Warren & Dragon Volcano Deluxe

by Ariel Bernstein

  The first trick actually goes okay and I find the card Alison had picked easily. But my palms are still sweaty, and I mess up with the second volunteer. Nicky snorts again, but no one else seems too upset, so I try a few different tricks. Mostly I remember what to do, and silently thank Kaleb for all the time he spent teaching me.

  After each successful card trick, I hold out a hat to collect dollar bills. Sometimes the people watching are extra generous and put in more than a dollar. Eventually I notice that the crowd has thinned as people either return to the bake sale or leave the school lot.

  “Good magic show,” Alison says before walking away.

  “Thanks!” I call back, and see it’s a good time to pack up. As I put the cards back in the pack, I see Dragon start to stir.

  “That was a good nap,” he says, and stretches his arms. “Are we rich yet?” he asks, pointing to the money in the hat. I count the money.

  “We have enough money for the volcano building kit and for the charity,” I tell Dragon.

  “Yay!” Dragon whoops and claps. “We should celebrate by eating whatever is left at the bake sale.”

  I’m about to follow him when Principal Fenly walks up.

  “I heard you had an impressive magic show today, Warren,” she says.

  “Yeah, thanks,” I say.

  “How much money did you raise?”

  “Uh, how much money?”

  Principal Fenly points to the money in my hand. “How much money did you make from your magic show? I’m sure the children who receive toys will be very appreciative.”

  I look down at the money. “I’m not sure. I think it’s seventy-three dollars?”

  “That’s wonderful!” Principal Fenly says with a smile. She suddenly turns to Ellie and my parents, who are gathered at a table counting the money from the bake sale proceeds. “Warren raised seventy-three dollars!” Everyone turns to look at me. Ellie looks surprised. Mom and Dad look proud. Dragon looks happy, as he’s about to stuff four brownies into his mouth. He doesn’t realize what’s going on. I need a plan to keep the money.

  Then everyone starts to clap and I hear Michael call out, “Yay, Warren!”

  It’s too late for a plan.

  “I hope you feel very proud of yourself,” Principal Fenly says, and pats me on the shoulder. She reaches for the dollar bills in my hand, and just like that, they disappear.

  10

  Two Toys

  The next day, everyone is still happy with me. Like, really happy. Too happy.

  “I’m sorry I ever doubted your magic show,” Ellie says at breakfast. It’s the third time she’s apologized to me. It’s getting weird. “Your magic show even made up for the lost money from those awful cotton cookies!”

  “He did great,” Mom says with a big grin. “Who knew you were such a professional magician, Warren!”

  “Well, we already knew he could disappear when it’s time to clean his room,” Dad says, and everyone laughs. Everyone but me and Dragon. “Seriously, Warren, you did a great job. Seventy-three dollars will buy some nice toys for kids in the hospital.”

  Dragon snorts. “I bet those kids are going to get a volcano building kit,” he says angrily, tapping a spoon against the kitchen table. He’s the only one who’s not happy with me. “All because of my hard work,” he adds. “Well, the hard work I put in before my nap.”

  I stir my cereal slowly. I’m not really hungry. Dragon’s mad at me for losing the money. And even though I’d normally be happy that my family is impressed by me, it doesn’t feel right. They all thought I was actually trying to help raise money for kids in the hospital, and I wasn’t. I wish I could feel good about their praise, but I can’t.

  “Can I please be excused?” I say.

  “You’re not hungry?” Mom says, looking at my half-finished bowl. I shake my head. “All right, but we leave in an hour for Avik’s party.”

  * * *

  × × ×

  An hour later, Mom pulls into the parking lot in front of Tony’s Tops Toy Store.

  “What are we doing here?” I ask.

  “Avik’s party is here,” Mom explains. “They have a party room in the back.”

  Dragon is looking out the car window at the store. “Think anyone will notice if you take home the volcano building kit as a party favor?” he asks.

  I shake my head and sigh. Dragon looks sad. “Maybe I can bring back some cake,” I tell him. He looks a little happier.

