A Whole New World
For a moment, I think everything’s gone black. Then I realize my eyes are just squeezed shut. I open them and look around.
“The wish didn’t work,” I say, looking at Maxine and Darlene. “Things look exactly the same.”
Darlene looks indignant. “Of course, the wish worked!”
Maxine bites her lip. “But the forest looks the same. The castle way off in the distance looks the same.” She touches her body to make sure it’s all there. “Gilly and I are the same.”
Darlene rolls her eyes and pulls out a small handheld mirror. She begins fluffing her curly hair. “Think about your wish again, honey. You asked to be happy. You didn’t ask to be someone else, did you?” She eyes me. “And neither did she. Sort of.”
“Me?” I squeak, and Wilson pokes his head of my pocket to see what’s going on. “I didn’t make a wish, and I don’t want to be part of Maxine’s! I do not need things getting any more messed up than they already are. You didn’t see what happened with a beanstalk and the giants and…”
Poof! A large platter of gooey snacks appears in front of me.
“Ooh! Patty-cakes. They look delicious!” I take a bite of one, tasting the mix of cinnamon, vanilla, and butter that runs through the delicious confections. Maxine and Darlene are staring at me. “Oh. I guess I did wish for these.”
“See? Happy!” Darlene tells Maxine and yawns. “Now, if you don’t mind, this air is making my skin terribly dry. I really should get a good hydration mask on before I start to flake. You do not want to see a flaky genie! Especially since I’m going to be meeting so many people through my new master!” She grabs Maxine’s hands. “We should have a party!”
“Yes!” Maxine says and then her face falls. “Except no one around here is really in the partying mood.”
“Oh, sweetie, you just watch how that changes.” She pushes Maxine toward me. “Now, scoot back to the castle and holler for ol’ Darlene here when you’re ready for your next wish, or when it’s time to party.”
Maxine frowns harder. “You mean you aren’t going to hang out with me all the time? I thought you’d want to see where we go to school and meet our professors and Headmistress Flora.”
“I will, I will!” Darlene says, but she’s already whooshing back into her lamp. “But you may want to tell them about me before I go gliding down the halls. I’m sure they’ll be thrilled.” The lid magically settles back on the lamp, but Darlene is still talking. “Everyone is happy now!”
I grunt. “I doubt that.” My patty-cake platter fills up again, and I take another one. “Although, if we give them treats, how can they not be happy and have fun?” I drop the treat on the floor in surprise. “Holy harpies, why did I just say something so sickeningly sweet?”
Maxine giggles. “Because you’re happy! Oh my goodness, it worked! Thanks, Darlene!” The lamp lid rattles, and we hear mumbling.
Maxine grabs my hand. “Come on, let’s see what’s changed at school!”
• • •
When we get back to the castle, our first clue that things have changed is that every entrance is wide open. Lately, the doors have been locked, but now students and staff are streaming out of the building on Pegasi and magic carpets and are…singing? Wait, is that Jocelyn?
A girl that looks a lot like the Evil Queen’s younger sister is skipping toward us with a flower in her hair. “La, la, la, la,” I hear her sing—sing!—as she twirls and dances—dances!—her way over to us. “There you two are! We’ve been looking everywhere! Kayla, I’ve found them!”
Then she reaches out and does something truly bizarre—she hugs me.
“When we didn’t see you at the party, we were worried you got lost,” Jocelyn says.
“Party? We didn’t have a party,” I remind her, and Kayla looks at me strangely.
“Of course, we did, silly!” Her wings are fluttering softly, and she’s wearing a ring of flowers in her hair. “Maxine planned the whole thing. My family loved it!”
Maxine smiles. “They did? I mean, of course, they did! I’m so glad everyone had a good time.”
“We did,” says Jocelyn. “Harlow said we haven’t had such a good time since…since…”
“Our last battle?” I supplement.
They both laugh. “Battle?” Jocelyn repeats. “We haven’t one of those in ages!”
