by Bentley, Sue
“No way!” A relieved smile spread across Jaidon’s face and his shoulders slumped. “Do you want to have a look around then?”
“Of course I do!” Lola said, giving Jaidon a friendly nudge. “Tell me all about what a Peace Community is, and don’t leave anything out.”
“Okay!” Jaidon said, doing a pretend salute in response to her playful, bossy comment.
They were both laughing as they set off together. Lola noticed that Storm was craning his neck and looking hopefully toward the huge lawns. “Can we look around outside first?” she asked, knowing that her little friend must be eager for a walk.
Jaidon agreed readily. “We’ll go this way toward the lake, and then I’ll show you the vegetable gardens. I’ve got my own patch there.”
Storm kicked up his heels and scampered off toward the nearest tree. They wound down paths past a grove of trees and soon came to a beautiful, calm lake with an island in the center. On the shore was a wooden pagoda, painted red and gold, where people could sit and enjoy the view.
“Wow! It’s so gorgeous here,” Lola said admiringly, thinking of the contrast to her neighborhood. “Is this all really, like . . . your backyard?”
“Sort of, but it’s not just mine,” Jaidon explained. “Me and my mom and dad live here at the center with lots of other families. We have our own rooms in the house, but we usually all eat together and we take turns with cooking and growing our food. We sell some of our stuff, too. That’s what Dad delivers to customers in his van. And there’s a café, a store, and a place for prayer, which visitors who come here to enjoy the grounds can also use.”
Lola was fascinated. She hadn’t known places like this existed. She thought it seemed like a great way to live.
Storm was enjoying himself, too. Lola spotted him rooting about in some rushes. When he scampered back toward her, she could see that his nose and little muzzle were all muddy.
Jaidon led Lola and Storm into the garden with its rows of leafy vegetables and frames of red-flowered string beans. Other fruits and vegetables were being grown in a row of huge greenhouses.
“Do you want to see my pets?” Jaidon asked, with a gleam in his eye.
Lola nodded, wondering what they could be. Chickens, goats, or even pigs? But her eyes widened when Jaidon stopped next to a large plastic tub. Whatever could he be keeping in there?
Jaidon removed the lid with a flourish. “Meet—my worms!”
Lola fell over laughing as she peered in at the rich, crumbly compost, which the worms were busy making from kitchen and garden waste. Trust Jaidon to have the weirdest pets on the planet!
They had delicious strawberry smoothies and coconut pancakes in the café, where Jaidon’s mom was working. Anjum Brooks had a calm oval face, glowing skin, and warm dark eyes. “I am very glad that Jaidon has a new friend. You are welcome here anytime,” she said to Lola.
“Thanks!” Lola smiled, giving Storm a secret cuddle under the table. She hoped to get the chance to come here again. She was starting to think that she and Jaidon could become real friends and not just teammates.
After they finished eating, Jaidon and Lola sat in one of the Brooks family’s rooms to write up their recycling report.
Storm lay on the rug by Lola’s feet with his nose between his little front paws.
“I wonder what happened to that little black-and-white puppy you saved from getting hurt,” Jaidon commented.
“It . . . um . . . ran away. I didn’t see where it went,” Lola said vaguely, trying not to look at Storm. “Sorry that we lost points because of me.”
“Doesn’t matter. It was just bad luck. I’d have done exactly the same thing as you.”
Lola felt herself warming even more to Jaidon. Any other kid would have been mad at her for losing their team points.
She looked up from her notes and chewed the end of her pen thoughtfully.
“We’re supposed to be taking some really unusual recycled object to school on Monday, aren’t we?” she remembered. “Ms. Dobson’s giving out extra points for originality.”
Storm sat up and scratched himself with one short little back leg. His ears swiveled as he listened.
“We definitely need those points, or Carly’s team’s going to win easily,” Jaidon said with a sigh. “But I haven’t got any more bright ideas.”
