OH DUDE.

Another chapter.

... don't hurt me? XD

Please accept my sincere apologies for this ridonkulous delay! Many factors contributed, including more discouraging episodes of the TV show. Then they introduced Poof, who I simply adore, and whose addition to the show inspired a possible bonus chapter at the end of all this! So I wrote a bit here and there, got involved in a buttload of other projects...

And then came the bombshell - live action TV movie?

Now I'm not completely against the ideya, nor am I totally against the casting choice! I quite like Jason Alexander, and although he may not totally look the part, if he can pull it off, then huzzah! I just hope the writers are up to snuff - with one Nick cartoon adapted to a live-action movie that ultimately bombed, you can't blame me for not being totally enthused...

But what am I rambling about? You want a new chapter, and lookie here, I have it! So I hope it was worth the wait, and I hope to continue this one to the end! WOO!

OoOoO

CHAPTER FIVE: Making It Work

OoOoO

A tower of bright sea-green hair curlers stormed to the pair. It sounds ridiculous, but when that tower is attached to the head of an enraged Mama Cosma, there's ample reason to fear! So it was that Cosmo and Wanda, eyes wide with surprised terror, huddled even closer to each other. This action, however, only fuelled the older fairy's fury.

"I said get away from him, girl!" she shrieked. A handful of lights clicked to life from nearby homes at the sound of her bellows. "You have no right to fondle my baby like that!"

Wanda's eyes bulged from their sockets. "Excuse me?"

"M-Mama, wait!" Cosmo pleaded, turning to place himself between Wanda and his mother's reach. "Don't be upset! We were just going out to-"

"Going out? At this time of night? Without my permission? How could you do this to your own mother?" Her rage was suddenly replaced with shock and disbelief. She clasped her hands together in a dramatic display of heartbreak. "When you didn't come home after work, I was worried sick! Cosmo, my precious child, gallivanting about at all-hours is only asking for trouble! If I hadn't tracked you here, who knows what could have happened to you!"

"You've been tracking him?" asked an incredulous Wanda.

"Of course! What sort of mother would I be if I didn't?" Mama Cosma proudly poofed up a handheld device with a flashing antennae. A bright green dot blinked on the screen's map; next to it, matching Wanda's location, was an angry red exclamation mark decorated with devil's horns. "Those braces aren't just a fashion statement, I'll have you know. And don't you forget it!"

Cosmo's eyes crossed downward in an attempt to see his braces. "I've got actual hardware in my mouth? Coo-al!"

On the other hand, Wanda's personal views of Mama Cosma dropped another twelve notches.

The overbearing mother poofed the device away, then aimed her wand directly between the pair. "This ends right here, right now! Mark my words, Cosmo dearest, she's nothing but trouble! I know the kind of girl you should get close to, and this little trollop is farthest from it!"

"Now wait just a minute!" The girl in question broke away from Cosmo. She floated right up to Mama Cosma, unafraid, her own indignant fury growing in strength. "First of all, my name is Wanda! I've done absolutely nothing to deserve being insulted like this, and you know it! AND secondly," she broke in as Mama Cosma opened her mouth to continue, "Cosmo and I are very good friends! Going out together is what friends do! What's so wrong about that?"

"Well! I certainly wouldn't expect YOU to understand," was her nonplussed reply. "You're no mother. You're just a wispy little so-and-so who can fall to the carefree wiles of fairy dust on a whim! Don't think I didn't see that kiss, young lady!"

Wanda glowed. A gasp in her throat threatened to deny the fact out loud, but one look at Cosmo, and the idea fizzled out of existence. She couldn't pretend it was meaningless, not now; not when something was flickering to life between them. And besides, Wanda was certain this was different from "fairy dust". Why extinguish what could be the best thing she's ever had? Cosmo certainly wasn't about to; he glanced between the two ladies, cheeks aflame and random gibberish tumbling from his lips, but grinning stupidly all the same.

If she started giggling now, Wanda knew there would be more trouble, but it was getting hard to resist!

"I've had enough of this, and so have you, Cosmo-lolo!" Mama Cosma barked. "We're going home right now!"

Her son stopped babbling. He remembered that tone of voice, and even he wasn't dumb enough to ignore it. "Y-yes Mama," he sighed.

Next to him, Wanda slumped and bowed her head in exasperated defeat. She should've expected this. Wanda had been able to sneak tutoring sessions without her knowing so far. If she and Cosmo were to take this relationship any further? They'd barely have five minutes of peace before checking over their shoulders again! It sounded like so much trouble.. maybe too much. The last thing she wanted was to put Cosmo through all this. That would be unfair.

