New Friends

by Michelle Misra

  “It’s flying!” said Ella, who’d read the timetable in the handbook.

  “Awesome!” exclaimed Tilly. “We’re going to have to get really good at that if we’re going to become Guardian Angels one day!”

  There was a snort behind her. Ella turned. Primrose and Veronica were standing there.

  “Guardian Angels!” Primrose said scornfully. “You four are never going to make Guardian Angels! You might as well just leave now!”

  Sticking her nose in the air, Primrose linked arms with Veronica and flew away.

  Ella opened her mouth, but just in time saw Seraphina watching them and bit back her sharp retort. She really couldn’t get into trouble again. “Primrose is so annoying!” she hissed to her friends.

  “Forget about her. Think of nice things,” Jess advised. “Like our flying lesson tomorrow.”

  “And the start-of-term garden party!” put in Poppy.

  “If we all have a halo stamp,” Tilly added anxiously. “What if we don’t?”

  Ella quickly forgot Primrose. “We will!” she declared. “We’ll all be at that party and we’re all going to have some fun this week, just wait and see!”

  CHAPTER 5

  Holographic Halos!

  WHEN ELLA WOKE THE NEXT morning, for a moment she couldn’t remember where she was. But then, when she saw the golden light streaming through the window and felt the comfy cloud beneath her, she knew exactly where she was. The Guardian Angel Academy!

  “Whoa!” she grinned, as her cloud started shifting beneath her. She quickly flapped her wings until her cloud moved downward and her feet touched the ground.

  “Good night?” Jess asked, as she stretched and yawned, her eyes cloudy with sleep.

  “The best!” grinned Ella.

  “I was dreaming about home,” said Tilly. For a moment she looked sad. “It’s lovely here, but I do miss my family,” she sighed.

  “There’s no time for missing anyone now,” Poppy said cheerfully, pointing at the golden dove as it let out a morning greeting. “It’s time we got up and got dressed or we’ll be late for breakfast!”

  The four girls scrambled out of bed.

  It was very busy in the dining hall. There was everything you could possibly want for breakfast—sparkly muffins, towers of toast, the creamiest oatmeal, and juices in every color of the rainbow. Once Ella had finished, she picked up her bowl and went over to where an older angel with ruby-colored wings was carefully stacking a cart and muttering under her breath.

  “Nearly dropped it . . . not another,” she groaned.

  “Let me help you with that,” offered Ella.

  “Oh you are an angel!” The older angel smiled, laughing at her own joke. “Thanks. My name’s Holly by the way.”

  “And I’m Ella,” said Ella.

  Ella and Holly worked happily alongside each other, with one collecting and the other stacking. As Ella piled up another bowl, a voice came from behind her.

  “It’s not every day a new angel helps out without even being asked.”

  Ella spun around. “Archangel Grace!”

  “I think you’ve earned yourself a halo stamp!” Archangel Grace beamed. “Come to my office to collect it.”

  A halo stamp? Ella couldn’t believe her luck. “Thank you,” she said excitedly as the head teacher disappeared. She couldn’t wait to get it and tell the others!

  “Go on,” said Holly, seeming to read her mind. “Go and get your stamp, I can finish up here.”

  “Sure?” asked Ella.

  “Positive,” said Holly.

  Quickly, Ella made her way out of the dining hall and up to the hallway where the Archangel’s office was. She stopped outside, nervously fingering her halo card. One . . . two . . . three. Ella knocked on the door.

  “Come in!” called Archangel Grace.

  Ella was lost for words as she looked around the Archangel’s office. It was just amazing! Little golden bells of all shapes and sizes were hanging from the ceiling and, as a breeze fluttered through an open window, they chimed musically. Archangel Grace smiled from behind her glass desk, a large book spread out before her, little half-moon glasses perched on the end of her nose.

  “What’s that?” Ella asked curiously, pointing at the book.

  “This?” Archangel Grace smiled. “It’s a map book of the whole of Angel World, my dear. Take a look, if you like.”

  Ella stepped forward to look at the beautiful pages. Even upside down, she could see bubbling brooks and fields of poppies. As Archangel Grace turned the page, the hum of bees and butterflies sounded around the room.

