coming next. She had been to a spring ball before. An angry tear found its way down her cheek just as her feet settled gently on the footpath. "My invitation must have been lost!" She cried. "I have as much right to be there as anyone else!" She stopped and looked through a haze of tears at one of the garden statues. It was an angel, holding its arms out as though reaching for something. She walked towards it and flew into its outstretched arms, lying across them so to any observer, it would look as though the angel was holding her, as a mother might hold a child.

"Stupid feast." She said again as she rose from the angel's embrace back up to the stairwell. Suddenly Arlain was at her side as if out of nowhere. Arlain always seemed to appear out of thin air like that. "Why aren't you at the ball like everyone else?"Arlain asked. "I'm sure Kari said you were on the list! I came to look for you!" Kari was a fairy princess, and mutual friend. "I didn't get an invitation." Jasmin said miserably. "It must have been lost then!" Said Arlain. "I wouldn't worry about it, come with me, and the guard will see if you're on the list!"

She grabbed Jasmin's arm and the two flew over to the entrance of the banquet hall. "Yes, of course Jasmin is on the list!" Said Albert, the guard irritably. "She's always on the list, while I'm stuck here on guard duty."

The two girls hurried in, Arlain desperate not to miss anymore of the festivities, and Jasmin just glad to be there at all. The ball was lovely, the food was excellent, and was that Garrett, the cute, quiet guy from history who kept glancing at Jasmin when he thought she wasn't looking? She wandered past him nonchalantly, and he asked her to dance. She accepted, and ended up dancing with only him all evening.

At the end of the night he asked her if she'd like to meet him for lunch on Wednesday. Of course she would! She rushed off giggling with Arlain and Kari, wondering what she'd wear. Suddenly she felt horribly cramped all up her left side and, turning around, she fell out of the angels arms, where she'd fallen asleep!

She saw Kari at the other side of the garden and, flying over, asked her if the feast was over. "Where have you been?" Kari asked. "Of course the ball is over! I just found your invitation under my desk and I came to look for you! A few of the guys were asking about you, especially that chap from history, Garrett or something. I'm terribly sorry about your invite! It's too bad you had to miss it!" "Don't worry." Jasmin replied. "I caught most of it."