As Cosmo reached for his mother's waiting hand, he glanced at Wanda from the corner of his eye. She looked the way he felt. He loved his mother dearly, he really did! She was always taking care of him and protecting him. What did she see about Wanda that was so dangerous though? If anything, he was the more dangerous one. The girl he adored was almost hurt today because of him! And it wasn't her fault either! He just didn't understand it.

For the first time in his life, Cosmo doubted his mother. Even if Mama had cared for him so long, maybe she didn't know everything. She made Wanda sound so bad, but... that couldn't be true! Wanda was so nice to him, and she laughed at his jokes, and she had beautiful swirly pink hair, and she was smart, and she wasn't afraid of Mama, and... well, the boy could go on! If he saw so many wonderful things in her, why didn't Mama see them too? He turned to look at her fully.

Gorgeous, smart, fun, brave, a living dream come true... nope, no sign of trouble... very pretty though...

Wanda raised her head in time to catch a pair of bright green eyes staring dazedly at her. She flushed and shyly turned away. What in Fairy World was he looking at? Certainly not a frump like her!

"Cosmo? COSMO! Ooooh, that does it, young man!" Mama Cosma snatched his hand. "If you keep this up, then no Dairy World trips for a week! Do you hear me?"

If he did, he showed no sign of it. All of his attention happily rested on Wanda.

His mother was absolutely livid. She pointed at Wanda and growled, "Don't you ever come near my son again, or I will make sure you regret it!" With a furious wave of her wand, both green-hued fairies vanished from sight.

It took Wanda a few seconds to pull herself together. Mama Cosma's words were a fading memory; Cosmo's lingering gaze, however, was another story! Normally, she would've spared no mercy on any fairy caught staring at her, especially like that! But then again... when was the last time any fairy (besides Wandissimo) stared at her? Blonda was the gorgeous one, everyone knew that. She swallowed a wave of envy at the thought. Surely Cosmo had ogled Blonda a few times, hadn't he?

Well... Wanda had to admit, he seemed rather taken with her own appearance - what about it, she would probably never know. There was something about Cosmo's look too.. it was different from Wandissimo's adoring gaze. She couldn't pinpoint it.

Still, whatever it was, she was shocked to find she quite enjoyed it!

So it was that Wanda ended her roller-coaster outing with a bright smile and a giggle. She poofed home, certain that it had been a wonderful day after all.

OoOoO

"And just where've you been all night, young lady? D'you have any idea what time it is? I almost sent my boys out lookin' for ya! You'd better have a good reason for causin' me so much grief!"

The last thing Wanda expected upon poofing home was her whole family waiting up for her. To her utter surprise, not only was her father staring her down the instant he'd heard her arrive, her mother and sister watched the scene from the living room! They were all in nightclothes and warm robes, but didn't seem the least bit relaxed. Wanda immediately felt the rock in her gut sink to some point below her feet.

"U-uh, hi Daddy! And Mother, and Blonda!" she greeted with a plastic grin. "I didn't think you'd all stay up so late on my account, er... how sweet of you?"

"Nice try," Blonda rolled her eyes.

"Sweetheart, let Daddy handle this," her equally blonde mother chided.

All attention fell on Big Daddy. He said nothing more, but he folded his beefy, pajama-clad arms, and fixed his pink daughter with a pointed look. Wanda didn't fall under this particular look very often, but she knew she was really in for it now.

She took an uneven breath. "Well, I wasn't doing anything bad! I was just out with some friends!"

"Until after midnight?" Big Daddy demanded. "You know better than to pull a stunt like that!"

"At least let us know where you are," came Mother's softer voice. She showed very little anger, but the glimmer in her eyes spoke volumes. A twisting sensation wrapped around Wanda's chest, thinking that she'd once again disappointed her mother. Her approval came to Wanda once in a blue moon, it seemed. Unlike certain siblings...

Blonda heaved a dramatic sigh. "She didn't even tell me where she was going after school! My friends and I took her out for a good time before my party, a-and all she did was.. just... up and leave us there!" The actress made a great show of her distress; she turned away to hide her tears. However, Wanda knew it was to hide her clever grin.

Instantly, Mother swept to her sniffling daughter. "There there, dearest, it's all right," she simpered. "I'm sure Wanda didn't mean to do such a thing to you..."

