by Jason Letts
“I’m not coming to your party, but thanks for the cookie,” she said.
“I’m sorry to hear that. I hope you change your mind,” Mira replied.
Mira sat down at her desk. She noticed cookie wrappers balled up on desks and on the floor. She wondered if the students had ignored the invitations attached or if they had eaten them too, without noticing. Nobody looked at her, and she realized she would have to wait for their responses.
Fortst strode in and called the class to order.
“The time has come, my pupils. You’ll be taking your test today. Get out a sheet of paper and your ink bottles, not your pencils. There won’t be any erasing or changing your answer after you’ve written it. You’ll have one shot at answering a question before I give you the answer and we move on to the next question. Remember, a test is a learning tool, so let’s learn who hasn’t been doing their studying. Ready? Let’s get started.”
Anticipating the vague and illogical questions that were sure to come, Mira reached into her desk to get a piece of paper and felt something else in there. One of her cards had been placed inside, and Mira curiously opened it to see to whom she had given it.
She had written this card for Will, and he added a note at the bottom. It said, “Your life is in danger! Meet me at,” and there was an arrow to the time and place of the party, Saturday afternoon at Cloud Cottage. He scribbled his name carelessly underneath. Mira carefully stored the card in her desk. She beamed but tried not to let it show.
She didn’t hear from anyone else for the rest of the day. After the test ended and lunch went by without any mention of the party, the good feeling she had received from Will had been replaced with disappointment.
At home, she mustered some enthusiasm to tell her parents about Will’s response. They told her everyone else would answer in due time and she needn’t worry.
As parents so often are, they were right. Mira hadn’t even made it all the way to the schoolhouse the next day before her classmates began to approach her.
Roselyn and Mary stood at the corner where the road from Mira’s home veered toward the outpost. It startled her when they suddenly broke from their conversation and addressed her.
“Mira, come over here!”
She turned to them. They giggled over each other, and for a moment Mira wondered if they were laughing at her.
“What is it?” she asked.
“We just wanted to tell you we want to come to your party.”
“Oh, great,” Mira replied, still not sure if they were joking. “I hope to see you there.”
She watched them for a moment, and it struck her how tangible it felt to be on the outside of their friendship. An unknown world existed in their secret whispers.
She could see the same feeling of inferiority in Chucky’s face when he approached her during lunch break. She realized he had followed her, and that he had probably been waiting for this opportunity to approach her away from anyone else.
“Hey, how was the test?” he asked.
“You never can tell what answers he wants, but I don’t think it matters much either way.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right,” he said, scratching his head.
Mira waited for him to speak.
“Is there something I can help you with?” she asked, before the silence became noticeable.
“Thank you for the invitation. I realize you invited everyone, but I appreciate it even if you didn’t mean it.”
This was so hard for him, and Mira wondered why. He seemed to expect disappointment.
“Chucky, I didn’t give you the invitation because I had to. I gave you one because I want you to come.”
A little light came into his eyes.
“I would like to come to your party,” he stammered.
“Great,” she said. “I look forward to it.”
The day slowly ticked away. She hoped more people would approach her, and her heart fluttered when she noticed anyone stray from the group. But as the time went on, the anticipation slowly turned to resentment. It hurt her that so many of them thought ignoring her was the most favorable course of action. She forced herself to remember that she had never brought a single visitor into her home before, so even getting four people to come would be an impressive accomplishment. There would still be a party, and she could either give her attention to the people who wanted to come or mope and pine for those who didn’t.
But Mira still couldn’t help but wonder why her classmates didn’t approach her. She even came to think better of Aoi because at least she had made her intention clear. Vern’s silence bothered Mira too. She remembered their apple experiment and their conversation back in the fall. It seemed at the time like she had made a connection with him, but it must have faded over the long winter. Or maybe it had only been an important memory to her because she had been struggling to find her place at school, and it didn’t really matter to him.
But after all the ups and downs, she went to bed on Friday night feeling like it was all behind her. The only thing left to do was enjoy her party with all those who wished to be there.
Mira awoke to find her room in the soft hues of the morning light. She took a deep breath and, still in her pajamas, drowsily slumped downstairs.
The walls had all been covered with black paper. Stars hung from the ceiling, and a few positioned lights gave them the appearance of iridescence. Wool and cotton covered the floor, as if she stood on the clouds.
“Happy birthday!” her parents shouted when she walked into the kitchen. So many pots, pans, bowls, and plates all full of ingredients covered every surface.
“Thank you so much,” she said, overwhelmed. “This must have taken so long!” she added, giving her parents hugs.
Over breakfast, they discussed the guest list, events at school, and how ancient Mira had become.
Kevin got up to check on the stove, then he returned with a big box. He set down the brightly wrapped present next to Mira. She tore at the paper and ripped open the box. Peering inside, she chuckled at the sight of another wrapped box inside. She pulled it out and opened it, finding another, smaller box inside.
