Field Trip
“Now remember, we are all meeting at the Humpty Dumpty clock tower at precisely three in the afternoon,” Beauty instructs us as the Pegasus carriage begins its final descent. As our official chaperone, Beauty is the one in charge. Professor Sebastian told us he “doesn’t do field trips.” I guess she’ll be reporting back to him about our behavior.
Through the opening at the back of the carriage, I see us break through the clouds and the tops of tiny boots, teacups, and cottages come into view.
“You have three hours to conduct your interviews and experience village life.” Beauty gives us all a pointed look. “I don’t want to hear of any horseplay or hanging out at the sweet shop. Your professor gave you each specific instructions on what he’d like you to do while you’re here. Does everyone have their scrolls?”
We hold them up.
“I’ll be helping out at Mother Goose’s Nursery School,” Maxine says, flashing us all a toothy grin.
“I’m meeting with the head of the royal navy,” Ollie says, his chest puffing with pride. “I wonder if there’s time for a quick voyage.” He stares off into the distance. “Oh, how I’d like to take the wheel of one of their ships.” He looks at us. “I’d bring it back, of course.”
Jocelyn reads from her scroll. “It says he wants me to check out the healers’ shop.” She rolls her eyes. “He thinks maybe I have a future in concocting healing potions. Sounds dull.”
“So does mine,” Allison Grace says with a deep sigh. “I’m having tea with a group of royals in the village. How is that a career choice?”
Beauty frowns. “I agree, that’s not very helpful. Why don’t you check out one of the schools in town and see if you can observe there instead? I’ve always thought you’d make a great teacher.”
“Okay!” AG looks relieved. “But you’re telling Father about the switch.” Beauty winks at her.
“I’m headed to the market to talk to the farmers about their crops,” Jack says. “Professor knows my dream is to own a farm.”
“And I’m meeting with village business owners to discuss any concerns they have with the royal court,” Jax tells us. “As a future leader, I need to practice meeting with my people and listening to their needs.”
“I’m visiting a commune of fairies that I’ve never met before to discuss fairy/human relations, which is something I’m quite interested in,” Kayla says. “I can’t wait to tell them about Mother’s return!”
Everyone looks at me.
“And I have an appointment with Pete at the Dwarf Police Squad headquarters.” Jack snickers, and I glare at him. “Maybe I should take you with me, so he can lock you up. There is no way you’re going to make it three hours in the village without stealing something.”
Jack narrows his eyes at me. “Want to make a bet?”
Beauty steps between us as the carriage lands with a soft thud near the village’s Pegasus stables. “No one is stealing anything.” She begins passing out slips of parchment. “You all have lunch vouchers that can be used at any number of establishments in the village. They’re good for something to eat and drink. They cannot be used to buy trinkets of any kind. If you purchase anything today, you will be expected to show me proof of purchase.”
I look at my voucher. I can eat at Three Little Pigs, the Pied Piper Luncheonette, Under the Sea Seafood, or Muffin Man Meats.
Ollie groans. “I don’t think any of these places have patty-cakes. They’re my favorite.”
The back of the carriage is unlocked, and workers place wooden stairs so we can step out. I look around. There are already two queues of people waiting for Pegasus rides to various places like the royal court or a day excursion to a place called Nottingham. People are walking by the stables on their way to appointments or to go shopping. A fleet of magic carpets with a student driver flies unsteadily by while a group of school children singing “Miss Mary Mack” skip past us.
“Have fun! And watch the time!” says Beauty, gathering a basket and some books and heading off.
“Should we meet up for lunch after our appointments?” Jax asks. “Mine shouldn’t take more than an hour. Should give us time to get food and look around.”
“Whatever.” Jocelyn flicks lint off her black cape. It still kills me that she’s the only student at FTRS who doesn’t have to wear these blue uniforms! All she has to wear is our school crest on her black gown. “It’s not like we have money to buy anything fun. Harlow said, ‘It’s not appropriate for me to give you money to spend when no one else has any.’ It’s like she’s gone all soft or something.”
“I have a bit of money with me,” Maxine says sheepishly, and we all look at her. “Mother sent me birthday money months ago, and I never spent it.”
“How?” Ollie looks aghast. “I would have spent all my money on patty-cakes if I had any.” He sniffs the air. “I think there’s a cart nearby making a fresh batch.”
Jax grabs Ollie’s arm. “No patty-cakes for you. Not after what happened last time.”
Ollie blushes. He almost got us caught one time with his patty-cakes obsession. In the distance, we hear the clock tower toll. “Guess we should get to our appointments,” he says.
“Then we’ll all meet back here for lunch and to take Maxine shopping,” AG says pleasantly.
