Leona''s Unlucky Mission (9 page)

“Yes, but in a way, wouldn't that Wisher's wish be selfish?” Cassie asked. “I mean, the playground would be for her, as a student at that school….”

“Correct,” said Tessa, “and yet it would be there long after she graduates and leaves the school….Perhaps, though, you could nudge her away from the ‘moonium dollar' wish toward a different one—but one that would have the same result?”

“Interesting!” Professor Illumia Wickes's smile lit up. “Such as…”

“Such as the whole school community coming together to raise money,” suggested Tessa.

“Oh, I know!” Astra exclaimed. “She could organize one of those ‘-athons' they do so much on Wishworld. A walkathon, or a jumpathon, or something like that!”

“Or a cake trade!” Gemma offered. “They're always doing those down there!”

“I think you mean a bake sale,” said Professor Illumia Wickes. “But yes…I like where this is going! Don't stop! Any more ideas?”

“How about a fashion show fund-raiser?” said Adora. “Wishling garments are so dull, we know, but still it could be fun!”

“You know what would be the
most
fun?” said Leona. “A fund-raising
concert
! And if it was my Wish Mission, I would sing—of course!” Energized, she turned to her new roommate. “What do you think, Ophelia?”

“I…I…” Ophelia stared back at Leona blankly.

“Yes, Ophelia. What
do
you think? You've been very quiet!” Professor Illumia Wickes smiled. “Don't be shy just because you're new. Feel free to jump in here and tell us what
you
would do!”

“Um…I…uh…”

“Go ahead,” Leona urged.

“It's just…” Ophelia winced as if her brain hurt. “It's just…I'm a little confused. We didn't learn much about young Wishlings' wishes in our other Wish Theory class…so I don't understand. And what exactly is a ‘playground'?” She paused. “Is there, um, a vocabulary list I could get, by any chance?”

A few giggles circled the table along with a rainbow of raised eyebrows.

Gemma snorted and threw back her head. “What in the stars! I feel like we really are in a remedial class!” She laughed.

“Like you know
everything
,” Libby muttered across the table to her roommate, not at all under her breath.

Gemma fired back a hot orange glare. “I know this: you think you're so neat and perfect, but you're not very good at making your bed.”

“That's only because you crawl over it to move those flowers! Why can't you just leave them on my nightstand, where you know they look the best?”

Zwwooosh!

A ball of light appeared in the professor's hand and she tossed it to the back of the room. It skimmed right over their heads. The girls' mouths opened in disbelief.

“That's enough!” said Professor Illumia Wickes as the Star Darlings covered their heads. “So much negative energy!” She clucked and shook her head.

The light ball slowed and returned to her outstretched hand, where it dissolved into a shimmering shower, spark by spark.

“Star apologies,” said Libby.

“Yes, star apologies.” Gemma looked down.

“Star apologies accepted, but all this bickering has got to stop. Now…” She scanned her holo-notes. “I'd like to spend the rest of the class on this idea of young wishful thinking, so if you'd all get out your Star-Zaps, please. Feel free to record my lecture so you can absorb it in your sleep….”

“Ophelia! Wait up!” Leona hurried after Ophelia, who was the first Starling out the door. “Don't listen to Gemma,” she said, linking her arm with Ophelia's. “Every Starling knows she has the biggest mouth in school.”

“But she's right,” said Ophelia as they rode the Cosmic Transporter out the front door of the school. “I'm so far behind the rest of you. I don't know where to begin to catch up! And it's not just that. I've seen some of the things the other Star Darlings—and you—can do with energy, and I'm nowhere even close….”

“You'll get there!” Leona tried to reassure her. “It might take some time, but you will!”

“But how? Do you know, when Lady Cordial first called me into her office, I thought I was being expelled. Do you know I got a D on my Wishworld Relations exam last week?”

“Really?” said Leona, stunned. D, for
Dim
, was the lowest grade a Starling could get.

“And it's not only that. You're so
special
! And the other Star Darlings, too. I don't fit in at all, and I don't see how I ever will….”

“Come on.” Leona took a sharp right, onto a path toward the edge of the campus.

“Where are we going?” Ophelia asked.

Leona pointed toward a thick grove of pink ozziefruit trees just past the campus border. It was her favorite place to walk and sing and think. “A few berries?” She winked at Ophelia. “They make everything better, don't you agree?”

As soon as the Cosmic Transporter reached the orchard, Leona and Ophelia stepped off and walked between rows of tall pink-leaved trees heavy with ripe indigo fruit. Leona reached out and picked a berry for Ophelia and another one for herself. Instantly, two new fruits grew in their places, just as big and juicy and blue.

“Shall we sit?” Leona asked, settling in the grass at the base of the fragrant tree. As Ophelia sank beside her, Leona took a bite out of her ozziefruit. “Mmm!” Leona said as she chewed and dabbed at a stream of blue juice dribbling down her chin.

Ophelia smiled.

“See? I knew these would make you feel better. And you haven't even eaten one yet.”

“It's your mouth…” Ophelia said, pointing.

“What?” Leona glanced down at blue ozziefruit-juice stains on her fingers. “Oh, no!” She laughed. “Are my lips blue?” She shrugged. “Who cares? It's worth it! See? I'm not that special after all!”

Just above them, a delicate twelve-legged rainbow-orb spider was busy weaving her star-shaped web. The star-silk stretched between the branches like shiny tinsel, flashing wherever the sunlight found it.

