Double Trouble

by Miranda Jones

  “Can we pretend to be seasick?” asked a round-faced boy with messy brown hair.

  Ali rolled her eyes. Barry Oakes always thought he was so funny.

  Mrs. Harvey sighed. “If you must”

  The teacher put some classical music on the CD player, and the groups began to shuffle around. At first the music was quiet, although it sounded very Joud to Ali's tiny ears. Then, with a couple of drumrolls, the music grew louder and louden It was a good thing Genie hadn't put the backpack next to the CD player; Ali thought. It would have deafened her!

  The groups were now staggering around the room, clinging to each other and wiping imaginary water from their faces. Ali had to admit that it did look like fun. And Genie was pretty good! She swayed from side to side, lurching about and pretending to clutch at ropes.

  “Watch out crew!” Genie shouted as she slid across the floor and bumped into Tiffany, who looked furious. “The storm's really blowing up now!”

  Grinning, Ali leaned farther out of the backpack to get a better look But as she did so, a barrette slipped out and landed on the floor.

  “Oh no!” Ali bit her lip. The barrette, which had a little strawberry on the end, was one of her favorites. And the way everyone was running around the room, it was going to get stepped on any minute now. Barry Oakes had nearly squashed it already with his huge sneakers.

  Ali quickly made up her mind to do something. She heaved herself out of the pocket and scrambled down the side of the backpack. Just as she stretched out her hand to pick up the barrette, Barry lumbered past. He kicked the barrette without even noticing. It flew across the floor and landed even farther away, near Genie's group.

  “Oh no,” Ali groaned. She would have to make a dash for it right to the other side of the room, avoiding all those enormous prancing feet—while making sure no one saw her!

  Hugging the wall, Ali ran as fast as she could to the barrette. She hid behind a pile of gym mats to catch her breath. Phew! What's that awful smell? she wondered. She looked over and saw an old gym sock lying in a smelly heap beside her: Yuck! Pinching her nose, Ali raced out into the middle of the room. Luckily everyone was too busy in their storm-tossed boats to notice her Even Little Genie!

  As Ali bent to pick up the barrette, she saw Tiffany glance over at Mrs. Harvey. The teacher was talking to another group and had her back to the studentsTiffany grinned nastily and gave Genie an enormous push. Genie gasped and went sprawling on the floor.

  Tiffany laughed. “Someone's fallen overboard, and we don't have any life jackets!”

  Ali glared at her “Genie, are you all right?” she called in her tiny voice. But there was so much noise in the room, Genie couldn't hear her.

  Genie jumped up, rubbing her elbow. “No problem, everybody!” she shouted cheerfully. “It's a good thing I can swim!”

  That'll show Tiffany! thought Ali. She watched as Genie zoomed across the room toward Barry's group.

  “Help!” Genie yelled, waving madly at Barry. “Can I come on board?”

  “I thought you said you could swim,” Barry called.

  “I can,” Genie replied, dog-paddling. “But this water's freezing!”

  “Come on in, then,” Barry said with a grin.

  “You know what?” Genie said as Barry grabbed her hand to haul her into the pretend boat. “It'd be a lot more fun if there was a real storm!”

  Ali's heart began to pound. What was Little Genie planning now? “No, Genie!” she yelled.

  But her words were swept away by a sudden gust of wind that seemed to come from nowhere. It raged around the room, rattling the windows and making it impossible to hear anything except Tiffany Andrews's shrieking.

  Ali tried to run across the room to the safety of the backpack, but the wind was too strong. She clung, to a nearby chair leg, wondering what was going to happen next. Somehow she didn't think Genie's idea of a real storm would stop at a gust of wind.

  And then Ali saw a huge green-blue wave of water rising slowly at the far end of the room. It loomed higher and higher until it had covered the windows!

  “Oh no!” Ali gasped.

  Mrs. Harvey was staring at it open-mouthed. So was everyone else.

  “Man the lifeboats!” yelled Genie, rushing around with a big grin on. her face. “Wave ahoy!”

  And then, very slowly, the wall of water rolled over. It crashed to the floor, rushing toward every corner of the room. The noise was deafening.

