by Ahmet Zappa
“Okay, maybe I didn’t say that quite right….Come on.” She linked arms with Lily.
“Where are we going?”
“We’re going back to our room, and you’re going to practice your song, and I’m going to record you and play it back so you can hear how good you are!”
Back in their room, Leona took out her Star-Zap and did exactly that.
“Ooh! Is that a new phone? What kind is it?” Lily asked as soon as she saw it.
“Um…this? It’s newish, yes…” Leona said. “It’s a…prototype….My dad is in the business,” she added. “You’ll probably have one yourself next year. Anyway! We didn’t come here to compare phones. We came here to rehearse. How about you sing that song you sang at the audition, and you can hear how you sound when you’re done. I love to do that! Oh, but first…let’s do some vocal warm-ups. Do you ever do those? No? You should!”
She led Lily in a series of hummed scales and lip rolls, all while they twisted and bent their knees to loosen up.
“It sounds like we’re singing underwater!” Lily laughed. The exercises not only warmed up Lily’s voice; they warmed up her mood, too.
When they were done, Leona had Lily stand in front of her mirror and handed her a brush. “Too bad you don’t have a stage in here, or at least a microphone. Oh, well. That’ll come at the talent show, I guess.”
Lily sang her song through once, and Leona played it back.
“So…?” Leona said. “How did that sound to you?”
“Pretty good,” Lily answered through a proud, spreading smile.
“And how did it feel?” Leona asked. She nodded at Lily’s hairbrush. “Into the microphone, please!” she joked.
Lily giggled and held her brush to her chin. “It felt pretty good, too.”
For Leona, the rest of the time was a blur of classes and homework and meals. She knew it was all part of the mission, since a Star Darling’s first job was to fit in. But it was all so…well, so boring…except for the precious time she found to help Lily rehearse. And even then, while it was great to see her Wisher grow more confident, it was hard—incredibly hard—to sit back and watch another singer “take the starlight,” as they say. Leona had a whole new appreciation for teachers, like Professor Dolores Raye, who could easily do things for you but instead sat on their wish energy and let you try and try again.
In their spare time, Lily taught Leona how to play a game called tennis. It was played on a court with lines painted on it and a net going across the center. Each player stood on opposite sides of the net and used something called a racket to hit a small bouncy yellow ball back and forth. It was very difficult to do, and Leona thought, How can Wishlings possibly think this is fun?
The rackets each had a handle and a big oval-shaped top with very tight strings that the ball could bounce off. The goal was to keep hitting the ball—either before it bounced at all or after only one bounce—over the net and within the lines.
“So you’ve never played tennis before?” Lily asked, even though it was quite obvious.
“Uh, no—I never have,” Leona said.
“You look a little confused,” Lily said. “Even if you haven’t played, I’m sure you’ve seen it on television.”
“Oh, yes, of course. But I just didn’t know it was so difficult,” Leona said, trying to sound like she was telling the truth. Making a Wishworld wish come true was challenge enough, but keeping her cover was exhausting work! I will have to teach the Star Darlings how to play this game, she thought.
On the morning of the talent show, Leona headed with Lily to the dining hall for breakfast, which Leona had decided was the best meal of the day. She’d grown especially fond of a certain cereal full of colorful marshmallows in assorted shapes. She even filled a little plastic bag with some to take back home. Whether she would share it with the other Star Darlings, however, was still up in the stars.
“Oh! French toast again!” Leona remarked, reading the chalkboard posted at the front of the hot-food line. “I liked that! Mmm! Let’s get some! Remind me, what’s that spice they use called again?”
“Cinnamon?”
“Right! Cinnamon. So good! And the syrup is…?”
“Maple?”
“Right! Maple! Yum!”
“Where is it that you come from again?”
“Who? Me? Um…Sp-sp-something. Let’s eat!” She grabbed a tray.
They joined the line, then, all of a sudden, they heard someone behind them begin to hum a familiar tune.
“Hey, that’s your song!” Leona said, nudging Lily.