“Did you feel this way at first?” Ophelia asked Leona. “Like you didn't know why you were picked?”

Leona almost answered, “Sure,” but then she realized that wasn't true. In fact, she remembered clearly how right being chosen had felt.
Of course, I'm a Star Darling!
she'd thought when Lady Stella assembled them the first day.
And I'm going to be the best!

“Don't worry,” she told Ophelia instead. “It's going to get easier. Use your Mirror Mantra! It always helps me.”

“Mirror Mantra?” said Ophelia.

“Yes, you know—the words you recite when you need strength or reassurance. You can use it with your Wisher, too.”

Ophelia looked at her blankly. “Um, I don't know…I guess I haven't gotten one yet.”

“No? That's odd. Well, I'm sure you will. This is mine: ‘You are a star. Light up the world.'” Leona grinned proudly. “Nice, right? When you say it without a mirror, it makes you feel good and positive. When you say it on Wishworld in front of a mirror, you can see yourself with your Starland glow.”

“Do you think I could use yours? Until I get mine?”

Leona's eyes brightened. “Sure! Knock your stars out!”

Then, suddenly, both their Star-Zaps flashed.

“Ooh! What's going on?” Ophelia looked down as hers began to vibrate wildly—much more strongly than it did for a normal alert.

Leona read the screen, already knowing what it would say. “Another Wish Orb's been identified!” she told Ophelia. “Come on! We need to get to Lady Stella's office ASAS—as soon as starpossible!”

“Not to the Wish-House?” said Ophelia, scrambling to her feet.

“The Wish-House is for
regular
wishes,” said Leona. “We have a special, secret one—way under Halo Hall—for no other wishes, just ours!” She quickly grabbed a handful of berries. “For energy!” she said. “After all, who knows? The Wish Orb might belong to one of us!”

Soon Leona, Ophelia,
and the other Star Darlings stood in a circle around the grass-covered platform from which a Wish Orb would soon reveal itself.

Leona looked up and saw clouds drifting slowly across the blue sky. As usual, she had to remind herself that they were underground and not in Starland City Park.

“Are you ready, Star Darlings?” asked Lady Stella, raising her arms to begin the process of the Wish Orb Reveal.

Leona knew she was ready. She gazed around and could see that the others were, as well—everyone, that is, but poor Ophelia, who looked as if she'd eaten
way
too much zoomberry cake and was about to lose it all. Cassie didn't look very confident, either.

Lady Stella clapped once and the room fell dark, save for one pure white beam of light shining down on the platform, which slowly opened up, revealing a brilliant orb. It hovered in the air and then did something different: it started to race around the circle, zooming up to each Star Darling for a split second and then zipping across the circle toward another. Leona's eyes lit up each time it approached her, and her smile faded each time it zipped away. She closed her eyes in frustration.

“Leona!” someone shouted.

She opened her eyes. The beautiful, tantalizing orb floated in the air in front of her.

She reached out and the orb fit in her palm perfectly. She felt a wave of pure bliss as she gazed down at it.

“Congratulations, Leona,” said Lady Stella, pressing her palms together and bowing over them.

“How long till I go?” Leona asked. “Tomorrow morning? Afternoon?”

“Actually…” The headmistress stood over the Wish Orb and studied it. “I do believe that in the case of this wish, there isn't a starmin to lose. As you know, a Wish Orb will stay fresh and healthy as long as the Wisher keeps wishing on the wish…but if they begin to forget…or change their mind…their Wish Orb will lose its glow and fade away.”

“Is that what's happening?”

“It certainly appears so,” said Lady Stella. “The glow is already fading, I'm afraid. This wish needs granting very soon….”

“Then what are we waiting for?” said Leona. “All I really need is my Wish Pendant, right? Then I can go catch a shooting star!”

From the underground Wish-House, Leona followed Lady Stella out of the Star Caves. After a brief stop in the headmistress's office for a quick refresher on the features she'd need to use on her Star-Zap when she got to Wishworld, Leona raced back to her room to be sure she had everything she needed.

Back in Halo Hall, she boarded the Flash Vertical Mover, and in mere starsecs she was whisked into the sky. Lady Stella and the rest of the Star Darlings were there to see her off all wearing their Safety Star Glasses. Leona hugged all the Star Darlings good-bye, leaving Ophelia with an extra-strong, supportive squeeze.

“Remember what I told you. This is all strange and new right now, but it's going to get easier every starday! You're going to be a great Star Darling, Ophelia! Just hang in there and believe in yourself! Promise you'll try my Mirror Mantra. Remember how it goes?”

Ophelia took a hopeful breath. “‘You are a star. Light up the world.'”

“Exactly! You got it!”

Lady Stella gave Leona some last-minute advice. “Focus on your mission. Be sure you don't get caught up in the excitement of being on Wishworld,” she reminded Leona. “And be sure to discover your Wisher's true wish—not the wish you think she may have made.”

Lady Cordial gave Leona her backpack with the stuffed star-shaped keychain and wished her luck.

On the Special Star Darling Wishworld Surveillance Deck, Star Wranglers were already waiting with lassos made of wish energy to harness Leona to the next shooting star, which came before she even had time to think
Am I ready?
or
Should I have brought a microphone?
The next thing Leona knew, she was strapped to the star and hurtling through space like a golden meteor.