Green with Envy

by Jessica Burkhart

  “The very last thing I want to tell you is about yesterday morning,” Bella said. “I got up and, of course, Violet was already up. I went into the back room of the castle that leads to one of the patios.”

  Glimmer took a step closer to Bella and munched the long green stalks of grass.

  “I peered through the glass, and Violet was sitting in a lawn chair, using her Chat Crystal. I blinked, like, fifty times to make sure what I was seeing was real.”

  Glimmer’s big brown eyes stared into Bella’s as the unicorn listened.

  “Violet was talking to Clara. As in, my best friend Clara. Without me!” Bella let out a giant sigh and ripped up the stalks of grass that she had been twisting around her fingers.

  “I’m so confused, Glimmer. Before Violet got here, all I wanted was for her to make friends with Ivy and Clara and for you to bond with her. All that has happened, and it’s not what I was expecting, I guess. I feel like somebody crashing their party.”

  Glimmer cocked her head as she looked at Bella.

  “They haven’t really left me out of anything, but I don’t think they’d miss me.”

  It was true—all of the girls had taken a ­carriage ride through the Crystal Kingdom country­side, played hide-and-seek in the lush gardens, and spent hours petting all the royal unicorns. But Bella could barely get in a sentence among Ivy, Clara, and Violet.

  “Bye, Glimmer,” Bella said, hugging her unicorn. “I’m going to find Violet.” She kissed Glimmer’s check and went back to the castle.

  Violet’s room was empty, so Bella went back to her own room. She climbed onto the window seat and pulled out her Chat Crystal.

  Bella desperately wanted to talk to Lyssa, but her older friend had the week off, and she didn’t want to call Lyssa on her break and bother her. Bella had thought about talking to her mom, but her mom loved Violet and just wouldn’t understand.

  The class party was two days away. Some of Bella’s classmates had sent her messages, saying how excited they were about Friday. Queen ­Katherine and King Phillip had spent hours each day working on different aspects of the party—most of which were kept secret from Bella.

  The princess had thought that the class party would be practically the only thing Violet, Ivy, and Clara would want to talk about. That and Violet’s upcoming ceremony. Bella had brought those up in conversation every day up until this morning, and her besties and cousin weren’t nearly as into it as Bella had imagined. Violet, especially. She shut down any talk about the Pairing Ceremony. Bella didn’t even bother to try to talk to her cousin about it anymore. The only topic that seemed to hold Violet’s attention was unicorns. And more unicorns.

  And more unicorns. It was almost like Violet was skipping over the ceremony in her head and going straight to the unicorn part.

  Talking about unicorns was far from boring for Bella. But Violet was so bubbly every time they talked—and she seemed to only want to discuss the awesome parts of having a unicorn. No mentions of the birthday ceremony, fear about not finding Violet’s perfect match—anything! Bella couldn’t believe that Violet hadn’t come to her yet with questions about the Pairing Ceremony.

  But, despite Violet’s always cheery attitude, Bella made a promise to herself that she would find the right time to sit Violet down and explain all about red auras and Queen Fire’s presence in her life. She didn’t want to rain on her cousin’s Pairing Ceremony, but she did want Violet to be prepared for anything.

  Bella, sitting with her legs stretched in front of her, looked out her window at the party preparations. Queen Katherine stood in the center of the now-finished wooden stage, gesturing as she talked to one of the party planners. Tiny pinpricks of excitement covered Bella’s arms. Her first-ever school party! It would have been a ­little scary if Bella’s class was huge and if she didn’t know ­everyone. But all of her classmates knew each other—and were all friends.

  Bella tried to put herself in Violet’s place. I would feel nervous, she thought. Meeting new ­people is always a little scary. But she knows Ivy, Clara, and me.

  Bella still didn’t understand why Ivy and Clara suddenly didn’t seem excited about Friday anymore. BV (Before Violet) the princess’s besties hadn’t stopped talking about the party. Now, AV (After Violet) it was only a topic of conversation if Bella brought it up.