They both turned to discover Talia, along with her two dance mates. Since the auditions, Leona had tried to spend as little time around those girls as possible, which hadn’t been that hard, as it turned out. They shared few classes, and even in those, the girls kept mostly to themselves. She’d noticed them once—no, maybe twice—passing by the music room where Lily rehearsed. The dance studio the group used was in the same building, so it made sense, she supposed.
“You know she’s singing that song, right?” said Leona. “In the talent show tonight?”
“Oh, we know. We’ve heard her singing it,” said Talia.
Her friends nodded.
No one smiled.
“Good song, right?” Leona said brightly.
Talia made a sour face, which she shared with Kasey. Adeline still seemed like she didn’t agree with them. “Yeah. Great song.” Talia snickered. “If you’re, like, in kindergarten, I guess.”
Leona looked at Lily, whose face had turned a painful red.
Leona bristled. “So then why are you humming it?” she said to Talia, who shrugged.
“It’s just one of those songs—like all those baby songs—that gets stuck in your head, I guess. I wish I could stop,” Talia groaned. Then she started to sing it herself—horribly, on purpose—and soon the whole breakfast line was laughing.
“Oh, just ignore her,” Leona said, turning back to Lily. “Oh, no, please don’t cry!” she said. Lily’s chin was quivering dangerously. “I’m really not good around tears!”
Leona was relieved, therefore, to see Lily’s older sister striding up from the end of the line. Leona sighed and stepped back, making room for the older girl to swoop in and comfort Lily.
Lily looked up, too, hopefully. She sniffed and even smiled. Her sister, though, maintained a straight, stern mouth and hard, disappointed eyes.
“Really, Lily? You’re going to cry now? You’re in high school. Act like it.” She shook her head and turned away, grumbling, “When are you going to grow up?”
Lily stood there, biting her lip to hold back a fresh reservoir of tears. But it only worked for a starmin. Then the dam broke and they started to spill. Lily was out of the line and through the door before Leona could say “bless my stars.”
Leona cast a longing look at the warm platter of French toast waiting to be served. It might be the last chance she had to get some on Wishworld…but that was how wish granting worked.
Leona found Lily in the quad sitting huddled on a bench.
“So, as I was saying, don’t listen to those girls.” Leona slid in next to Lily and gently nudged her, hoping to get her to look up. “They’re just jealous and trying to psych you out because they know how good you are.”
“Well, it worked, ’cause I’m out,” Lily said softly. She kept her head down as she spoke.
“Just wait till tonight, when they watch you win first place. I’ve got to take a holo-p—I mean picture—of that Talia’s face! Wait. What?” Leona’s head whipped around. “You’re quitting? But you can’t! It’s your wish!” She didn’t say, I can’t fail on my first Wish Mission. But in her head, she was screaming it.
“I can’t get up there. You heard my sister. I’m a baby,” Lily said.
“She didn’t say that….”
“She didn’t have to. That’s what she meant. Just once, I wish she’d take my side, like you do. But she never will.”
“So show her she’s wrong!” said Leona. “Show those Fake-a-Moves, too!”
“I want to,” said Lily, “but I can’t. Not all by myself. I thought I could do it….I mean, you’ve helped me so much….And it’s funny, I’ve never had a problem singing in a group, in the chorus. But it’s just too…too scary to think of singing up onstage, in front of people, all alone.”
Leona threw her head back. She didn’t know how to reply. How could she change Lily’s mind when what she was saying made no sense? Leona had always loved singing—alone. She was drawn to the starlight like…like one of those fluttery Wishworld insects that looked like moonmoths to the big round bulb outside the front door of their Havisham dorm. Of course, she didn’t mind backup singers. They made her feel like more of a superstar, in fact. And duets could be fun…with the right Starling. But choruses? Ugh. They were always saying things like “Try to blend in more,” and “Stop stepping out of your row!” Still, Leona had to do something to get Lily’s wish back on track. The success of the mission depended on it.
And she’d been so busy she hadn’t taken any time to try to figure out what her special talent was. Maybe that was a mistake. Maybe that was just what she needed to make this wish come true….Then a thought suddenly tickled the corner of Leona’s mind. “Are you saying that you would do the talent show if you didn’t have to sing all by yourself?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean…what if I got up there and sang with you? Would you do the talent show then?”
