Pom jumped between the components of the engine, her fairy wings unable to move in the cramped space. The air was mildewy and made her lungs hurt, but she wanted to try to get to the root of the car malfunctioning.
Whilst fairies weren’t usually interested in any sort of automotive repair, Pom had developed an interest in it. For her, anything that could go that fast down a highway was worth knowing about. Her friend Beatrice, who awkwardly hopped after her, was the complete opposite. The only reason she had decided to come along was because she didn’t want her friend to get squashed in the fan belt of an engine.
Despite choosing to come on her own accord, Beatrice felt the need to not complain. “Why are we doing this again?” She sighed between jumps, breathless from the movement. “Can’t you just learn this stuff in one of your books?”
Pom jumped onto the lid of the coolant, eyes scanning the engine for damage. “You need to learn this stuff firsthand,” she argued back for the hundredth time. “There’s no chance of finding a fairy diesel mechanic near me. And you won’t let me talk to any humans.”
Pom gave her a pointed look. Beatrice raised her finger in protest, staring at her right back. “That’s not allowed and you know it.”
Pom slid down the curve of a component, making sure not to go near the car battery, and landed next to her friend.
Beatrice put a hand on her shoulder. Her voice was filled with concern as she said, “I’m just trying to keep you out of danger. I want you to stop galavanting through every car of every auto electrician near Milperra.”
Pom shrugged her friend off, laughing. “This isn’t dangerous.”
She guided her friend toward the exit. Whilst Pom didn’t think a professional mechanic was due to work on it this week, Beatrice’s word did send a shiver down her spine. “A lack of knowledge is dangerous,” she said with a smile, not sure if she was speaking more to her friend or herself. Maybe her hobby would end up getting her into trouble.