Elliott keeps his eyes glued to his comic book, trying to escape the moment as his freckled cheeks flush. He is acutely aware of a group of sixth grade boys who make it their daily goal to belittle him. Across the quad, the boys snicker judgmentally, pointing in his direction. Their laughter grows louder, echoing against the corridor’s high ceilings. Richie , the ringleader with jet black hair and a self-assured grin, saunters over. "Hey, Elliott, where’s your pot of gold today? Did you leave it at the end of a rainbow?"Maleia, a fifth grade girl seated at a picnic table nearby, glances worriedly at Elliott, but says nothing. Elliott cringes inwardly at Richie’s unoriginal insult.
Irritably, Elliott picks at the grass, his mind searching for a sharp-tongued reply, and the courage to use it. But, his Nana’s words, “If you have nothing nice to say…” halt him. When nothing materializes, he instead wishes he could vanish, or at the very least blend in like everyone else. As if the universe is mocking him, too, the afternoon sunlight, streaming through the branches, makes his hair glow fiercely auburn. With one final taunt, the group of boys grows bored and trickles away, leaving Elliott to stare a frustrated hole into his Wolverine comic. ‘Now there’s a character who always has a comeback’, Elliott muses at their retreating footsteps.
"I don’t think you’re a leprechaun," Maleia offers softly while sliding onto the cool earth beneath the tree’s canopy. "Honestly, they don’t either. After all, everyone knows that leprechauns are mischievous and not to be crossed. It would literally make zero sense for them to tease a real leprechaun and expect to come away unscathed," Maleia continues, her voice of reason pure music to his ears. Elliott looks up, gratitude flickering in his deep forest green eyes. The corners of his lips twitch into a small, comforted smile. It, however, quickly dims as Richie and his rude crew made a u-turn the moment they see Maleia seated next to Elliott.
"Ready to grant us three wishes yet, Leprechaun?" Richie sneers, his words bitting at Elliott’s wavering confidence. Unable to remain silent, Maleia steps forward, her eyes ablaze with a sudden protectiveness over her friend. "Why don’t you leave him alone? He doesn’t need to waste his breath on your generic insults. Get new content or get on with your life,” she shouts, her voice reverberating down the hall with authority.
"Maybe being different isn’t so bad," Elliott murmurs to himself, feeling a newfound sense of belonging with Maleia by his side. He thinks of Maleia’s kindness, and for the first time, smiles at his reflection in her friendly eyes.
"Let’s show them what real magic looks like. Are you up for some shenanigans?" Maleiawinks, her long golden hair brushing aside as she tosses her head back in laughter, revealing a sequined rainbow on her shirt. "As long as you’re with me, I welcome the adventure," Elliottreplies, his heart lighter than ever now that he has found a true treasure.
