Chapter 4 GRAND TOUR

Lunch period went by in a flash.

Willow swallowed her last bite of meatloaf. “I definitely need to start bringing my lunch,” she said. “This meatloaf reminds me of when I made pumpkin pie and forgot the sugar.”

Jeanie laughed. “Come on, I’ll show you around on the way back to class.”

Willow dumped her tray, then followed Jeanie into the hallway.

They passed by a classroom filled with the slightly off-tune sounds of the pre-K music class. Willow spotted one tiny boy struggling to ding his triangle at the right moment.

The fifth-grade hallway was even louder.

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“That’s the water fountain where the Show-Off Showdown happened,” said Jeanie. “The choir kids and the theater kids both wanted to do morning announcements. They settled it with a sing-off.”

“I guess they just had to du-et,” Willow joked.

Jeanie pointed out the auditorium and the principal’s office. Then she stopped in front of the library.

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When Willow peeked inside, she saw shelves bursting with books, beanbag chairs, and computer stations. Murals of some of her favorite stories covered the walls. Willow could almost picture fairy godmothers and fire-breathing dragons flying around the room!

“I would love to spend more time here,” Jeanie said. “There are so many books I haven’t read yet. But we usually only come once a week.”

Willow nodded. She would have to keep that in mind if she checked out any books. Sometimes she had trouble remembering to return them!

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Next they turned down a hall with windows that overlooked a baseball diamond, track, and meadow where a soccer game was going on.

“Those are the sports fields,” said Jeanie. “Someone else might have to show them to you, though. I’m not exactly a star athlete.”

“Me neither,” said Willow as she watched a soccer player flick the ball into the net for a goal. “At least, I don’t think I am. I’ve never really played sports before.”

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Jeanie shifted from one foot to the other. “I try,” she said. “But I’m just not that good. Or fast. Or strong.”

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“But you’re smart,” said Willow. “This is only my second day, and I can already tell.”

Jeanie shrugged. “I don’t need to be an Olympian or anything,” she said. “I just wish I was a little better at one sport.”

Willow could hear the longing in Jeanie’s voice. She reached for her necklace. Then she stopped. She wasn’t sure if the time was right.

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Keeping her eyes on the field, Willow said, “Well, we have PE next, so at least we can both be terrible together.”

Jeanie smiled and said, “Yeah! But remember—we can’t talk during class.”

Willow nodded, then pretended to lock her lips and throw away the invisible key.

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That made Jeanie giggle, and suddenly Willow realized she was really happy at Rivertown Elementary. It was a nice, normal, totally average school.

And things that were nice, normal, and average were always ready for a little magic.…