  I take the birthday gift for Avik, wave bye to Mom and Dragon, and head into the store. Avik and his parents greet me and other kids arriving and have us walk to the back room.

  “Remember to put your name on a slip of paper and put it in the bowl for the toy giveaway!” Avik calls out as I make my way to the room.

  A bunch of the kids at the party were also at the charity event. I get a lot of congratulations on the magic show and for raising so much money. I try to shrug like it’s no big deal, because it shouldn’t be. For me, at least. Ellie and Michael and everyone else should get the praise.

  The party is pretty fun. We build our own robots and make our own puzzles before pizza and cake come out. It’s ice cream cake so I don’t try to save a piece for Dragon.

  Before it’s time to go, Avik’s dad announces that it’s time to pick the winner of the toy lottery. Avik reaches his hand into the bowl.

  “The winner is . . . Warren!”

  I drop the spoon I’m holding with cake on it. “Me?” I ask in disbelief.

  “You have a choice, Warren,” Avik’s dad tells me. He points to two brand-new toys on a counter, still in their boxes. My mouth drops open. One of the toys is the Deluxe Volcano Building Set Supreme! The other toy is a box filled with magic tricks. I can’t believe it. I finally can have the volcano building set! Dragon will be so happy. We can shoot lava into the air to our heart’s content.

  “You deserve it, Warren!” Alison suddenly says from across the table. “You raised money to give toys to other kids, and now you get one of your own!”

  Everyone nods their heads like they’re agreeing with her. I look around the room. They really think I did a good thing for the right reasons. But it was really Kaleb who deserves the praise. It’s because of his card tricks I made most of the money in the first place.

  I think for a moment. I’m feeling a new feeling I haven’t really felt before. Maybe . . . I want to do a good thing. And maybe for the first time, I have the right reason for doing it.

  I point to the toy that I’ve chosen.

  11

  Lava Magic

  “NOOOOOOO!” I hear a wail from behind me. Dragon is trying to hide behind the table of presents. He must have followed me into the party room.

  I walk over to the table and crouch down. “What are you doing here?” I whisper.

  Dragon shows me three empty cake plates. “I was worried you weren’t going to bring me back a big enough slice of cake,” he says.

  I can’t blame him for that.

  “Why didn’t you pick the volcano building kit?” he asks. “We finally had a chance to see lava shoot up in the air. And we can do magic on our own. We don’t even need a box of magic tricks.”

  “I’m sorry,” I say. “But I know someone who deserves it.”

  * * *

  × × ×

  Mom picks us up from the party and we get into her car.

  “I won a toy in a raffle at the party,” I tell her, holding up the magic tricks box.

  “That’s great, Warren!” she says, and then turns to start the car.

  “Mom, before you drive, can you call one of Michael’s moms?” Mom switches the car off and turns around to look at me. “I have another toy to bring to a kid in the hospital,” I say.

  * * *

  × × ×

  A couple of hours later we’re talking with Ka
leb’s parents outside of Kaleb’s hospital room. They seem happy to see us, and tell me Kaleb just woke up from a nap so I can go in to say hi for a few minutes.

  Dragon follows along as I walk in the room.

  Kaleb is lying on a hospital bed. He looks happy to see me but tired. “Hi,” Kaleb says with a small smile on his face.

  “Hi,” I say, and give a wave. I go sit down on a chair by the bed. Dragon walks over to a table that’s piled with balloons and gift bags. He looks inside them all.

  “These gummy bears are okay, but no marshmallows,” Dragon says. “Sheesh. Don’t people know the proper way to make a kid feel better?”

  “I brought you this,” I tell Kaleb, and hand over the magic tricks box.

  Kaleb’s eyes widen. “Wow!” he says, and takes it in his hands. “This is really cool! Thanks, Warren!”

  For the first time since before the magic show, it feels good to be thanked.

  “I wish I had a toy I could give you,” Kaleb says.

  “Oh, that’s okay,” I tell him. “I wanted to give you this to say thanks for showing me the card tricks. They were a big hit at the charity event! And I have some ideas about how to earn money for what I really want. A Deluxe Volcano Building Set Supreme. I want to see lava shoot up into the air.”