"Mother! That's only her half of the story!" Wanda protested.

"You listen to me, young fairy," Big Daddy growled, placing himself between pink and blonde. "None o' that's important! You went out, and you stayed out, without tellin' any of us where you were, past your curfew!"

"I know, and I'm really sorry! I was just.. having too much fun." Realizing just how futile her argument sounded, Wanda shook her head. "I'm sorry Daddy. I promise never to do it again." As honest as she was, she had trouble looking at anything but the polished hardwood floor beneath them.

Big Daddy grunted, "Well. It's late, so get to your room. We'll discuss your behaviour further in the mornin'."

"Yes Daddy," Wanda mumbled and floated dejectedly to the stairs. About two-thirds of the way up, her parents began a hushed argument over something; they rarely agreed on anything these days. Her staying out obviously didn't help. Guilt sank deeper into her chest.

When Blonda suddenly poofed in front of her, the guilt instantly transformed into frustration.

"The goody-two-shoes in trouble!" she jeered. "My, this is a rare event! It should be preserved for eternity!" A camcorder appeared in Blonda's hand; she was filming her sister's bitter glare within seconds. "Oh, doll, you're a natural! You're a shoe-in for the Zappys! Work it, babe!"

"Stop it," Wanda sighed, "I've had enough for one day." She poofed into her room and immediately began a search for her fluffiest pajamas. Unfortunately, Blonda poofed in behind her, determined to rub it in.

The intruding fairy gave an exaggerated whine. "Aww, don't be such a pixie, it's just a bit of fun!"

"You think it's fun to make me look bad in front of Mother? Again?" Wanda ground out between clenched teeth. "You are completely unreasonable and unfair! Why do you do this to me?"

The camcorder dropped to Blonda's side. "Oh, excuse me? At least one of us was home tonight AND having a good time! I'm not the one who practically spent the entire night out with some loser friends and left her family hanging!"

As the blonde twin said this, Wanda's temper incinerated its' already feeble restraints. She flew to her sister and snarled, "Since when do you care? You didn't even WANT me here! Not unless it would bring Wandissimo around! Well, I've got news for you! I am NOT a free pass to anything YOU want! If I choose to spend my free time with someone who really, truly cares about poor unpopular me, what are you gonna do about it? Just do us both a big favor - leave me the smoof ALONE!"

The twins glared at each other. To anyone else watching, they would have thought it was no more than a staring contest. But in the tense moments that followed, the pair took advantage of their unique familial bond and attempted to read one another. In years past it had come as naturally as breathing, and they could synchronize their actions perfectly. Now that their relationship was rather strained, it took a lot of effort - or a strong wave of emotion - to get any sort of empathic bead on the other.

Blonda was the first to break the link. The camcorder vanished from her hand as her fist clenched. Astonished fury swept across her face. "You can't be serious," she hissed.

Unsure of what was being referred to, Wanda said nothing.

"You have no idea... you don't get it! You don't appreciate anything, not one thing! You think it's easy to get this popular? I had to claw my way up, rung by rung, all on my own because no one helps anyone become greater than themselves! That's how it works! And what do I do once I reach the top? Only the stupidest thing in the world!"

She backed away. Wanda's glare faded when she realized that tears were pooling in Blonda's eyes.

"I offered... I gave you a chance. That just doesn't happen, Wanda. When you're given a chance at something great... something.. no one else can have..." The blonde choked out a sob. "It's all practically given to you! You don't just push it away! You're not supposed to!"

Wanda's anger was soon overwhelmed by her sister's sorrow; she realized, with a start, that she'd felt something like it earlier that evening. Had that been Blonda? What in Fairy World happened to bring this on?

"Blonda..." she began uncertainly, reaching a hand to her.

Her twin shoved it away.

"You don't know a good thing when you see it! You're all aces in school, but when it comes to what really matters, you're a bigger idiot than that freak Cosmo!"

One abrupt poof later, Wanda was alone.

"He's not a freak," she sniffled to the room.

She sank onto her bed, the fluffy pajamas forgotten. Once again, Blonda's genuine heartache had spilled over to her twin; tears trickled down her cheeks. Wanda didn't brush them away. Her head was spinning, logic attempting to overcome emotion. In the eye of that particular storm, exhaustion found her and offered a reprieve. She took it gladly. Things would be dealt with tomorrow, when she could think again.