I head into the heart of the village, passing some of my favorite shops, like Gnome-olia Bakery and Red’s Ready-for-Anything Shoppe, and I do my best not to look east, where I know the streets will lead me home to 2 Boot Way. As much as I’d love to see my brothers and sisters, if Mother knew I was in town, she’d cook my favorite meal (chicken potpie) and give me a thousand reasons why I should stay home and not go back to school.
A crowd of people up ahead are watching a Happily Ever After Scrolls employee nail a scroll to a post near the town square. There is a lot of murmuring and worried glances, and I notice one child crying. I move in closer to read what was posted, and my stomach drops.
Happily Ever After Scrolls
Brought to you by FairyWeb—Enchantasia’s Number One News Source!
Is Enchantasia Still a Safe Place to Live? Why I Fear for Our Safety
Editorial by Princess Rose
Fairy be! Princess Rose is going to get people wound up like a top! I wonder what the rest of the royal court thinks about her writing editorials for Happily Ever After Scrolls?
The clock strikes in the square again, and I know I only have a few minutes before I’m supposed to meet Pete. I hurry past the people reading Princess Rose’s editorial and go straight to the Dwarf Police Squad headquarters. I’ve actually never been inside. Pete always apprehended me at home or on location, but today, I’m walking inside as a free citizen and, er…
ELF Construction is doing repairs to the front of the police headquarters. The shiny gold sign is tarnished and bent, and one of the doors to the building is busted in along with a window. The bricks on the front are crumbling in places, and it’s not from decay.
“Yep, you caused that, Cobbler, with you and your pal Jax’s rogue magic carpet ride,” Pete drawls, walking out a smaller door on the side to greet me. “How do you like your handiwork?”
I stare down at him. He’s tinier when he’s not on his horse. Olaf, his sidekick, isn’t with him. Pete’s goatee has been trimmed so it no longer reaches his chest and covers his badge, which he wears like it’s his name tag—CHIEF OF THE DWARF POLICE SQUAD, PETER STUBRIDGE. Stubridge? That’s his last name? I never knew that. Several ribbons are hanging from his gold badge, and I notice they’re honors from the royal court: “For exemplary bravery in a time of chaos,” reads a red one. “For putting the needs of the royal court first,” announces a yellow ribbon. “First prize in the annual police squad chili cook-off,” says the blue one.
“What are you looking at?” Pete growls. “Come in, already.” He walks ahead of me down a long hallway. “But don’t case the joint. I’m still not sure why Professor Sebastian thinks it’s a good idea for us to talk.”
I follow Pete into what must be the command center. There are maps peppered with tiny pins and Wanted scrolls of every villain in the kingdom wallpapering the room, including one for some outlaw named Robin Hood. I whip around at the sound of Miri’s voice, and sure enough, one of her framed mirrors is glowing purple in the squad room.
“The royal court feels that is an unnecessary lead to follow at this time,” she tells a small elf with a long, red beard. “But thank you for checking in with us!”
The mirror goes dark, but I’m left to wonder: Who do they have a lead on? Rumpelstiltskin?
“Keep up!” Pete grumbles. “I don’t have all day to talk to kids about school projects.”
Next, we walk past a room full of cells—it’s the jail! It’s packed with ogres, elves, sprites, and even a few fairies. An elf catches me staring and throws his lunch plate at me. I duck, forgetting the plate will just bounce off the bars.
Pete chuckles. “Yeah, I wouldn’t get too close.” He gives the prisoners the evil eye. “They get kind of grumpy when they’re locked up for almost a week. But none of you are getting out till you tell me what happened to Troll Bridge Toll Plaza!” Pete looks at me, his black eyes gleaming in wonder. “The whole stone building is missing, like it magically vanished!” We hear snickering, and he turns around and rattles the bars. “You won’t think it’s so funny when I leave you in here another week. That mush you’re getting fed will taste really good after you’ve had it for fourteen days!” They throw a few more plates at the bars, and Pete motions to me to move. “Let’s go talk in my office. Give them some time to think about their actions.”
When we reach Pete’s office, I see his name on the door above his head, but the doorknob is low enough for him to reach it. He opens the door and lets me in first.
“Take a seat,” he says, walking around to the back and jumping on a chair. He pumps the chair till he’s seated high above me. I take a seat on the opposite chair and look around. There are portraits of him with Snow White everywhere—they do go way back—and ones of him and the royal court at what looks like a knighting ceremony. Someone has drawn a childlike portrait of Pete that he has framed on his desk. It’s really sweet. Maybe I misjudged him.
“So why are you bothering me with a school project?” Pete leans back in his chair and folds his arms over his chest. “You don’t even like me.”
