The Purple Butterflies

Timmy was on his way to school one bright summer day and had a giant smile on his face. His parents watched from the doorway, waving, and smiling as there son disappeared into this distance.

On his way he meets up with his friends and they all begin talking. He looks over and sees a purple butterfly flying around for a moment, before disappearing behind some bushes. The bell rings and he runs inside.

"How are you Timmy?" Lucy asks him.

"Good," he grins. "Have you ever seen a Purple Butterfly before?"

"Don't say that..." Lucy stares at him in disbelief.

"What's wrong? Why can't I say Purple Butterfly?" Timmy replies, though his tone is a bit louder in his confusion. The class hears this time.

"Mrs. Smith! Mrs. Smith!" another classmate yells. "You won't believe what Timmy said!"

"Now, now class...calm down," Mrs. Smith insists. "Timmy, what is everyone so upset about? What did you say?"

"All I said was I saw purple butterflies!" Timmy exclaims, his face flush with distress.

"Timmy!" she screams. "Get to the principals office right now!" She stands there, face bright red pointing at the door. Timmy walks slowly out the door with his head down.

He reaches the principals office and sits down in the waiting area. Another teacher stops by, and Timmy just stares at the floor, embarrassed about how he ended up here.

"Timmy?" the teacher exclaims in confusion. "How did you end up down here? You never get in trouble."

"I just was talking and mentioned purple butterflies and I..."

Without saying anything the teacher grabs Timmy by the ear and drags him into the principals office.

"You won't believe what this kid just said!" the teacher screams before leaving the room and slamming the door.

"What did you say Timmy?" the principal says in a soft tone.

"I'd rather not say," Timmy says, sensing a pattern.

"Nonsense" the principal replies. "As long as you are honest I will not punish you any more than I have to. You are safe to tell me the truth."

Timmy sighs, "All I said was purple butterflies. I don-"

"GET OUT!" the principal yells, pointing at the door. "Walk home. I'm not even calling your parents! This is such a disgrace! I can't believe you would mention that!"

Timmy begins to cry and runs from the office, leaving the school and begins running home. He runs and runs and runs until he reaches his door. His mother is outside and sees him coming. She bends down and opens her arms. He runs into them.

"What's wrong?" she asks with so much concern.

"I was at school, and I saw a butterfly, and I told everyone that I saw it...and they all told me it was terrible and I shouldn't say it" he explains.

"What?" Timmy's mother says in confusion. "Why would that matter?"

"I don't know" Timmy explains. "It was a purple butterfly."

"Timmy go to your room right now!" she screams. "Just wait until your father gets home. I'm calling him right now!"

Timmy waits patiently in his room. His mom is on the phone hysterically crying. "You won't believe what your son said to me....I don't know what we are going to do...come home right now please!"

Silence fills the air. Timmy lays on his bed staring at the ceiling. Then the garage door opens and he knows that his father his home. He hears the clunking of his fathers footsteps on the stairs and begins to feel tense.

"Son, why are you home from school?" he asks, a soft tone fills the air. Timmy feels a bit calmer.

"I keep telling people what I said, and just telling them gets me in trouble. I don't know what is so bad about it!" Timmy says with tears filling his eyes.

"What did you say?" Timmy's dad asks.

"I don't want to say."

You can tell me, not punishment for telling me."

"That I saw a purple butterfly."

His fathers face goes red, and a scowl comes across his face. He grabs a backpack and puts a handful of clothes in it.

"Your gone," his father screams. "We can't have you living hear anymore."

Timmy grabs the backpack and starts running again. He decides to go to his grandmothers house because she's always been so good to him. She always made him feel special and had never once got mad at him.

After about an hour of walking he manages to get there. He knocks on the door and tries to fake a smile. He hears the shuffling of her feet and the click of the lock. She opens it and greets him with a hug.

"What are you doing here during school, Timmy?" she says with a mild look of confusion on her face.

"I just got kicked out of home..." Timmy says sadly, staring at the floor.

"Well what did you do?"

"I just said something I shouldn't have. I don't even know what it means."

"What was it Timmy? You can tell me about it and then we'll get you a cookie. You can stay here until your parents get a bit calmer."

"I'd rather not say," Timmy says.

"Cookie first then," Grandma answers.

Timmy takes a bite of his cookie and feels safe. His grandma smiles from across the table.

"Now what was it Timmy?" she asks.

"I just said I didn't know what purple butterflies were."

"OUT!" she yells.

Timmy knew the drill and ran out in tears again.

He stumbles around for awhile trying to find a place to sit. He ends up downtown and sees a homeless man. *maybe he will tell me!* Timmy thinks.

"Can you help me?" Timmy asks as he approaches the homeless man.

"Sure kid," he says in a gruff tone.

"What does purple butterfly mean?"

"Don't want to ask that kid. Get out of here before I beat your face myself!"

"Thank you anyways," Timmy sighs and walks away.

He gets further downtown and sees that the sun is setting. He cries to himself now because the streets are beginning to empty a bit. He watches a police car drive by. Then it drives by again a few minutes later. Then again later, but this time it stops.

"You okay kid?" the officer says as he approaches.

"I have nowhere to go," Timmy says. "I got kicked out."

"Slow down, whats your name?" the officer asks.

"Timmy."

"Now Timmy, what happened? You got kicked out?"

"Yes sir. I got kicked out of school, my parents, and my grandmas."

"Did you do something?"

"I just said something."

"What did you say?" the cop asks.

"I'd rather not say, it only gets me in trouble."

"We will need to know. You won't get in trouble, it will just help our investigation."

"I just said I saw a purple butterfly!" Timmy cries.

"Oh.." the cop says. He takes out his handcuffs.

Timmy begins running. He sees an alleyway on the other side of the street. The officer grabs his arm, but he manages to yank it away. He leaps off the curb and at that moment a truck smashes into him.

The moral of the story is to look both ways before you cross the street.