A Day with Prissy Thistlethorn.

Prissy Thistlethorn sat bolt upright in her bed. She quickly looked around the room. Her brother and parents' beds were neatly made and they have obviously left for breakfast without her. Prissy really disliked mornings. She struggled to wake up and then it was even harder to get out of her warm and comfy bed. Prissy sighed and dragged herself out of bed.

She got dressed and went to the bathroom to wipe her face and brush her teeth. She could hear the chatter of her fellow Commune residents downstairs in the kitchen. Why does everyone sounds so chirpy and happy. Why can't mornings start later.

In the large Commune Kitchen some kind of organised chaos reigned, the kids were enjoying breakfast while the mother's were scurrying around to get everything to everyone's taste. For Prissy this was the best part of living in the Commune, one was always surrounded by lots of people and now that her best friend, Jasmine Bouquet, and her family was also temporarily living here, it was even better.

Lester (grinning): Morning Sis, late again I see.
Prissy (smirking): I'm not late, and for your information I was doing a bit of last minute studying for our class test.
Jasmine (worried): Test? What test?
Prissy (winking at Jasmine): Don't worry about it, you will do great, and you can always get your answers from me.

Willow: Pristine Constance Thistlethorn! I surely hope that what you just said was a joke, as if I should ever find out that you cheat during a class test you will be grounded for life.
Prissy detested her full names and even more so when her mother uses them like that. She could see her brother making fun of her behind her mother's back and vowed to get him back for this, but how she was unsure.

 Prissy quickly finished her breakfast, hurriedly kissed her mother goodbye and together with Jasmine rushed off to school.

On the playground at school, the children were gathered in their usual groups. 

The "babies",

the "cute" ones,

 the "popular" ones,

and the "senior" girls. 

If you didn't fall in one of those groups you weren't really that important, or that was how the "outsiders" felt, which was obviously not true.

Their first class for the morning was English with Mr Huckleberry. Though Mr Huckleberry is actually the senior class teacher, he does teach them English. English is one of Prissy's favorite subjects, and even if she dreams of being a singer one day, she would love to write books too.

In class she sits next to Willow. That morning she ends up sitting next to Geo Hawton too, which makes her very uncomfortable, as she really likes Geo and she knows that she is blushing scarlet red.

To worsen matters her brother, Lester, starts chanting "Prissy and Geo sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S KISS!" She wants to kill him, now he was two up against her. She will have to get him back, but HOW! But to her further dismay Geo turns around, looks his friend in the eyes and says ... "So what if Prissy and I sat in a tree kissing. At least I will be the envy of many others."

Prissy was sure, her whole body was now scarlet red, and her ribs felt very sore too, as Willow keeps hiting her with her elbow in the ribs. At least it was nice to hear Geo say that and for once someone could silence her brother.

After English class, which felt like ages, due to the Geo-factor, it is time for History with Mr Chiffon. It is a boring subject, but Prissy try her best to concentrate as her dad always urges her to do well in History, "...as it shows that you are a Patriot, my dear."

Finally Mr Huckleberry rings the bell to announce break time. Prissy and Jasmine goes outside and rushes over to one of the benches. Their friend Willow Cottontail is already sitting there. At first they don't notice anything out of the ordinary with Willow, but soon they realise that she is crying.

Prissy (sympathetically): Willow, what is the matter, why are you crying?
Willow (quickly drying the tears): Oh it is nothing.
Jasmine: Well, if you are crying it can't be nothing, you can tell us we are your friends.
Willow (crying even louder): That is exactly the point, you are not my friends, I have no one.
Prissy: No, no, but we are your friends. Look here is Jenna and Odette too.
Willow: It is just I miss having my own special friend too. Prissy you and Jasmine have each other and here is Jenna and Odette, inseparable as ever, look around the playground, though it is small groups of children, everyone has someone else.

Neither Prissy nor Jasmine or any of the others, had something to comfort Willow with and they were relieved that the bell rang at that precise moment. They walked beside Willow back to the classroom, and Prissy felt terrible for not being able to comfort her friend.

The rest of the school day passed without any incidents and as the bell rang to announce the end of the school day, Prissy and Jasmine said their goodbyes, maybe they will meet up again later, but for now they have to go their separate ways. Jasmine promised to help her mother in the restaurant to set the tables for the evening and Prissy has to help her mother in the Haberdashery.

