Ever After High
Page 10
She sang, “This feeling inside is coming alive. No more waiting now…” And then, with a kick of her tail, she sailed into the air, did a graceful flip, and landed on two feet. She was wearing her favorite dress, the one with the scalloped coral top and teal skirt, the ruffles moving as gracefully as waves. Beneath the stage lights, her princess mermaid bracelet glittered on her arm, and her white pearlized shoes sparkled. Everyone went wild, cheering and clapping for the performance. Meeshell joined her fellow Happily-Glees in the chorus.
“See the fire in our eyes, it’s burning brighter.
Let go of the fear and fly, higher and higher.
Rise up, the sky’s the limit now, at Ever After High.
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh!
Power princess shining bright!”
“They loved you,” Melody told Meeshell as loud applause filled the Charmitorium.
“They loved us,” Meeshell said.
“That was wonderlicious!” Maddie hurried onto the stage. “I guess it’s my turn now. Damsels and gentlemen, prepare to be spellbound and behold, as I turn this aquarium into the biggest cup of tea ever after!”
As Maddie worked her magic trick, Headmaster Grimm greeted the choir backstage. “Ms. Piper.” He spoke in his usual serious tone.
“Yes, Headmaster?”
“I wanted to inform you that I was delighted by the performance. I didn’t feel the need to plug my ears this time.”
“Thanks,” Melody said.
“And it is nice to see that you are no longer living incognito,” he told Meeshell. “Mrs. Trollworth won’t be happy with the additional paperwork required to make the change to your name, but the truth is, trolls are rarely happy.”
Meeshell made a mental note to take Mrs. Trollworth a bouquet of flowers. Or perhaps, something more troll-worthy, like a jar of bugs.
Apple and Briar were weaving their way through the crowd. “Ms. Beauty!” Headmaster Grimm called. Briar and Apple squeezed between some students who were congratulating Melody.
“Yes, Headmaster Grimm,” Briar said.
“A new student will arrive tomorrow morning, from Wonderland. As the head of the Welcoming Committee, I will need you to meet that student at the wishing well portal.”
Briar pulled out her MirrorPad and checked her calendar. “I’d be happy to do that, Headmaster, but I have a Party Planning Committee meeting first thing in the morning. However…” Following a long yawn, she tucked the MirrorPad into her bag, then pulled a small badge from her pocket. “I happen to have a new member on the Welcoming Committee who will handle the welcome duties spelltacularly.” She pinned the Welcoming Committee badge to Apple’s dress. Apple beamed.
A while later, after most of the students had congratulated Melody and her choir, Meeshell, Apple, Briar, Ashlynn, and Maddie all decided to walk to the village to get mocha lattes. For the first time since getting two legs, there was a lightness to Meeshell’s step, a buoyancy to her stride as if she were bobbing on water. She felt authentically happy.
“Now that we know you’re not afraid of water, how about going to Mirror Beach this weekend?” Apple asked.
“Yes, you can teach us all how to surf,” Briar said.
“That would be fun,” Meeshell told them. As they sat at a table beneath a giant oak, waiting for their lattes, Meeshell wanted to send StoryTeller2 a note. Maybe he’d meet her at the beach? But when she pulled out her MirrorPad, she found an urgent message. And it wasn’t from StoryTeller2.
Urgent message from Professor Yaga.
We have another injured creature and I could use your help.
Chapter 21
Swimming Lessons
Meeshell and her friends hurried toward the Creature Care Center, but then Meeshell spotted the colorful shape of someone sitting on the beach. It was Professor Yaga. As they grew closer, Meeshell could see that Hunter was there as well. The tide was low, and a series of tide pools had formed. Professor Yaga motioned from the largest tide pool. The girls gathered ’round.
“What’s that?” Briar asked, pointing to a black shape lying on the bottom of the pool.
“It’s a manta ray,” Meeshell explained. She recognized the creature as one of the mantas that she’d ridden many times back home. She knelt on a rock to get a closer look. The manta was listless, his eyes closed.
“This creature is obviously suffering,” Professor Yaga said as sunlight bounced off her hoop earrings. “Hunter called me and I got down here as fast as I could, but I cannot figure out how to help him. Can you speak to him?”
“Yes,” Meeshell said. “Manta Ray was one of the first languages I learned.”
“Oh, can I listen?” Ashlynn said, joining Meeshell. “I’d love to hear what Manta Ray sounds like.”
“Sure.” Meeshell stuck her head in the water and, to her surprise, Ashlynn stuck hers in as well. Then, with delicate precision, Meeshell blew some bubbles, their sequence spelling out words. The manta opened his eyes and bubbled back. After a few lines of conversation, Meeshell and Ashlynn both sat up and took deep breaths.
“He can’t swim,” Meeshell reported. “He collided with a shark.”
Professor Yaga stuck a gnarled finger into the tide pool and gently stroked the manta ray’s back. “If he can’t swim, how did he get here?”
“Coral brought him,” Meeshell explained.
“Who’s Coral?” Apple asked.
“She’s the daughter of the Sea Witch,” Professor Yaga said. She looked out at the ocean. “Is she still here? It would be helpful to speak with her.”