“Uh…well…I don’t know….”
“You wouldn’t be alone,” Leona reminded her.
“No.” Lily nodded. “You’re right….Would you?” She smiled shyly. “Would you really do that for me?”
“You bet your stars!” roared Leona. “Um, I mean…I guess so. If it would help you get up there and sing, and show all these girls how talented—and brave—you are, then yes.” Leona bowed humbly. “I’d be most honored to help.”
Leona was just about to follow Lily into the arts building to practice their duet when she glimpsed (Was it? Yes!) a hot white flash across the sky. It was their free period before lunch and after a class Leona had come to like a lot: History of the Ancient World. Her mind was still reeling, in fact, from that day’s lesson about a place called Greece, where they believed in many gods, including one named Helios, who drove a golden chariot across the sky each day. And this, the Greeks believed, was how the sun moved from east to west.
Leona wondered if Lady Stella or any of her teachers were familiar with this Wishling myth. She added it to her Wishworld Observations just in case they weren’t. She also wondered where such a myth had come from. Could maybe—just maybe—some ancient Starling have shared their means of Wishworld travel with some ancient Greek? And maybe, as in a game of holo-phone, a few details were changed? Leona could see how it might have happened. Stories were fickle things. She had to sit on her hands to keep from raising one and saying, “That sun chariot stuff is crazy, but you really can ride a shooting star!”
But back to the flash, which Leona would have missed if a small furry gray Wishworld creature hadn’t scampered across the path in front of her and made her stop and hop back. As soon as the creature reached the grass, it sat up on its hind legs and stared at her, twitching its fluffy tail as if to wave her a Wishling hello.
“Hello, to you, little Wishworld…” Hmm… Leona tried to remember what the species was called. A “squid”? A “squirt”? A squ-something…And that was when she noticed the silvery burst.
If it had been that wonderful Wishling holiday when they lit up the sky with colorful, sparkling explosions, Leona would have thought it was one of those. But since it was not a holiday, Leona guessed the source at once.
Lily poked her head out the door of the arts building. “Are you coming?”
“Yes!” Leona waved. “I mean, I am…in just a second. I think…” What did she think? “I think I left something…somewhere….You go on and start rehearsing, and I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
Lily shrugged and withdrew into the building while Leona leapt over the friendly, wide-eyed Wishworld creature and dashed around the arts building, to the edge of the school grounds.
“Well, I’ll be starstruck!” she said. She was right. She was not alone!
“Vega!” She ran up to give her fellow Star Darling a hug. “What on Wishworld are you doing here?”
“Leona! Star greetings!” Her eyes widened as she took in Leona’s sparkly self. “Wow are you sure no one else but us sees us sparkly?”
Leona shrugged. “That’s what Sage and Libby said. Plus, no one’s mentioned it!”
Vega grimaced. “And that outfit! Is that plaid? Oh, no! Did your Wishworld Outfit Selector break?”
“Oh, this.” Leona looked down. She’d almost gotten used to the whole jacket-tie-kilt thing. “It’s a ‘uniform.’ Everyone wears them at this school, I’m afraid.”
“Oh, dear…Star apologies,” said Vega. She took Leona’s hands in hers. “At least it’s just for a little while. Is that the wish you’re here to grant? To get rid of them?”
“No. I wondered that, too, at first.” Leona shook her head and shrugged. “But why are you here?” she asked Vega. “My mission’s almost done!”
Vega’s nose scrunched and her mouth twisted. “Yes, about that…” she began. “Actually, the thing is…your wish…it actually appears to be a bit off track….Not that it’s your fault or anything!” she added quickly. “We all know this is one of the hardest jobs in the universe! What can you expect? We’re all new to wish granting, after all, and it’s happened every time.”