  Bella rubbed her eyes. Nothing about this vacation was going as she had imagined. Not as though it had been bad or anything, but it was weird somehow, in some way Bella couldn’t quite put her finger on.

  She sighed. Ivy and Clara were going to be at Crystal Castle in a few hours. They’d planned a sleepover tonight. Each girl was supposed to bring a different color nail polish. Bella had so many bottles of Sunray Sweets polishes in reds, pinks, purples—even a yellow one! The best part of a mani-pedi was after the color and applying a coat of Sunray Sweets Shine-On top coat. The polish, packed with sunray berries, glowed when it was applied. As it dried, the polish began to shine brighter and brighter. Nails looked as if they had their own tiny spotlight. The polish’s glow turned off at night and recharged when back in the sun.

  Bella stretched and stood. It was just after noon. Maybe Violet was in her room now. It had been at least half an hour since Bella had last checked. You need to stop acting like you’re five and just call Ivy and Clara, Bella told herself. They’re not mind readers. How can they know something’s wrong if you don’t tell them?

  Bella walked down the hall, slowing when she heard Vi’s voice.

  Bella tiptoed to her cousin’s door and leaned toward the cracked opening.

  “. . . Dad, really! Glimmer is . . . wish . . .”

  Bella stepped away from the door. If Violet’s conversation with her dad were anything like the ones she had with Bella and her friends, Violet was going to be on the phone for a while.

  Bella picked up her Chat Crystal. Suddenly she needed to talk to Ivy and Clara more than anything.

  Bella placed the round crystal flat on her palm. She stared at it. “Ivy, Clara, can I call you?” She paused. “Send message, please.”

  The crystal blinked its silver I’M WORKING ON IT message.

  While she waited to hear back from her friends, Bella sifted through some of the outfits she had narrowed down for the party. I wish I knew what my friends were thinking of wearing, she thought. We could be choosing our clothes together.

  Bella shut the closet door. Hard. She reached for the clear Chat Crystal, and it blinked purple and pink the second her fingertips touched it.

  Ivy and Clara were able to talk. Bella ran honey gloss over her lips, trying to decide how to approach her friends with her feelings about Violet.

  Both of the princess’s friends seemed to have gotten close to Violet. Fast. Bella looked up at the photographs of her and her friends that practically covered the wall space above her desk.

  She placed her Chat Crystal on a cloud-shaped pillow in front of her. “Please call Ivy and Clara,” Bella commanded. A bright silver flash, then beams of pink light fanned in front of Bella. Purple shot up next to the pink so the colors were side by side. This was a new feature designers had recently added to the Chat Crystals.

  The colors faded as images of Ivy and Clara appeared in their places. Ivy, cross-legged in her desk chair, waved at Bella before turning her head in Clara’s direction. Ivy smiled at Clara, who did the same and, teasingly, stuck out her tongue at Bella.

  “What’s up, Princess?” Clara asked. “Or, excuse me. Let me try again. What matter do you, erm, wish to talk—no, speak—of, Your Highness?”

  Ivy and Clara giggled, but they stopped short when they saw Bella’s serious expression. Both girls sat up a little straighter, and Ivy clutched her hands in her lap.

  The princess chewed on the inside of her cheek. “Something’s kind of bothering me. You guys are going to think I’m being dumb,” she said.

 
“Don’t say that,” Ivy said. “We’ve never said that and we never would.”

  Clara bobbed her head in agreement. “Exactly. Bella, we’re your best friends. Nothing that’s upsetting you is ever going to be small or dumb to us.”

  Bella gave her friends a tiny smile. She took a deep breath. “This is really hard for me to say, but I want to be honest with you because you’re my best friends. It feels like you guys and Violet became friends so fast. Which I’m happy about.” Bella added the last sentence really fast. “I love that my favorite cousin and my favorite friends like each other so much. I just feel left out. Like you guys wouldn’t notice if I wasn’t there.”

  “What are you talking about?” Ivy said. “We would so notice if you weren’t with us. Bella, if you think we’re being extra nice or something to ­Violet, it’s because she’s your cousin.”

