Lottie Luna and the Twilight Party

by Vivian French

  Lottie heard the whisper. What’s Kiki got? she wondered, and she looked up to see what was going on – but Kiki was smiling innocently at Aggie. All the same she was suspicious: Kiki had sounded much too pleased with herself.

  I do wish she hadn’t come to Shadow Academy, Lottie thought, it was bad enough with Aggie, but now there’s two of them … And then she felt guilty. Maybe she’ll settle down, she told herself. She might get nicer. And she’s only staying with Aggie … she won’t be here forever.

  Wilf didn’t find an opportunity to pass Lottie the book with his hidden note until just before the Evening Howl. It said that he’d be waiting for her after school, and she gave a sigh of relief. At last they’d be able to make a plan!

  As she walked towards the Great Hall with Wilf and Marjory, Lottie was still trying to think of wonderful ideas for Marjory’s birthday treat. She might not be able to make the concert, but perhaps they could get the Wailers to play for her on her actual birthday? Why not? Boris knew one of the Wailers’ brothers. Maybe she and Wilf and could find him, and ask him? She gave a little skip of excitement. Marjory looked at her in surprise, and Lottie smiled, but didn’t explain.

  The Evening Howl was as magical as always. The stars shone on the painted ceiling, and the tiny lights in the walls twinkled brightly. Madam Grubeloff swept on to the stage in a long black cloak trimmed with silver, and everyone was quiet as they waited for the Howl to begin. Aggie and Kiki were a little way in front of Lottie, and she was pleased to see that Kiki was looking impressed.

  Madam Grubeloff held out her arms. ‘Please take your neighbour’s hand in friendship,’ she said. ‘I’d like to begin by welcoming Kiki Claws to Shadow Academy! Kiki – we’re delighted that you’ve joined us while you’re staying with Agatha, and I hope you’ll be very happy here.’ She looked down at Kiki, who shuffled her feet but didn’t say anything. Madam Grubeloff smiled at her, and went on, ‘And now let us begin our Evening Howl of peace and harmony.’

  As the Howl began, Lottie held hands with Wilf and Marjory, and the glorious sound made her spine tingle. Shadow Academy is the best school ever, she thought to herself. I’m so lucky to be here! and she squeezed her friends’ hands.

  Once the Howl was over, Mrs Wilkolak led the class back to their room to collect their coats and bags, ready to go home. Kiki and Aggie were walking just ahead of Lottie, and they were whispering and giggling together; Lottie tried hard not to listen to what they were saying, but with her special powers she couldn’t help overhearing when Aggie said, ‘Will we show it to her today?’

  Kiki’s answer was a snigger. ‘Let’s wait until tomorrow morning. I want to teach that horrid Lottie Luna a lesson. I hate people who call me names!’

  ‘Okay,’ Aggie said, and then they began to walk faster and Lottie couldn’t hear them any more.

  ‘Oh, dear,’ she said, and she rubbed her ears. It was difficult to know what to do. Nobody with normal hearing could have heard Kiki … so should Lottie keep it to herself?

  Before she could decide, she was back at the classroom. She picked up her school bag, called Jaws down from the picture rail where he’d been sleeping all day and hugged Marjory goodbye. ‘See you tomorrow!’ she said, and hurried out of school.

  Aggie and Kiki watched her go.

  ‘So – when do you think we should show the note to Mrs Wilkolak?’ Aggie asked.

  Kiki looked sly. ‘Who said we were going to show it to Mrs Wilkolak?’ She pulled the note out of her pocket, and tore it carefully. ‘Look!’

  Aggie looked.

  MAKE SURE MARJORY DOESN’T KNOW YOU’RE MEETING ME! We don’t want her –

  ‘We’ll show it to Marjory,’ Kiki said, and her eyes were gleaming. ‘She won’t want to be Lottie’s best friend once she reads that! I’ll teach Lottie Luna what happens to people who tell me I’m mean.’

  ‘I suppose so …’ Aggie sounded doubtful, and Kiki stared at her.

  ‘Aggie! Why are you standing up for Lottie?’

  Aggie shrugged. ‘She can be nice sometimes. I’d rather give the note to Mrs Wilkolak.’

  ‘Too late,’ Kiki said. ‘I’m going to show it to Marjory tomorrow morning – and don’t you dare say anything about me tearing a bit off or you’ll be in trouble too!’

