She is Louise
Шрифт:
He threw off his armor and hastily put on jeans and a white shirt, threw his smartphone into his bag and slung it on his shoulder.
– See you this evening, Mom.
– Have a good day. Don't forget, you have Latin class at five today.
– I remember.
Niels knew that after school he would have to go to the knights of the village, but he still hadn't given up hope of getting a good degree.
Louise walked along the Glade, though she didn't expect to reach the border of the Forests and Steppes today and see the City. Sure, there were a few streets of private houses in that neighborhood, but the girl wasn't afraid of anything. Her wings hadn't appeared yet, so no one would be able to pick on her. Louise had long known that she lived in two worlds at once: the ordinary world of humans and the Forest School, and the magical world of Butterflies and those she would soon be able to meet there.
Louise sat down to rest on a rock in the middle of the golden ears – where she lived, the fields and meadows changed endlessly. It looked like a chessboard. Like it wasn't on this planet.
The girl straightened her hair and threw her head back – now she looked like a fairy princess. She's only twelve, with her whole life ahead of her. Louise looked at the houses and wondered who might live in them: shepherds, farmers or office workers? It would be nice to go to the City just once…
There wasn't a soul around. It was the same as always. Louise's soul longed for adventure and new discoveries, but her inner voice told her that it was better to keep a low profile and stay at home, under Galina's supervision. Galina… who was Galina, anyway? For as long as Louise could remember, her mother had never flown anywhere. Did she have wings? Or maybe they were in the distant past and now they're gone? Galya had always said that Louise's wings would be so huge that sometimes she wouldn't even be able to squeeze through a regular doorway. I wonder if other Butterflies have wings like that. There are insect butterflies, there are girl butterflies, and there are boy butterflies – just boys. How do they live without flying and toasting with wildflower jam? They must be unimaginably bored. By the way, Louise had never spoken to a boy before-she'd never seen one, not even at school. She's kind of weird, this Forest School.
When she got bored of sitting on the lonely rock, she simply climbed down to the ground and took off her wicker sandals (they were her favorite summer shoe, but in winter she and Galya preferred fur boots) to relax her heels. The spikes of wheat tickled them pleasantly. In the fall, local farmers would come here and mow all this wealth, and the soil would remain completely bare. It was a pity, for the cold weather would come, and there would be no shelter. "I've got a blanket, and the earth will do something about it," she thought, and then she lay down on her back and spread her arms as if she wanted to make a snow angel. This is how her summer days passed, each of which was exactly like the previous one. Secretly, the girl hoped that before the wings would appear behind her back, someone would come to her and take her with him – to another world. But for now she just fell asleep, listening to the quiet chorus of field butterflies that sang about blue dewdrops and a bright red heart. Whose was it, though? …
– Ha ha, look at him! That toothy Bobby forgot to wash his back again! " Roxy, one of the many students at City High School, laughed. Her friends giggled quietly, obviously in support, though they didn't want to let on that they had anything to do with it.
– Roxy, stop it! Why are you making fun of people? " stood up for the boy Niels, who had just come to the lockers to leave his backpack and change into sneakers.
– What's it to you? " she asked defiantly.
– I don't like it when someone gets hurt for no reason. What did he do to you? " the boy asked sternly.
– None of your business. Maybe I just don't like his existence.
Roxy turned to her friends, and the three of them walked off in a dignified manner toward the office, where math class was about to begin.
– Are you okay? " Niels turned to Bob, who was looking through the locker door at his back, which had a white "Kick Me" sign on it.
– I'm fine. But I'm sick of it. Okay, I'll go," Bobby said, and reluctantly went to class. The boy's belly was peeking out from under his black T-shirt, and the chalk on his back hadn't completely rubbed off. Looking rather ridiculous, he tried to ignore the caustic taunts. "It'll all go away when we're adults…"
"She's a girl, of course, and a teenager too," Niels reasoned, sitting in the second desk with his hand lazily resting on his head as Ms. Lipp explained how to draw a trigonometric circle. – But you can't behave so vile! If she were a boy, I'd challenge her to a duel…"
Meanwhile, Evie, Roxy's neighbor, did not take her eyes off the young man Niels for a moment.
Chapter Two
The butterflies kept singing, but Louise soon got bored of lying there. She was warming herself a little in the sunlight, and a little summer rain would be nice. Although a gray thunderstorm would be nice too. The girl stretched lazily, lifted her head and found a butterfly sitting on her gray dress, a very pretty butterfly. Louise was not very good at butterfly breeds, although Galya insisted on a good study of the theory of the other world. What was it? On the "mahaon" does not look like, and on the "cabbage girl" too. Maybe it would be possible to talk to her? Louise decided to give it a try:
– Hi. What's your name?
The butterfly only timidly wiggled its antennae. What if it just mistook the little girl for some kind of flower? Too bad Louise couldn't give her guests some pollen.
– You don't want to talk? That's fine. Then why are you sitting on me? " Louise tried to continue the dialog. However, it did not go well, but the butterfly answered:
– If you want to live among us, then learn the language. Our language. There are thirteen grammatical errors in your breath.
– They don't teach that in my school. What's your name? " asked the astonished girl. The lady butterfly had spoken to her – was it not a miracle? So Louise really wasn't quite human. And not quite ordinary.
– Linda-Jane-Madam-Wood-Mistress-Sarah-Wizard Field. Well, goodbye," she said, and then she flapped her wings and flew off into the sky. Louise remained on the ground.
"I had a chat with her. She is such a sweet mistress! I wonder if butterflies have kings and queens? In the City, as far as I can remember, some sort of Ministr rules. Or Minister."
– Galya, explain to me why mom left me here with you? Why don't I live in the City, because I don't have wings yet? " Louise stopped by the house for lunch and decided to do a little questioning.
– You'll find out a little later, baby," she replied affectionately, but Louise insisted:
– Why not now? I don't want to wait six years! It's like half my life from the one I've already lived.
– Your mother thinks it would be dangerous for you to be with people.
– And Dad? Isn't he a regular person?
– He is.
– So what…
– You'd have to ask them yourself.
– How can I do that?
– Don't be mad.
– I'm not mad! Not at all.
– Okay, if you are.
– How can I talk to my parents?
– Can't you write an e-mail? " Galya grinned.
– Who? Write what?
– Okay, forget it. You'd better stay out of the modern rhythm.
– But I'll be taken to the City when I grow up? " the excited girl went on. What if she could learn something very important now?