The girl didn't bother to change. She curled into her pillow and conjured a raggedy stuffed pony into her arms. The toy reminded her of the pet she wanted, of Snowball.. of Cosmo.

With a faint smile, she kissed the pony's forehead and closed her eyes.

OoOoO

If Cosmo had known the sort of trouble he'd face in the coming years, he would have appreciated this (relatively) peaceful weekend more. As it was, he was spending the Saturday afternoon shopping with Mama. The stores were crammed with bustling fae, customers and salesfolk alike, below the din of mingled voices and polished mall muzak. The activity alone was enough to keep his child-like attention span entertained. But to Mama's consternation, one element continued to interrupt their routine.

"Mama, look! That swirly pink lollipop looks like Wanda's hair, doesn't it?"

"This chocolate's great! I bet Wanda would like it too!"

"Sorry, Mama, I didn't hear you. What's that about Wanda?"

"I wonder if Wanda likes the HenningStreet Boys... I hope not..."

"Oooh, those are the dresses Wanda wears! Do you think she buys them here? Maybe she's shopping today! Let's go Mama!"

"ENOUGH!" she finally cried out. Her shopping bags nearly flew from her hands. "How many times have I told you, you're not to have anything to do with that girl at all! Don't even talk about her!"

Cosmo instinctively cringed. "S-sorry Mama.. I forgot again."

"Well, try to remember this time, dear," she sighed. "I would think banning you from Dairy World would be more than enough punishment for you. Once she's out of our lives for good, you're free to visit as much as you like!"

She expected his face to light up in anticipation. But he barely managed a guilty half-grin. He started tapping the tips of his fingers together, as though he'd been caught sneaking food to his hydra again. "Cosmo-lolo? What's the matter?"

He moved as though to turn away, then changed his mind. He only ever fidgeted this much when he knew, beyond the shadow of a doubt, someone was going to shout at him. Cosmo struggled with himself to meet her concerned gaze. "I was... I was wondering. Um.. why is.. why do you say Wanda's bad? 'Cause I don't.. I can't see what's so, uh... what's so wrong. About her."

Mama Cosma's face betrayed no emotion, save for a slight widening of the eyes. Then she blinked. Then she answered in a lilting manner, "Oh, pumpkin, don't fret over something so trivial! You let Mama take care of it, there's a good boy. Now, is there anything we've forgotten here?"

".. but... Mama, I-"

"We mustn't waste any more time! There's a bit of gardening to be done before it gets dark. Come along!" She briskly turned and navigated the crowded mall, cheerily humming along to the muzak.

Cosmo wasn't sure what to make of it. Usually when Mama said she'd take care of it, he was all too happy to let her fix the problem so he could continue his carefree day. Now it bothered him. He had so many questions! Was there really something about Wanda he didn't know? Even if there was, Cosmo was sure he'd still adore her.

Whether Mama allowed it or not.

He couldn't disobey his Mama.. could he?

The idea was making his stomach hurt.

OoOoO

Meanwhile, strolling through Runic Park, Mystic and Jen were deafening Wanda with their delighted squeals. Even though the rosy fairy was losing all feeling in her arms, thanks to their over-excited grips, she couldn't help grinning herself.

"Talk about perfect timing!" Mystic cheered. "Oh wow, it sounds like Cosmo is just who you needed!"

"We're sooooo happy for you! We couldn't sleep at all last night, we were so excited!" giggled Jen, who gave a little twirl.

"Aw c'mon, girls, it's only one little date we had," Wanda reminded them. "There's no telling what's gonna happen from now on! I mean, if his mother has her way..."

Mystic snuffed at the mention of her. "Please! Since when does anything get in the way of true love, least of all one crazy wingnut like her?"

"True love?" Wanda squeaked. "N-no way Mystic, it's not..."

"You liiiiike him, don't'cha?" Jen leered, laughing again as Wanda's face lit up.

"W-well I.. yes, o-of course I do!"

"So there's no telling what'll happen now, anything is possible, right?"

"I.. but he... I don't know..."

"Oh don't frown like that! You know he just adores you! Ah! It's so sweet that you like him too!"

"Stop it, Mystic!" Wanda ground herself to a halt. She glanced around at the fairies surrounding them, and was relieved to find no one staring at them. "The point is, it's too soon to tell, and I'd rather not... think about it like that. With everything happening so fast, I want to avoid rushing into anything and making a bigger disaster than before!" She sighed, feeling her heart clench with affection and distress all at once. "I just want this to last. I don't know why, but I do..."