  “It makes a noise.” Ella jumped back, surprised.

  Archangel Grace chuckled to herself. “That, my dear, is the beauty of angel magic. Now, your halo stamp. Have you got your card?”

  Ella nodded and held it out.

  She watched closely as Archangel Grace took out a little pot of glittery powder from her pocket.

  “Angel dust,” Archangel Grace explained, sprinkling a pinch over Ella’s card.

  Poof! The most beautiful holographic stamp appeared on the card; it shone like silver. Ella felt a warm glow flood through her and felt as if her own real halo was glittering more brightly too.

  “Wow!” she breathed.

  “Your first halo stamp is very precious,” Archangel Grace said seriously. “I can still remember mine. Now, off you go—you’ve got flying class, haven’t you?”

  “I have. And thank you again, Archangel Grace,” breathed Ella.

  As Ella closed the door behind her, she looked again at the little stamp shimmering and sparkling on the card. It was just perfect! She felt she could have stood looking at it all day, but just then the bell rang. Ella jumped. Quick! It was time for flying class and she didn’t want to be late. . . .

  CHAPTER 6

  High in the Sky!

  NOW ANGELS, REMEMBER YOU DON’T need to move too much to raise yourselves off the ground. Just fill your head with floaty thoughts. Gently, gently . . .” Raffaella, the flying teacher, called out. “And remember, don’t go too high or too near the trees!”

  Ella closed her eyes and tried to remember everything she’d been taught. “Breathe and imagine,” she muttered under her breath, filling her head with thoughts of butterflies and bees. To her delight, her feet began to lift off the ground. She was flying!

  “How are you doing, Ella?” Poppy giggled, her arms flailing as she came over. “I’m doing loads better than yesterday. Whoa!” she cried, as she lost control and spun around. In a moment, the two girls had crashed, before collapsing in a heap on the ground. But Ella didn’t mind and in no time at all they were back in the air again.

  “That’s it, girls, keep up the good work,” Raffaella encouraged. “You’ll soon be flying well. Now remember please, no flying out of the school grounds while you’re third graders.”

  “Not at all, Angel Raffaella? But I wanted to go to Rainbow’s End,” said Primrose, swooping over.

  “I’m afraid that is completely out of bounds, Primrose.” Raffaella looked serious.

  “In that case of course I won’t go there,” said Primrose meekly.

  “What’s Rainbow’s End?” Ella asked her friends.

  “It’s a really magical place,” Tilly explained. “You can only reach it by using a rainbow near the school. It’s supposed to be the most beautiful place ever.”

  “That’s right, Ella,” Raffaella said, overhearing. “Not only is Rainbow’s End a very beautiful place, but a very special flower grows there—the remembering flower. It’s purple and, when someone touches it, it makes them feel happy.”

  “How does it do that?” asked Ella.

  “Ah, that is the subject of another lesson,” said Raffaella with a smile. “You’ll find out all about the remembering flower when you learn about magical plants. But this is a flying class. It’s flying time, angels!”

  Once Raffaella had moved on to help some of the others, Poppy flew back to Ella and nudged her. �
�So did you get your stamp?”

  Ella had been longing to let the others see her card with its stamp, but hadn’t wanted to show off. “Yes,” she admitted.

  Primrose was still hovering near them. She snorted. “The Archangel must be crazy to give you a halo stamp, Ella Brown!”

  Ella ignored her.

  “Let’s see it then,” said Tilly.

  Ella held out her halo card.

  “Wow!” Poppy breathed as she stared at the beautiful stamp. “Our dorm’s first halo stamp!”

  Ella grinned. “We’ll all have one soon, I bet we will.”

  “As if!” Primrose said. Suddenly she dived forward, grabbed Ella’s card, and flew off!

  “Hey!” Ella cried indignantly. “Come back!”

  Primrose hovered in the air. “If you want it—come and get it!” She flew higher.

  “Don’t, Ella,” said Jess. “She’ll soon get bored and come down.”

  But Ella flung herself into the air.

