“How about this?” Genie pulled out a shiny fluorescent green jumpsuit and held it up against Ali.
Ali wrinkled her nose. “It's nice, but …” She shrugged.“I don't think it's for me.”
“No problemo!” Genie said, stuffing it back in the closet. “What about this?” She pulled out a shimmery silver dress with bell-shaped sleeves trimmed in orange.“It's wicked cute.”
“Oooh, perfect!” Ali said. She pointed to a pair of yellow slippers with curledup toes. “And maybe those would go with it.”
Genie clapped. “This is so much fun! I wish you could have visited my lamp ages ago!”
Ali got changed while Genie packed the jewelry box carefully away in a pink backpack.
“What if my parents look for me and I'm not here?” Ali asked nervously.
“Don't worry,” Genie said. “Remember, time is different in Genieland. When we get back, it will be like no time has passed at all.” She took Ali's hand and led her over to one of the pink beanbag chairs. “Sit down.”
“I thought we were going to go to Genieland now,” Ali said.
“Trust me,” Genie said, hopping onto the beanbag. She patted the space next to her. Ali sat down too.
“Hold on tight!” Genie said.
Ali felt a rush of cool air around her legs. To her amazement, a long silver chute opened underneath the beanbag. The next second, the beanbag whizzed down the chute with Ali and Genie clinging to the sides. The chute swooped up and down and twisted around like a roller coaster.
“Whoa, Genie!” Ali shrieked. They were flying along so fast that Ali could hardly catch her breath. All of a sudden they plunged out of the bottom of the chute and landed on a patch of soft, emerald green grass in the middle of a park.
Little Genie laughed. “Welcome to Genieland!”
Ali shaded her eyes from the sun and looked around her. Fantastic towers with glittering spires stretched up to the bright blue sky above. Zigzagging sidewalks were lined with purple roses and daisies with rainbow-colored petals. There were golden pagodas and whirling windmills and cozy cottages with thatched roofs—none of the buildings looked the same. And the park itself was filled with trees, some with just leaves, some with fruit, and some with lollipops.
Everywhere Ali looked, there were genies—walking dogs, talking on cell phones, even playing Frisbee.
Ali peered down at her silver dress and yellow shoes. She hoped that her genie disguise would help her blend in. She didn't want to find out what the Grand Genie would do to a human in Genieland.
A movement overhead caught her eye and she glanced up.“Oh!” she gasped.
A stream of magic carpets was zooming along in a neat line above her, just like cars on a road. Some of the carpets carried a single genie sitting cross-legged, and others had families of genies, complete with squabbling kids and pet dogs. Next to the magic carpet lane, there were other genies standing on glittering boards that were shooting by much faster. The boards looked like skateboards without wheels.
“What are those, Genie?” Ali asked, pointing.
“Hoverboards,” Genie answered.“They're a lot of fun!”
As Ali watched, one of the carpets, carrying a bald genie, suddenly seemed to lose control. It dipped down from the lane of traffic and careered toward a small lake on the other side of the park. The carpet fell into the water, tipping the genie off with a loud splash.
“It looks like that carpet had a breakdown!” Ali exclaimed as the dripping genie climbed out of the lake. “Maybe he should take it to the carpet garage!”
“That was a classic pilot error,” Little Genie said with a sniff. “He wasn't sitting close enough to the front of the carpet. At least it was a soft landing. I had some really painful crashes when I was at Genie School!”
“This is great!” Ali sighed happily. “I wish I could explore everything!”
Genie stopped smiling at the word wish.
“Oh, Genie!” Ali said, remembering why they were there. “Wishes—hourglass— watchmaker! Where's Genie School?”
“That way.” Genie pointed across the park.
“We should try to get there and back as fast as we can,” Ali said. “That way no one will ever know I'm here.”
Immediately a magic carpet swerved out of the line of traffic and zoomed over to Ali and Genie. Ali ducked as the pale yellow carpet hovered just above their heads.
“What's going on?” she said.“Why is no one driving this one?”
“This is a taxi carpet,” Genie explained. “It heard us saying we had to get to Genie School, so it's offering us a ride.”