Storm jumped to his feet. “Follow me, Lola!” he yapped excitedly, jumping up and padding toward the door.
Lola wasn’t sure what Storm had in mind, but she nodded. “I might . . . er . . . have an idea. Come on!” she said to Jaidon, hurrying after the puppy.
They retraced their steps into the garden.
“So—what are we doing here?” Jaidon asked when they were standing next to the plastic-tub worm factory.
“Um . . . I’m just thinking it through,” Lola said, playing for time. She glanced at Storm for help, but he was sitting on the garden path, wagging his tail and saying nothing.
Lola realized that her fluffy friend wanted her to work this out for herself. She lifted the lid again and looked inside the plastic tub. Worms—garbage—compost. An idea flashed into her mind. “That’s it! You’re awesome, Stor– I mean, er . . . I’m awesome!” she burst out, turning to Jaidon.
“I know what we can take into class!” she said triumphantly.
Chapter
*NINE*
Lola took Storm outside for a walk before she went to bed Sunday night. The field behind her apartment block had been mown earlier that day, and the fresh smell of cut grass filled the air.
“Thanks for helping me decide what to take to school,” she said to Storm.
“You are welcome.” Storm snuffled about in the short grass.
Suddenly, Lola heard fierce barking and growling coming from over near the garages. Storm stiffened and began to tremble all over.
“What’s wrong?” she asked softly.
“Shadow knows I am here. He has used his magic to make any dogs that are nearby my enemies!” Storm whimpered. He gave a whine of terror and dashed under the slide in the nearby kids’ playground.
Lola thought the growling was getting fainter. She could see a woman grappling with two Labradors that had spotted a squirrel sitting in a tree. As she watched, the woman got the dogs under control and walked away across the field.
Lola got down and went to peer under the slide. She could see Storm there, curled into a tiny ball.
“Those dogs have gone now. I don’t think they were here for you. But how will I recognize any that are?”
Storm lifted his head. “They will have fierce pale eyes and extra-long teeth,” he told her.
“Then we’ll have to hide you extra well,” Lola said. She managed to reach right underneath the slide with one arm and stroke Storm reassuringly.
The terrified puppy slowly uncurled and finally crawled out with his belly low to the grass. Lola picked him up. She could feel his heart beating wildly. “You’re safe for now. I hope that horrible Shadow keeps going to the other side of the world!”
Storm looked up at her, his squashed little face serious. “He is very close, Lola. I can sense it. If he comes for me, I may have to leave suddenly, without saying good-bye.”
Lola felt a pang as she was reminded that Storm couldn’t stay with her forever. But she didn’t want to think about that now. She loved having Storm all to herself. “Come on, let’s go inside. You’ve had a nasty shock,” she crooned. Lola and Storm met up with Jaidon in the playground on Monday morning. There had been no more sign of any fierce dogs, and Storm was back to his normal self.
“Did you bring it?” Lola asked eagerly.
Jaidon nodded. He produced a clear plastic box. “Mom found this to put it in. It used to have soap inside.”
They went into class where lots of kids were already milling round the display table and talking about what they’d bro
ught in. There was an air of excitement. Everyone wanted to win the prize.
Ms. Dobson came in and took attendance and then walked over to the display table. “Now, class, I hope you’ve all brought in something special. I’m going to be looking for the most unusual recycled object, remember?”
Kids had brought in pens, letter-writing sets, and reusable shopping bags. Carly proudly produced a drinking glass made from an old bottle. She smirked, obviously assuming that this was the wining object.
“Very good, everyone,” the teacher praised.
Lola had waited until last. She and Jaidon put the plastic container on the counter and opened the lid. Inside there was something that looked like crumbled chocolate brownies.
“They’ve brought in a cow pie! Ugh! That’s gross!” cried Carly.
The other kids crowded close. Some of them were wrinkling their noses and giggling. “It’s only compost. Don’t you know anything?” Jaidon scoffed.
