The Wish Stealers (22 page)

Griffin froze. Garrett’s dad was
here
? From Alaska?

“It’s okay, Griffin,” said Mrs. Forester, looking at her ashen face. “It might be very good for Garrett to have his dad around if we can all forgive one another. None of us ever stopped loving one another.”

Griffin and her mom stared at each other. Then Dr. Penshine turned to Mrs. Forester and spoke. “Mary Beth, that sounds like big news. Congratulations.”

“Thank you,” she said. “I’d like you to meet Garrett’s dad, Griffin. I want to show him the booth you both worked so hard on. One minute, okay?”

Griffin turned toward the back of the room. Sitting on the bleachers was a tall, handsome man with a brown beard.
Just like his picture,
thought Griffin. Mrs. Forester waved him over, and he walked back to booth 17.

“Griffin?” he said in a deep voice.

“Hello,” she said.

“Hi, I’m Garrett’s dad,” he said, and shook her hand. “I wanted to thank you for writing to me. I wouldn’t want to miss this. I’ve missed so much already.”

“I wasn’t sure I should have written to you,” whispered Griffin.

“I’m so glad you did. I hope one day Garrett is too. I’ll be rooting for your booth and for The Alchemists tonight.”

“Thank you,” she said.

“You guys need any help?” he asked.

“I think things are under control, right, Griff?” said Dr. Penshine.

Griffin nodded.

How does one become a butterfly? You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar.

—Trina Paulus

G
riffin! Griffin!” called Jason, out of breath and running toward her booth.

“Griffin, I have to talk to you!”

“What’s the matter?”

“We need your help!” he said, panting. “Kurt got really sick, stage fright or something. He started to hyperventilate and then threw up everywhere! His mom’s taking him home.”

“Oh, no!” she said.

“We really want to play tonight. We’ve been practicing for hours every day. Do you think you could play his bass? We have all the music here.”

Griffin looked at her mom.

“Up to you, Griff,” said Dr. Penshine.

“We’re on in twenty minutes!”

Griffin looked at the stage set up at the front of the gym. What if she couldn’t play?
I wish to become an amazing bass guitarist. Did I return enough of the wishes so I’m not cursed with that wish too? Will I mess up onstage? Can I even do it?

Slowly she turned to Jason. “You know, Garrett refused to do the booth with me tonight. If he’ll come to our booth when the judges are here, then I’ll play in your band.”

“Awesome! I’ll go tell him! Be right back!”

He darted away. “Twenty minutes?” said her mom. “Can you do it, Griff?”

“I know the music. I was supposed to teach Kurt, so I learned it.”

“Go for it! I was in a band, you know,” said her mom.

“You were?” said Griffin.

“Yeah. In college. The Rocket Girls.”

They burst out laughing.

Jason came running back. “Garrett said okay. Come back to the locker room.”

“Mom?” said Griffin.

“I’ll watch the booth until you take over,” she said.

Maneuvering through the booths about black holes,
electricity experiments, and jungle animals, Griffin located the locker room. Garrett stepped out from the door. Half his face was painted gold like a rock star.

“Hey,” he said.

“Hey,” said Griffin.

“Thanks for playing in the band,” he said.

“Yeah,” she said. “You’ll come help with the booth when the judges arrive?”

“Yeah,” he said.

They both smiled.

“We go up onstage in fifteen minutes. Here.” He tossed her a tube.

“What’s this?” said Griffin.

“Our costume,” said Garrett. “We’re The Alchemists, so you gotta paint half your face gold.”

“Really?” she said.

The other three guys poked their heads out the door, one stacked on top of the other like circus clowns.

“Hey, Griffin. Thanks a lot!” they all said.

A big smile spread across her face. The boys looked so funny painted half gold—foolish, even. But Griffin shrugged and went to paint her face too. In the girls’ locker room she stared at herself in the mirror. Her eyes glowed and her hair was shiny. Griffin peered into the mirror and thought about
all those pennies, how she had tried so hard to give them back, break the curse, and help people. Griffin drew a long golden line down her face and painted the right side gold. On the left side of her face, around her three freckles, she drew shooting stars.

