Lottie Luna and the Twilight Party

by Vivian French

  She went to look for an envelope, and as she was hunting in her cupboard she had an idea. ‘Why don’t I take the invitation round to her house now? It wouldn’t take me long. And perhaps it would cheer Marjory up, and then she’ll want to come to school tomorrow!’

  The idea of being able to do something positive made Lottie feel much happier. She put the note in an envelope, wrote MARJORY on the front, and ran to tell her mother she was going out.

  ‘Again?’ the queen asked.

  ‘It’s all to do with Marjory’s surprise birthday party,’ Lottie told her. ‘And, Ma … if we can arrange it, do you think you could make her a cake? A really special one?’

  ‘Of course, dear.’ Queen Mila looked pleased. ‘And sandwiches and buns and biscuits?’ She clapped her hands. ‘And sausages and burgers and pizza! Oh, what fun! I haven’t cooked properly for ages.’

  ‘Thank you!’ Lottie gave her mother an enthusiastic hug. ‘You’re the best!’ And then she was out of the door and running to deliver the invitation. Down the path she sped, in and out of the trees, and the owls flapped their wings in astonishment.

  The road to Marjory’s cottage was on the other side of Shadow Academy, and Lottie slowed down a little as she passed her school. There were lights on in the windows, and she wondered what was happening.

  Maybe it’s being burgled! she thought.

  Anxious to see what was going on, she swung herself up into the branches of a tree so she could peer in – and was disappointed to find it was only the cleaners. Lottie watched for a moment as they swept and mopped the floors, and emptied the waste-paper bins into big brown sacks. That’s our classroom, she thought. Goodness! We didn’t clear up very well after making our pictures today. I’m surprised Mrs Wilkolak didn’t tell us off!

  One of the cleaners was talking to another, and Lottie was just about to slide down her tree when something caught her eye. The cleaner was looking at a piece of paper … and Lottie recognised it. It was her rainbow picture; the picture she had written her note on. Lottie leaned forward to see more clearly – but even as she watched the picture was dropped into a brown sack, and was gone.

  So it was in the waste-paper basket, she thought as she jumped down … and, as she landed, the jolt made a wild idea pop into her head. If I can find that note, Wilf and I can show it to Marjory – and then she’ll know exactly why Wilf came to tea and we left her out!

  Not quite daring to march into Shadow Academy, Lottie lurked outside in the darkness under the trees until the cleaners started bringing out the rubbish sacks. They were stacked up by the dustbins, and Lottie suddenly realised she had no idea which sack was the one she wanted … but she refused to be defeated. I can show her the note with her invitation, she thought, and then everything will be all right again!

  The cleaners seemed to take forever to finish their work, but at last they put the final sack down, and left. The lights went out in the school, and everything was very quiet as Lottie tiptoed towards the bins.

  I’m just going to have to look in them all, she thought – but it wasn’t quite as difficult as she had feared. It was immediately obvious which was the rubbish from the baby class, and also from the top class. Scary, Lottie thought as she looked at the complicated moon-cycle tests. I’m sure I’ll never understand those!

  The next sack was easy too; Lottie recognised the diagrams as being from the form below hers, and put it to one side. Only two were left, and she dived into the first with enthusiasm.

  It was lucky that Lottie’s eyesight was unusually good. She was able to check out paper after paper, even though the light was dim … but there were so many scraps! By the time she got to the bottom of the sack, she was almost ready to give up. Only the thought of Marjory kept her going.

  She picked up the last sack with a sigh. What if it isn’t in here after all? she thought. I’ve already spent loads of time looking. Ma will be worrying about me. She opened the sack, plunged in her hand … and pulled out the rainbow picture.

  ‘Oh!’ Lottie stared at the paper. ‘It’s been torn in half … WAIT A MINUTE!’ She looked more closely. ‘But it’s not just been torn any old how … someone’s torn it really carefully … But who, and why?’ She shut her eyes, and tried to remember what she’d written to Wilf.

  ‘I know I told him to make sure Marjory didn’t know we were going to meet each other, because we didn’t want her guessing what we were planning.’

  Lottie froze. ‘That’s it!’ She snatched up the paper and peered at it. ‘Yes, yes, YES! It still says, “guessing what we’re up to”!’ She sat back on her heels while all kind of thoughts whirled round in her head … and settled into a certainty.

  ‘Kiki and Aggie must have shown Marjory the note! But only the bit that said “we don’t want her” … Of course she was upset! But what do I do now?’ Lottie glanced up at the sky. ‘Oh, no … it’s getting ever so late … but I have to see Marjory first! I absolutely have to!’

  And she jumped to her feet, carefully tucked the remains of the rainbow picture into her pocket and began to run. She ran so fast that a couple of rabbits, busy nibbling grass, were caught by surprise and fell over, squeaking indignantly. Lottie didn’t stop. Her feet hardly touched the ground as she sped along the tree-lined road, and she only slowed when she reached Marjory’s front gate. Pausing for a second to catch her breath, she ran up the path and knocked at the door.