Prissy dragged her feet along the street to her parent's shop. The shop was quiet for a Friday afternoon. Her mom was working behind the counter, counting some thread and she new that her dad went to The Big City to do some stock buying. Their was only two customers in the shop, who Prissy didn't recognise, a mother goat and her daughter looking at some curtain material in the corner.

Prissy: Hello mommy.
Willow: Hey Pris, how was your day?
Prissy: It was ok, English was fantastic, History very boring and mommy I sat next to Geo.
Willow: Geo? Oh you mean the Hawton boy? You like him?
Prissy: Yes, I do, but I'm too young for that nonsense, oh and something sad happened.

Willow immediately stopped working and looked at Prissy.
Willow (worried): What happened dear, are you okay?
Prissy: Yes I am fine, it has nothing to do with me. It is Willow Cottontail.
Willow: What is the matter?
Prissy: We found her during break all alone on a bench crying. She said she felt like she had no friends.
Willow (perplexed): Oh, but aren't you her friend.
Prissy: Yes I am, but she said I have Jasmine and Jenna has Odette and she is always the odd one out.
Willow: Poor girl, did you comfort her and assured her of your friendship?
Prissy: Not really, it was just a hard situation...

In the meantime the Goat Mother and her daughter came over to the counter, and Willow had to attend to them.
Willow: Will that be all Ma'am?
Goat: Yes thank you. And sorry for my rudeness I am Ellema Brightfield and this is my daughter Meshia.
Willow: Good to meet you I am Willow Thistlethorn and this is my daughter Prissy.
Ellema: You have a lovely store Willow, I will spend hours in here, but my husband, Gill and little girl Brie, are waiting in the Hamburger Restaurant opposite the street for us, and I don't want to keep them.
Willow: Thank you for the kind compliment. What brings you to our beautiful village? Passing through?
Ellema: No, we will actually be moving here shortly, or rather thinking about it. We went to see the estate agent this morning, but it seems that housing is a bit of a problem, so now we are unsure.

Being so outgoing Prissy immediately struck up a conversation with Meshia, who was much shyer.
Prissy: So, how old are you?
Meshia: I'm ten.
Prissy (excitedly): Really?! Me too! Are you excited about maybe moving here?
Meshia (shyly): I don't know. As long as mommy and daddy are with me I don't mind.
Prissy: We have a great school and I have a great friend Jasmine, oh and Willow.
Meshia: You sound lucky, I only have one friend in The Big City and she is not alwasy that nice.
Prissy: Well, Jasmine and Willow are fabulous.

Ellema: Sorry to interrupt your conversation girls, but Mesh we have to go. Brie will get impatient and give your father a hard time.
Meshia: Ok mommy, bye Prissy it was nice to meet you and maybe I can meet Jasmine and Willow soon too.
Willow and Prissy (in unison): Bye, go well

Prissy: Oh wow, what a sweet little girl. I hope they move here, we can be good friends.
Willow: ... and maybe she and Willow can become best friends like you and Jasmine:
Prissy: Oh mommy you are so clever. Can I go and tell Willow please.
Willow: Dear, I don't want to dampen your spirit, but I think you should hold off on telling her. We don't want to get her hopes up, what if they don't move here afterall? But I'm sure you can tell both of your friends of the girl you met in the store and how great she was.
Prissy (hugs her mother): Mommy, you give the best advice ever, thank you.

After getting some instructions from her mother, Prissy left the Haberdashery. Just outside the shop she quickly got the list out again to orientate herself where to start

• bananas, apples and pumpkin (from fresh produce market)
• toothpaste and cream (from Maces market)
• flowers for shop (from florist)
• shoe polish - black (from shoe shop)
• tart for dessert (from delicatessen)

Prissy went in the direction of the Blackberries Market first, it was furtherst out of the way. On arrival at the Market she bumped into the twins. She never knew what to say to them. Ingrid was always friendly, but Yvette wasn't talkative at all and Prissy got the idea that since Yvette joined her family, Ingrid was less friendly too. She waived shyly to the older girls, placed her order with Mr Bob, paid and left as soon as possible.

With the basked of produce she went by the shoe shop next. Prissy, like most other girls loved the shoe shop, but she wished Mr Periwinkle will stock handbags, she loved those more than shoes. Rebecca was helping her father in the shop. Prissy liked Rebecca, who was always friendly. Rebecca will definitely be school president one day. Mr Periwinkle handed Prissy the requested shoe polish, asked about her parents and told her to send him his regards.