“Great!”Ali said, moving out from underneath the taxi carpet and touching the floating cloth. It rippled where she had poked it.“Let's go!”
Genie looked sheepish. “See, the thing is … I wasn't very good at Magic Carpet Flying when I was at school. I never got past Stage One! Once I crashed my carpet into one of the windmills.” At this, the taxi carpet zoomed away, back into the traffic overhead.
Ali remembered when Genie had flown her home from her friend Mary's house once. She hadn't been that bad.
Genie covered her eyes. “The taxi carpet must have decided that having me as a passenger was too risky!”
“Were you hurt when you crashed?” Ali asked. Now she was nervous about riding a flying carpet with Genie. How would she explain a broken arm or leg to her parents?
“No, but I was dizzy!” Genie said. She nibbled a fingernail. “We should go by hoverboard instead. I'm better at that!”
She let out a loud whistle and two silver hoverboards zoomed over. They stopped close to the ground near Ali's and Genie's feet.
“Jump on, Ali!” Genie stepped onto her hoverboard and whooshed into the air, performing a figure eight. Then she circled expertly above Ali's head, smiling down at her.
Ali had butterflies in her stomach—but she was also really excited. Taking a deep breath, she climbed onto her hoverboard. Immediately it zoomed up into the air toward Genie.
“Help!” Ali wobbled from side to side. It was like being on a surfboard—except there was no water! The hoverboard veered sharply to the left and headed toward a tree.
“Lean the other way!” Genie yelled. Her green scarf blew in the wind behind her.
Ali managed to lean to the right just in time. The hoverboard zoomed around the tree, missing it by inches.
“Bend your knees and try to keep still,” Genie called.
Ali soon discovered that bending her knees made balancing on the hoverboard a lot easier. She practiced for a few minutes until she'd gotten the hang of it, and then she and Little Genie flew higher to join the stream of traffic. Ali stopped feeling nervous when she realized that all she had to do was keep going in a straight line while the genies on the other hoverboards weaved around her. She was also relieved that none of the other genies were paying her any attention.
“How far is it to Genie School?” Ali shouted.
Genie's shoulders drooped, and even her hoverboard seemed to hang lower in the air. “We're almost there,” she said, so quietly Ali could hardly hear her. “See that tall building? That's Genie School.”
Up ahead Ali saw a rainbow. In its center was a beautiful building made of sheets of shiny glass and silver-colored steel. The air around the school shimmered with magic. A golden fence surrounded the building. On the front of the building was a large sign that read GENIE SCHOOL in green and gold. An ancient oil lamp was painted next to the words.
“The lamp is the school logo,” Genie explained, glancing around nervously.
Ali felt guilty for being so excited. Even though it was thrilling for her to visit Genie School, she was there to help Genie, she reminded herself. It was really important that they get her watch fixed.
As they flew lower, Ali could see students walking around the school grounds. Although some of them were dressed the same as Genie, in brightly colored pants, tight sparkly tops, and slippers with curled-up toes, lots of them wore even more un
usual clothes. Ali spotted a genie who looked like an Egyptian-style pharaoh, several genies in embroidered Japanese kimonos, and a couple of genies dressed like medieval knights in shiny silver armor. A group of young genies wore sweatpants, sneakers, and T-shirts with holograms that flashed in the sunshine.
“The genie nursery is over there,” Little Genie explained, pointing to a red, blue, and yellow room at the side of the school. It looked as if it had been made from giant building blocks. On the lawn in front of it, a group of preschool genies were chattering and laughing, surrounded by pots of brightly colored paint. They were fingerpainting a huge banner, copying the picture of the oil lamp on the school sign under the watchful gaze of a teacher.
Ali felt nervous as they glided down to an ornate golden gate.“Genie, do you think the teachers or the principal will be able to tell I'm not a genie?” she asked in a low voice.
“Not if they don't look too closely,” Genie said.“There are students coming and going all the time, because different grades start at different times. We should be able to slip in, see the watchmaker, and slip out without anyone noticing.” Then she gave a little gasp of delight. “Oh, look! There's Jupiter, one of my classmates!” A genie wearing an embroidered blue vest and matching blue pants was striding through the gates.
