The Wrong Yellow

Roo-kai has gone back to his seat.

If he glanced across the aisle he would see the pencil case girl, squeezed in beside Terence.

But he doesn't.

He closes his eyes, and ommms himself back to the Brittany coastline.

Waves break on the shore, leaving traces of tiny bubbles.

Pop pop pop, go the bubbles.

Roo-kai drifts into nirvana.

.....

Terence is rubbing out bars which are not meant to be there.

A grey smudge appears in their place.

Told you! says Nelly (which is her name).

Now what? says Terence.

Stop rubbing, says Nelly. What now?

I asked you that, says Terence.

Yes, but what's meant to be there instead of bars? asks Nelly.

Spots, says Terence.

What colour? asks Nelly.

Yellow, says Terence.

I've got two yellows, says Nelly, selecting two from her pencil case. Which yellow?

I don't know, says Terence. It's a black and white picture.

Not if you add something yellow, says Nelly. 

Okay, says Terence. Say you're a giant barred frog.

Wait, says Nelly. It's pretending, right?

Yes, says Terence.

I'm a giant barred frog, says Nelly.

And I'm a giant barred frog, says Terence.

Hello, says Nelly, in a posh frog voice.

Hello, says Terence. Nice to meet you. 

And you, says Nelly. I do like your pencils.

This one or that one? asks Terence.

That one, says Nelly.

Thank you, giant barred frog, says Terence. 

He draws large yellow spots on the legs of his frog illustration.

I'll use the other one, says Nelly.

What for? asks Terence.

The horn, says Nelly.

It doesn't have a horn, says Terence,

Too late! She has drawn a unicorn horn on his giant barred frog, in the wrong yellow.