Major POV Change

Here is the latest BIG change in the Flywings transformation: the total point-of-view switch. The tale is now told first person from Stacey's account, instead of the anonymous third person. This is going to be a ton of work!!! But the best part about the change (to paraphrase Hemingway) is its built in BS detector! If it doesn't interest Stacey then she wouldn't mention it in the story, and hence it shouldn't be in the book period. Lots of cuts coming, folks. But lots of adds too. Excited to see what happens.

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First Chapter, Before changes:

Chapter 1: The New Girl

Not long ago, a flying hero fascinated the world. And this was real, not some comic book or movie. An unknown being swooped down from the sky and saved the day. Seriously, it was all over the news. People were shocked. They didn’t know what or who could possibly fly like that! Some thought, maybe an alien, or a huge bird, but it seemed so gentle and kind, that most people called it an angel.

They had no idea it was just a plain old girl flying around up there. Her name was Stacey Krell, and she was minding her own business before magic came along. And once she could fly—man—it changed her life, which used to be quite normal.

Like most girls, Stacey played dress up and talked to her dolls. She dreamed about monsters and princesses, drew tons of pictures, and filled in coloring books. She collected stickers, leaves and rocks, watched cartoons and gobbled up macaroni and cheese. And she had friends—lots of friends—but they were all gone.

Well actually, the friends hadn’t gone anywhere. They stayed in Chicago, while Stacey moved. Far away to Arlington, Massachusetts. Stacey had begged not to go.
She didn’t want to start over, find a new house, and new school, pack her toys into boxes and say goodbye. Stacey had no idea how to make new friends. Her old friends had been around since before she could remember.

So, after three whole days at her new school, Stacey was still very friendless. She stood alone in the Saint Joseph Elementary parking lot. The blacktop was covered with hopscotch and foursquare games and kids ran around like crazy while parents arrived and took them home.

Stacey sensed someone watching her. She felt like a statue at a museum with kids staring and whispering but never getting too close. But then she heard a ball bounce nearby.

“A little help here!” an older boy yelled. He was a lanky, strong kid with a few baby teeth missing inside a crooked smile. A nasty spaghetti stain covered nearly half of his blue school uniform shirt.

“Right there, dummy,” he pointed. “Pick it up!”

How rude, Stacey thought! She tossed the green rubber football, and then quickly looked away. She fiddled with the buttons of her plaid jumper and kept watch for her dad, who had finally arrived and waved at her from his car.

Two minutes later their old Volkswagen Jetta pulled up to their newly purchased tiny blue house. It had a front porch, living room, kitchen, and three bedrooms were upstairs. In the backyard was another porch, garage and a swing-set. A playroom and workshop were in the basement. Every room had cardboard boxes, packing tissue and random stuff scattered all over.

“Aren’t we done unpacking yet?” Stacey groaned.

“Almost,” Tim smiled. “You look tired.”

“So do you,” Stacey said and flopped onto the couch.

“Scoot over,” Tim yawned. “It’s going to be tough getting a nap once your little brother is born, you know.”

The baby! Stacey remembered. Her life was changing so much all at once. The baby would be born in a few months. Stacey thought about the diapers, the bottles, the crying. She pictured her mom at work with a big belly that kept getting bigger.

“That baby will be my friend, right?” Stacey asked.

“Oh, totally,” Tim smiled. “Even better, he’ll be your brother. He’ll always be there, no matter what.”

Stacey smiled. The couch felt good after a long day of school. She sank into the brown microfiber upholstery. “Can I cuddle you, Dad?” she asked.

“Sure,” Tim smiled.

Stacey laid her head on Tim’s lap. His sweatshirt and pants were dirty with warehouse dust from work. Tim had been a shipping clerk at UnEx for as long as she could remember. She nuzzled into his lap and slowly closed her eyes while Tim patted her dark hair.

“Whoa!” Tim suddenly exclaimed.

“What?” Stacey said, “What happened?”

“Get up! Go!” Tim said urgently. “Let’s go outside.”

“What is it dad? What?” Stacey screamed.

“You have a bunch of bugs in your hair!”

“What?” Stacey screamed and raced out the backdoor! Bugs? What were they doing up there? Stacey leaned over the grass and shook her head. She picked through her hair with her fingers. She saw one! The bug looked like a tiny grain of rice. Gross! Its legs moved! “Get it, Dad!” Stacey yelled, “Another one! Dad! It’s right there! Get it.”

Tim smashed the insect between his fingertips and then found another. And another, “Hold still,” he said and parted Stacey’s hair. “There’s a ton more in the roots!” He grabbed his cellphone and called Stacey’s mom.

“Claire?” Tim said, “What do I do? I think Stacey has lice.”

Stacey heard her mom screaming on the phone.

That evening, Stacey sat on the back porch and Claire sat on the step behind her. The mom’s pregnant belly pushed into Stacey’s back and she suddenly felt a poke.

“Ouch!” Stacey said.

“Stacey, did you feel that?” Claire grinned.

“Yeah.”

Claire laughed, “Your little brother just kicked you!”

“Really?” Stacey smiled, “That is so cool!” She turned and kissed Claire’s belly.

“So sweet,” Claire smiled. “Now turn back around, so I can finish combing.” Claire ran a fine metal comb through Stacey’s hair. Every few seconds the comb stuck and jerked her head.