  At first there was no answer, although Lottie could hear the sound of movement inside the house. Then, just as she was beginning to think nobody was going to open the door, there was a shout, ‘Marjory! The boys are in the bath! Go and see who’s there!’

  And a moment later Marjory was standing in the doorway. She gave a little gulp when she saw Lottie, as if she was trying not to cry.

  Lottie grabbed her hands. ‘Marjory – you’ve got to tell me! Did Kiki and Aggie give you a message? A message saying me and Wilf didn’t want you?’

  Marjory stared at her in astonishment, then nodded. ‘They showed me. They didn’t give it to me. They showed me what you had said.’

  ‘I thought so! Oh, Marjory – we’d NEVER not want you! That was only a bit of the message! Please, PLEASE come to school tomorrow! But I’ve got to go now, or Ma will be FURIOUS!’

  And then she was gone.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Lottie woke up early the next morning, wondering if she had made a terrible mistake. What if – Lottie could hardly bear to think about it – Marjory hadn’t believed her, and never wanted to be her friend again?

  ‘What do you think, Jaws?’ She peered at her little bat, but he was still asleep. Lottie sighed. ‘Well … there’s only one way to find out.’

  An hour later, she was on her way to Shadow Academy. She didn’t run as fast as usual, and she hadn’t dared to look at her moonstone necklace. She went steadily down the path, and was surprised to see Wilf coming towards her.

  ‘Hi!’ he said. ‘I came to meet you … Did you make Marjory an invitation?’

  ‘OH!’ Lottie nearly dropped her school bag. ‘I forgot! I forgot to give it to her!’

  She couldn’t believe how silly she’d been. She’d been so busy hunting through the bins at school and looking for the note that she’d forgotten to do the very thing she’d set out to do.

  ‘Give it to her?’ Wilf raised his eyebrows. ‘Did you see her?’

  Lottie nodded. ‘Yes. I went to take the invitation round to her, but then on the way I made a HUGE discovery – and so I forgot to give it to her.’ And as they walked towards Shadow Academy she told him her adventures of the evening before. Wilf listened in silence, but as she finished he whistled.

  ‘WOW! What do we do now?’

  ‘I told Marjory about the note being torn,’ Lottie said, ‘but I don’t know if she entirely believed me. Besides, Kiki and Aggie can’t get away with being so mean. We’ve got to make them own up.’

  Wilf blinked. He had never seen Lottie look so determined.

  Marjor
y wasn’t in the classroom when Lottie and Wilf walked in. Kiki and Aggie were chatting in a corner, and Kiki looked up with a sneer. ‘Oh, look! It’s the wonderful Lottie Luna! Little Miss Perfect!’

  Lottie took no notice. She was watching the door; two boys were the next to come in, and Lottie’s heart missed a beat. Maybe Marjory was going to stay at home! Then another girl arrived, and her friend was right behind her.

  ‘No Marjory today, I see,’ Kiki said loudly, but even as she spoke the door opened a fourth time and Marjory walked in.

  ‘Ooooooh! Here she is at last,’ Kiki began to sneer, but before she could say anything more Lottie was standing in front of her, eyes blazing.

  ‘You took my message to Wilf, and you used it to hurt Marjory, didn’t you?’ She pulled the rainbow note from her pocket, and waved it under Kiki’s nose. ‘Where’s the piece you tore out? The piece you showed Marjory? The piece that said we didn’t want her!’

  Kiki shrugged. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’ She turned to Aggie. ‘We’ve never seen any note from the perfect Lottie Luna, have we?’

  ‘Yes, you have!’ It was Wilf. ‘I saw you pick it up when it fell off my desk!’

  Kiki’s eyes narrowed. ‘I never picked anything up. What would I want with your stupid notes? I don’t care if you’re planning special surprise birthday parties! Why would I?’

  Lottie gave a triumphant snort. ‘So how do you know that was what we were planning if you didn’t read the note?’

  For a moment, Kiki tried her best to look as if she didn’t understand what Lottie had said, but then, with a terrible scowl, she jumped to her feet and picked up her school bag. ‘I’m leaving! I never wanted to come to this stupid school anyway … I hate it! I’m going to make Father let me go home. Come on, Aggie!’

  But Aggie didn’t move. ‘I’m not coming.’

  Kiki glared at her, then swung her school bag on to her shoulder and stormed out of the classroom. As she left, Aggie looked at Lottie, and there were tears in her eyes.

  ‘I’m sorry, Lottie. We did find the note, and I wanted to show Mrs Wilkolak so you got into trouble … but Kiki tore it and made me promise not to tell.’ Aggie rubbed her arm. ‘She pinched me loads … She’s my cousin, but I don’t like her. Not at all. And I’m really, really sorry.’ She gulped. ‘You can have my ticket for the Wailers concert to make up for it.’