Mystic murmured quietly and, followed closely by Jen, wrapped her friend in a hug. "It'll be fine, Wandie, really! We've got a good feeling about Cosmo."

"It's not that - his mother is completely overbearing, and my parents are beyond overprotective! I don't know how we'll deal with that!"

Jen piped up, "Your talk with 'em this morning really spooked you that much?"

"Why wouldn't it! Remember what they said?"

"Easy! They asked why you were so out of it yesterday, and you told them about your break-up, the drama that followed, and going out with friends to make you feel better. Pretty understanding if you ask me, they didn't even ground you!"

"Yeah, because I didn't mention Cosmo at all, and-"

"Oooh, don't forget what Big Daddy said about Wandissimo!" Mystic chimed. "That's the best part!"

Fighting laughter, Jen imitated Wanda's father as best she could. "'If he ever makes trouble for you ever again, my boys an' I'll rough 'im up so smoofing bad, he won't be able to rip anotha' shirt wit' his pecs for the rest of eternity!'"

Wanda moaned and threw herself onto the sparkly, cloudy park lawn, one arm over her eyes. "There's no talking sense to you guys..."

"Come ON, he only said that because you were an emotional wreck, and he's worried about you," insisted Jen, landing beside her friend. "Honestly, it sounds like he didn't like Wandissimo any more than we did. He's just being a dad to his little princess!"

"Yeah, and there's no way Cosmo would even dare cause you grief! He might not have book smarts, but you said it yourself: he's got a good heart!" said Mystic. She lifted Wanda's arm from her face and grinned at her tired expression. "Your dad won't have any problem with him then, right?"

"Oh sure - and when he finds out Cosmo's why I was so late last night, that'll go SO well..."

"HEY! Positive thinking!"

"All right all right! Hmm..." Despite everything Jen and Mystic said, Wanda had a gut feeling this relationship with Cosmo wouldn't be a flutter through the park. Still... "If this is something we really want, I guess.. we'll find a way to make it work.."

"THAT'S THE SPIRIT!" her friends shouted, and proceeded to tackle poor Wanda, who finally started laughing along with them.

OoOoO

Cosmo floated back to admire his handiwork. It was almost supper time, and he'd spent the rest of the afternoon working in his mother's garden. Mama handled the majority of it, of course, and with her magic, it hadn't taken more than fifteen minutes. On the other hand, Cosmo worked diligently on his little patch for hours.

Typically, his attentions would've turned elsewhere after the chore became tedious, but today was different. Mama Cosma beamed with pride - he'd been working so hard at school, actually able to concentrate for a change, and was finally ready to graduate this year! Her little boy was something special. Cosmo brightened her spirits every day, and she would risk everything to make sure that light never left her.

The doorbell rang, turning her attention away from cooking supper. She answered the door with a friendly smile - only to have it fade slightly at the blue-haired teenage girl on her doorstep. "May I help you, little girl?" she cooed, not opening the door fully.

If the girl noticed Mama's attitude, she didn't let it show. Instead, she gave a perky wave and beamed up at the irritated stack of curls. "Hi Miss Cosma! You look fabulous today! My name's Mystic, I'm one of Cosmo's classmates, and I was wondering-"

"He's far too busy doing more important things," Mama declared with a shake of her head. "My Cosmo-lolo has no time to fritter away on flights of fancy like yourself, so kindly be on your way."

"Oh, goodness, that's not why I'm here!" Mystic chirped. Her grin, now seething with indignation, fixed itself across her face as she forced the door open wider. She pushed an envelope into Mama's hands. "Clearly you don't understand. This is an extra assignment he left after school yesterday. Our teacher wanted me to deliver it, that's all!"

Now the sea-green fairy was interested. She looked at the envelope as though it held a winning lottery ticket. "An extra-credit assignment! Oh, this is delightful news! Finally they are giving my baby a chance to shine above the rest!" She raced to the back door, not giving Mystic another thought, and shouted to the garden, "Cosmo dear! I have a surprise for you!"

"Coming Mama!" came his sing-song reply.

"Such a good boy," Mama sighed. Then without another word, she started to rip the envelope open.

"No don't!" Mystic shouted and reached for the envelope.

Holding it out of the blue fairy's reach, Mama turned a suspicious eye on her. "And why ever not, little girl? Shouldn't a loving mother take an interest in her son's academic achievements?"

"No- I mean, yes! But that assignment's only for Cosmo. No one else can read it."