Kevin and Jeana watched with pleasure as she rummaged around through the confetti and paper inside. Grabbing something, she pulled it out to see what it was. She brought a small snow globe up to the light. But instead of snow, a small cloud danced and twisted into beautiful spirals and shapes over and around a tiny home that looked an awful lot like Cloud Cottage. Mira looked impressed and astonished, and so did Jeana.
“As long as I’m alive to love you, it will never stop,” Kevin said to Mira.
“Thank you, Daddy. I love you, too,” she said, holding the globe in her hands.
Jeana cleared her throat and rose from her seat. She pretended to stir something in the kitchen but quickly disappeared up the stairs. Thuds and other loud noises could be heard through the ceiling. Kevin and Mira exchanged looks and then Jeana reentered the room with a shopping bag in hand. She graciously bestowed the shopping bag upon her daughter.
Mira, reaching into the bag, felt something soft and furry. She pulled out white, fluffy fabric.
“This is from your carpet, isn’t it!” she said, equally thrilled and astonished.
“As long as I’m alive to love you, it will never stop being furry,” Jeana delivered. Then, to her husband, “I couldn’t let you one-up me like that.”
Mira thanked her mother and father profusely. She gave them hugs, and then retreated into the basement where she put her mother’s gift to use. After lunch, she hung the planets and the sun from the ceiling. Time ticked away and soon there was nothing left to do but wait for the guests to arrive. Mira started to doubt her classmates would really come.
But, right at four o’clock, a knock came at the front door. Jumping out of her seat, Mira raced to answer it. Opening the door, she spotted Chucky standing there, looking a little like he’d been caught.
“Hi. Are you still having the party?” he asked.
“Yeah,” she answered. “You’re the first one here. Come on in.”
“Wow, you have an interesting house,” he said, taking off his shoes.
“It doesn’t always look like this. These are party decorations.”
Mira barely had time to bring him into the living room and introduce him to her parents when another knock came at the door.
“Hey, Mira, happy birthday!” Mary and Roselyn sang in unison. Mira thanked them for coming and ushered them in. Chucky knocked himself in the forehead.
“I forgot to wish you a happy birthday. I’m sorry about that.”
“Well, it’s not too late,” she said, anticipating that he would do so next.
“Thanks,” he said, and then went back to looking at the decorations.
“Hi, I’m Roselyn. It’s nice to meet you,” the bubbly girl said, introducing herself to Mira’s parents with a kind of graceful self-confidence. “You have a beautiful home.”
“Thank you,” Kevin replied. “We’ve heard about you.”
“I don’t suppose you’ve heard about me, but that’s OK. I’m Mary.”
They shook hands and exchanged greetings.
“Is anyone else coming?” Roselyn asked.
“Yes, Will is. Oh, that must be him now,” Mira said, hearing the door again. The other two girls followed her to the door to greet him. They opened the door and their smiles disappeared. Will stood there, worn and disheveled, with red spots all over his face.
“Are you alright?” Mary asked.
“Why do you ask? I’m perfectly fine. Happy birthday,” he said to Mira, smiling. “Wow, this is pretty cool,” he added when they entered the living room.
“Thanks, this is our solar system. This big orange ball is the sun, and this is the Earth, and here are the two planets in between. Then there are a few other planets farther out. People used to think the planets traveled around the sun in a circle, but now we know their orbit is actually an ellipse.”
Mira and her guests sat at the table with the model of the solar system overhead. They glanced at each other awkwardly and tapped their fingers on the table. Kevin came over and took the last seat.
“So it’s been quite a while since I was a senior level student. Has it changed much down there?” he asked.
“You were a student here before?” Will asked. “Was it the same as it is now?”
“I don’t know. That’s what I’m asking. It’s got to be a little different because we didn’t have to worry about a war waiting for us after finishing the academy and the Shadowing. Instead, we could just focus on developing our abilities and having fun.”
“What rank did you finish with?” Will asked.
“There were only eight of us, but I finished first,” he said.
“Really?” Roselyn asked, leaning forward. “How did you do it?”
A little laughter escaped from Kevin because of this question. He thought about how eager they must be for any kind of information that could help them. At least he had their undivided attention.
“The one guy I had problems with could make the ground shake, like an earthquake. He actually knocked me over a few times, but I managed to catch myself on a cloud before I hit the ground. After that I just kept myself in the air. I swooped in, picked him up, and then dropped him on his back. Since there are fifteen of you, you’ll have to constantly be on both the offensive and defensive. I think the person who can do that the best will win.”
With contemplative looks on their faces, the students nodded.
“Are you already thinking about the Final Trial?” he asked, before realizing they would be hesitant to answer in the presence of their opponents. They scanned each other, looking to see if anyone would speak.
“Um, I’ve been thinking about it since I was five,” Roselyn said.
“It’s sneaking up on you quick,” Kevin said. “Once the flowers hit full bloom, you’re there.” He rushed to move beyond this touchy topic. “I’ll tell you one of my favorite senior year memories. Have you been up to Dustfalls yet?”