  ‘Okay,’ Aggie agreed. ‘I promise.’ Kiki gave her a sharp look, but said nothing.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Wilf was waiting for Lottie outside the school gate. ‘Hi!’ he said, but he didn’t sound as cheerful as usual, and Lottie looked at him in surprise.

  ‘What’s the matter?’ she asked.

  Wilf rubbed his nose apologetically. ‘I’m really sorry – but I think Aggie’s cousin might have found your note. I didn’t notice at first that it had fallen off my table, and when I did it wasn’t on the floor … and then I saw her reading something that looked a lot like it.’

  Lottie made a face. So that was what Kiki and Aggie had been talking about! ‘Don’t worry. I think they’re planning to show it to Mrs Wilkolak, and get me into trouble. You know how she hates us passing notes!’

  ‘Yes.’ Wilf nodded. ‘Sorry, Lottie. But what are we going to do about Marjory’s party?’

  ‘I was wondering,’ Lottie said, ‘if there was any chance we could ask the Wailers to play on her actual birthday?’

  ‘Hmmm …’ Wilf sounded unsure. ‘How would we find them? And, even if we did, what would make them want to play at a kid’s birthday party when they’re used to performing to crowds?’

  Lottie refused to be discouraged. ‘We could at least ask,’ she said. ‘You never know. I’ll ask my brother where we could look for them – he knows someone who plays with them sometimes. Hey – could you come home to tea with me today? Then we can plan properly.’ She grinned. ‘You can meet my weird family.’

  ‘I’d need to tell my gran,’ Wilf said. ‘Could Jaws take a message for me?’

  Lottie nodded. ‘Of course.’

  As Jaws flew off with Will’s message, Lottie led Wilf towards the path that led up to Dracon Castle. As they hurried along, Lottie told him all about her brother, and how Boris could be a bit tricky sometimes.

  Wilf laughed. ‘Aren’t big brothers always tricky? Lottie – are you sure your parents won’t mind my coming to tea?’

  Lottie shook her head. ‘Ma will be really pleased to meet you.’ She hesitated. ‘And Pa … well, you’ll have to excuse Pa. He does have a few airs and graces. He’s got a bit grand since he became king. He’s not—’ She stopped, because Wilf was staring at her, his eyes popping out of his head. ‘What’s the matter?’

  ‘I’d completely forgotten!’ he said. ‘Your dad’s a king, and your mum’s a queen!’

  ‘Only since last year,’ Lottie said. ‘They were very ordinary before that. Look! Here’s Jaws coming back!’

  Lottie was right. Her little bat swooped down and landed on her shoulder. He was carrying a roll of paper, and she handed it to Wilf. ‘This must be from your gran.’

  Wilf read it, and laughed. ‘She says she hopes my ears are clean, and I’ve got to be extra-specially polite!’

  That made Lottie giggle. ‘I don’t think they’ll check your ears. Come on … we’re almost there!’

  Wilf took a deep breath as they turned the last corner. He’d been expecting a wonderfully grand palace so he was surprised to see a rambling old building with dozens of crooked towers. There was ivy all over the walls, and several of the windows were almost covered.

  ‘Welcome to Dracon Castle,’ Lottie said. ‘Come and meet Ma. She’ll probably be in the kitchen. I’m sure there’ll be something nice for tea … She’s a very good cook. She worked in a café before she was made a queen; she gets very bored just cooking for us.’

  As Lottie led Wilf under the big stone archway, he began to feel nervous. The feeling got worse as he followed Lottie in through a huge door, and along a corridor. There were pictures hanging on the walls, and he saw that they were kings and queens, princes and princes
ses. They were obviously very old; he even saw one that he recognised from the history lesson they’d had that morning. ‘Wow! That’s Lupino the Second! So is he one of your ancestors?’

  Lottie shrugged. ‘I suppose so. Well … a very distant one. Come on … the kitchen’s this way!’

  A door opened ahead of them, and a tall werewolf came towards them, eating a biscuit. ‘Hello,’ he said. ‘I’m Boris.’ He put the biscuit behind his back, clearly thinking it might make him look undignified. ‘Prince Boris, actually. How do you do?’

  Wilf had never met a prince before. He had read books about royalty, though, so he bowed low, and said, ‘I’m Wilf, Your Majesty.’

  Boris looked pleased, but Lottie grabbed Wilf’s arm. ‘You don’t need to do that,’ she whispered. ‘He’s pleased enough with himself as it is. He wouldn’t even be a prince if our incredibly ancient great-uncle hadn’t died.’ She made a face at her brother, and pulled Wilf towards the open door.