  “Ivy’s right,” Clara said. “I was kind of nervous about Violet visiting, because I really wanted to like her and get along with her because of how close you guys are. Ivy and I are your best friends! We’d never, ever want to hurt your feelings. You and Ivy are so important to me—like family!”

  “We didn’t choose Violet over you,” Ivy added. “I was only trying to be nice to your cousin—I promise. I’m so sorry you felt left out.”

  “Me too,” Clara said. “Maybe Ivy and I sort of treated Violet like a shiny new toy. I’m sorry I made you feel like you weren’t included, Bella.”

  The knots in Bella’s stomach loosened a little.

  “Thank you both for saying what you did,” the princess said. “I—I also wanted to talk to you without Violet around to see if you were still as excited about the class party as you were before Violet got here.”

  “Are you kidding?” Ivy asked. “I get more excited every day!”

  “Me too!” Clara said, smiling at Ivy and then at Bella.

  “But we’re not talking about it. Ever,” Bella said. “I’ve tried to bring it up, and the conversation always goes back to unicorns.”

  “Violet seems more comfortable talking about stuff other than the party,” Clara said. She shrugged. “Maybe she’s a little nervous?”

  “I don’t know,” Bella said.

  “Have you talked to Violet about this?” Ivy asked.

  “Not yet,” Bella said. “I wanted to talk to each of you first.”

  “What do you guys talk about when Ivy and I aren’t there?” Clara asked. “Have you talked to her about your Pairing Ceremony and Queen Fire?”

  Bella shook her head so hard it almost made her dizzy. “Violet’s being so annoying!” she ­complained. “I barely see her. If I do, she’s always at the stable with Glimmer. We haven’t talked for one second about my ceremony. I thought she would want to know more, since her ceremony is soon.”

  “It sounds like you two need to sit down and talk,” Ivy said. “You’ve got to tell Violet how you feel.”

  “I feel like Violet wants to steal Glimmer or something,” Bella said, only half joking. “She must think that her Pairing Ceremony is going to be so perfect that she doesn’t need any advice from her cousin. She hadn’t been acting like the Violet that I remembered.”

  “Definitely talk to her,” Clara said. “Sooner rather than later.”

  “Okay,” Bella said. “I’ll go see if she’s done talking to Dad. Thanks for putting up with me, guys.”

  The friends blew kisses to each other, and Ivy and Clara signed off.

  Bella put the Chat Crystal beside her bed and went back to the guest room. Once again, she leaned close to the door. Silence.

  “Violet?” Bella called, knocking on the door. “You still on the phone?”

  After a few seconds with no response, Bella opened the door. The guest room was empty. She went back to her room and pulled on boots. At least she knew where to find Violet: the stable.

  6

  Glimmer’s Gone Green

  Minutes later Bella reached the stable. Ben wasn’t in front of Glimmer’s stall like he had been so often over the past few days. Maybe they’re inside the stall with Glimmer, she thought. She could see the stall door was bolted tight.

  “Violet? Ben?” Bella said, reaching Glimmer’s stall. “Are you—”

  She stopped midsentence.

  “Ben! HELP!” Bella yelled. “Frederick! Help! Please!”

  Her fingers felt clumsy as she unbolted the stall door and stepped in. She blinked furiously.

  Gone were any traces of Glimmer’s usual purple color. Instead Bella’s unicorn was a vibrant emerald green from nose to tail!

  Oh NO!

  “Bella?” Ben called down the stable aisle.

  “In Glimmer’s stall!” Bella yelled back. “Glimmer’s sick!”

  The princess reached a hand out to Glimmer’s cheek. Glimmer didn’t feel hot.

  Ben skidded to a stop and entered the stall. Immediately he began feeling Glimmer’s ­muzzle, looking into her eyes and ears, and lifting up her lip.

  “What’s wrong with her?” Bella said, trying not to cry. If she cried, she would probably scare Glimmer.

  “Glimmer, tell me what’s wrong,” she said.

  “Bella.”

  Bella turned at the sound of her father’s voice. King Phillip stood outside Glimmer’s stall with Frederick.

  “Ben,” Frederick said. “Come.”