That’s true. “That’s not true,” I say diplomatically. “I’ve always admired how, you’ve, er, managed to stay one step ahead of me when it came to my pickpocketing.” Also not true. I always prided myself on outrunning him when I could.
Pete eyes me suspiciously. “You always gave me a hard time.”
He’s got my number. “I know, and I’m sorry for that, but if it weren’t for you, I’d still be on the streets, rather than a semireformed thief who’s making positive changes.” That part is true. Pete still doesn’t look convinced though. “That’s why Professor Sebastian suggested I meet with you today. So I could learn more about your career.”
He looks as if he just smelled a rotten turnip. “Why would you want to do that?”
I stare at the plaques and portraits of Pete that represent his accomplishments. I hear the criminals groaning in the other room and think of the commotion going on in the command center. The thrill of tracking down a villain. The idea of catching a bad guy before they can get away with something. Stopping someone like Rumpelstiltskin. “Because I want to be you.”
For a moment, there’s a strange silence as Pete and I look at each other. Then Pete bursts out laughing. “You want to be me? You’re pulling my leg!” He spins around in his chair. “Where is Olaf? He has to hear this!” He’s laughing so hard, I fear he’s going to fall off his chair.
“It’s not a joke,” I say, getting annoyed. “I want your job someday.”
He stops laughing, and his face grows serious. “That will never happen.”
“Why not?” I demand.
His eyes widen. “Because you’re a thief! Or at least, you were one! A good one, at that, who wound up at Fairy Tale Reform School. Former thieves do not become the head of the Dwarf Police Squad. And besides, you’re not a dwarf.”
“There are a lot of people in this building who are not dwarves,” I remind him. “Maybe you and Snow started this organization, but now anyone can be part of it, and I think I’d be a great police chief.” He snorts. “Think about it: I know how a thief thinks because I was one. Who better to do the job than me? And besides, I’ve already caught several villains you couldn’t.”
He glares at me. “And you also let some important ones get away, like Rumpelstiltskin. Twice.” He leans forward. “How do we know you aren’t working with him right now?”
“Because I’m not evil,” I say coldly. How dare Pete put me in the same category as Stiltskin? “I’m on our side.”
“Your kid sister ain’t.” Pete picks up a pencil and starts to chew on it. “Your sister is as sinister as he is. So I hear.”
He’s trying to get under my skin, but I’m not going to let him. “She’s made her choice, and I’ve made mine.” My voice is like steel. “I know I could do your job. Yelling at prisoners and eating patty-cakes all day doesn’t look that hard.”
He sighs. “You think this job is a piece of cake, don’t you? You have no idea what I do day in and day out in this place.”
I stifle a yawn. Pete’s never been what I’d call a go-getter. If he thinks he can convince me he works hard, he’s got another think coming.
His face grows serious. “The job isn’t just about battling villains. The biggest responsibility is listening to every person that comes to you with a problem, no matter how small or petty it is, and making them feel as if they’ve been heard.”
I snort. “Yeah, and you’ve done a great job of that with me over the years.”
Pete slams down his fist. “You don’t want to listen? You might as well just leave.”
If that’s how he’s going to be, I’m out of here. “Fine! I’ll let the professor know you were extremely helpful.” Pete’s right eyebrow begins to twitch. I march to the door. “But if I were you, I wouldn’t get too comfortable with this office.” I tap the name plate. “One day, this office is going to be mine. I’m sure of it.” His face pales as I slam the door behind me.
• • •
Even a hot, steaming stack of pancakes at Three Little Pigs can’t cheer me up. Everyone is talking about how amazing their meetings went. Maxine was invited to intern at Mother Goose’s, and AG made some empowered speech at her ladies’ tea about the changing face of beauty before observing a class at Jack of All Trades School. Ollie swears the royal navy has asked him to someday captain a ship, and Jax is confident he made some real headway with the village business owners. They let Jocelyn mix some poison recipes, which seems to have made her very happy (I suspect they tossed them as soon as she left), and Jack got to talk to a group of farmers.
“How did yours go, Gilly?” Maxine asks, her eyes wide and hopeful. Everyone looks at me.
“Pete is a dim-witted, micro-mini troll!” I complain, and everyone gasps, including the troll serving us.
“We don’t like that type of language in here.” He narrows his one eye at me.
“We’re terribly sorry,” Jax says. “It won’t happen again.” The troll lumbers away.
“Told you he wouldn’t understand.” Jack steals a pancake from someone’s plate since he’s already finished his own. “There’s no way anyone in this kingdom will let you become a police chief.”
“I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” I turn away from the group and look at the other diners, all of whom are still giving me the evil eye for my comment. My cheeks flush as guilt sets in. I push my plate away. “I think I’m going to go for a walk.”
“We’ll go with you,” Jocelyn suggests. “We’re finished here anyway.”
