Flavia and the Party Flutters

Flavia is going to a party! 

At first, she didn’t want to go because she doesn’t like crowded

places

or loud talking

or bright colors 

or sharp smells that come charging around corners and run up her

nose.

But most of all, she doesn’t like the Party Flutters.

The Flutters always start in Flavia’s stomach like an enormous

pot of popcorn that zips and crackles. They fill up her insides, and the popping and crackling get so loud that the Flutter Bees wake up. They stretch and wiggle their wings and bump into each other. 

The Flutter Bees practice flying, and the buzzing inside

Flavia’s ears gets louder and louder, until Flutter Popcorn and Flutter Bees crash into each other and overflow like lava into her arms and legs and start the Flutter Ants marching and zooming up and down. The tiny legs of the Flutter Ants prickle and stickle and tickle and Flavia tries to brush them off but they

just itch and twitch and

AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

Flavia has to QUICK lickety-split,

get to a quiet place

a dark place

a safe place

until the ants stop marching,

and the bees stop buzzing,

and the popcorn stops popping,

and the world gets calm again.

No, Flavia does not like the Party Flutters,

and that’s why she almost always NEVER goes to parties.

But this party will have something the Party Flutters can’t

touch.

MUSIC!

The Music starts out as a delicious red and orange and yellow polka dotted Flutter that whooshes and whirls and flits and swirls, leaving glittery color everywhere. Music Flutters are the best thing in the whole world, and Flavia can’t wait to see and touch and hear her favorite Flutters.

She puts on her favorite clothes as protections against the icky Party Flutters.

First, she puts on her yellow socks with little blue kitty cats. 

Then the sunflower jeans that are so soft they don’t feel like jeans anymore, and the sweatshirt with the orange and red and white polka dots that was a Grandma-present, and the blue boots with the fuzzy insides, and the yellow and orange headband.

She looks in the mirror and gives herself a BIG SMILE. Now, Flavia is ready for the party.

Flavia and Mama walk up a hill, down a hill, around a corner and up another hill until finally, they’re at the party. Bright lights make the house sparkle like magic.

Flavia follows Mama up the porch, past a light-up sign that says MERRY CHRISTMAS and through the front door. Mama squeezes her hand, gives her a smile, and says Hello to a friend.

This party smells like a bakery with vanilla and cinnamon wafting up from candles around the room. By twitching her nose here and there, Flavia can smell the Christmas tree, and someone is wearing perfume that tickles her nose.

There are too many people in the room and they’re talking too

loud and laughing and screeching like seventeen oilbirds from the rainforest exhibit at the zoo.

Flavia wants to turn down the volume and shush like the nice

librarian at her school. 

She’s hot and wants to take off her sweatshirt, but then she won’t

have its special hug. And she needs its special hug because the popcorn is waking up, and two bees are buzzing in her ears.

There are too many people, and they’re too close, and it’s too

loud, and the pretty lights from the candles are moving too fast.

The Party Flutters are rushing and filling her up, and even when

she squints her eyes tight and holds her ears tight and holds her breath tight

and stays as still as a rock,

the volcano inside her needs to come OUT!

Flavia runs out the door,

onto the porch,

into the cool air, 

and the door slams behind her.

Suddenly, the party noise is far away.

Flavia sits on the edge of the porch and pulls her hood over her

head so it is all the way dark.

Her hands over her ears make the sounds all the way quiet.

She pulls her legs up until her knees touch her nose and

breathes in the smell of home that sticks to her jeans like an invisible shield.

Flavia hums.

The Flutter Popcorn stops popping.

The Flutter Bees return to their hive.

The Flutter Ants jump up and down and stomp back to their caves

where they wipe their tickly feet and go to sleep.

Music fills Flavia’s head. She hums louder. A piano is playing.

Where is the music coming from?

The music is inside! The music is here!

She takes her hands off her ears

Reaches for the door

Carefully pulls it open and peeks inside.

There! A blue and green polka dotted Music Flutter is swirling around and around. It flits and floats through the air, dancing with other Music Flutters.

The bigger the music gets, the bigger the Music Flutters prance

and dance and twirl through the air.

Flavia sits on the porch where she can listen to the music and

watch the Flutters.

Music is bubbling up from her insides and soon, Music Flutters

of every color of the rainbow are flitting and swirling and twirling around, landing here and there and everywhere.

Flavia takes her hood off and lets the Music Flutters caress her cheek. She keeps her eyes closed and gentle Flutters land on her hands, hair, legs and even the top of her fuzzy blue boots. They melt into her body and soon, the Music Flutters are a part of her.

Mama comes out to the porch. She sits with Flavia on the porch swing and puts her arm around Flavia’s shoulders, drawing her close. They touch foreheads, close their eyes, and Music Flutters melt into them until their hearts beat in rhythm.

Later that evening, when Flavia’s teeth have been brushed and

she’s cozy in bed, she turns out the light.

The Flutters quietly flit through Flavia’s head.

She closes her eyes. Her arms and legs and tummy get heavy

and sleepy 

and still.

Flavia falls asleep. The Flutters watch over her all night long,

and dance with her dreams.