They grab our arms and yank us inside the castle.
“Come on!” Kayla says. “There’s a sing-along starting in the cafeteria, and we don’t want to miss it.”
When we get indoors, I almost don’t believe my eyes. Everywhere I look, pixies are throwing rose petals all over the floor. Students are telling jokes, laughing, or singing songs. And Miri is calling out announcements in the sweetest voice I’ve ever heard her use.
“Welcome back to Fairy Tale Reform School!” she says cheerily. “The headmistress would like to keep the merriment going and let everyone have the rest of the afternoon off, which means—no classes!”
“No school! No school!” Kids shout and jump up and down.
Hans Christian Anderson, I think the last time Headmistress Flora gave us off from classes, there was a leak in Madame Cleo’s tank.
“Can’t think of something fun to do?” Miri continues. “Consider joining Blackbeard for a tour of his pirate ship and become an honorary pirate! Or go for a swim in Madame Cleo’s tank and meet some seahorses! Professor Wolfington is giving extra credit to anyone who comes by his history class this afternoon. Turn your D into a C! Or drop in on Professor Harlow who’s running a basket-weaving class in her lair.”
“Basket weaving?” I repeat. “Harlow?”
Jocelyn gives me a look. “Oh, Gilly, you know my sister loves to basket weave. It’s her favorite way to de-stress!” Her dark eyes widen. “Did you want to go? I’ve been meaning to make a new hamper for my room.”
“Uh…I think I’ll pass,” I say as a group of elves with mops come dancing by.
“Gilly! Maxine! Hi!” Ollie shouts as he runs in our direction. “Want to go become honorary pirates with Jax, Jack, and me?”
Jax and Jack together? The two boys, who normally can’t stand each other, are walking arm in arm down the hallway.
“Hey, ladies!” Jack says. “First we’re going to pick dandelions for all the teachers. They’re in full bloom and gorgeous!”
“We’ll get you some, if you like,” Jax says. “Raz wants us to pick them for everyone. She says there’s nothing nicer than a vase of flowers in your room.”
“Rapunzel wants everyone to have flowers?” I repeat. “I thought she wanted everyone to live and breathe training.”
“Training? What training?” Jax asks. “She’s already planning our next party. She says we should have them once a week. Maybe twice.” He points to Maxine. “She’s looking for you to discuss it. She says you did such a great job with the garden party that you and AG should definitely chair the next party too.”
“Really?” Maxine is beside herself. “I don’t even know what to say. Flowers in every dorm room and weekly parties!” She winks at me. “I am so happy that everyone is happy.”
Jack hits Jax in the arm. “The flowers! We need vases! We don’t have enough!”
“That’s all right,” Jax tells him. “When we’re done picking flowers, we’ll go to the art lab and make some pottery. It could take us all night, but it will be worth it.”
“You’re right!” Jack agrees. “You’re a good friend.”
“No, you are!” Jax tells Jack, and then the two do some strange secret handshake I’ve never seen either of them do before. Then they head off.
Zap! Zip! Bang! Boom!
I duck as someone’s wand action sends sparks in my direction. I look up. It’s Headmistress Flora. Suddenly the wall that appears behind me is a shimmery green. A swath of flowers cascades from the ceiling above me like a canopy, and a trio of songbirds in a beautiful gold cage hangs above our heads. The birds chirp in harmony.
“Hello, girls!” Headmistress Flora says. Her hair is pulled back, as usual, but the bun is looser, as is her dress, which is a lovely shade of yellow that matches the flowers around her neck. I try not to laugh at the sight of our prim headmistress loosening up. “What do you think of the birds? Too much?”
“Um, they’re kind of loud,” I say as one bird hits a high note.
“Yes, that could be distracting in class.” She zaps her wand again, and they disappear. “If we even have class this week! The weather is supposed to be gorgeous, so Harlow, Wolfington, and I think you should enjoy the outdoors as much as possible. We’ve been cooped up for too long.”