“We are?” Ollie has a mouth full of pancake. When he’s not looking, Jack swipes the last forkful from his plate. Ollie glances down. “I guess we are.”
We put our food vouchers in the middle of the table, and I add the few coins I have on me for a tip for the waiter.
“Come on,” Maxine says. “There’s a new shop right down the block that I want to see. It looks cool!” We hurry along behind her, sidestepping horses galloping down the street and villagers on their lunch breaks.
“I wonder what’s got her so excited?” Jax asks. I shrug. “Don’t worry, thief. Er, former thief. Pete is not the be-all and end-all. If you want that job bad enough, maybe the royal court can make it happen for you.”
I semi-smile and stop short behind Maxine. “Thanks.”
“This is where you wanted to go?” Jocelyn asks. Broken doors, tables, and lamps litter the front of the store. “A junk shop?”
“It’s not a junk shop.” Maxine points to the rusted sign above the cottage door. “It’s Javier’s Jewels and Exotic Treasures!” She opens the door. “Let’s see what’s inside.”
“I hope it’s not a villain,” Ollie whispers as he passes what appears to be a shrunken head hanging from the door. “This place gives me the creeps.”
Inside, the cottage has a musty smell. Dust swirls around the piles of broken windows, used potion bottles, and tables of small mirrors, feathers, quills, and other trinkets that don’t appear to work. It’s so cluttered, you can barely move down the aisles. There’s not another soul in the joint, which is making me wary.
AG blows dust off a stack of books. “A thousand and one ways to cast a sleeping curse.” She shudders while Jocelyn reaches for the book. “Is this a villain shop?”
“Absolutely not!” comes a high-pitched voice. We jump as a tall, thin man appears out of nowhere. He’s wearing a bright suit bejeweled with sparkly beads that are also woven into his long, white beard. This must be Javier. “We carry all kinds of treasures, but never discriminate between hero and villain.”
“How do you get the stuff?” asks Ollie, touching what appears to be a wooden mermaid from the front of a ship.
Javier pulls at his chin. “Oh, people give them to me for various reasons. You never know what you’ll find. See anything you like?”
I’m just about to say no and rush us out of there when Maxine squeals.
“Look at this!” She holds up a rusty can. “I had one of these when I was a wee ogress.”
Jack looks at it closely. “A broken bottle?”
“I think it’s a small lampshade,” says Ollie.
“It’s junk, is what it is,” says Jocelyn.
“It’s a lamp!” Maxine turns it over in her fingers. It has a thin spout and a small brown lid, but it’s so dirty and rusted I can’t make out any other details. “My father brought me one just like it from one of his journeys.” Her smile fades. “When our home was burned down in the Troll War, it was lost.” She holds it to her chest, and some of the rust falls off it. “I have to have this. How much?”
Javier pulls at his beard. “Oh, I’m afraid that’s pricey. It’s very valuable.”
He’s lying. “It’s rusted and old,” I say. “You’re just trying to make a buck off a group of kids.”
“That’s extortion,” Jax declares, and we all agree.
“I’m not! It’s a rare find!” Javier comes closer and takes it from Maxine’s hands. “I didn’t even realize it was in the shop. Sure, it’s dirty, but a little elbow grease will make it shiny and gold again. I’m not sure I could part with it. Its owner said it’s a magic lamp, but no matter how many times I try, I can’t seem to make a genie appear.”
“You’re fibbing,” Jocelyn blurts out.
“I’m not.” Javier begins walking off with it. “It’s not for sale. I’m sorry.”
“Please!” Maxine begs. “I will give you all my birthday money. I have to have it.”
“You said this so-called genie has never appeared for you,” Jax reminds him. “Maybe there isn’t one in there, and you’re just wasting your time.”
“There definitely isn’t one,” Jack scoffs. “Genies aren’t real. Everyone knows that.”
Javier looks thoughtful for a moment. “Maybe you’re right.” He hands Maxine the lamp. “It’s yours. For the right price.”
“Thank you! Thank you!” Maxine says, emptying her pockets and forking over all her bills and loose change.
I shake my head and exchange glances with Jocelyn. Javier won’t regret this, but Maxine definitely will.
Invitation for All Students at Fairy Tale Reform School
You are cordially invited to attend a
Fairy Garden Party
Honoring esteemed fairies:
Angelina, Kayla, Emma Rose, and Brooke Lynn
Date: This Saturday
Place: The fairy garden (prepare to shrink!)
Thrown by: The Royal Ladies-in-Waiting
Maxine and Allison Grace
Note from Rapunzel: Due to the current villain climate, students will be allowed to bring their weapons with them to the party, but they will be held at the door. Remember: If you see something, say something!