  Ben bowed his head to King Phillip and did as he was told. The king nodded at Ben.

  “Dad, we need Frederick!” Bella said. “Where is he going?”

  “He’s going to explain to Ben why Glimmer changed color,” her dad said. “Glimmer isn’t sick, sweetie.”

  “She’s not?” Bella’s knees almost crumpled under her from relief. “Then what’s wrong?”

  “Let’s take a walk together,” King Phillip said. He held out a hand to Bella. She took her dad’s warm hand and stepped out of the stall. She latched Glimmer’s stall door and followed her dad out of the stable.

  Sunlight beamed down on them and made the castle seal on King Phillip’s shirt sparkle. He turned his kind green eyes to Bella. “How have things been going with Violet?” the king asked.

  Bella looked up at her dad. “Good,” she said. Then she frowned. “Okay, not so great. But Dad, what’s wrong with Glimmer?”

  “Glimmer will be just fine,” King Phillip said. “Tell me what’s going on.” He and Bella started down a pebble-lined path to one of the ponds. Bella wanted to know right now why her beautiful, sweet unicorn was green, but it seemed like her dad wouldn’t tell her without Bella answering his question.

  “I guess things aren’t going exactly as I expected,” Bella said. “I was feeling a little left out because Violet, Ivy, and Clara became friends like that.” She snapped her fingers. “Plus, Glimmer loved Violet from the moment they met. I ­promise, Dad, I’m so happy that everyone likes Violet so much. That’s why it’s so confusing, I guess, that I keep having these weird moments of being annoyed at her.”

  The king nodded. “Have you told Violet any of this?”

  “Not yet,” Bella said. “I talked to Ivy and Clara before I came to the stable. I told them how I felt, and they understood. They told me I should talk to Violet, and I was looking for her at the stable.”

  The princess and her father walked the rest of the way down the path in silence and reached a wooden dock. Bella walked to the far end and sat down, swinging her legs above the water. King Phillip sat beside her. The water turned clear as Bella glanced at the pond. When Bella was little, she always wished she could see the creatures at the bottom of the pond, so King Phillip had applied a crystal clear spell to the water. Whenever Bella visited and glanced at the water, it would become crystal clear and the princess would be able to see the life at the bottom of the pond.

  A small boat tied to the dock bobbed in the water. It had a glass bottom so Bella could
watch crabs, fish, and other creatures whenever she floated around in the boat.

  “There’s more,” King Phillip said. “I can tell. I happen to know my daughter very well.” The king touched Bella’s arm with his hand. “What else is wrong, Bells? You can always talk to me.”

  “I know I can,” the princess said. “It’s hard. I don’t know what I’m feeling! This whole week was supposed to be about the party on Friday. But all Violet wants to talk about is unicorns, and she hasn’t even asked me how my ceremony went. Every time I bring it up, she doesn’t want to talk about it. It’s like she thinks her Pairing Ceremony is going to be easy and perfect. Or maybe she thinks the ceremony part will be boring. I don’t know.”

  King Phillip reached over and put an arm across Bella’s shoulders. Bella leaned against her dad, feeling relieved to have told him what had been going on all week.

  “You and Glimmer share a bond that no one else has with you,” King Phillip explained. “She is very in tune with all of your emotions and feelings. Glimmer is green, Bella, because you are feeling one emotion very strongly.”

  Bella sat up so she could look at her dad’s face. “What? I turned Glimmer green?”

  “Your feeling of envy or jealousy toward ­Violet,” King Phillip said.

  Bella was quiet for a moment. “That’s the weird feeling I’ve had. The thing I didn’t know how to explain. It was jealousy all along.”

  “Jealousy is a powerful emotion,” King Phillip explained. “It can motivate people to do things they otherwise wouldn’t, make them feel things that possibly aren’t true, and it can be a consuming emotion.”

  “I’ve been jealous of Violet this whole time,” Bella said. “Dad, I was jealous that she and Ivy and Clara became friends so fast. Same with her and Glimmer. I guess I’m a little hurt, too, that Violet’s here and I could have told her every detail about my ceremony, but she doesn’t want to hear it.”