Linzy was wearing unicorn pajamas. “Do you want to frolic?” she asked.
“Frolic?” asked Marvin. He didn’t know what the word meant. He wasn’t sure it was a real word.
“That’s what unicorns do,” Linzy explained. “We frolic.”
She showed Marvin how to frolic. She skipped down the hall and sang, “We’re happy, happy unicorns. Oh, happy unicorns frolicking.”
Marvin didn’t feel like frolicking. He wasn’t a happy unicorn.
It was Tuesday night. Saturday was only four days away.
He could see the light on in his brother’s room. Jacob was doing homework. Jacob had ridden down Suicide Hill before.
Marvin knocked on his brother’s door.
“What?”
Jacob sounded annoyed. They gave a lot of homework in middle school.
“I just wanted to ask you something,” Marvin said timidly.
“What?” asked Jacob.
Marvin wasn’t sure what to ask. “I don’t remember,” he said.
Jacob glared at him.
Marvin could tell Jacob thought he was just a dumb little kid. Marvin felt like a dumb little kid.
He headed back to his room.
The whole school was expecting him to ride down Suicide Hill on Saturday. He couldn’t figure out how it happened. He never wanted to ride down Suicide Hill in the first place. It was Stuart and Nick’s idea, but their parents wouldn’t let them.
That gave him an idea. It was so obvious, he wondered why he hadn’t thought of it sooner. He walked quickly to his mother’s office.
His mother was working on the computer. She turned and smiled at Marvin as he entered.
“Sorry to bother you,” Marvin said.
“Oh, that’s okay.” She took a sip of coffee.
“In four days I get to ride my bike,” Marvin said.
“That’s right,” said his mother. “I hope you’ve learned your lesson.”
Marvin nodded. “You know the first place I’m going to ride it?” he asked, trying to sound excited.
His mother smiled and asked, “Where?”
“Suicide Hill!”
“Sounds exciting,” said his mother. She entered some numbers into the computer.
Marvin thought maybe she hadn’t heard him. Or maybe she thought it was no big deal, since Jacob had ridden down it lots of times. Didn’t she realize Jacob was a lot older?
“Suicide Hill,” he repeated. “I’m going to ride my brand-new expensive bike super fast down Suicide Hill!”
“I’m glad to see you’re so excited about riding your new bike. Your father and I were beginning to wonder.”
“Stuart’s and Nick’s parents won’t let them ride their bikes down Suicide Hill,” said Marvin. “I guess they think it’s dangerous or something. For a third grader.”
“I guess,” said his mother. She entered some more numbers into the computer.
Marvin wondered if she heard anything he said. He kept trying. “I guess Stuart’s mom is worried he might break his arm, or worse.”
“I know you’ll be careful,” said his mother.
“Sure, I’ll try to be careful,” said Marvin. “But when you’re going downhill super fast, out of control, it’s—”
“Is it raining?” asked his mother.
Marvin didn’t know what that had to do with anything. “I don’t think so,” he said, but then he saw a flash of lightning.
A few seconds later, he heard thunder. A few seconds after that, Linzy came running into the room.
“Turn off the computer!” she screamed. She was wearing her wild and worried face. She clutched her mother.
“There’s nothing to worry about,” said her mother.
There was another flash of lightning. “Turn it off! Turn it off!” Linzy demanded. She was crying.
“I know you’re scared,” said her mother. “But I—”
“The lightning will come through the computer!” Linzy shrieked.
Her mother sighed. “We are all very safe,” she said.
Marvin’s father came into the study. He picked up Linzy and held her close. “Everything is all right,” he told her.
“She has to turn it off before it explodes.”
“She has an important job to do. And it’s our job to let her do it. You too, Marvin.”
Marvin followed his father as he carried Linzy to her room and set her on her bed.
“Can I sleep with you, Marvin?” Linzy asked. “Please?”
Marvin felt bad for her, but he’d tried sleeping with Linzy once before. She could never keep still. She kept kicking him all night, and ended up sleeping sideways across the bed.
“Lightning and thunder are just part of nature,” he said.
“The bad part,” said Linzy.
“You are perfectly safe,” said her father. “Do you think I would leave you alone if I thought you were in danger?”
“No,” Linzy whimpered.
“You’re the gold unicorn,” said Marvin. “Unicorns aren’t afraid of storms.”
There was a loud clap of thunder, and she ducked under the covers.
“You know the thunder can’t hurt you,” said her father.
“I know,” Linzy said, from under the covers.
“But you’re still scared?” asked her father.
“Yes.”
“Try to be brave,” said her father. “Remember, the fear isn’t on the outside. The fear is inside your head.”
Linzy’s head came out from under the covers. She looked puzzled, as if she was trying to figure out what that meant.
Marvin tried to figure it out, too.
“You need to stand up to that storm,” said her father. “And say, ‘I’m not afraid of you!’ ”
Linzy gave it a try. She sat up straight in her bed and looked out the window. “I’m not afraid of you!” she declared.
“Good,” said her father. “That’s my brave girl.” He kissed her good night, then started out the door. “C’mon, Marvin.”
Marvin could see Linzy trembling with fear. As he walked out the door, he heard her whisper to herself, “I’m a gold unicorn. Yes, I am. Oh, I’m a very brave unicorn. Yes, I am.”