  “Ella!” Poppy exclaimed. “Don’t!”

  Ella didn’t listen. She chased after Primrose. They went higher and higher toward the treetops. It took a few moments before Raffaella noticed what they were doing.

  “Come back here, you two!” she cried, but both Ella and Primrose were too far away to hear her. Primrose was flying as fast as she could, but Ella was gaining on her. Whizzing forward, Ella grabbed at her card.

  “Arrgh!” Primrose called as, caught off-balance, she fell into one of the trees. Her gown and wings caught on the branches there and, for a moment, she dangled from it like a piece of laundry. She shrieked and struggled.

  Ella looked at her in alarm. “Stay still! I’ll help you.”

  “Get away from me!” Primrose screamed at her as the angels below all noticed and started to laugh and point.

  Raffaella was already racing up to the trees. Within seconds she had reached the two girls and was untangling Primrose from the branches. Then she brought them back down to land.

  “What in heaven did you think you were doing?” she exclaimed. “Didn’t you hear me tell you not to fly too close to the trees? Look at you—your white dresses have got dirt all over them and the arms of them are ripped.”

  Primrose let out a loud wail as she looked down at her ruined clothes. “This is all your fault,” she said accusingly to Ella.

  “My fault!” Ella was indignant. “You’re the one who took my card and—”

  “Enough!” Raffaella held up her hand. “This is both of your faults. And so I’m de-awarding you one halo stamp each.”

  “De-awarding?” For a moment Ella couldn’t think what Raffaella meant, but after a second it started to sink in. She was taking a halo stamp away! Ella gaped. That was so unfair! She couldn’t lose her precious halo stamp.

  Primrose hung her head. “I haven’t got a halo stamp to lose yet, Angel Raffaella.”

  “Then you’ll have to give up the next one you get,” said Raffaella crossly. “Now give me your card please, Ella.”

  Ella reluctantly did as she was told.

  Raffaella touched her wand to Ella’s card. There was a flash and then once more the card was just a dull white-gray color.

  “My halo has faded as well,” gasped Ella, looking around her and realizing she didn’t have quite the same glittery glow surrounding her as she had since she got the stamp.

  “It has indeed,” Raffaella said. “Now, back to school. You will both go to the Sad Cloud tomorrow as a punishment. I’m very disappointed.”

  As she turned to go, Ella turned to her friends. She was trying not to cry.

  “Oh, Ella,” said Jess, giving her a hug. “You must have known Primrose was trying to get you to do something bad so your stamp would be taken away.”

  Ella swallowed. “I know. I just lost my temper. Oh, I’m a useless angel!”

  “No you’re not. You’ll get another stamp in no time at all,” Tilly told her.

  A terrible thought struck Ella. “But what if I don’t? What if that was my one chance this week and now I’ve messed up?” She looked at her friends in horror. “What if I don’t get to go to the start-of-term garden party after all?”

  CHAPTER 7

  A Special Idea

  THE NEXT DAY, ELLA HAD to spend the whole of the morning between breakfast and break in the Sad Cloud with Primrose. The Sad Cloud was a dark cloud floating above the hall with a round room inside it. Everything was dull and gray and there was nothing to do when you were in there but read old books on angel history and the angel rules. Ella had spent the whole time ignoring Primrose and reading a book called Famous Angels Past and Present, while Primrose had spent her time reading out the angel rules from the handbook and smirking. Ella had got back to the dorm just before the others, who had all been at a forgetting spell class.

  Jess and Poppy came to find her. “Hi,” Jess said giving her a sympathetic look. “Was the Sad Cloud horrible?”

  “Really horrible,” sighed Ella. “Just imagine being cooped up with Primrose for all that time!”

  The other two shuddered at the thought.

  “So how was the class?” Ella went on.

  “Great,” said Poppy. “We were learning how to help people to forget sadness.”

  “We got to use our wands and angel magic,” said Jess. “But because we’re such young angels the spells wear off pretty quickly—although Poppy was really good at them.”

  “You too. We got a halo stamp each,” Poppy said. She went red. “Oh! We weren’t going to tell you that yet.”