  Wilf looked over his shoulder as he went. ‘Excuse me, Your Majesty!’

  ‘Don’t! You’ll make him worse!’ Lottie hissed. And then they were in the kitchen.

  Queen Mila was busy at the enormous old stove, and she didn’t notice they were there until Lottie flung her arms round her mother’s waist. ‘Ma! Meet Wilf! Can he stay for tea?’

  The queen smiled at Wilf, and wiped her hands on her apron. ‘How do you do? I’m so pleased to meet you! Lottie says you’re a very special friend.’ She looked around, as if she was expecting someone else. ‘Isn’t Marjory with you? I thought you three did everything together.’

  ‘We’re on a secret mission,’ Lottie told her. ‘Wilf and I want to plan a surprise party for Marjory on her birthday, and we’re going to try and get the Wailers to play!’

  ‘The Wailers?’ Boris had come back into the kitchen, and had heard what Lottie had said. ‘At a kid’s party? And how, exactly, do you think you’re going to do that, little sister?’

  Wilf was still a bit in awe of Boris. He bowed again, ignoring it when Lottie stuck an elbow in his ribs. ‘Lottie said you knew someone and that you might be able to tell us where to find them, Your Majesty, so we can ask them.’

  Boris raised a superior eyebrow, and tried to think of the most unlikely places to find the Wailers. ‘She did, did she? Now, let me see … oh, yes. Holly Hollow. I’m almost sure you’ll find them there. Or, if they aren’t there, they might be at Four Oaks. Or even Heather Valley. They’re rehearsing really hard at the moment. They’re making sure that their concert is the best ever!’

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Wilf could hardly eat his tea, he was so excited. Boris didn’t stay; he said he had things to do, and wandered away. ‘Wow!’ Wilf said. ‘He’s so cool! I wish I had a brother like that.’

  ‘No you don’t,’ Lottie told him. ‘He’s really annoying and a terrible show-off.’

  ‘Don’t be unkind, Lottie,’ Queen Mila said as she put a delicious-looking fruit cake on the table. ‘Your brother was very helpful! He told you where to go to find your Moaners, didn’t he?’

  Lottie giggled. ‘Wailers, Ma!’

  ‘Oh, yes.’ Her mother smiled. ‘Wilf, dear, would you like some cake?’

  But Wilf had eaten enough. ‘Thank you very much, Your Majesty,’ he said. ‘That was delicious … but would it be all right if Lottie and I went to look for the Wailers now?’

  Queen Mila glanced up at the clock. ‘Just as long as Lottie’s home by moonrise.’

  As Wilf and Lottie walked away from Dracon Castle, Lottie patted his arm. ‘Thanks, Wilf. If I’d asked if we could go out, Ma would probably have said no. Shall we start with Boris’s first place – Holly Hollow? If we hurry, we might be able to check out Four Oaks as well.’

  Wilf nodded, and Lottie began to run. She hadn’t gone far when she realised that Wilf was a long way behind; her special powers meant that it was too easy for her to outrun him. ‘Oops,’ she said, and stopped to wait for him. By the time he reached her, panting hard, she had had an idea. ‘Wilf,’ she said, ‘suppose we split up? You go and look at Four Oaks, and I’ll go to Holly Hollow … What do you think?’

  Wilf was struggling to catch his breath, but he managed to nod. Lottie beamed at him. ‘And, just supposing they aren’t at either of those places, shall we go to Heather Valley tomorrow?’

  ‘Okay.’ Wilf was finally able to talk again. ‘We can report back to each other at school in the morning.’

  Lottie looked thoughtful. ‘Maybe we should get there early to talk about it? Just in case Aggie and Kiki are about … and I don’t want Marjory to suspect we’re planning anything!’

  ‘Good idea.’ Wilf grinned at her. ‘I think the Wailers will be at Holly Hollow, though! I just know it.’

  ‘I do hope so,’ Lottie said. ‘But Boris can be really mean. He might have made it all up.’

  ‘Really?’ Wilf stared at her. ‘But he’s a prince!’

  That made Lottie laugh out loud. ‘He may be a prince, but that doesn’t stop him from being ever so ordinary underneath. See you tomorrow!’ And she began to run.

  Wilf watched her vanish, and shook his head. Nobody could catch her, he thought. Now … which is the best way to Four Oaks?