  Mrs. Harvey raced over to the door and pulled it open, waving desperately for the class to run outside. Ali wanted to follow, but she was too scared of getting trampled. There was nothing she could do, so, feeling very scared, she stayed under the chain And when she looked up, the huge wave was plunging straight toward her.

  “Help!” Ali yelled, cowering under the chair She was already wet through from the spray. In just a moment, the water would be right over her head.

  “Ali!”

  Above the roar of the water, Ali heard someone shout her name. Footsteps splashed across the room, and suddenly there was a very damp Genie, still looking like Ali, kneeling beside the chair Ali had never been so glad to see anyone in her life!

  “Come on!” Genie said urgently, lifting Ali up.

  “Ali!” Mrs. Harvey called anxiously from the door The rest of the class were standing shivering in the corridor “Over here!”

  Ali glanced over just in time to see the teacher jump out of the way as the water crashed into the doorway.

  “Genie!” Ali shouted. “Look! The door is flooded. We won't be able to get out!”

  But Genie had a plan. Clutching Ali in her hand, she sprinted to the other end of the room just ahead of the rolling wave. Genie grabbed Air's backpack off the floor; then jumped onto the piano stool and climbed right up on top of the piano. The wave smashed against the wall, sending a spray of water over themvAli gulped as she pushed her wet hair out of her eyes and gazed down at the choppy water swirling on the floor below.

  “You saved my life!” Ali gasped. “Thanks, Genie.”

  “It was lucky I spotted you,” Genie said. A drop of water slid down her cheek. She helped Ali into the backpack pocket and zipped it half shut. “I didn't know the storm was going to be this big!” she confessed. “That wave was gnarly!” Then she winked at Ali, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “It's been fun, though, hasn't it?”

  The wind was still thundering around the room, and the waves were still sweeping up and down. Suddenly a loud siren could be heard above the howling wind.

  “Listen,” Ali said through chattering teeth. “It's the fire departmenti'The rest of her class, who were standing just outside the door started to cheer.

  A few moments later a group of firefighters in yellow helmets and big boots appeared in the doorway. One of them waded over to Genie and Ali. “Gome on,” he said. “Let's get you out of here.”

  Genie clutched the backpack tightly as the firefighter picked her up and waded back across the hall. Ali couldn't resist peeking out to see what was going on. The water had flooded down the corridor and into some classrooms. The whole school had been sent outside to line up in the playground, just like a fire drill. Everyone from Mrs. Harvey's class was wet and shivering, and Ali could hear Tiffahy Andrews being a drama queen as usual, moaning and complaining at the top of her voice.

  “I bet my bag's ruined!” she was protesting. “I had to leave it behind. And it cost a lot!”

  Meanwhile, Mrs. Harvey was talking to one of the firefighters. She looked very pale.

  “We think a water main must have burst,” the firefighter said. “I've never seen so much water”

  Mrs. Harvey nodded. “Yes, that must be what happened.” She turned to her class. “Mrs. Jasmine and I will be phoning your parents to come for an early dismissal so that you can go home and dry off. If we can't reach your parents, we'll call your emergency pickup number”

  Ali shivered. That meant Gran would be coming to get her.

  Mary squelched over to Genie.
“Hey, Ali, wasn't that cool?” She was soaking wet, but she was grinning like crazy. “Scary, but fun! It was just like being in a real storm!”

  “I know!” Genie agreed, squeezing some water from her hair. “I can't believe a water main burst just as we were acting out that storm scene!” She glanced down at Ali and winked.

  Inside the backpack pocket Ali was freezing. She tried wrapping; one of the empty gum wrappers around her to warm up, but it didn't help. All she wanted to do was go home, climb into a steaming bath, and have a hot drink.

  “There's your grandma, Ali,” Mary said.

  “Oh.” Genie sounded puzzled. Ali watched as Genie looked at the cars pulling up outside the school gate. “Um, where, exactly?”

  Ali groaned. Of course Genie didn't know who Gran was! Even though Gran had bought the Lava lamp for Ali, Genie hadn't appeared until Ali had started polishing the lamp at home.

  “There,” said Mary, pointing. “Have you still got water in your eyes or something?” Ali saw Mary giving Genie a strange look. “That's her car; isn't it?”