“I remember when we were practicing making gold in alchemy class,” Genie said.“It took me a long time to make my first bar of gold, and then I accidentally dropped it on Jupiter's foot!”
Ali stared at her friend. “You mean Jupiter has been a student for over forty years?” Ali knew that Genie had left Genie School and moved into the lamp in 1964. And since then, Genie had had ten other masters. Ali was the eleventh owner of the lamp.
“Not exactly,” Genie said.“When a genie finishes all his or her classes, it's called Geniefication,” she explained. “After that we work for one master and then we come back to school to specialize in a subject like flying carpets, lamp maintenance, or charms. Things like that.”
“Did you specialize, Genie?” Ali asked.
Genie shook her head sadly. “No, I was expelled before Geniefication, remember?”
By this time their hoverboards were floating just above the ground outside the gate. As they climbed off, Ali glanced at Genie. Genie was so scared that she looked the same shade of green as the school sign.
“Come on,”Ali said, taking Genie's hand. “Let's go find the watchmaker.”
As they walked across the lawn, Ali glanced at the poster the preschool genies were making. Next to the oil lamp the children had painted WELCOME TO GENIE SCHOOL, GRAND GENIE! in tall, wobbly letters.
The school must be getting ready for a visit from the Grand Genie, Ali thought. She hoped Genie hadn't noticed the banner. It was because of the Grand Genie's visit all those years ago that her friend had been expelled in the first place!
“Let's go this way,” Ali suggested, trying to hurry Genie down another path.
“No, the entrance is this way,” Genie said, pulling Ali back. Then her gaze fell on the banner and she gave a little shriek.
“Look, Ali!” Genie groaned. “I was expelled for making the Grand Genie slip on a soapy floor. I don't want to meet him! Besides, the teachers might not notice that you're human, but the Grand Genie would be able to tell!” She whirled around, heading back to the gate at top speed.
Ali chased after her and caught her arm. “It doesn't mean he's visiting the school today,” she pointed out.“He might be coming tomorrow, or later this week.”
But right at that moment two students hurried past, their arms full of schoolbooks.
“I'm going to ask the Grand Genie for his autograph when he visits this afternoon!” one of them said eagerly.
Genie gasped.“Ali, did you hear that?”
Ali felt her heart sink. But she had to help Genie get her powers back. “Don't worry. We'll get your watch fixed and get out of here as fast as we can!” She pulled Genie back toward the school.
There was a crowd of genies of all shapes and sizes headed for the large glass doors at the front of the school, and Ali and Genie joined them. Ali kept a tight hold on Genie's arm. Her friend still looked ready to bolt at any moment!
They followed the other students along a wide corridor lined with lockers. It seemed like a regular school—until Ali looked more closely at the classrooms on either side. One had a sign saying POTION ROOM.
Through the open door she could see glass cauldrons filled with jewel-colored liquids bubbling away. Other doors along the corridor were labeled MAGIC CARPET REPAIR ROOM, ALCHEMY LABORATORY, and SPELL CASTING FOR BEGINNERS.
Ali and Genie kept walking. “So far, so good, Genie,” Ali whispered. “We're inside the school and no one's noticed—”
“Little Genie!”
The loud shriek behind them almost made Ali leap out of her skin. She spun around.
A genie dressed in an amazing lavendercolored outfit was behind them. She wore sparkly purple sunglasses and a gorgeous purple princess-style ball gown with a long, flouncy skirt and lace top. A flashing diamond crown was perched on her shiny blond hair. A matching lavender purse was tucked under her arm. A tiny purple poodle the exact same shade as the dress peeked out from inside it.
“It is you, isn't it?” the purple genie squealed, lowering her diamond-studded sunglasses to stare at Genie.“I knew it! Little Genie!” Ali watched as she rushed over to a stunned-looking Genie and swept her up into a hug.“What are you doing here?”
“Oh, just visiting,” Genie mumbled, making a face at Ali over the glamorous genie's shoulder. “Ali, this is Esmeralda, one of my classmates.”