If you don’t risk anything,
you risk everything.

L
adies and gentleman, your attention, please!” called Principal Yeldah from the gym’s stage. “We are so proud to welcome you to science night!”

Clapping echoed through the gym and crackled through the stage microphones. “Before the judges make their rounds to evaluate each student’s booth, Garrett Forester and his band, The Alchemists, will be playing. They’ll kick off our evening to help raise money for Pennies for the Planet. This fine charity helps turn pennies into gold for the environment. You all may notice there are five empty water jugs in front of the stage. Please donate your change. Students, dump out your mayonnaise jars of coins you brought from
home, and let’s fill these containers! All proceeds go toward protecting our environment. Now, it is my great pleasure to introduce … The Alchemists!”

The lights dimmed except for a few spotlights hovering overhead. Applause inside the cavernous gym sounded like thunder. Griffin’s heart was pounding louder than any drum she’d ever heard.
Why did I say yes?
she thought.

“One, two, three!” shouted Garrett, and the first song boomed through the speakers. Garrett’s drums and Griffin’s bass made up the rhythm section and set the base and anchor for the whole band. Kids cheered and started dancing. It was good the lights onstage were so bright and the audience so dark, because Griffin could hardly see anything. At first her fingers moved too slow. She messed up a few notes, but she recovered. Music and energy swirled around her. The Alchemists played three fabulous songs.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw what looked like shooting stars soaring in front of the stage. Turning her head, Griffin saw pennies being flung into the plastic containers.
Pings
,
plops
, and
whooshes
flew in electric zigzags as people threw money into the jugs.
Ping. Ping
. A dime bounced in too.
This is a different kind of ping!
thought Griffin.
Nothing stolen, just given. A silver raindrop. A shooting penny. A copper missile defending the rain forest.

“Thank you! Thank you, everybody!” shouted Ethan and Garrett, both breathless as the lights flashed on. Roaring applause sounded like a jungle downpour through the gym. “Thank you. Please make your donations to Pennies for the Planet.”

Mr. Reasoner and Principal Yeldah walked together onstage. “Folks,” said the principal, taking the center microphone. “First, another big round of applause for The Alchemists!” Griffin could now see all the faces in the bright gym lights. Hundreds of faces! Libby, Audree, Maggie, Madison, the kids in her science class, and Garrett’s mom all beaming with pride. Griffin’s father was there holding her mother’s hand, smiling at her. Everyone else was passionately clapping. Except Samantha. And Martha and Sasha. They just scowled. But no one noticed. In fact, everyone was having such a good time that no one paid much attention to them.

“We have a special announcement this evening. Tonight we will witness how small things can add up to very big things! Mr. Reasoner,” said Principal Yeldah, handing him the microphone.

Mr. Reasoner stood before the crowd. “Good evening, everyone. Tonight I would like to introduce one of my most dedicated metal shop workers, Alfred Coombs.”

Griffin gasped. It was the silent boy from the back of the metal shop. Griffin held her breath.

“Alfred has been collecting pennies since he was five years old. One day in class, after Alfred heard about Griffin Penshine and Garrett Forester’s fund-raiser idea, Alfred whispered a little something to me.”

Alfred wheeled up on the stage two huge water jugs filled with glittering pennies packed to the top. “Each full jug of pennies is worth three hundred and fifty dollars. Alfred is donating two full containers to Pennies for the Planet!”

The audience erupted in applause. Griffin jumped up and down.

“That leaves the rest of the night to fill the five containers in front of the stage.

Also, Principal Yeldah informed me that we also have a donation from Nome, Alaska, for two hundred and fifty dollars.”

Both Garrett and Griffin froze, looking out at the audience.

“Let’s hear it for Alfred and for The Alchemists!” More clapping. Griffin looked at Alfred Coombs and smiled. He smiled his goofy grin back. He wasn’t strange at all. He was fantastic.

“How about one more song from The Alchemists!” shouted Mr. Reasoner.

Thankfully they had one more song to play. It was called “Celebration.”

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,
committed citizens can change the world.
Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.