Meeshell expected to hear gasps of surprise at the mention of the Sea Witch, but none of the girls even batted a lash. Hunter looked unfazed as well. Guess they were used to witches of all sorts.
Meeshell pushed her wet hair from her face, then walked from the tide pool to the water’s edge. “Coral!” she called, cupping her hands around her mouth. “It’s okay. You can show yourself. We want to talk to you!”
Some ripples appeared at the surface. Then a blue face popped out of the water. “Hello,” Coral said to Meeshell.
“Hi,” Meeshell said. “Everyone, this is Coral.” She introduced the professor and her friends. Apple was the most delighted to meet someone new.
“You’re almost old enough to come to Ever After High,” Apple said. “Briar and I will make sure you get a warm welcome.” She pointed to her Welcoming Committee badge.
“Thanks,” Coral told her, smiling shyly.
“What can you tell us about the manta ray?” Professor Yaga asked.
Coral pushed her blue-black hair behind her shoulders and swam closer. “He and a shark got into an argument. I’m not exactly sure what it was about, but you know how opinionated sharks are. Anyway, he ended up getting hurt and he’s having trouble swimming. I don’t have all my magical powers yet, so I can’t magically fix him. I thought someone here could help.”
With the professor’s guidance, Meeshell, Hunter, and Ashlynn put the manta ray into a tub. Then the girls and Hunter carried the heavy creature over to the Creature Care Center, leaving Coral and Meeshell alone on the beach.
“How are things going?” Coral asked. “I see your legs didn’t fall off.”
“Yeah, they’ve been pretty good legs. Thank you for that.”
Coral pulled herself onto the beach. She stretched her red tail. “Do you think you’ll be okay with living on land? With losing your singing voice?”
Meeshell sat next to her, cross-legged. “I was worried about what I’d do with myself on land, you know, if I couldn’t sing and if I couldn’t have a tail. But I think I figured it out.” She looked up at the care center building. “I will never lose my connection to the sea because I’m going to focus on my studies in Beast Care and Magicment. I’m going to dedicate my life to taking care of sea creatures.”
Coral smiled. “Whoa, that’s amazing, because I’ve decided to do the same thing.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. When Mom leaves to bec
ome a famous singer, I’m going to use my powers as the Sea Witch to take care of creatures, too. So we can work together!” They both laughed. Who could have imagined such a twist to their stories?
“I brought you a surprise.” Coral reached into the water and pulled out…
“Finbert!” Meeshell cried. Her little narwhal stuck his happy face out of the water.
“I’ve been working on a new spell. It’s a way for Finbert to stay with you at school. Watch.” With a flick of her abalone wand, a little protective bubble formed around Finbert and he floated into the air. With his tail acting like a propeller, he floated straight into Meeshell’s outstretched arms.
“This is so amazing,” Meeshell said with a laugh. “Thank you!”
After they said good-bye, Coral swam out of the harbor, smacking her red tail one last time before she disappeared beneath the waves. “I’m so glad you’re here,” Meeshell told her beloved pet. “Wait until you meet my friends. They’re going to love you!” She was about to walk up to the Creature Care Center when some splashing sounds drew her attention. It wasn’t ordinary splashing, like a fish enjoying some sunbeams, or a seagull diving for a treat. The splashing was urgent and frantic. “Uh-oh,” she said to Finbert. “Let’s go!”
She ran past the tide pools, around the bluff, and onto Mirror Beach. The beach was empty. An OFF DUTY sign hung from the lifeguard chair. But there, in the water, arms flailed. Someone was trying desperately to stay afloat. Meeshell caught a glimpse of a gold crown and realized instantly who it was.
Then he disappeared under the water.
She was at his side in a heartbeat, pulling him onto shore. He broke into a coughing fit, but she wasn’t worried. She knew he’d be fine. He’d only gone under for a moment. “Humphrey, I don’t mind saving you, but what if I hadn’t come by? Trying to teach yourself to swim with no lifeguard on duty, and no one around to look out for you just isn’t a good idea,” she told him. She reached out and grabbed his crown before it floated away.
“I can…” He puffed out his chest. “I can…” Then he deflated. “Yeah, you’re right. I can’t swim.”
His floaties lay up the beach, next to a log where he’d left them. She shook her head. “That’s not such a big deal! I’m sure a lot of land-dwellers can’t swim. Why do you keep risking your life like this?”
“I…” He swallowed hard and looked away. “I thought I needed to swim, so you’d like me.”
“Huh?”
Humphrey pulled his legs close and wrapped his arms around them. “I thought you’d only like me if I could swim. You know, because you’re a mermaid. I knew you were a mermaid from the first moment I met you.” He continued to look away.
“Really?” She was very surprised. “But how could you know that?”
He dug his toes into the sand. “Well, I knew you’d arrived by boat, so that was the first clue. Then I heard you tell Hagatha that you wouldn’t eat fish. Second clue. And I saw you jump back from the spilled tea and I realized that you were avoiding water. It all made sense.”
Wow, he was as smart as everyone said. “But if you knew I was a mermaid…” He still wouldn’t look directly at her. What was he hiding? She knew his big secret, that he couldn’t swim, but was there something else? The gleam from his golden crown drew her attention. “Barnacles! Are you StoryTeller2?”
