“Oh god, I’ve got to go, come on Layla!” I say to myself. If I don’t get to school now, I’ll be completely late, and probably get an F on my presentation. Mrs. Bell hates me like that.

I’m in the middle of zooming forward when I run into someone. God, what kind of jerk just cuts into my path like that? I try my best to avoid him and walk forward, but he keeps blocking my path. “Can you move?” I say, and look up at his face.

He seems . . . familiar, somehow? Like I’ve known him for years. I quickly look back down before he catches me staring. I walk past him, but I feel eyes on my back.

I look back, and he . . . what? He’s looking at me like I’ve got horns growing from my head.

“What? Do I have something in my teeth?” I ask, searching for an explanation to his bewildered gaze.

He walks towards me, fast, and feet slamming the pavement. He grabs my wrist hard. “You need to come with me. Now.” He says, as if he’s in charge.

“Um, what? Absolutely not! I’m not about to become the main character of a true crime podcast!” I say. I swat at his hand that’s holding onto my wrist with a viselike grip.

“Get off of me! Help! Someone!” I yell, trying to get their attention, but no one so much as glances at me.

“No one will hear you, you know.” The stranger says. “Why?” I ask, “What did you do?”

“No one can hear you , because we aren’t human.” He says. I laugh out loud.

“So what? We’re aliens?” He raises his eyebrows at me. “No, obviously not. Are you stupid?” He says. “I- well,” I sputter out in embarrassment.

“We, my friend, are fairies.” That’s when I yank my hand away, and run from this obviously delusional psycho.