Faye and the Super Water Man

            by Maddy Trumble

 

            There once was a girl named Faye.

            Faye had short brown hair and freckles on her nose. She loved to play the flute and took private flute lessons every Friday afternoon. She also loved playing Pokemon with her friends.

 

 

            Faye was a perfectly normal little girl except for one thing- she hated taking baths. She hated everything about them. She hated the hot water and the shampoo that went in her hair and the soap that got in her eyes. And because she hated baths, she hardly ever took one.

 

            Every night when her parents told her it was bath time, Faye put up a big, grumpy fight. “I won’t take a bath! You can’t make me!” And she was right. Her parents couldn’t. But they tried everything they could to get her to take a bath. Sometimes they promised her chocolate and told her she could stay up past her bedtime, if only she would take a bath! But Faye refused the offers.

 

 

            Faye loved chocolate and staying up late, but hated baths more. “I hate baths! I don’t need them anyway!” Her parents just sighed and shook their heads. They didn’t know what to do about their dirty daughter.

           

 

            Faye’s friends at school also tried to get her to take baths. “Why don’t you want to take them Faye?” they asked her.

            “Because- I hate baths! I don’t need them anyway!”

            But the truth was, Faye did need them. In fact, everyone needs to take baths. And sometimes, Faye did feel left out. When her friends showed off their silky hair and their clean skin, Faye kept quiet. She didn’t have silky hair or clean skin to boast. She had ratty, rough hair and smudges of dirt on her cheek. Faye loved having fun with her friends, but she hated baths more. “I hate baths! I don’t need them anyway,” Faye told herself.

 

 

            Faye’s little brother, Dashiell, loved taking baths. He took one every night. “What a good boy!” Faye’s parents squealed. “Faye, why can’t you be more like Dashiell? He loves taking baths and he’s always so clean. Wouldn’t you like to be more like him?”

            Faye didn’t like being compared to her little brother, but she hated baths more. “I hate baths! I don’t need them anyway!” she yelled.

            “Yes you do!” Dashiell replied, with a smug smile on his face.

            “No I don’t!” Faye said and slammed her bedroom door behind her.

 

 

            Wherever Faye went, and whatever Faye did, baths seemed to follow her everywhere. She was getting sick of talking and hearing about baths all the time. Why couldn’t they just let her be?

 

            Then, one afternoon in art class, Faye and her classmates were told by their teacher they were to make “Bath People”. Faye didn’t like this assignment one bit! She didn’t like anything about baths and that included bath people, whatever they were.

            Faye’s teacher gave her a little cork, push pins, rubber bands, and some other strange plastic objects to make her person out of. “Have fun!” the teacher said.

            Yeah Right! Faye thought. I can’t have fun with bath people. But Faye was also a good student and did what her teachers told her to do. So, she decided to make a bath person, but she wasn’t going to be call it that. She was going to call it a water person instead.

 

 

            Faye examined the tools her teacher gave her and quickly began to assemble her person. She took the cork and stuck some pins in the bottom for feet. Then she screwed one of the odd shaped plastic pieces on top for a head. She stuck some more pins in for a mouth, and wrapped a rubber band around the top of the head. A few quick adjustments here and there, and then… she was finished!

 

 

            Faye took a good look at her little person she had made and decided to name him “Super Water Man” because he looked like the kind of guy that had super powers. Faye was quite proud of her work and thought she had done a great job making Super Water Man She couldn’t wait to play with him and show him off to Dashiell. She actually kind of liked him, even though he was supposed to be a “Bath person”.

            “Now Class!” Faye’s teacher said, “Remember! You can only play with these people in the bath. That’s why they’re called bath people. So, when you get home, put them by the tub to play with later.”

            In the bath? In the bath? Faye couldn’t believe it! She didn’t want to play with him in the bath! Faye was becoming frustrated, so she shoved Super Water Man in her backpack and stormed home.

 

 

            When she got home, Faye threw her backpack on the floor of her room. Why did everyone want her to take a bath? Why couldn’t everyone just leave her alone? The whole world was against her!

 

 

            After calming herself down, Faye looked at her backpack, which was lying on the floor, and saw that Super Water Man had fallen out and was lying beside it. He looked so sad and alone. Faye rushed to his side and picked him up.

 

 

            She sat looking at Super Water Man, trying to decide what to do.

            Finally, Faye stood up, with Super Water Man in hand, and walked to the bathroom. She turned the hot water on and let it run into the tub. When the tub was filled all the way to the top, Faye turned the water off.

 

 

            Faye still hated baths, but liked Super Water Man more. She clutched him in her fist as she climbed into the tub.

            It was hot! Faye didn’t like it one bit, but knew that it was all okay because Super Water Man was by her side. He would protect her from the hot water and the shampoo and the soap. He was a hero.

            Faye and Super Water Man played and played. He dove into and swam through the bubbles in the tub. He made Faye happy. She slowly lost interest in the temperature of the water or the shampoo or the soap that got in her eyes.  All she cared about was having fun with Super Water Man.

 

 

            When Faye’s parents found her in the tub, they were in shock! Their dirty daughter had finally found a reason to take a bath. They decided they loved Super Water Man almost as much as Faye did.

            When Dashiell saw his sister in the tub, he was in shock too! In fact, he was so shocked that he fainted right then and there on the bathroom floor.

 

 

            Faye didn’t mind her parents or brother. She just played with Super Water Man in the tub for hours. She stayed in the tub until the water got cold. Finally, her mother told her it was time to get out.

            “Do I have to?” Faye asked. “I wanna play some more.”
           “You can play tomorrow,” Faye’s mom said.

            “You mean, I can take another bath tomorrow?” Faye asked, excited to play with Super Water Man again.

            “You can take a bath anytime you want.”

            And Faye did.

             She took many more baths.

            And each and every one that she took, she took with her new best friend, Super Water Man.