Jolean jumped up, brandishing her basket full of strawberries like a baseball bat. 

“Alright, no more kidding around. Who are you? Come out and fight me like a girl!”

A melodic giggling sounded from within her pocket. “Don’t be afraid. Its just me, your eraser.” 

“Don’t tell lies.” Jolean’s voice quivered. “Erasers can’t talk.”

“Sure they can. I’m doing it right now.”

“AAGH-!” Jolean tore the apron from around her neck, tossing it into the dirt. “Is this some kind of prank? Who’s there? I’m not scared of you!” Her face was scrunched into a determined glare. “Well? Answer me!”

Something shot out of her apron pocket, causing her to tumble over backwards. A bright pink light blinded her, bouncing off the leaves of the strawberry plants. Her eraser was floating above her, its doodled face stretched into a wide smile. 

“Hi! My name is-”

POW!

Spinning around in the air, the eraser reeled from the impact from Jolean’s basket. Finally, it steadied itself. 

“Whadja do that for?” It asked with an uneasy smile.

“Y- you can talk.” Jolean slowly lowered her basket of strawberries.

“Sure can!” The eraser did a loop-the-loop in the air.

“And you can float.”

“Yup.”

Jolean cautiously reached out to the eraser. It lowered itself to rest in her cupped palms. She studied it for a moment, neither of them saying anything. 

“What are you?” She whispered, in awe.

“I’m so glad you asked! I’m a poor, handsome prince who got turned into an eraser by an evil witch! And now the only thing that can save me is a strawberry tart from a true friend.” The eraser’s sketched eyes twinkled.

Jolean blinked.

“Nah, I’m just kidding. My name’s Smiley. Nice to meet’cha!” Jolean got the feeling he’d shake her hand if he had any.

“Hi, Smiley. I’m Jolean.”

A curious expression sat on their faces; they felt lighter, as though some weight had been lifted off their shoulders (or, edges, in the eraser’s case.)

“So,” Jolean started, “how can you-”

“Hey, I’ve got an idea!” Smiley interrupted, “Why don’t we go back to your house. You can teach me how to make those yummy tarts, like you were saying.”

Jolean giggled. “Alright. Let’s do it!” 

The two strangers sat at the table, munching on Jolean’s homemade strawberry sweet tarts. Strawberry jam dripped off of the eraser from when he fell into the pot while Jolean was cooking. The girl stared at him over her tart. “Okay, now I’m really confused.”

Smiley looked up at her.

“How on earth can you eat?! You have a doodled mouth, doodled eyes, and- and- you’re an eraser!”

Gulping, Smiley finished his sweet tart. “Oh…that.”

She narrowed her eyes, “Be honest this time. What are you, really?” 

“I’m an eraser.” Smiley mumbled.

“You gotta be more than that! There was a- a monster! trying to get you, and you can talk, and float, and eat, and-” She slammed her hand on the table. “I know what you are. You’re magic!” Instantly, she slapped her hands over her mouth.

Smiley sighed, “I am.”

Jolean whipped her head around, terror on her face as she strained to look out the window. She leaned in towards Smiley. “You know there isn’t supposed to be magic anymore. Smiley! You’re probably the last magical thing out there! Other than that creature that tried to kidnap you.”

“That creature?”

“Yeah, that thing that tried to take you. That’s magic, too, right?”

“Don’t worry about that, Jolean.”

“Smiley….”

“I don’t even know what it is.”

“You don’t know? But you’re magic! Its magic. Doesn’t that mean you’re from the same place?” Jolean looked at him earnestly.

Smiley gave her a look. “Not all magical creatures know each other.”

Jolean looked away, scratching a bug bite on her thigh. “Well,” she hesitated, flicking dirt off her leg. “If you really don’t know.”

“What about you?” The eraser asked innocently. “What are you doing here all alone?”

Jolean pouted, taking a sip from her cup. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You know, like your parents. Your siblings. Don’t you have a family?”

Jolean set her cup down carefully, looking at her reflection in the water. “I don’t have a family. It’s just me.”

They were quiet. Smiley lightly leaned against her arm. “And me.”

“And you?”

“I can be your family, if you want.”

Jolean chewed on her lip. “I…” She looked away from him. “I don’t want a family.”

Smiley looked up at her.

“But,” Jolean continued with a thoughtful smile. “I could use a friend.”

Smiley beamed. “Sounds perfect.”

The two leaned together in the fading evening light, enjoying the last of the sweet tarts – strangers no more.