beatrix bobbit and the spring dance

Beatrix Bobbit did not like wearing dresses. Yet, tonight, Mrs. Bobbit had forbidden her from donning her usual Witch Hat and Cloak.

"This is more appropriate for a dance, Beatrix, dear," Mrs. Bobbit had smiled while handing Beatrix a long sleeve blue dress with tiny yellow flowers on it.

Beatrix thought it showed great restraint that she hadn't thrown up on the dress.

"Whoa you look...different," Sybil leapt into their room wearing a dress with a pink tulle skirt dotted with little gold stars. Mrs. Bobbit had teared up when Sybil picked it out.

Beatrix patted her hair down, unsure what to do with her black hair without a Witch Hat.

"Here, let me!" Sybil cheered, and pushed Beatrix over to sit on the bed while she began combing and winding her hair. When she was done, Sybil tugged at Beatrix until she stood in front of the mirror. "Do you like it?"

Now, Beatrix felt on the verge of tearing up. Sybil had carefully piled all of her hair on top of her head in such a way that it almost looked like she was wearing a very small Witch Hat.

"I know it's not exactly the--"

"Thank you, Sybie," Beatrix threw her arms around her sister. "Are you sure it's not too weird to have you sister tag along? Because I could stay home, work on some spells..."

"Of course it's not weird! Besides, no way would mom allow that."

"Girls! Are you ready? Come downstairs please!" Mrs. Bobbit called.

Beatrix sighed and tottered to the door in a pair of shiny black shoes that pinched her toes. Luckily, she'd already hidden her favorite boots in the car, and intended to swap shoes when Mrs. Bobbit wouldn't notice.

Sybil whooshed in front of her and slid effortlessly down the bannister, landing in a perfect plie at the bottom of the stairs.

"Oh, Jack, dear, did you get that? Marvelous, Sybil, well done!"

"Ridiculous camera, where's the button to take the photo?" Mr. Bobbit grunted.

"There is no button, Jack, dear, you just press the circle on the screen, let me see," Mrs. Bobbit hoisted the phone from Mr. Bobbit, then scrunched her forehead. "WHERE DID THE CAMERA GO?"

Sybil laughed and Beatrix sighed, clomping down the stairs while everyone was too distracted to make a fuss over her outfit.

Once downstairs, Beatrix plucked the phone from Mrs. Bobbit's grasp and said with as much patience as she could muster, "If I tell you how to get the camera back, can I wear my cloak?"

"Yes!" Mr. Bobbit agreed at once.

"Absolutely not, I know how to get the camera back, Beatrix, dear, and you look so nice in something different for a change." Beatrix shrugged, and handed the phone back to Mrs. Bobbit whose furrowed brow only grew more furrowed staring at the black screen.

No matter how many lessons she and Sybil gave their parents, they were helpless with phones. They still could not grasp that the phone and the camera were one in the same object. They referred to the phone only as a CAMERA when they were using it for photos and a PHONE when they were using it for calls.

Before Beatrix handed the phone back to Mrs. Bobbit, she discreetly turned it all the way off. There was no way Mrs. Bobbit would figure this one out.

"What do you think, Bea? More homework? They're obviously not getting it," Sybil giggled.

"Maybe a detention would help?"

"Oooooh that's good!"

"Let me see, Judy," Mr. Bobbit spoke gruffly. After he'd muttered a variety of unsuitable curses at the confounded object, he looked at Beatrix with a downturned mustache.

"Would a cookie be an acceptable bribe, Beatrix, dear?" Mrs. Bobbit asked hopefully.

"There are cookies at the dance," Beatrix looped her arm through her sister's and trotted towards the door.

"Oh, Judy, just let her wear the cloak. Penny hardly recognizes her."

When Beatrix turned, she saw Penny looking at her the exact same way she always looked at her. She smiled at the rabbit.

"Excellent, well I'll get changed and then get the camera working!"

