By Hannah Carter
Let’s get one thing straight: I hate Pinocchio. It’s because of that dumb puppet we celebrate Pinocchio Day on April 1st, where everyone tries to see how many lies and pranks they can get away with. That’s fun—but then comes Honesty Day.
See, the Blue Fairy who brought Pinocchio to life felt slighted that he—and others—reveled in lying on April 1st. In retaliation, she cursed everyone in Kingland to tell nothing but the truth on April 30th.
Nothing but the truth, in every circumstance.
Which unfortunately led me to accidentally turning my best friend—whom I happened to have a crush on—into a pig.
“Come on,” I muttered to the squealing animal in front of me that had once been Percival Holmes. “Can you move your curly little tail any faster?” I glanced over my shoulder. “If your mother finds us, she’s going to kill me.”
Percival oinked, which likely meant he wanted to kill me, too.
“I don’t care much for your opinion right now, thank you very much.” I huffed as we scurried up the tower steps to my dorm. “It’s your fault we’re in this conundrum.” Him and that idiotic Blue Fairy.
Footsteps echoed from the bottom of the stairs. “Haddie Underwood?” Headmistress Demetria bellowed. Her high heels clicked on the school’s stone floors, her voice drifting closer.
“Hurry up!” I muttered. When Pig-Percival and I reached the landing, I snatched his rotund body and darted towards my dorm. Banging on the door, I hissed, “Z, let me in!”
The footsteps came closer. “Haddie Underwood?”
I tapped my foot, biting my lip. “Come on, Zelda.”
My elder sister swung open the door.
I shoved her aside and tumbled in. “Shut the door!”
She frowned but obeyed. Pig-Percival wriggled out of my arms with a few indignant oinks.
“Haddie, why do you have a pig?” Zelda asked.
“It’s not a pig; it’s Percival.” I wrung my hands. Percival snorted around our tiny bunk room, which didn’t consist of much more than two beds, dressers, and desks. “Technically, I guess it is a pig. But I didn’t mean to do it!” I whirled around. “You gotta help me turn him back before Headmistress Demetria finds us. No reversal spell works, and I think it’s because I cursed him!”
“I don’t understand.” Zelda dropped to her hands and knees. “If you cursed him, a reversal spell should work, so long as you want to break the curse.”
“But that’s just it! I need you to break the curse.”
Headmistress Demetria called my name from the hallway.
Zelda glowered up at me. Here’s the thing about older sisters: every one of them is psychic, but only with their little siblings.
Unless your older sister really is a psychic, in which case, I feel very sorry for you. Zelda’s only-applicable-to-me psychic powers were annoying enough. “Haddie, why is Percy a pig?”
Curse that Blue Fairy and her Honesty Day! “Be-because I cursed him.”
“Why?”
“Because I was scared… that I’d accidentally tell him I liked him.” Heat rose in my cheeks, and I slapped my hands over them. Like that could stop my blush.
“That’s why you can’t break his curse. Because you don’t want to.”
“No, I do,” I grumbled, eyes downcast. “Just… not today. But Headmistress Demetria keeps hounding me. I swear, can a boy not spend one day as a pig without everyone throwing a fit?”
“Haddie, really.” Zelda shifted to sit cross-legged. She patted the spot next to her, and I claimed it, resting my head on her shoulder. She twirled my hair around her finger. “You have to find better ways to deal with your feelings than turning people into pigs.”
“Feelings are much scarier than pigs.”
“Well, you’re not the one currently a pig, so your opinion isn’t the important one here.”
Percival oinked. I swiped the tears suddenly rolling down my cheeks. “I hope he can’t understand us right now, or else I’ve got to erase his memory, too.”
“Stop trying to curse your way out of problems. What’s the worst that can happen if you tell him you like him?”
“Our whole friendship will be ruined! I’ll have to change my name and move to Princessia. The world will explode.”
“Don’t be so dramatic.”
“He likes someone else, Z.” I watched Percival sniff around my pile of dirty clothes, which seemed to imply he wasn’t quite sentient after all. “I can’t do that to him or her.”
“Mm. That is a conundrum.” Zelda patted my shoulder. “But you can’t leave him a pig, either.”
“How do you be honest on Honesty Day when the truth would hurt people you care about?” I scrubbed my eyes. “Honesty isn’t always the best policy.”
“Turning all your problems into pigs isn’t the best policy, either.” She pressed a kiss against my forehead. “You have two minutes to figure out what you’re going to say while I break this curse.”
I grumbled under my breath as she untangled herself and set to work on Pig-Percy. I’d barely gotten my thoughts together before Boy-Percy collapsed in the pile of my unlaundered socks—thankfully, wearing the clothes he’d had on previously. He scrambled upright, his face aghast. “Haddie—what—where—”
I shuffled over and wrapped my arms around him. “Hi, Perce.”
He grunted. “A hug? You did something, didn’t you?”
I uttered a watery laugh. “Yes. And I’m sorry.” I took a deep breath. “Thanks for being my best friend, Perce. I—I just want you to be happy, and I don’t tell you enough, but I’m… grateful for you.”
“Hm.” He sounded suspicious, but wrapped his arms around me anyway. “Whatever you did, I’m still grateful for you, too.” He kissed the top of my head as I buried my face in his chest. “But don’t do it again.”
I squeezed him tightly. “Honestly, I can’t make any promises.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I loved this! So fun and sweet.
just right…
Well done!
It was just a great vibe all the way through this story! Poor Pig-Percival was out here living his best life with no idea what was happening the whole time!! 😂 Great story, Hannah!! ☺️
Love this!
Fun story! I love reading Haddie’s antics!
It was fun seeing Haddie and Percival again. Hope to see them again soon and maybe, one day, a full book!