  “Oh, that Gran,” Genie said breezily. “I didn't know who you meant at first.”

  Ali could see from the look on Mary's face that she definitely thought there was something seriously wrong with her friend! “I'm going to have a lot of explaining to do,” Ali mumbled, shaking her head.

  “Are you two all right?” Gran was hurrying across the playground toward Genie and Mary. “What an awful thing to happen. You're soaked through.”

  “We're fine, Gran,” Genie said.

  “Mary, can we give you a ride home?” Gran offered.

  “Thanks! I'll tell Mrs. Harvey,” Mary said.

  As soon as Mrs. Harvey said it was okay, Gran hurried them over to the car and put the heater on full blast. Ali was dying to pop her head out of the backpack to dry her hair; but she didn't dare.

  They dropped Mary off, and then Gran drove straight to the Millers' house. “Now go upstairs and get out of those wet clothes,” she told Genie, taking the backpack from her and putting it down in the hall. “I'll run you a bath and make you some hot chocolate. That'll soon warm you up.”

  “Maybe I should unpack my backpack first,” Genie began. “My papers might be wet—”

  “That can wait” Gran said firmly. “Off you go.”

  Ali's face fell as she heard Genie and Gran going upstairs. She needed a bath and a cup of hot chocolate too! She couldn't unzip the pocket without Genie. She was stuck.

  It seemed like ages until she heard Genie coming downstairs again.

  “Gran, is it all right if I take my hot chocolate upstairs and start my homework?” Genie asked.

  “Of course,” Gran said, much to Ali's relief.

  Ali felt the backpack being lifted into the air She bounced and bobbed from side to side as Genie ran upstairs. When the zipper was pulled open, Ali scrambled out onto her bed.

  “Are you okay?” Genie asked. She looked very warm and snug in Ali's favorite sweats.

  “N-no,” Ali stammered through clattering teeth. “Aschoo!”

  “How can we warm you up?” Genie wondered. “You're too small to go into the bath. You might slip down the drain! And you're too tiny to fit into any of your other clothes. We could wrap you in a sock or something.”

  “No, I know what to do,” Ali said, sneezing again. She was so cold, she was ready to try desperate measures. “I want my third wish. I wish for something to make me warm and dry.”

  Genie clapped. “I know just the thing,” she said excitedly. “My friend Ray will do the trick! I knew him at Genie School.”

  “No, Genie,” Ali gasped. “Not another genie.” One was more than enough!

  But it was too late. Genie had already snapped her fingers and was frowning in concentration as she cast her spell.

  Ali's bedroom windows flew open and cold air streamed in.

  “Genie, you're supposed to be warming me up,” Ali complained, trying to pull her quilt around her “Close the windows!”

  “Just a minute.” Genie ran over to the window and peered out “Oh, look! Here's Ray”

  Ali watched in amazement as a puff of bright yellow smoke whirled into the room. With a loud whoosh!, something that looked the same size and shape as Ali's bedside rug swept through the window and skidded to a halt above Ali's desk It was a flying carpet, golden yellow with orange and red stripes!

  Sitting cross-legged on the carpet was a round-faced, smiling genie. He wore a gold vest, an orange hat, and baggy yellow pants. In his arms he carried something wrapped in a silky golden cloth.

  “Ray!” Genie waved in delight. “It's been ages since I've seen you.”

  “Hi, Genie,” Ray called down, peering over the edge of the carpet. “Is it okay to land?”

  “Sure, go ahead,” Genie said.

  Ali stared as Ray guided the carpet down from the ceiling. It settled lightly on the floor and Ray stood up, revealing dazzling slippers with long, curled-over toes. He was taller than Genie, and very tan.

  'This is Ali, my lord and master,” Genie said excitedly, pointing to Ali on the bed. “Ali, this is Ray, an old friend of mine. He sells flying carpets.”

  “I'm very pleased to meet you, Ali,” Ray said cheerily, bowing low with an elegant wave of his hand. “I am honored indeed to meet Little Genie's lord and master.” He glanced at Genie with a grin. “There were times at Genie School when even her closest friends doubted that this happy day would come!”

  “Hi,” Ali said, still shivering. Was this really what she had wished for? She didn't have a clue how Ray was going to warm her up!