“And one of your best friends!” Esmeralda said with a tinkling little laugh.
Ali wondered why Genie had never mentioned her if they were such good friends. Meanwhile, Esmeralda let Genie go and turned to look at Ali.“And who is this?”
“Oh! This … this is Ali,” Genie explained. “She's my …”
No, Genie! Ali groaned silently as Genie stopped, looking flustered. She'd just been about to introduce Ali as her master, which would give away that Ali was human!
Ali glanced anxiously at Esmeralda.
Had the other genie guessed the truth?
“Your … ?” Esmeralda looked puzzled. “I didn't—?”
“My name's Ali Baba,” Ali blurted out, thinking fast. “I'm a friend of Genie's from the, um, other side of Genieland.”
Beside her, Ali heard Genie breathe a very faint sigh of relief.
“Yes, Ali did her training at the Academy of Genies,” Little Genie added.
“Oh, the Academy,” Esmeralda said, raising one eyebrow. “Well, of course the Academy's fine for basic training, but Genie School is much more demanding! Do you know Lavinia Lightfoot?”
“No, we, um, must have been in different classes,” Ali said.
“Well, any friend of Little Genie's is a friend of mine!” Esmeralda declared, pouncing on Ali and giving her an enormous hug too.“We must do lunch! So what have you been up to, Genie?
“Well,” Genie began. “Oh, I must tell you, Genie—my master is the Japanese ambassador!” Esmeralda gushed. “Isn't that exciting? I've come back to school to specialize in etiquette because I'm going to be around princesses and celebrities. I can't wait!”
“That sounds fab,” Genie said, in a voice that suggested she didn't think it was fab at all.
“Proper manners are essential when you're dealing with such important people,” Esmeralda explained earnestly. “That's why I didn't say anything about your outfits being so out-of-date.” She stepped back and looked at Ali and Genie, wrinkling her nose as if she could smell something bad.
Ali frowned. It looked like Esmeralda still had a lot to learn about manners! Would a good friend of Genie's really say something like that?
“Retro clothes are really cool at the moment,” Ali said. Genie winked at her.
Until now, the purple poodle in Esmeralda's purse had been silent, but suddenly it le
t out a little yip.
“What's the matter, Lilac darling?” Esmeralda took the little dog out of the purse and gave it a cuddle.“Are you hungry too? Come on, let's go to the cafeteria for lunch.”
“We can't,” Ali began. “We're in a hurry. We've got to go and—”
“Oh, maybe we have time for lunch,” Genie cut in.
Ali guessed that Genie didn't want Esmeralda to know about her broken watch. If Genie wanted to risk going to the school cafeteria in order to keep it secret, Ali knew she must have been right: Esmeralda wasn't really one of Genie's friends.
Ali was frustrated as they followed Esmeralda along the corridor. The plan had been to get in and out of the school as quickly as possible. Meeting Esmeralda had put a stop to that. They had to find the watchmaker and get away before the Grand Genie turned up!
The cafeteria was an enormous glass bubble with sliding doors in one side. It was filled with glass tables and chairs that caught the sunlight, reflecting rainbows of color everywhere. It was certainly nothing like the cafeteria at Ali's school!
However, when they lined up for lunch, Ali was disappointed to see that the food looked very much like what her own school offered if you decided not to bring your own lunch. Salad. Vegetables. Pasta. Strange meat products.
“It's just the same as our cafeteria!” she whispered to Genie as they picked up plates. Except here, serving spoons floated in the air on their own, heaping portions of food onto plates as the line moved past.
“Well, it is a school, even if it's for genies!” Little Genie whispered back. Then she said in a louder voice,“You've got to try the strawberry cheesecake, Ali—it's groova-licious!”
“The food here is okay. But it's nothing like dining with the Japanese ambassador,” Esmeralda said with a sigh as she fed Lilac a noodle.“I had my own personal chef !”
Ali hoped lunch wouldn't take too long. She held out her plate for salad, and one of the floating serving spoons filled it. Then she picked up a slice of cheesecake and followed Genie and Esmeralda across the room, looking for an empty table.
Meanie Genie Page 2