Maxine nudges me. “Have we? Why do you think that is?” she prods.
Flora thinks for a moment. “Well, I… Oh my, I don’t even know! I guess it’s been too chilly out, but it’s unseasonably warm, and the flowers are blooming so we should take advantage of the beauty Enchantasia affords us! And we should bring that beauty inside too.” She waves her wand again, and a fountain with a cherub appears. “I’m trying to spruce up the place,” she tells us. “Castle décor can be so dour, and Fairy Tale Reform School is anything but!” She zaps the wall again, and a beautiful painting of mermaids frolicking in a lake appears. I suddenly realize all posters warning of Rumpelstiltskin attacks are gone. “We should have fine art and music in the hallways, and lovely carpeting beneath our feet.” She conjures a beautiful orange rug into existence, but it disappears when a new wall appears. “Maybe we should change how we get around school too. How do you feel about slides?” She thinks for a moment and smiles. “Or trampolines?”
“I love trampolines!” Maxine exclaims, and they both start talking.
“Trampolines?” I interrupt, unable to believe what I’m hearing. “In the hallways? And slides?” I start waving my arms wildly, feeling annoyed. “I just can’t believe…ooh! A patty-cake!” One appears in each of my hands, and I take a bite before I realize what I’m doing.
Wait a minute… Every time I start to get the least bit unhappy, my favorite snack appears. I growl at Maxine. This is her wish’s fault! Two more patty-cakes appear.
I give up.
“I’m supposed to meet with Professor Sebastian this afternoon,” I tell Headmistress Flora. “Have you seen him?”
“Why, no! He wasn’t at the party. He must be enjoying his afternoon off in his pop-up castle,” Flora says with a smile so peppy, I fear she’s an imposter. “Why don’t you take a flying carpet to go visit him? Have a lovely time!” A pixie flying by blows glitter in all of our faces. “Oh, how sweet! Thank you!”
A lovely time? With Professor Sebastian? I doubt it, but for the first time ever, I think I’d prefer his company to anyone else’s at school.
Happily Ever After Scrolls
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Unusual Happenings in Enchantasia
by Padreig Parsnip
Villagers and farmers alike have appealed to the royal court and the Enchantasia Dwarf Police Squad to get to the bottom of the strange weather that has occurred the last few days. “There has been lightning and thunder on sunny days!” Farmer Bob of Illensville told HEAS. “I’ve never seen anything like it, but it’s been causing crops to catch fire, and we lost our barn from it.” High winds have been blamed for knocking down one of the three little pigs’ abodes as well (although, witnesses say the house was made out of twigs, for what it’s worth). Investigators have ruled out the possibility of a wolf culprit.
In addition to the weather, several farmers have reported a strange goo-like substance covering their crops. “It’s green and sticky and sometimes smells like peppermints,” Penelope Ward told HEAS. “It eats away at the radishes before they’re fully grown. I fear I’ve lost my whole crop this year.”
Matthew Goodie, chief Enchantasia weather expert, said the weather and the goo could be related to one creature. “Legend has it the typhira, a small, goblin-like beast that preys on crops and schoolchildren, can also affect the weather. If one is on the loose in Enchantasia, we should all stay locked inside till it moves on to a new kingdom. They are almost impossible to catch and could burn you with one touch. Do not engage with one. You won’t win.”
“Those things are a myth!” said Goodie’s nemesis and author of Real vs. Myth? The Creatures We (Actually) Should Be Worried About, Jeff Doshler. “No one has ever found proof that typhiras really exist. How can an animal control the weather?”
“I object to Doshler’s objection,” countered Goodie. “Does he have proof that the animals are indeed not real? Until he does, I urge all citizens to take caution during storms. And cover your crops!”
The royal court told HEAS that it is looking into the matter, while appeals to the Dwarf Police Squad have remained unanswered. “Pete is buried under paperwork and will respond as soon as he can,” says a squad spokesperson.
Stay tuned for details on the unusual happenings in Enchantasia.