“Mom!” Stacey whined.

“Sorry,” Claire said. “Just try to stay still.”

“It’s taking forever!” Stacey groaned.

“Relax,” Claire sighed. “We’ve got to get rid of these things.”

“I didn’t see that many bugs,” Stacey said.

“Oh, there was a bunch,” Claire said, “But what’s even grosser is their little eggs, called nits. Hundreds of them. They’re super small, and glued on your hair. I have to try to find them all. It’s impossible. Look,” Claire showed Stacey the comb, which was filled with little black specks, smaller than poppy seeds.

“Gross!” Stacey yelled. She liked bugs, but definitely didn’t want them living on her head.

“Where did they come from?” Stacey asked.

“I don’t know,” Claire said, “Probably school.”

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First Chapter, After Changes:

Chapter 1: How Do I Begin?

Listen close, okay? I’m not real sure how to tell you all this. It’s a lot of stuff. But I guess we have time. I’m gonna tell ya how all it started right from the beginning. I’ll try my best not to forget stuff. Some of it’s funny and some is kinda scary. But I think you’ll be okay. Just listen. You ready?

Well, it all started not that long ago, when a flying superhero showed up and fascinated the world. And this was real, okay? Not some comic book or movie. An unknown thing swooped down from the sky and saved the day! For real. It was all over the news. People were shocked. They didn’t know what or who could possibly fly like that. Some thought, maybe an alien, or a huge bird. But the thing seemed to be so gentle and kind, that most people called it an angel. The Arlington Angel.

Of course, they had no idea it was just me flying around up there. Mom, didn’t know, neither did Dad. I kept it a big secret. I knew they would worry too much, and I wanted to try those wings out. They were so fast! That’s how nobody knew it was me. I sped around on those suckers like a flash of lightning. It was so fun! I miss it.

But it had to end. You wanna know why? Because magic is very dangerous stuff. Seriously. Nobody knows how it really works. So you gotta be really, really careful okay? Because I was just minding my own business one day, then magic came along, and it changed everything.

It all started not long after we moved here from Chicago. Mom got a new job so we took off. All the way to Arlington, Massachusetts. I had begged not to go. I didn’t want to start over, find a new house, new school, pack my toys into boxes and say goodbye to all my friends. I loved my friends. And I had no idea how to make new ones. My old friends were around since before I could remember.

I felt so alone, Emmett. I remember standing there after school one day, in the Saint Joseph Elementary parking lot. I think it was the third day of school, after we had just got into town. Kids were still staring at me like, “Who is that?” I was absolutely, totally friendless. Everyone but me played and ran around the blacktop, while their parents showed up and took them home.

That was when I first met Greg. I saw a little green mini-football bounce by my feet. It nearly hit me. And then I looked up and there he was.

“A little help here!” he yelled at me. Greg was older and strong with real long arms. He had a few baby teeth still missing, and when he smiled it was so ugly. He had a big old nasty spaghetti stain on his shirt. Huge! Like he dropped the whole plate on himself.

“Pick it up, dummy!” he yelled at me again, and pointed.

How rude, I thought! Right? Who was this jerk? A real nice how-do-you-do. But he was big, so I wasn’t messing with him. I tossed the rubber football in his direction, and quickly got away. Thankfully, that’s about when Dad showed up and we walked home.

I liked our new house. It was way bigger than the one in Chicago. And we bought all new furniture too. That day I flopped onto the couch hard, and Dad sat beside me. We were tired. I asked Dad if I could snuggle him.

“Sure,” he smiled.

I laid my head on Dad’s lap. His sweatshirt and pants smelled of warehouse dust from work, but I didn’t mind, I was used to it. Dad had been a shipping clerk at UnEx for as long as I could remember. I nuzzled into his lap and slowly closed my eyes.

But then, “Whoa!” Dad exclaimed.

“What?” I said, “What happened?”

“Get up! Go!” he said. “Go outside!”

“What is it dad? What?” I screamed.

“You have a bunch of bugs in your hair!”

“What?” I raced out the backdoor! Bugs? What were bugs doing in my hair? I leaned over the grass and shook my head like crazy. I picked through my hair with my fingers and saw one! A tiny little grain-of-rice looking bug. Gross! Its legs moved! “Get it, Dad!” I yelled, and he smashed the insect between his fingertips. Then he found another bug. And another. Then he grabbed his cellphone and called Mom.

“Claire?” Dad said, “What do I do? I think Stacey has lice.”

I heard Mom screaming on the phone. That night, I had to sit on the back porch and Mom sat on the step behind me. She ran a fine metal comb through my hair and every few seconds it stuck and jerked my head. Oh, I hated it.

“Ow!” I yelled, “This is taking forever!”

“Relax,” Mom said. “We’ve got to get rid of these things!” She said most of the lice died with the lice shampoo. But then even worse was their little lice eggs, called nits. Hundreds of them. They’re super small, and they glue themselves onto your hair way down at roots. And Mom had to try to find them all. It’s impossible. And she showed me the comb that was filled with these awful little black specks, smaller than poppy seeds. I was so grossed out. I liked insects, but definitely didn’t want them living on my head.

“Where on Earth did these bugs come from?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” Mom said, “Probably school.”

[end]