Beatrix darted upstairs and tore off the floral dress before slipping into her more formal sparkly blue cloak. At the last second, she decided to leave her hair as was before returning downstairs.

"I like this better," Sybil said.

"Penny and I agree," Mr. Bobbit cut in still squeezing the phone between his fingers.

"Fine," Mrs. Bobbit sighed. "You always look lovely, Beatrix, dear."

Satisfied that she wouldn't be forced to change, she winked at Sybil before turning the phone back on. At once, she checked the photos taken and saw that they were exclusively of Penny.

"Dad?" Beatrix held the phone out for Mr. Bobbit. It was a photo of Penny in a small newspaper hat with a pink flower coming out of the top on a red and white blanket next to a small cup of tea. "When did you do this?"

"I wanna see!" Sybil pranced over and immediately began laughing.

Mrs. Bobbit squinted at the photo before snorting and sneezing.

"I don't know where that came from," Mr. Bobbit said.

"So you didn't have a tea party with Penny and not invite us?" Beatrix said.

Mr. Bobbit's face grew so red that he began spluttering about sports cars to distract them. After Mr. Bobbit's face had returned to a pinkish color and Beatrix, Sybil and Mrs. Bobbit had stopped laughing, Beatrix tapped open the camera and showed both Mr. and Mrs. Bobbit where to touch the screen for the photo.

"Does it have to be in the middle of the circle, Beatrix, dear?" Mrs. Bobbit asked.

"Good question, Judy, what if we hit the outside of the circle?" Mr. Bobbit grunted.

Sybil leapt by, tapped the screen and said, "SMILE!"

Beatrix choked back a laugh when she saw the photo, and turned it to Mr. and Mrs. Bobbit.

"Oh my!"

"DELETE!"

"I'll delete it, once you show me you know how to take a photo of anything but Penny," Beatrix handed the phone to Mr. Bobbit first.

Then, she pulled Sybil and Mrs. Bobbit back towards the piano to pose.

"What about Penny?" Mr. Bobbit muttered.

"Just take the photo, Jack, dear!"

"Awwwrrrrwrrrr," Mr. Bobbit screamed, holding the phone precariously and tapping the screen a hundred times. He was panting heavily when he was done. "Did it work?"

Sybil got to the phone first, and pinched her brows together while she glanced at the screen. They were all silent, understanding the importance of this moment. Then, Sybil cheered, "YAY! You did it!"

"Of course I did, you're just not as good of models as Penny," Mr. Bobbit mumbled, but his mustache twitched in delight.

"Waita go, dad!" Beatrix beamed.

"Good job, Jack, dear-- Oh my. I look dreadful," Mrs. Bobbit lamented when she finally got around to the screen. "Perhaps another?"

"We're already late," Sybil stuck out her bottom lip.

It took a while longer to get everyone situated in the car, and even longer to strap Penny into her bunny safety seat. But, once the car was spluttering off, Beatrix stared out the window. It had been weeks since they'd heard anything from Gemma.

All of a sudden, the forest stopped flooding each night. Beatrix wasn't sure what it meant, but, she rather missed the strange creature.

Beatrix supposed this was part of growing up. She'd attend more dances and have less adventures flying on her broomstick in the middle of the night.

This did not sound appealing.

Mr. Bobbit grunted when they arrived at Sybil's dance studio, a cheery yellow building with windows full of balloons.

"You both look wonderful, have fun girls," Mrs. Bobbit sniffed, patting their knees.

"Ruv u," Mr. Bobbit coughed.

As they were sliding from the car, Beatrix asked, "Can I see the photo you took again?"

When she grabbed the phone, she stared at the photo more closely this time. "AHA!" she shouted when she saw a long green webbed finger in the bottom corner of the window.

"What was that for, Beatrix, dear?"

"Nothing," Beatrix grinned and hopped from the car. Her heart was beating wildly. Not because of the dance, but because she thought she might have a few adventures left after all.