  “That sounds fun,” Kaleb says, and then laughs. “It’d be like seeing flaming mud or something.”

  Dragon stops rummaging through the bags and turns to Kaleb. “What did he say?” Dragon points to Kaleb. “Did he just say lava is like . . . flaming mud?” I can see that Dragon is starting to think of an idea. Dragon thinking of an idea always makes me nervous. “We have mud in the backyard,” Dragon continues. “And I, well, I can provide the flame.” Dragon suddenly sprouts a mischievous grin on his face.

  I shake my head at Dragon but he doesn’t notice.

  “Kaleb, I hope you feel better soon,” Dragon says quickly, taking a handful of gummy bears in his paw. “But I must run home now to perfect my own dragon-made lava kit.”

  I grab on to Dragon but he tries to wiggle away. We fall down to the floor.

  “Are you . . . wrestling your dragon doll?” Kaleb asks, leaning over to see us.

  “No!” I shout, and pull Dragon up with me. “I just, uh, slipped there.”

  Dragon tries to pull away again. “Listen,” I say, blocking the exit with my body. “Your dad said I could only stay a few minutes, but maybe we could meet up when you go back home to work on the magic tricks together?”

  “I’d like that!” Kaleb says.

  “Great!” I say.

  Suddenly, Dragon pulls out of my grasp and runs out the door.

  I rush out after him and see my mom talking with Kaleb’s parents.

  “Mom! We have to get home!”

  “What’s wrong?” she asks.

  “Oh, nothing. I just forgot to do something,” I say. I do not say I need to stop Dragon from accidentally lighting our backyard on fire. Dragon doesn’t have a car to get home in, but he’s surprisingly fast with those wings.

  She says a quick goodbye before taking me home.

  As soon as the car is parked, I unbuckle my seat belt and rush out toward the back. I don’t see any smoke or fire.

  Instead, I see Dad, Ellie, and Michael on the patio, putting something together. Dragon got back before me because he’s also there, looking at a box.

  “What’s going on?” I ask.

  Ellie looks up and smiles. “I got you something,” she says. “Well, I got it for both of us. And I invited Michael over to play. But it’s my way of saying sorry for being mean about your magic show. You really came through for the charity.”

  “We finally can shoot lava up in the air!” Dragon squeals, and I look more closely at the box he’s holding. It’s the Deluxe Volcano Building Set Supreme.

  “You got this?” I ask Ellie.

  “I had some allowance saved,” Ellie says, and shrugs slightly. “Dad took me to the toy store this morning after Mom mentioned you wanted the volcano building set. You were at the birthday party in the back so you didn’t see us. I thought it’d be a good surprise.”

  “Wow, thanks!” I say, and start looking at the parts we’re supposed to put together. “You didn’t have to,” I add.

  “I think it will be fun,” Ellie says. “Watching lava shoot up in the air is kinda like . . .”

  “Magic,” I say.

  Dragon jumps up and down. “Lava magic,” he says. “There’s nothing better.”

  About the Authors

  Ariel grew up outside of Philadelphia (developing cheesesteak obsession), went to college at Barnard in New York (developing sushi obsession), and now lives in the suburbs of New Jersey with her family (developing marshmallow obsession). She doesn't have a pet dragon, but does have the occasional herd of deer show up in the backyard.

  Besides writing children's books, she's worked in a movie theatre, at a Baskin Robbins, as a camp counselor, a paralegal, in human resources, and as a stay-at-home mom.

  Visit her at arielbernsteinbooks.com.

  Before his career as a writer-illustrator, Mike was a freelance graphic designer, comic book artist, performer, and teacher with a career spanning two decades. He is the director of ORNG Ink, an after-school studio for young artists, and has received several awards and honors for his work in the community with children and teens.

  Mike lives in Orange, NJ, with his wife, two adventurous kids, and a cat named Agnes that hates him. Visit him at mikemalbrough.com.

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