  “Don’t be silly!” Ella pushed down the stab of jealousy and jumped up and hugged her friends. “I’m really happy for you.”

  “Really?” said Jess. “We thought you would mind.”

  “Of course not.” The last thing Ella wanted was her friends to feel bad about getting halo stamps. “I really am happy. Did Tilly get one too?”

  “Well, Tilly wasn’t there,” said Jess.

  “We thought she must be sick and be up here,” said Poppy. “She was really quiet at breakfast.”

  Ella nodded. She’d noticed that Tilly had been very quiet too. “I wonder where she can be. Should we go and look for her?”

  Poppy looked torn. “We’ve got to go and get our stamps. We were told to go to see the Archangel at break time.”

  “But then we really should look for Tilly,” said Jess anxiously.

  “Look, you go and get your stamps, I’ll go and look for Tilly,” said Ella.

  And, jumping down off her cloud, she headed off down the hallway.

  But Tilly wasn’t in any of the other dorms. So Ella went down the spiral staircase to the floor below. Some angels were doing their homework in the classrooms, but there was no sign of Tilly. Where was she? Now that she thought about it, Ella realized Tilly had been quiet the evening before, too.

  She checked the halls and then went outside, walking around the outside of the building, calling Tilly’s name. She had almost given up hope of finding her when Ella suddenly caught sight of Tilly in the school vegetable patch with a rake in her hand.

  “Tilly!” Ella said in relief. “What are you doing out here? Everyone’s been worried about you. . . .” She broke off as she realized that Tilly had been crying. “What’s the matter?” she asked.

  Tilly sniffed, wiping a muddy hand across her face. “I’m not feeling great.”

  “But if you’re sick you should be inside. You’ll get into trouble and—”

  “I’m not sick and it’s okay, Seraphina knows I’m here. She said I could come out.” Tilly swallowed. “I’ve been feeling really homesick, Ella. I miss my mom and my dad, and my brothers and sisters, too. I couldn’t sleep much last night and so I went to see Seraphina after breakfast. She told me I could miss the forgetting class and come out here instead. It reminds me of home, you see. I used to help Mom with the garden.”

  Ella put an arm around her. “You poor thing. But you’ll see your family on holidays.” She wished there was somethin
g she could do. Tilly looked so sad. “Cheer up. Just think about all the fun things we’re learning—and there’s the garden party on Saturday to look forward to as well. That’s only three days away. We should be concentrating on getting halo stamps so we can go to that! Poppy and Jess both got halo stamps in forgetting class today.”

  Tilly looked rather sheepish. “Actually, I got one this morning too. For helping Seraphina weed the garden.”

  “Oh Tilly!” Ella gave her friend a big hug. “That’s great.” Inside she could feel a fluttering of panic. All her friends had halo stamps now. That meant they could go to the party. Surely, surely she wasn’t going to be the only one left behind. She didn’t think she could bear it if that happened!

  “Thanks for coming to find me,” said Tilly. “I’ll just go and put this rake away and then I’ll come back inside.”

  “Okay,” said Ella. “Don’t be long. We’ll have forgotten what you look like!”

  “I won’t.” Tilly forced a smile.

  Ella headed back into the building to tell Poppy and Jess that she had found Tilly. She wished she could think of something to cheer Tilly up. But what?

  Ella thought about it. Tilly loved gardening. And what did gardens have in them—not just vegetables, but flowers. Flowers. That was it! And not just any old flower! An idea started to form in Ella’s mind. What was it that Raffaella had said earlier about the remembering flower—about how it made people feel happy? Raffaella hadn’t said how it worked, but it sounded amazing.

  I could get one for Tilly, Ella thought. But then she paused. The flower was at Rainbow’s End, and that was out of bounds. It would stop her from going to the party altogether if she was caught. But it would be such an adventure and it would help Tilly. . . .

  Ella felt a leap of excitement. She’d do it! She just needed to get into Archangel Grace’s office and copy the directions down. She could go tomorrow morning when everyone went to assembly.

  Ella gave a little skip. She was going to have an adventure. She couldn’t wait!