“Not this time!” declared Leona. “Sorry to disappoint you, Vega, but my wish couldn’t be more sure of being granted. Everything’s going startacularly well! I’ve identified my Wisher and her wish, and in”—she checked her Star-Zap—“approximately nine starhours, her wish will be officially granted. I don’t know what kind of signals Lady Stella was receiving, but feel free to take your star home and tell her they were wrong. Or stay! That would be stellar!” She gave Vega’s hands a squeeze. “Then you can be here to see me not only rock this wish, but”—she shimmied excitedly—“sing!”
Vega tilted her head. “This wish…are you sure about it?”
“What do you mean? Of course I’m sure!”
“I mean…are you sure the wish is truly your Wisher’s wish?”
“Like I said, of course I’m sure. Who else’s would it be?”
“I don’t know…” said Vega. “All I know is that the energy levels were indicating that something was amiss. That’s why I’m here. Maybe if I stay, I can help you figure it out.”
Gently, Leona let Vega’s hands go. “Suit yourself. But you’ll have to change.” She nodded at Vega’s silk-smooth blue shift.
“Right…” Vega looked down at her pretty new dress and made a face. “But how? I don’t think I have anything like your uniform in my Wishworld Outfit Selector.” She checked. “Not even close.”
“I know,” said Leona. “We’ll just say you’re visiting. That you’re just thinking of going to this school. But let’s hurry!” She cheerfully linked her arm with Vega’s. “My Wisher’s waiting for me to rehearse!”
Vega followed Leona to the music building. “Nice place, this school,” she remarked. “You know, it reminds me a little of Old Prism.”
“Really?” Leona glanced around. “They have buildings there like this?” She had never been to Old Prism, one of the oldest settlements on Starland, although it was a popular place for tourists to go. She couldn’t imagine any architecture on Starland being so rectangular, though. It simply wasn’t the kind of shape Starlings naturally thought of.
“I said ‘a little,’” Vega clarified. “I meant in the way Old Prism is historic. This place is old for Wishworld, too, isn’t it?”
“Is it?” Leona shrugged.
Vega pointed at a plaque to the side of the door.
“‘Winte
rbottom Hall,’” Leona read. “‘Built 1792.’ I don’t know….That’s only a few hydrong staryears. That’s not so very old.”
“I know, but on Wishworld that’s lifetimes,” said Vega. “It’s like a star era to us.”
Inside, they found Lily already rehearsing in one of the soundproof rooms. Leona and Vega caught half a chorus before Lily noticed them and stopped.
“Oh, please go on!” said Vega, applauding. “That sounded beautiful!”
“It really did!” Leona said. “Now just wait till you hear our duet! Oh, by the way, Lily, this is Vega…a friend of mine from home.”
“Hi,” said Lily shyly. “So, are you thinking of going to school here, too?”
“Er…maybe…” Vega’s slender shoulders rose slightly. “We’ll see how it goes. So, you two are singing a duet…?”
“Yes.” Lily nodded. “For the talent show tonight.”
Leona grinned and laid her arm across Lily’s shoulder. “It was my idea!” she proudly explained. “It was the only way I could convince her to do the show. Crazy thing is she’d been wishing to do it but came this close to backing out!”
“Really.” Vega raised a thin blue eyebrow. “How…generous of you.”
“Oh, it was nothing!” Leona squeezed Lily’s shoulder. “We should probably get started,” she said then. She pointed with her other hand to a stool in the corner. “You might want to sit over there.”
Vega perched on the seat and listened until a bell rang to signal the end of the period. Lily had a P.E. class to go to then. Technically, Leona did, too. But Vega begged her to give her a tour of the campus, and Leona happily said she would.
“So they take Physical Energy here on Wishworld, too?” asked Vega after Lily had gone off to her class.
“No, no. The ‘E’ is for ‘education,’ not ‘energy,’” explained Leona. “It’s not the same at all. Even though yesterday we did play a game a bit like star ball. They call it basketball, I think. You have to use your hands, though, which I kept forgetting. It was so hard! Not that I was ever that good at star ball, either.” She winked. “So, what would you like to see first? Oh, I know! Let me show you the dining hall. It’s rather dreary compared to Starling Academy’s, but there’s all the lemonade you can drink!”