"... is that so?" Mama Cosma folded her arms. "And why is that?"

Mystic tried very hard to not twist her hands anxiously. "Uhh... i-it's like a, uh.. a test! That's exactly it, it's a test specially made for Cosmo! A-and if he does it all on his own, um, he'll... earn a... badge of honor?" There was a stiff pause. "And a scholarship?"

"Hmmm..."

"Hi Mystic!" Cosmo cheerily floated through the back door. "Are you the surprise? OH! Is Wanda with you? Mama, is Wanda the surprise?"

"Absolutely NOT!" his mother growled, and turned on Mystic. "So you're in cahoots with that swirly pink temptress! I'll not have anything to DO with that creature under my roof!" Her wand glowed almost as furiously as she did; Mystic swiftly poofed away, even as Mama screeched, "Get out at once! Out! OUT!"

"Mama!" Cosmo grabbed her wand arm, tugging it back to get her attention. "Mama, I'm sorry! I shouldn't have said Wanda, I know it makes you upset. Please don't hurt Mystic, she's my friend! And she didn't say Wanda, I did! I'm really sorry, Mama, really!"

The fury instantly melted away from Mama Cosma. She swept her son into a tight hug. "Oh, my dear sweet Cosmo, you have nothing to be sorry about. It's not your fault that manipulative witches keep trying to steal you away from me. And remember what I'm always telling you, dear?"

After wrenching himself free from her grasp and catching his breath, Cosmo nodded. "It's not always my fault, no matter what everyone else says."

"That's right!" She kissed his cheek and ruffled his hair, then handed him the envelope. "And this is your chance to prove it, sweetheart. This is the surprise!"

Cosmo gasped and held it aloft in wonder. "Coooooool! An envelope! ... um, it's not really surprising or exciting, Mama."

She only tittered with delight. "Inside the envelope is your very own ticket to making your dreams come true."

"A ticket to Dairy World! YAAAYY!"

"No dear, it's an assignment from school."

Cosmo instantly made a face.

"Once you finish it, however, you'll be given a special award, and then you can do whatever you like! You could be a doctor, or a lawyer, or head of the Fairy Council-"

"Could I go to Dairy World?"

"Er.. well, I suppose - why not? You could be the next owner of Dairy World!"

"YAAAAYYYY!"

Mama Cosma laughed again, then directed her boy upstairs. "Now don't show or tell anyone what's in that envelope, not even me! It's a secret just for you." He nodded and continued up to his room, when a thought occurred to her. "Cosmo-lolo? What exactly did you plant in the garden?"

He turned to her with an embarrassed smile. "Uh, well... can it be a surprise?"

Mama Cosma beamed. "Of course, dear." As he made for his room, she smiled to herself. "Such a good boy."

OoOoO

The envelope sat silently on his bed, its contents still a mystery. Quite frankly, Cosmo would've preferred to keep it that way. He didn't like schoolwork at all, unless Wanda was helping him, of course. He let his mind happily wander to the rosy fairy of his dreams, how pretty she was, how kind and patient she was when teaching him things, how she miraculously kissed him the night before and said she wanted to go out with him, how angry his Mama was...

"AAAH!" he cried out loud, almost expecting his Mama to be towering over him with another lecture. Finding none, he sighed with relief and returned his gaze to the offending envelope before him.

That's right - Mama said he had to do this on his own. She looked like she really wanted him to. But what if he couldn't? What if he let her down? What if he needed Wanda's help? He was doing a little bit better in school, and he could do a few things without blowing things up or summoning Snowball.

Although, if he blew up the assignment, he wouldn't have to think about it anymore...

"I don't wanna think about it at all!" he pouted, flopping back on his pillow. Thinking took so much effort sometimes, and he had to think about things that were unbelievably boring! Why waste so much time on being dull when there was so much fun all around him, just waiting to happen?

You can have fun after the boring stuff, Cosmo. It'll always be there waiting for you!

He blinked. That's what Wanda said, the very first time she helped him with his homework.

As it turned out, she was right! Every time they finished a lesson, they would play with their friends in the park or go to Dairy World or see a movie, or something else that was fun. It definitely made the boring stuff go away faster!

What do you want to do after we're finished?

She always asked him that before they started working. He sighed. "I wanna see you again, Wanda," he mumbled aloud. "I want us to go and have fun like yesterday."

Sure, that sounds fun! We'll do that after our work, all right?

