Suzume glanced back at the clock. detention was almost over. almost. she hadn't meant to break the window! she shouldn't be trapped here.

"ugh, this is stupid." she whispered as she stared out the window at sparrows fluttering on branches. so free.

"What is?" a quiet voice whispered back.

"who said that?" was she being haunted? cool!

"me!"

"whos me?"

"tori." she glanced around. nobody was near her, especially no one whispering to her. a couple of people were staring at her though. she stared back out the window to avoid making eye contact. The teacher was eyeing her.

"Are... are you a ghost?"

"no, of course not."

"aw... where are you then?"

"you're looking right at me."

"you're invisible! i knew it, you're a ghost!" she spoke too loud.

"Ms. Hayaka! You are not to speak in detention!" the teacher said.

"yes, ma'am." she was bored... wait, no, she was talking to a ghost!

"I'm not invisible!" the voice whispered again.

"then what are you?"

"uhh, a sparrow. obviously."

"what? sparrows can talk?"

"well, i didn't know humans talked either."

"not as cool as a ghost. but what's going on?"

"I don't know."

"great."

"hm..." tori flew towards her.

"wait!" she shouted. everyone turned towards her. it was too late, Tori hit the window. 

"I... was trying to stop the bird?" the teacher glared at her but said nothing. the bell rang and she ran outside. tori was sitting there, confused. she looked stunned but ok.

"I tried to warn you."

"was that a force field?"

"a window. It's a wall you cant see."

"ugh, it's awful. my head hurts."

"you look ok."

"fine." She picked tori up and started to put her on her shoulder when she screamed and dropped her.

"what's happening?! Tori, what's happening to me?!"

"uh... i don't know- hold on.... no, I still don't know!"

Suzume stumbled back against the wall as a tingling sensation spread across her back, concentrated in her shoulder blades. she heard fabric ripping and turned around to see a pair of giant sparrow wings. she reached up and tentatively patted them. it felt so real... the feathers at the base were soft and fluffy, and the pinions stiff and... like feathers. she felt the roots. a few feathers littered the surrounding skin... wait, skin? no, her shirt was ruined! Tori stared up at her.

"did you just? humans cant grow wings. right?"

"I... no? this is so cool! wait- can I fly?"

"hey- don't fly you don't have feathers to keep you warm!"

"too late!" she took off and- no, she didn't. she awkwardly flapped her wings a couple of times and got nowhere. 

"how do you fly?"

"won't say." 

"fine. be like that."

"fine. i will." another sparrow landed staring at them, and started to ask something. tori fluttered off, apparently angry.

"tori! were you talking to a human? how did you give it wings?"

"Hello, who are you?"

"ah! it talks!"

"uh, yeah. and apparently sparrows talk? hey, can you teach me how to fly? tori said no."

"ahhhh! talking human!"

"talking bird! oh, wait, I can talk to birds... i want to go find out what my canary is thinking! wait, can you teach me how to fly first?"

"uh... you flap. you jump and ten you flap."

"Thanks, you're such a help." the bird left, apparently angry. she kept trying, feeling tori watching her. at some point, tori came back and taught her how to fly out of pity. did she just make friends with a bird? she flew home. she ended up above the clouds, so nobody saw her. she thought.

Poppy watched from below as a girl awkwardly flew home. 

"Hummy, go tell them I found a sparrow speaker."

"hey! i told you not to call me that!"

A ruby-throated hummingbird zipped away, leaving a small girl with kelly green eyes and choppy short red hair watching the sky left in the sparrow speakers wake. (duh duh duh!)