Laylabelle’s Story

Well, for Laylabelle, she discovered she had a passion for song, dance and generally playing games. Laylabelle loved these things so much that
she would spend hours after school had finished practicing her singing and dancing – nothing made her happier. There was one big problem though: Laylabelle
was terrified to sing or dance in front of anyone. This made life difficult for her because it meant nobody knew what her talent was. Because of this,
she couldn’t be paired correctly with a human home as no one knew her skills, and this is a crucial part of sending a fairy to the perfect human family.

Laylabelle wanted to sing and dance for people but whenever it came time to actually do it, her little fairy heart would beat so loud in her tiny chest
she could hear nothing else, not even the music above it. Her fairy legs would go all wobbly and gooey and she would feel a thousand butterflies dance
around her tummy. What was she going to do?

She decided to tell her best friends Evie Bee, Ali May and JoJo all about it one evening as they sat on the roof of their little house, spotting shooting
stars. The little fairies listened as Laylabelle explained.

“Maybe we could gather some more fairies and you could try do a little show just for us?” Evie Bee offered helpfully.

“Oh my, no no! You guys must promise me you will not tell anyone about this!” Laylabelle was all worked up, her little heart pounding in her chest at the
very thought of it.

“We won’t, Laylabelle, but you must show your talent!”

The little fairy friends were concerned their friend would never show the other fairies what she could do.

“Well… maybe I could start by showing you guys?” Laylabelle said shyly. Evie Bee squealed with excitement as the others clapped their fairy hands.

“Okay, turn your back to me everyone!” Laylabelle instructed and they did as she asked.

Laylabelle took a deep breath and began to sing, she was scared but after a second or two she settled down and began to enjoy herself. Closing her eyes,
she sang until she forgot where she was, and just like every time she sang, she enjoyed it so much. When she finished her little friends turned to
her, with tiny tears in their eyes.

“That was amazing Laylabelle”, Jojo said. “You have a gift and you should share it.”

Laylabelle was delighted but frightened too.

“What are you afraid of?” Evie Bee asked.

“That I’ll be laughed at…”, Laylabelle said in a small voice.

Her friends assured her that wouldn’t happen, but Laylabelle wasn’t so sure. “Promise me none of you will tell others what my talent is, I’m not ready”,
she said.

“We promise”, they all said, but each one of them knew her time to shine would come.

Months passed and Laylabelle watched as one by one her friends found their talents and celebrated but she felt no closer to revealing hers. Her friends
tried time and time again to get Laylabelle to show more fairies her talent but she refused to even try, feeling much too frightened.

As Graduation was drawing near, Evie Bee, Ali May and Jojo asked Laylabelle to help them decorate the stage in the Great Hall. Of course she agreed.

The fairies unlocked the Hall and they all went onto the dark stage to start working.

“Why don’t you try singing here?” Laylabelle said. “We’ll be busy decorating and you can practice singing!” Laylabelle thought for a moment. Her friends
had heard her before so that was okay, and it seemed like the dark Hall was empty from what she could see from the stage.

“Okay then”, she said and smiled. Evie Bee, Ali May and Jojo were busy decorating when Laylabelle started. Like before she sang softly and quietly at first
but after a second or two she closed her eyes and got lost in the song, singing and dancing until she was out of breath. When she finished, her friends
clapped for her again, and Laylabelle smiled.

“If only it was that easy with the whole Valley watching”, Laylabelle smiled.

Jojo walked over to the switches and turned on the lights in the Great Hall. One by one they blinked on, right the way up the Hall. Laylabelle gasped when
she saw every fairy she had ever known from Fairy Valley standing there at the back of the Hall. Suddenly, cheering and clapping erupted from the crowd.
They called and chanted for more as Laylabelle stood, stunned on the stage.

“We never broke our promise!” Ali May said, with a smile. “We told no one what your talent was”, grinned Jojo. “We did ask them to come find out themselves
though” said Evie Bee. Then, to their amazement, Queen Kate came up onto the stage.

“Laylabelle that was beautiful, you have a gift, little fairy. Don’t be afraid to let your true self shine for only when you do that will you be free to
follow your dreams, wherever they may take you.”

Queen Kate hugged Laylabelle warmly. Her friends cheered and clapped and she just could not stop smiling.

She realised being scared was okay but staying scared was not. And do you know what happened next?

She sang again, this time with the lights on!