Claudia put her head on her arms and looked down at the table. She wasn't angry at her mother but she hated to play games with others, only if they would play the way it was made. She hated when they tried to add new things. Once she tried to explain this to her father but he just said,
"Sometimes it's good to play with others so they can point out new and better changes to a games."
But he didn't understand, these were Claudia's games. She made them and if she didn't want to change them, nobody could make her. The little girl next to Claudia squirmed so much that Claudia had to look up. She looked over and saw her trying to keep her petticoat from making her look like a powderpuff. Claudia giggled and helped her to adjust herself. She stuck out her hand like the gentlemen in her games and clasped it with the little girl's,
"Hey there, my name is Claudia, What's yours?"
The little girl shook Claudia's hand and then looked down at the table, "My name is Nina." ,she mumbled.
Claudia knew that she had to be a good hostess so she tried to make conversation, "Um,so....do you have anything in mind that you wanted to play today?"
Nina shook her head. Claudia shrugged and looked back at the kitchen door. Lydia came out with a tea cart with the many tea trays on it just like usual and placed the goodies onto the table top, then she went straight back to the kitchen. Claudia just nibbled on a few things and barely drank any tea which would appear to be absurd to anyone who had seen her on any other day. Nina did the same but she seemed to be too shy to say or do anything.
4:30 came and Claudia's mother and father got up and both kissed her atop the head and both told her to mind her manners and have fun playing with Nina. Claudia thought otherwise but she smiled and nodded her head. Claudia led Nina outside. They stood in the sunshine looking at each other.
Claudia finally got bored, "Erm......Hey Nina, Would you like me to show you the game I was playing this morning?"
Nina shrugged her shoulders. Claudia sighed and took Nina by the hand and led her to the edge of the woods by her house,
"O.K., well, there is this sorceress and she has to go on an adventure to save the world. See, the evil wizard lives on the other side of these woods and she has to stop him from killing inncent people to gain control. I only got halfway through this morning but we can start it all over again if you want to."
Of course this was a very summarized version but Nina just shrugged and said, "Who can I be?"
Claudia looked up at the sky in thought, "Well, you can be my assistant but I don't know if you want to be a fairy."
Nina smiled and shook her head, "No I don't mind. I love fairies. I've seen pictures of them, they're beautiful."
Claudia smiled too, this may not be such a horrible afternoon after all, "Say, how old are you Nina?"
Nina thought a moment, "I'm 12 I think......yeah that's it." ,she said proudly.
Claudia nodded her head and they headed into the forest.