Beach Birthday Party

[curiously_cora]

Coraline had hung paper chains all the way from the Compound to the Beach; they decorated every available tree along the main path and brightened up area. She’d have to take them down later of course but for now they looked beautiful hanging in the sky. She’d spent weeks planning this party, worrying that no one would turn up and trying to get as

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[youngestqueen]

Lucy had promised her help to Coraline, and help she had, in whatever way Cora had directed her. Her gift was simple, a series of drawings she'd made into a book complete with story. It wasn't very good, she thought, but Lucy hoped her friend would like it.

Mostly she hoped that people would come to the party. Coraline had been so worried about this, she deserved to have a nice party with people at it. Straightening her tunic she looked about for her friend, and for anyone else she knew.

[curiously_cora]

Coraline finished laying out the party food and sighed deeply. Standing up she peered around and grinned when she saw Lucy. Her stomach still felt uneasy, butterflies fluttering around in her stomach. Smoothing her party dress out, Coraline bounded over towards her friend.

"I'm so glad you came Lucy," Coraline said smiling cheerily.

[youngestqueen]

"Coraline," Lucy smiled, curtsying and then hugging her friend, almost bouncing with excitement. "I wouldn't have missed it for anything."

[curiously_cora]

Coraline curtsied back, a lot lower than Lucy's and hugged her friend tightly.

"I know you wouldn't! Even if someone bad came, you'd make doubly sure to defeat them twice as quick so you wouldn't miss it." Coraline said, smiling brightly. "I made Wednesday a black blanket and a dark giftbag, I knew she might not like all the bright colours. And I even made sure to invite Coin, I know I was being very silly and not very nice."

[youngestqueen]

Lucy just laughed, her hands on Coraline's shoulders as she stepped back. "Coraline, Coraline, it's alright. It's your birthday. Everything will be fine, it will!"

[curiously_cora]

"Adam kept telling me that this morning," Coraline said, although what Adam had actually muttered was something incomprehensible about going back to bed and then later on was more sociable. Coraline really didn't understand why he didn't like being woken up so early, it was a normal time for her. "Do you want to come and sit down? Have you met Jonas yet? He's really nice."

[youngestqueen]

"I haven't, no." Lucy looked about the crowd trying to pick him out. "Which one is he?"

[curiously_cora]

Coraline looked around for the older boy and found him rather quickly. "There he is, the boy with the brown hair talking to Sara." Coraline said, making a face at that. "I think he likes her, he was asking a lot of questions. Even more than me."

[goingtodorking]

"Hello, Lucy," says Karen solemnly...very solemnly indeed for someone in a fairy costume. Karen takes birthdays seriously. It's easy to do that when you're only five. "I drew Coraline a picture too."

She shows Lucy a picture that's really only a collection of squiggles and wide circles, but which Karen will swear is a picture of Karen and Coraline.

She's starting to regret not putting Lucy on it too.

[youngestqueen]

"Hullo Karen," Lucy says just as solemnly, looking down at the drawing the younger girl made. It was just squiggles and circles, but Lucy can remember drawing of her own like that her mother proudly displayed. "Tell me about it?"

[goingtodorking]

"This is me," says Karen, indicating. "In my school uniform. And this is Coraline. In her wellies."

People always want Karen to explain her drawings, but she never knows why, when she reckons they're pretty clear.

[youngestqueen]

"You should have put your fairy outfit in Karen," she said with a smile. "You look lovely in it."

[goingtodorking]

"But I was wearing my uniform when I was drawing it," points out Karen.

It makes perfect sense to her.

[youngestqueen]

"A very good reason." Lucy said seriously, looking back at Karen. "Are you excited for school here?"

[goingtodorking]

"It's okay." As far as Karen was concerned, school was school, and it was never going to be that exciting, but sometimes, you got to do fun things, like art, or P.E, or playing in the sandbox.

"The teacher's nice."

[youngestqueen]

"What classes do you have?" Lucy liked school. She especially liked her weaponry class. It gave her something to do here, and made it feel a bit more normal in it's way.