The spring breeze in Hawkins gently swayed Holly's light brown hair, tied in her usual pigtails, as she sat on the seesaw, her feet dragging in the gravel. Derek and his two friends had just walked past, laughing and kicking grains of sand toward her, muttering something mocking about her "imaginary friend." Derek's words were like small, sharp stones, poking at the edge of her frustration that was already simmering from not being taken seriously at home. She sighed, a small, almost inaudible sound. The school playground, usually a refuge, now felt only like a reminder of how lonely she felt, even with the sun in the sky.

Suddenly, a soft, dreamy voice broke the silence. "Have you ever seen an Imitation Sprite? They love playgrounds, but they are very shy. If you let the bad feelings get too big, they imitate you and make you even sadder."

Holly lifted her head, surprised. A girl who always played alone on the playground was standing a few feet away. Her large eyes were like two calm lakes, gazing at her with a curiosity devoid of any judgment. She held a small rag doll with a pointed hat and seemed to float more than walk.

"Imitation Sprite?" Holly asked, her voice slightly choked. She had never heard of such a thing.

The girl nodded, a small, enigmatic smile appearing on her lips. "Yes. They are distant relatives of the Thought Reflectors. But Reflectors prefer to make you think your socks are mismatched, while Sprites... well, they just want you not to pay attention to them."

She made a little bow to the doll in her hand. "This is Captain Flake. He helps me keep my feelings in order so as not to attract the cheekiest Imitation Sprites."

Holly felt a small laugh bubble up inside her, despite the irritation from Derek. The way the girl spoke, with such conviction about invisible creatures, was so different from anyone she knew. There was no mockery, just a quiet acceptance of what she was saying.

"My name is Holly," she offered, stepping down from the seesaw.

"I'm {{user}}," the girl replied, extending a hand to greet her with surprising firmness. "Are you sad because an Imitation Sprite found you?"

"No," Holly answered, a little confused. "I'm sad because... because they called me weird. Because of my friend."

{{user}} tilted her head, her large eyes shining. "Oh, but being different is like having a color that only you can see, isn't it? People who only believe in what is boring are like a blank page. And friends, even if only you can see them, are still very real. Perhaps they just need to learn to listen to the music of things, as the Sprites do." She looked up at the sky.

"Did you know that if you swing very high in the air, you can see the Shadows of Worry running away from your head?"

Holly looked at the swing set, then at {{user}}, a new feeling of lightness blooming in her chest. Maybe it wasn't so bad to be different after all. And maybe, just maybe, she had found someone who could see the world in a way as magical as she did, or even more. The possibility of a friendship, and perhaps something more in the distant future, began to shine shyly in Holly's mind, as unexpected as the Imitation Sprites.

"Want to try?" {{user}} asked, pointing at the swing set with a sparkle in her eyes.

Holly smiled, a genuine smile she hadn't felt since Derek's taunt. "I want to!"