The Delicatessen was next to shoe shop, so Prissy went to get the tart her Mother ordered for dessert next. Abigail Woodbrook and her mother Bethanie were also buying some treats for the evening. Prissy always felt so inferior to some of these younger girls, especially Abigail and her friend Frances Redwood, who were quite big for their age. 

Pippa had the tart ready for Prissy. It looked delicious, and Prissy can barely wait for dinner, after she's seen it, but she knows better than to have a taste or even dip her finger into the cream.
Prissy: Thank you Mrs Henry-Lloyd. It looks delicious.
Pippa: It is one of my favorites too, to eat and to bake.
They had a quick giggle about the tiny joke and prissy greeted Mrs Henry-Lloyd and went off to the Florist.

Prissy was beginning to struggle with the heavy basked of fruit and carrying the tart. She wished a handsome knight in shiny armour, like Geo Hawton, would come to her rescue.

She barely made it to the florist, arms aching, but she quickly forgot about the inconvenience when she saw that Amelia Whiskers and her friend Kirsty Corntop were inside the florist. Prissy took a deep breath. She completely "heroed" Kirsty Corntop and if she had an oppurtunity to be and look like any other girl it would be Kirsty.
Amelia: Hello Prissy.
Kirsty: Poor you, you have way too much stuff to carry.
Prissy: No... uhm ... I think I'm fine.

Luckily they left without talking to much after that, and Prissy could compose herself and order the flowers from Mrs Whiskers. 

Outside the shop she bumped into Jasmine, who also had to come and buy some flowers for the Restaurant.

Prissy (surprised): Hey Jaz, what are you doing here?

Jasmine: My dear mother again forgot to get some fresh flowers for the Restaurant, and after she almost had an anxiety attack, I told her I will come and get some.

The girls had a quiet giggle about Mrs Bouquet's tendency to always overreact.

Prissy: Well I had an interesting afternoon, just after school I went to the shop and met a new girl.

Jasmine: New girl?

Prissy: Yes, Meshia Brightfield, she is our age and they might move to the Village soon.

Jasmine (teary): Will I loose you as friend then to her?

Prissy: No! Don't be silly, Silly! I was thinking maybe Willow and she might be friends.

Jasmine: Oh of course that is very clever.

Prissy: I know! Genius, but I guess there is a chance that they might not like each other.

Jasmine: What is she like then, if you say that?

Prissy: She is adorable, very sweet and a little shy.

Jasmine: Well that sounds exactly like Willow?

Prissy: I know! Listen Jaz, I must be off, my mom is waiting for me at the shop, see you later?

Jasmine: Bye Pris!

By now Prissy was exhausted and she was relieved to see that the Country Market wasn't too busy. It was just Odette and her mother Mona in the store, so she hoped she would be helped quickly. After a quick chat with Odette, she asked Mr Maces for the items she needed.

Mr Maces was as efficient as ever and Prissy was out of the store in no time.

But because she was too hurried and maybe tired too, she dropped the shopping basket just as she was going down the steps of the Country Market. Prissy wanted to cry, now she really really wished for a knight in shiny armour.

Unfortunately Prissy was not that lucky, but maybe even luckier, because by the time she reached the end of the steps Willow has already picked up everything for her.

Willow: Here you go Pris. Are you okay? Did you slip?

Prissy: Thank you so much Willow, no I didn't slip but the basked did slip from my hands.

Willow: I'm glad I could help, you have been so nice and understanding this morning at school and sorry if I upset you.

Prissy: Don't worry about that Willow, that's what friends are for.

Willow: I guess.
Prissy: Oh yes, and something interesting happened after school.
Willow: What?
Prissy: I met this girl, Meshia Brightfield, at my mother's store. She and her parents might move to the Village one of these days?
Willow: What? Really? Are you sure? Meshia Brightfield?
Prissy (puzzled): Yes! Why?
Willow: I met her last year when we went to the lake for our summer holiday and we played together the whole summer. It was really sad to say goodbye to her.
Prissy (dumbfounded): Seriously? That is the best news I've heard all day.
Willow (giddy): Yes it is, yes it is. See you later Pris, I want to go and tell mom.

Later that evening, after a wonderful dinner including the delicious dessert, Prissy went to bed early. She could hear her parents fussing around in the room and Lester complaining about being forced to sleep, when not being tired. But Prissy was exhausted, happy and content though. She was truly glad that Willow might soon have her own best friend too.

A heartfelt and warm thanks to Sigrun who once again assisted me with the photos for the scenes in the Haberdashery. Thank you so much "S" without you it wouldn't be possible!