He sat up. The envelope was still there, refusing to go away. "Even if I can't do it?"

Don't be silly! Maybe it'll take some practice, but I know you can do it, Cosmo!

"I can do it..." Cosmo felt his enthusiasm come back. No matter what anyone else said, Wanda always told him he could do it. She knew he could do it, and she knew a lot of things, way more than most of the other fairies in school! And if he didn't do it the first time, she was always there to help and encourage him, and he would keep trying until he did it right!

He wanted to be right. He wanted her to be right. He wanted her to smile at him when he got it right!

Before his courage could run off again, Cosmo grabbed the envelope and tore it open, determined to make Wanda proud of him. He unfolded the lined paper and, struggling only a little, read through its contents.

Hi Cosmo!

If you're reading this, then Mystic succeeded in her mission. She told your mother this was a super-secret assignment from school that only YOU are allowed to read. While it is a secret, and you're the only one allowed to read it, this is not an assignment.

I just wanted to write you a letter - I don't think your mother wants me to visit or call you, and I don't want to get you into any more trouble! But I still wanted to thank you for everything yesterday.

I had so much fun, I didn't even think about my sister or Wandissimo! I really needed that, Cosmo. I think... I really needed you, and you were there for me. I don't know what it is or why it's happening, but I'm becoming very.. fond of you. (In case you don't have a dictionary there, that means I really like you!)

We probably won't be able to hang out again until Monday, though. My mother wants to take me shopping tomorrow, and that could last all day! Blonda threw a fit until Mother said she could come too. All those expensive stores and perfumes and makeover parlors... I'd rather go to the fair with you! But I want to try to be friends with them again. I hope it works!

Anyway, Jen wants me to stop writing so Mystic can get this letter to you. (They're crazy!)

Thank you again, Cosmo! I'm so glad you're my friend. You mean a lot to me...

- Wanda

PS - don't tell your Mama about this letter!

It was a very good thing that Wanda added that postscript. When Mama Cosma called her son to supper, he zig-zagged and looped around the house, cheering wildly the entire time - and all he would tell her was, "That was the best surprise EVER!"

OoOoO

Monday morning found the front lawn of CPPHS packed with students, all chatting about their weekend, determined to enjoy their last few minutes of freedom. While the main topic of discussion continued to be Blonda's outstanding party, another juicy rumor flitted from one pack of friends to the next.

"You guys heard about Wandissimo and Wanda, right?"

"Who hasn't by now! Someone told me an old girlfriend from Fairynando stole him back."

"Yeah, and Wanda was forced to hide from her army of rabid elves!"

"I thought she was turned into a medusa?"

"Naw, I heard she actually dumped him."

"... okay, we're going with the believable rumors here, a'right?"

"Wanda! Wanda, mi ángel!" The buzzing gossip dulled as Wandissimo scanned the swarm of teenagers for his one and only. "Querida! My vision of physical perfection is incomplete without you by my side! Please return to me! Behold, I am swooning for you!" And so he did, shredding yet another tank top in the process. Every female who could see him squealed and zipped closer for a better look.

Well, almost every female. "Please tell me I didn't date that musclehead," Wanda griped from around the corner of the building.

"The truth stings, don't it?" Jen quipped, earning an irritated smack in the shoulder.

"Somehow I get the feeling I'll be regretting this for a few centuries. Who knew he could be so.. so clingy!"

"You don't suppose he's getting some depth out of all this? You know, feeling insecure and needy underneath the shallow exterior - maybe he'll change for the better!"

Wanda shook her head and clutched her textbooks even closer. "Going by Blonda's rant yesterday, he's one-hundred-and-thirty-eight percent determined to get me back. I'm hoping she finds him soon and gives him my message."

"What's the message again?"

"NO."

"Ah, simple, to the point, leaves no room for loopholes. Genius!" The girls laughed and peered around the corner again. "I don't see them yet, do you?"

"Mmm-mm... you don't think his Mama would keep him home from school this late in the year, would she?"

Before Jen could reply, the girls heard a pair of voices call out to them from above. They looked up to find their two dear friends coming in to land, having flown too high to draw attention from their classmates. Quite suddenly, Wanda's heart raced when she spotted the green fairy trailing behind Mystic.

Jen saw Cosmo's wild grin from a distance, and when she turned to Wanda, she was mildly stunned. The rosy fairy, who'd appeared to her as a bag of nerves ever since the diner, met Cosmo's joyful expression and easily matched it. Despite the outrageous rumors about her flying around the school, being forced to hide from her unrelenting ex, the looming threat of at least one crazy parent, and having forgotten the assignment that was due today, it was as though nothing had gone awry at all.

