The Fairytale Life of Doris McQueen [#1] ✓

TWENTY-FIVE

Chapter 25

"Ugly duckling?" Giroud grinned. "No, never seen one. Didn't know ducks could be ugly or beautiful for that matter."

"But I need to find one," Doris said.

"And bring back your dead Mum," Giroud added smugly, "in less than four hours. You should give up and find a place to hide."

"And what about my family?"  Adam asked angrily.

Giroud said, lazily, "They aren't really your family."

"They are my family," Adam nearly shouted.

"Fat lot of good it did to them," Giroud said.

"Giroud, we have to fulfil the deal. Adam and his family are in trouble because of me and I will set it right. So, stop shoving around your plans of running and hiding," Doris said in a voice that challenged Giroud to argue.

"Look out!" Alexander shouted.

Giroud only managed to see something white and gigantic on the road and braked so fast that Doris' banged on the back of Giroud's seat.

"What-?" Giroud swore and got out of the car.

Doris got out and ran to what looked like a giant duck. "Did you hit it?"

"Oye!" Giroud poked the giant duck with his foot.

"Why did you stop? I want to die," came a dismal voice. The giant duck sat up with great difficulty.

"It's a costume," Doris said in amazement. "Are you okay in there?"

The head was removed to show a mop of curly brown hair and a sad face. The boy looked at Doris and scowled, "Stay away from me, ugly!"

Doris frowned and moved away, "What is wrong with him?"

"Who are you calling ugly?" Adam demanded angrily.

Giroud seemed to find the boy funny. He smirked and asked, "What's your name? And why do you want to die?"

"My name is Patrick," the boy said, "and I want to die because I'm ugly and nobody will go to prom with me."

"So, you want to die?" Doris asked in amazement. "Just because you don't have a prom date? Are you mad?"

"Because of that and my ugly face," Patrick stated simply.

Alexander adjusted his glasses and looked at Patrick again, "You seem to be fine to me."

"I may look fine to ugly people like you all but that's because I have curled by hair and worn brown lenses. I was uglier with blue eyes, I swear," Patrick said proudly.

"There's something strange about this guy," Doris whispered to Adam.

Giroud was amused, "Where are you from, ugly-boy-in-duck's-costume?"

"I'm from Hamlin. It's a few miles away," Patrick answered haughtily. "No big deal for me since I have the fastest wings in the world."

"He's a faerie," Adam shook his head.

"Yes, I am, ugly human," Patrick smiled snootily.

"I think he's been tricked," Alexander whispered.

"Tricked?" Doris asked.

"Into believing that he is so ugly that he deserves to die," Alexander stated.

Adam shrugged, "He seems to have a very ugly heart."

Doris looked at the boy who was fiddling with his duck costume and her eyes widened as realization struck her, "He's the next part of the deal."