  Lottie, speeding towards Holly Hollow, was practising what she’d say to the Wailers. I’m sure they’ll want to help when they hear that Marjory’s never, ever had a party, she told herself. I know I would!

  As she got closer, Lottie thought she could hear voices, and she ran even faster. It’s them! she thought, but a moment later she realised someone was singing ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star’. That can’t be the Wailers!

  Lottie was right. As she slowed down to a walk, she saw that Holly Hollow was full of excited little cubs dancing in a circle. Oops, she thought.

  The Wailers definitely aren’t here. I’d better go home … and hope we can find them tomorrow.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Lottie was later than usual in setting off for school the following day. She had forgotten to do her homework the night before, and had had to rush through her maths while she was eating her toast, much to her mother’s disapproval.

  ‘Really, Lottie! You should have done your homework last night, instead of going out with Wilf. I know you wanted to start planning Marjory’s birthday surprise, but your schoolwork should always come first. If I’d known you still had work to do, I’d never have agreed to you going out.’

  Lottie waved her last piece of toast in the air.

  ‘It’s all right, Ma. I’ve done it now.’ And with a whistle to Jaws she dashed out of the door.

  As Lottie spun round the corner, Wilf was waiting outside Shadow Academy as he’d promised. She looked at him hopefully. ‘Did you find the Wailers?’ she asked, but Wilf just shook his head.

  ‘Me neither,’ Lottie told him. ‘So, if Boris is right, then they must be at Heather Valley … Can you come out again this evening?’

  ‘As long as I’m not too late back.’ Wilf grinned. ‘My gran’s ever so impressed I’ve been to tea at Dracon Castle!’

  ‘Shh!’ Lottie put her finger to her lips. ‘I don’t want everyone to know where I live!’

  ‘Sorry,’ Wilf apologised. ‘I forgot.’

  As soon as Lottie and Wilf reached the classroom, Lottie knew something was wrong. Marjory was in a corner, and Aggie and Kiki were whispering to her. She was looking really upset.

  The next minute Marjory said loudly, ‘I don’t believe it!’ and she marched away from the two girls.

  ‘Are you okay?’ Lottie asked. ‘What were they saying to you?’ And she glared at Kiki and Aggie.

  For a moment, it seemed that Marjory was going to tell her, but then she stopped and shrugged. ‘It was nothing. They’re just trying to be clever.’

  ‘Are you sure?’ Lottie put her arm round her friend. ‘It looked as if they were being horrid to you.’

  ‘No.’ Marjory shook her head. ‘It’s fine.’

  Kiki was watching from the other s
ide of the classroom, and she nudged Aggie. ‘Do you think Marjory believed us? That the note was real?’

  ‘I don’t see why not,’ Aggie said. ‘It was in Lottie’s handwriting … and she looked ever so shocked when she read it.’

  ‘She did, didn’t she?’ Kiki sniggered. Then she called out, ‘Be careful, Marjory! Remember what we told you! Some people are ever so two-faced.’

  Wilf frowned. ‘Are you talking about Lottie?’

  Kiki grinned at him, and it wasn’t a friendly grin. ‘Did I mention Lottie? I don’t think I did. But you know her better than I do, so it’s interesting that she’s the first person you think of.’

  ‘Lottie’s never two-faced!’ Marjory said indignantly, but Kiki shrugged.

  ‘Time will tell.’ She turned to Aggie. ‘Did you do your maths homework last night?’ And the two girls began to compare their answers.

  Lottie, Wilf and Marjory spent the rest of the day together. Marjory was unusually quiet, but she still wouldn’t tell Lottie and Wilf what Kiki and Aggie had said. ‘It was nothing,’ she told them, ‘nothing at all.’

  Lottie wasn’t so sure. Her moonstone necklace was dull, so she knew something was very wrong … but what?

  Maybe they were teasing Marjory about never having a birthday party, she thought. But they showed her something … so what could it have been?

  She went on wondering, but for once she had no bright ideas. I’ll ask Wilf later, she thought. He was sitting nearer than me.

  When school ended, Lottie gave Marjory an extra-special hug as she said goodbye, and Marjory looked pleased. ‘We’re best friends, aren’t we?’ she asked.

  ‘Of course we are!’ Lottie told her, and Wilf nodded his agreement. As Marjory ran off home, Lottie looked at her necklace to see if it was bright and gleaming again … but it wasn’t.