"Wandaaa!" came his delighted cheer, and within moments he'd practically tackled the girl, who only laughed, dropped her books, and returned the embrace. Jen barely contained her excited squeal and gave Mystic a high-five.

"No road bumps and no wingnuts tracking us today, captain," Mystic reported with a pleased grin.

"Which means all that's left is crowd control and spreading the truth to the gossiping masses!" Jen declared, striking a victorious pose.

The young couple pulled apart and turned to their friends. "You guys are the greatest," Wanda beamed. "Completely insane, but the greatest!"

"Yeah! Thanks for flying me to school Mystic! I might've gotten lost forever, and then who'd be here to feed Snowball? He has such a picky diet, you know."

"Er.. right you are, Cosmo," Mystic smirked. Then she squared her shoulders and adjusted her crown. "Come on Jen! Let's get down to business and leave these two to re-unite!"

"Awww, but Mystiiiiiiic..."

"Ah ah ah, let's go!" She grabbed the orange fairy's arm and headed for the crowd. "The bell's gonna ring soon anyway! You can spy on them some other time."

The girls vanished from sight around the corner. Cosmo and Wanda looked at one another, realized they were actually alone again, and suddenly became bashful. It was Cosmo who laughed first, then took Wanda's hands in his own. "I missed you a lot, Wanda."

She glowed under his adoring gaze. "I missed you too. Hey, did you get that 'top-secret assignment' from Mystic?"

"Oh yeah! And guess what - it wasn't an assignment at all! It was actually a letter from you!" He announced this to Wanda with genuine surprise. "Can you believe it? I even read it three times! It was the greatest assignment ever! But I don't have to give it back for marks, do I?"

Wanda had to speak through a stream of laughter. "No no, you, ahaha, you can keep the letter, hahahaha!"

"Oh good," he smiled, laughing with her just because. "I brought both of them, just in case, but I'd like to keep the one you wrote!"

She giggled and tilted her head at him. "Both of them?"

"Yeah... the one you wrote, and the one I wrote." He reached into his back pocket and produced two folded letters. Wanda recognized hers - folded three ways and quite rumpled - while the other was more of a lumpy square. This is what Cosmo handed to her, and she took it with a smile.

"You wrote me a letter back..?"

He nodded shyly. "I tried to spell right - if I asked Mama for help, she'd know it was for you and I didn't wanna make her mad again, so..."

A loud chime echoed around the school. There was a collective groan of disappointment from the front lawn, followed closely by the sound of fairies poofing indoors for their first class. Wanda quickly gathered her textbooks and gave Cosmo an apologetic smile. "Time for school, I guess."

"Aw smoof..." Cosmo groused. But his mood instantly brightened when Wanda kissed his cheek. She pulled back, bright red.

"Thank you, sweetie... I'll, um.. see you at lunch?"

His brain had stalled. "I.. um... uh... pudding?"

She laughed again and vanished from sight. Cosmo staggered around to the front of the building, more dazed than usual, and promptly bumped into someone just around the corner. This seemed to snap him back into first gear. A bright blush and wide smile danced onto his features, and he grabbed the stunned someone and swung them about while shouting, "She called me sweetie! She called me sweetie! She kissed me again and called me sweetie!"

He released his unwitting dance partner and poofed away, hopefully appearing in his classroom. The stranger he'd grabbed, however, shook herself back into place and took no joy in what she'd just heard.

"That's the way it's gonna be? Hmph, as if! Better enjoy this, Wanda, 'cause after today, it's done." Soon after, Blonda was gone.

OoOoO

I WILL BE CONTINUING THIS! SERIOUSLY!

I have a pretty good ideya where to go from here, but because of other heavily overdue projects, I'm afraid I can't promise when it'll be ready to post! But I won't leave you guys hanging forever! It'll only seem like it. XD Please let me know what you think! More reviews = more encouragement for the self-conscious writer! And as always, thank you for your kind views and reviews! You're all wonderful!

NEXT TIME: The news about our young couple spreads fast, meaning Cosmo is confronted by his love rival for the very first time! Will he and Wanda make it to their next date? Will they even survive their next date? All I can say is, ouch, poor Wanda! But don't worry, no matter the consequences, Blonda's determined to make the world right again... or should I say her world? STAY TUNED!