Carly flushed, not used to Jaidon standing up for himself. “Well, it’s still disgusting! You’ll probably get disqualified from the comp.”
“I don’t think so, Carly.” Ms. Dobson had a big smile on her face. “That’s excellent, Jaidon and Lola. We couldn’t have a better example of recycling in action. Fruit and vegetable waste gets turned into compost by worms and other creatures in the soil, and then the compost can be used for growing things. Nothing is wasted.”
Lola beamed at Jaidon as the teacher looked at all the other items. Then everyone crowded around as Ms. Dobson added points to the wall chart. The girl with the pens got four, the boy with the reusable bag got five, and Carly got six points for her glass.
“And finally, ten points go to—Lola and Jaidon!”
“Yay! We’ve done it!” Lola waved her arms in the air. She grabbed Jaidon and they danced around in victory.
Everyone clapped and cheered. Even Carly’s teammates left her sulking in the corner to give Lola and Jaidon a round of applause.
As the noise died down, Lola looked about for Storm, wanting to include him in the celebrations. Just then, the tiny puppy gave a whimper of fear and tore out of the open classroom door. Lola glimpsed sinister dark shapes running across the playing field toward the classroom. Sunlight glinted on their cold, pale eyes and extra-long teeth.
She gasped. Shadow’s dogs! Storm was in terrible danger. The moment she had been dreading was here—and far more quickly than she ever could have expected.
Her heart pounded as she knew she was going to have to be strong for Storm’s sake.
“I’ve got to grab something!” Lola said hastily to Jaidon, as she dashed out of the classroom. She ran down the corridor and had just rushed into the coat room when a dazzling flash of bright gold light lit up the racks of coats and lockers.
“Oh!” she gasped, rubbing her eyes. Storm stood there, looking magnificent as his powerful true self. Gold sparkles glittered in his thick silver-gray neck-ruff and his eyes glowed like sapphires. An adult wolf with a gentle face and wise golden eyes stood next to Storm.
Tears ached in Lola’s throat. “Your enemies are here! Save yourself, Storm!” she burst out.
Storm’s glowing midnight blue eyes narrowed with affection. “You have been a good friend, Lola. Be of good heart,” he said in a velvety growl.
Biting back a sob, Lola ran forward and threw her arms round Storm’s muscular neck. She breathed in the smell of his rain-scented fur. “I’m really going to miss you, Storm. I’ll never forget you,” she whispered, her voice breaking.
He allowed her to hug him one last time and then stepped backward.
There was a final flash and a silent explosion of big gold sparks that showered down around Lola like warm rain and crackled as they hit the floor. Storm and his mother faded and were gone.
A furious snarling sounded from outside, but then all was silent.
Lola stood there, stunned by how fast it had all happened, but she was glad that she’d had a chance to say good-bye to her magical friend. She knew that she would always remember the special time she had spent with Storm, and he would be her secret forever.
She looked round with tears in her eyes to see Jaidon standing there.
“Lola! There you are! Ms. Dobson sent me to find you. She’s going to give out the prize. Are you okay?” he asked, frowning slightly. “If you’re worried about something you can . . . um . . . always tell me.”
“Thanks, but I’m fine. I was just coming!” Lola took a deep breath as she walked back toward the classroom with her new friend. She was really looking forward to sharing the movie tickets and asking her mom and dad if Jaidon could come to visit afterward. She knew that wherever Storm was now, the magic puppy would be proud of them both.
About the
AUTHOR
Sue Bentley’s books for children often include animals, fairies, and wildlife. She lives in Northampton, England, and enjoys reading, going to the movies, relaxing by her garden pond, and watching the birds feeding their babies on the lawn. At school she was always getting yelled at for daydreaming or staring out of the window—but she now realizes that she was storing up ideas for when she became a writer. She has met and owned many cats and dogs, and each one has brought a special kind of magic to her life.