He nodded, and finally looked into her eyes. She couldn’t believe it. The secret prince who’d meant so much to her during this first week at school, the prince who’d understood all her doubts and fears and her longing to fit in, had been right in front of her the whole time. “You’ve been risking your life for me?”
“Well, yes. I wanted you to like me, but I’ve never been able to swim. How can a guy like me even hope to get a date with you without being able to swim?”
“Humphrey, you don’t need to change yourself for me. Or for anyone. If I’m going to like you, then I have to like you for who you truly are.” She stuck his crown on his head. “Besides, I can give you swimming lessons anytime you want.”
He suddenly looked terrified.
“Or not,” she said. “It’s not necessary. Really. It’s your choice.”
He let out a sigh of relief. “Then… then maybe we can go see a movie at the multihex sometime?”
“Sure,” she said happily. “That sounds like fun. But not a shark movie! Those are way too scary!” They both laughed. Then Finbert swam around Humphrey’s head, startling him.
“Whoa! A miniature floating narwhal. You don’t see that every day.”
As soon as her tail had dried, Meeshell and Humphrey headed to the aquarium to join the others. “I meant to tell you… your performance in the Happily-Glees was astounding. I’m glad you found a club.”
“Thanks. And I meant to tell you… Thank you for being there, when I needed someone to talk to.” She leaned close and gave him a quick peck on his cheek. His entire face turned as red as Coral’s tail.
A pair of gulls flew overhead, swooping in lazy circles. A seal barked in the distance, singing its own song. A tiny narwhal swam through the air. Meeshell inhaled the salty scent and smiled. Her heart was full. For she knew, without a doubt, that being her true self was the right thing to be.
And she put one foot in front of the other, taking the steps toward her next adventure.
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Acknowledgments
Once again, I am indebted to an amazing team of creative people, without whom this book would simply not be. In Gotham City, you will find my editor Kara Sargent, who guides and protects me, my brilliant copyeditor Christine Ma, publicist extraordinaire Kristina Pisciotta, and many more people, all an important part of the effort, listed here in no particular order: Mara Lander, Véronique Lefèvre Sweet, Lindsay Walter-Greaney, Christina Quintero, Ronnie Ambrose, Dani Valladares, and Victoria Stapleton.
And on the other coast, in La La Land, you will find the other half of the team, the geniuses behind the Ever After High brand, who provide me with fun new characters and the freedom to play around in their hilarious universe. Thank you to Ryan Ferguson, Debra Mostow Zakarin, Nicole Corse, Charnita Belcher, Stuart Smith, Sammie Suchland, Karen Painter, Kristine Lombardi, Robert Rudman, Talia Rodgers, Eric Vexelman, Lara Dalian, Audu Paden, Gary Leynes, and Izzy Garr.
Michael Bourret, I hope to continue this writing journey together forever after. And to Isabelle, Walker, and Bob, you are the wind beneath my fairy wings.
About the Author
Suzanne Selfors feels like a Royal on some days and a Rebel on others. She’s written many books for kids, including the Smells Like Dog series and the Imaginary Veterinary series.
She has two charming children and lives in a magical island kingdom, where she hopes it is her destiny to write stories forever after.
Also by Suzanne Selfors
EVER AFTER HIGH
Next Top Villain
Kiss and Spell
A Semi-Charming Kind of Life
Fairy’s Got Talent
Truth or Hair
General Villainy: A Destiny Do-Over Diary
Science and Sorcery: A Destiny Do-Over Diary
Hero Training: A Destiny Do-Over Diary
THE IMAGINARY VETERINARY SERIES
The Sasquatch Escape
The Lonely Lake Monster
The Rain Dragon Rescue
The Order of the Unicorn
The Griffin’s Riddle
The Fairy Swarm
THE SMELLS LIKE DOG SERIES
Smells Like Dog
Smells Like Treasure
Smells Like Pirates
To Catch a Mermaid
Can’t get enough Ever After High? Keep reading about your best friends forever after in The School Story collection by Suzanne Selfors:
Contents
Cover
Title Page
Welcome
Dedication
Chapter 1
A Magic Wind
Chapter 2
Fairest Feet
Chapter 3
Watery Witch
Chapter 4
Flotation Device
Chapter 5
An Apple a Day
Chapter 6
Tea Trouble
Chapter 7
Coral’s Spell
Chapter 8
A Pair of Princes
Chapter 9
StoryTeller2
Chapter 10
Above the Waves
Chapter 11
Club Day
Chapter 12
Down the Drain
Chapter 13
Enchanted Lake
Chapter 14
Sports Day
Chapter 15
The Secret Prince
Chapter 16
Mirror Beach
Chapter 17
Rescue Repeat
Chapter 18
Out of Hiding
Chapter 19
The True Tale
Chapter 20
The Happily-Glees
Chapter 21
Swimming Lessons
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Also by Suzanne Selfors
Copyright
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2016 by Mattel, Inc.
All rights reserved. EVER AFTER HIGH and associated trademarks are owned by and used under license from Mattel, Inc.