“What’s Dustfalls?” Mira asked.
“Well, they don’t call it Dustfalls Academy for nothing. There’s a spot up in the mountains called Dustfalls. It’s a long hike out there, but it’s an unforgettable sight. Maybe I shouldn’t be telling you this, because I’m sure Fortst is just waiting for the snow to melt and the temperature to warm up a little, but I’ll let you in on some of it. We took a trail through the bottom of this valley in the rock, a crevasse with fierce winds that opens up into a basin. Sand, grit, and dirt flow down from above like a waterfall and then the wind carries it out like a sandstorm. We had to scale the wall with it pouring down on us.
“It killed, but I fought my way up the rock with just my feet and hands. Getting to the top is impossible, but it’s a great challenge. I made it farther than anyone else and then I went on to finish first in my class; since then, they say whoever makes it the farthest becomes the favorite to win the Final Trial.”
Only after he finished talking did Kevin realize that he had strayed from his intention to change the subject away from their important, stressful, and looming trial.
“Is anybody hungry? Take as many as you like but don’t ruin your appetites for dinner,” Jeana said, setting cookies on the table.
“Maybe we should make paper spaceships now? I’ll go get the paper,” Mira said. She gave a brief demonstration of how to make an effective paper airplane.
“The whole point is to make it as aerodynamic as possible. So if you make your folds crisp and tight then it should sail through the air without a problem.”
She walked around the table giving helpful pointers to her classmates. While helping Chucky, she heard a knock at the door.
“I wonder who that could be. I’ll be right back,” Mira said, checking the time. About an hour had passed since the party had officially started.
“I’ll go with you,” Kevin said, taking the lead. When they opened the door they discovered Vern standing on the porch.
“Hi. I hope I’m not too late, am I?” he said.
“I didn’t know you were coming,” Mira said.
“Oh yeah, sorry about that. I kept meaning to say something but I always forgot.”
“That’s OK, but you can’t come in unless you say the magic words.”
“Happy birthday,” he said and she welcomed him in.
Mira took his coat. It was the first time in months she’d seen him without heavy winter clothing, and it surprised her that he had gained some weight. Vern no longer had the stick-figure look that she remembered.
Everyone at the table was excited by his unexpected arrival. He waved to them with a winning smile and took a seat.
“We’re going to see whose paper spaceship can fly the farthest. Sounds good?” Mira asked.
“Sure. I’m going to take everybody down!” Vern immediately got to work on a piece of paper. Mira gave him a few suggestions and soon everyone had a functioning spacecraft in their possession. They hustled out into the crisp, cool air and took turns launching their ships.
A couple of spaceships landed a few feet away, one took a nosedive and landed about five feet away, one sailed more than double that, Chucky’s actually went backward several feet, and one paper spaceship got caught in a tree all the way at the other end of the backyard. Everyone looked at Will.
“I guess we should’ve known that would happen.”
“Here, try it again, and this time no extra wind power,” Mira said, handing him a spaceship. He threw it, and it twisted in the air, dove, and then hit him in the head when he ducked. Everyone laughed.
“I made it do that,” he said.
“Yeah, right.” After fetching most of the planes, they all went back indoors to warm up. It seemed to Mira that everyone was having fun and becoming more comfortable with each other. They hung out in front of the fire, commiserating about their test as it became dark.
“So who’s hungry?” Mira asked, and e
veryone responded affirmatively. Setting two chairs next to each other and pulling out two blindfolds, Mira explained how the taste test would work. Two people would be fed the same food, and the first to name it correctly wins. Roselyn and Mary volunteered first, each of them putting on a blindfold.
Two others spoon-fed them at the same time. The girls chewed the food, trying to figure it out.
“It’s got a round shape, soft and mushy, and it’s a little sweet.”
“What is it?”
“It’s a piece of banana!” Roselyn guessed. She got it right, and then Will and Vern volunteered to go next.
“Ahh, it’s getting stuck to the roof of my mouth. It’s gooey and sticky.”
“What is it?”
“Is it peanut butter?” Will asked.
“These are too easy,” Mira said.
“We’ll have to give you a hard one since you’re up next,” Jeana said. Once Mira and Chucky had their blindfolds on, Jeana brought out another dish, and everyone who could see laughed. Mira and Chucky chuckled nervously, wondering what they would be subjected to. Mira opened her mouth and got a spoonful of something completely disgusting.
“Guess what it is!”
“It’s all lumpy, and wet, and it tastes like cardboard. Are you sure this is food and not something you wash the windows with?” Mira asked. “It feels like yogurt but tastes like something else. I don’t even know. Is it yogurt?” she asked, pulling off her blindfold. She looked at the dish and saw red ketchup mixed with white cottage cheese.
“That’s disgusting!” Chucky said, getting up and rushing to the bathroom.
“You said you wanted something more difficult,” Jeana teased. “Who’s next?” she asked, but the fear of eating unusual combinations kept anyone from volunteering. “That’s too bad. The next person was going to get a taste of this cake.”