  “Ray was the coolest cat in class when we were learning how to fly magic carpets,” Genie explained. “I was hopeless. I kept crashing, and in the end our teacher, Mr. Abracadabra, would only let me use a doormat”.

  Ray proudly tapped his carpet with his toe. “I'm flying the latest model now,” he told her “This is the R-60, the most expensive carpet I have in the shop. Top speed 140 miles per hour, and it never overturns, not even in the strongest wind.”

  “Really?” Genie, looked very impressed and bent down to stroke the gold fringe.

  Ray yawned hugely. “Sorry,” he apologized. “I was refueling in the Sahara when you called, and I've got jet lag. What did you want me fon Genie?”

  Quickly Genie explained what had happened.

  “In that case, ladies, it's lucky I've brought my sunlamp.” With a flourish, Ray unwrapped the object in his arms. It looked a bit like the reading lamp on Ali's desk, except that it was a shiny golden color. Ray put it down on the desk and pointed it in Ali's direction.

  “A sunlamp?” Ali said. “Well, that seems like a good idea.”

  “This will warm you up in no time,” Ray promised.

  “You can plug it in under the desk,” Ali said, feeling another giant sneeze tickling her nose. She hoped he would hurry up.

  Ray shook his head. “It doesn't need to be plugged in,” he said, waving his hand in front of the lamp. “It's magic!”

  “Like my Lava lamp,” Genie added. She sat cross-legged on Ray's carpet and smiled encouragingly at Ali.

  Ali watched as the giant lightbulb inside the lamp began to glow. The light was very bright, but soon Ali felt a deliciously warm beam coming from it. She lay down on the bed and shut her eyes as the heat soaked into her and dried her clothes.

  “So how's the flying carpet business these days, Ray?” Genie asked.

  “Not bad at ail,” answered Ray. “I sell a lot of these R-60s. It doesn't just go up and down, you know. Oh no, you've got 360-degree movement; and it can even do loop-the-loops. You have to hang on tight, though.”

  “That's bookin'!” Genie said. She turned to Ali. “How are you feeling?”

  “Great,” Ali replied with her eyes still closed. “It's like I'm lying on a beach!” She opened her eyes and sat up. She was warm and dry all over “Thanks very much,” she said, grinning at Ray.

  “No problem,” he said, givi
ng her another sweeping bow.

  “You can turn the lamp off now, if you like,” Ali added.

  “Actually, the lamp's part of your wish, so it has to stay on until all the sand runs through the hourglass,” Genie explained cheerfully. “Ray has to stay too.”

  Ali's heart sank. She'd managed to keep one genie hidden from her family so fan but it was going to be much more difficult with two!

  Just then she heard the front door open and close downstairs. There was the sound of voices in the hall.

  “That's Dad talking to Gran,” Ali gasped. “He just got home from work Genie, you'd better go downstairs.” Her tummy rumbled loudly, and she realized she hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast “And would you bring me something to eat?”

  “Sure,” Genie promised. “Just give me five minutes.” She hurried over to the door and went downstairs.

  Ray yawned again. “Do you mind if I have a nap?” he asked Ali. “I'm really tired”

  Ali shook her head. “Of course not.” She scrambled down the quilt onto the floor and went over to look at Ray's carpet. A pattern of round yellow suns was woven along the orange and red stripes, and the soft, floaty fringes were made of gold thread. “Is It very difficult to learn how to fly a carpet?” Ali asked curiously.

  “Not really,” Ray replied. “You just have to practice. I could give you a great deal, if you like,” He frowned thoughtfully. “If you're a beginner, I'd recommend the R-20. It comes in red or green, fringe extra, and it's guaranteed for a hundred hours of flying time. It doesn't do loop-the-loops, so you'll be quite safe. Just keep away from trees and tall buildings while you're practicing.”

  For a moment Ali was tempted. Her own flying carpet! It would be great. “Well…” she began.

  “Okay you've twisted my arm,” Ray said quickly. “Seeing as you're a friend of Little Genie's, I can give you fifty percent off. Only fifteen gold coins. That's a real bargain.”

  Reluctantly Ali shook her head. “I'd never be able to keep it a secret from my family,” she said. “People around here just don't have flying carpets.”