Hailey Fauna and Her Snobby Cousins

Hailey was out feeding the calf when her dinner bell rang. “I wonder if Grammy made a salad” Hailey said as she got up. She walked out carefully when her uncle soon followed her. “Hi Uncle Joey! How are the strawberries?” she asked. “Fine, how is the little faun you carry around, knucklehead?” Joey teased his young niece. “Daisy is just fine! She is sleeping upstairs. I am surprised Grammy hasn’t heard her yet” Hailey explained.

“Well that is because Grammy said she has a surprise for us, young one. Now quick math question before we go in. 15 x 20 is what?” he said. She counted her fingers and smiled.  “300!” she answered. He nodded and went inside.

The two gasped with surprise. Joey’s sister, Missy, was here with her two daughters. “Surprise! Joseph, Hailey, Missy has came to stay!” Grammy announced. The two fake smiled at Grammy. “Now don’t you worry, Hailey, dear! You still have the attic all to yourself! The girls decided to stay with their mother in the spare bedroom, isn’t that right?” Grammy said. The sisters nodded. Hailey let out a breath she had been holding in the whole time. “Now who is up for some chicken casserole and some apple pie?” Grammy asked.

After dinner was eaten the girls were sent off to play as the adults talked. “Can I play with the dolls with you two?” Hailey asked. Her cousins giggled. “Sure… Cathy and I are the rich sisters and you can be the maid! We are about to go to the ball where you have to take us while wearing your uniform and you must stay in the maid waiting room” Sarah explained. Hailey nodded. “Then the maid turns into a beautiful princess and then the prince wants to marry her?” she asked. “Nope” Cathy said. Hailey sighed and just played with the dolls hair.

The next morning the girls sat in front of their uncle. “Okay girls, today we are going to start with math. Cathy, 5 x 25 is?” Joey asked. “125, Uncle Joey. Simple third grade math” Cathy said. Hailey gasped. She didn’t even use her fingers! “Sarah, 5 x 17 is?” Joey asked. “85, Uncle Joey can you make them harder?” Sarah asked. “Hailey, 5 x 12 is?”Joey asked. Hailey counted on her fingers. Her cousins held back their giggles. “60?” Hailey asked. Joey nodded.

The day pretty much went like that. The girls pretty much gave her a ‘you aren’t very smart’ look all day. Finally when classes were over, Hailey rushed out to the barn where the cat was going to have kittens. “Push, mama, push!” She urged the young cat. Then she got a call.

“HAILEY! Please come in!” she heard a voice yell. Hailey rushed inside to see her aunt motion her to come upstairs. Hailey followed her aunt and sat in the chair the room had. “I have been working very hard on this and I want you to try it on. Oh and please get your faun, too. I made her something as well” Missy said. “How did you know?” Hailey asked. “I was looking in the attic for any unused fabric when I saw her eating a salad” Missy said. Hailey nodded and went to her room to get the faun.

When Hailey came back with the baby faun, her aunt held out a pretty yellow and orange outfit with matching shoes. “Now go get dressed in this so I can do your hair while I put this on the baby faun” Missy said as she held a necklace of flowers with a bell on it. Hailey did as she was told and came back out for her aunt to see. Her aunt smiled as she motioned her niece to sit in the chair.  Hailey sat and felt a curling iron in her hair. Her aunt curled her hair and placed a simple hair piece in Hailey’s hair. Missy smiled.

“Do you like it?” she asked. Hailey nodded. She hugged Missy. “Thank you” she said. Missy giggled. “Now listen, I know the girls may seem a little mean but they are just upset over the divorce and taking it out on you, and I am sorry. Before long though they will get over it though” Missy explained. Hailey nodded and spun around in her new dress. She felt like a princess. Maybe she was, in her imagination, anyway.

The end.