  Lottie stood very still, and then she astonished Aggie by hugging her. ‘That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever, ever said, Aggie Claws! Thank you, but I won’t take your ticket. I wouldn’t want to leave Marjory and Wilf out. But there’s something I want to say …’

  She turned to the class, and held out her arms. ‘You’re all invited to Marjory’s birthday party next Monday! Please come to Silver Grove at twilight … It’s going to be the best party ever, and there’ll be the most AMAZING surprise!’ She saw Aggie’s face, and added, ‘You too, Aggie! EVERYONE’S invited … except Kiki!’

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  And it was the best party ever …

  Lottie and Wilf spent all day Sunday helping Queen Mila cook all kinds of delicious party foods, and even Boris came to lend a hand in the afternoon.

  ‘Don’t you need to get ready for the Wonderful Werewolf Wailers concert tonight?’ Wilf asked him, but Boris shook his head, and winked at him.

  ‘I’m not going tonight. My friend’s brother – the one whose brother is a Wailer – told me a secret. I’m going to go to Silver Grove tomorrow! That’s going to be loads more fun!’

  Lottie stopped cutting out biscuits and stared at him. ‘Who said you were invited? It’s a party for Marjory!’

  For once, Boris was taken aback. ‘Oh. Oh, yes. I didn’t think.’ He gave Lottie a hopeful look. ‘I can come, can’t I?’

  ‘Hmmm … what do you think, Wilf?’ Lottie put her hands on her hips. ‘Does my brother deserve to come?’

  ‘Well … we’d never have found the Wailers if he hadn’t told us where they were rehearsing,’ Wilf said, and Lottie grinned.

  ‘Hmmm. I suppose you’re right.’ Lottie hesitated for a moment, and scratched her head. Then she turned to her brother. ‘Okay, Boris! You are hereby invited to Marjory’s party!’

  ‘Phew.’ Boris grinned at Wilf. ‘Thanks.’ He pointed to the window. ‘And I think tomorrow’s going to be MUCH the best day to see them … look! It’s absolutely tipping down with rain!’

  Boris was right. The weather was terrible; winds were whipping at the trees, and the rain was torrential. ‘Oh, dear,’ Lottie said. ‘Do you think it’ll be okay for tomorrow?’

  The queen nodded. ‘It’s supposed to be a lovely day.’

  Queen Mila, a little to her own surprise, was quite right. The following morning the sun was shining as Lottie hurried to school, and by the time she, Marjory and Wilf went home again the weather was glorious.

  They had agreed to meet in Silver Grove just before twilight, and all day Marjory was glowing with excitement. ‘I can’t believe you’ve arranged a party for me,’ she kept saying, and each time Lottie and Wilf chuckled to themselves as they thought of the surprise to come.

  Aggie was very quiet in school; she said her father had taken her home early from the concert because it was so wet, and she kept sneezing. Wilf asked her if Kiki was still staying with her, and she shook her head. ‘She made her father take her home. She said she hated Shadow Academy, and she hated me too … and I’m glad she’s gone!’

  As twilight drew nearer, Lottie grew more and more excited. She and Wilf had hung candle lanterns in the trees, and Boris had helped them carry the baskets of food and drink.

  ‘It looks SO wonderful!’ Lottie said as she lit the last lantern. ‘A magic twilight party!’

  All the guests thought so too. There were oohs and aahs from everyone as they arrived, especially Marjory.

  Hardly had they sat down when there was the sound of music … and all three of the Wonderful Werewolf Wailers arrived, bounding into the centre of the grove, playing their guitars as they came.

  ‘OOOOOOOOOOOH!’ Marjory’s shriek of delight made Lottie and Wilf look at each other with enormous smiles. ‘You two are the BEST EVER!’ Marjory told them, and she was glowing with excitement. ‘I can’t believe it! It’s the Wailers! And they’re here on my birthday!’

  Froom was in the lead, and as soon as he saw Lottie he put his guitar down and began to juggle … and Harper and Loop tumbled over each other, faster and faster, until they were just a blur. Then they snatched up their guitars again, and began to play. ‘Come on, everyone!’ Froom called. ‘Let’s see you dance! This isn’t a concert … this is a party! It’s time for fun!’

  On and on went the music, until even Lottie was breathless from dancing. At last, as the twilight deepened into dusk, the tunes slowed.

  ‘Everyone sit down,’ Froom ordered. ‘We’ve got a special song we’ve never played before, and we want to know what you think of it.’

  Lottie and her friends did as they were told … and Froom began to sing.

  ‘If you think you’re lonely, and the world is at an end,

  Here’s a way to beat the blues … just find a loyal friend.

  Friends will always comfort you,

  Friends will raise a smile.

  When you want a helping hand,

  They’ll go the extra mile—

  ‘And now all together for the chorus!’ he shouted.

  ‘A friend in need

  Is a friend indeed!’

  Froom beckoned to Marjory.

  ‘So … let’s have three cheers for the birthday girl!’ Everyone cheered loudly, and as the noise died away Marjory looked at Lottie. ‘How did you do it?’ she asked. ‘How on earth did you get the Wailers here?’

  Lottie grinned. ‘It’s a long story. We’ll tell you later. But now – it’s time for food.’ She smiled at the Wailers. ‘Would you like to join us?’

  ‘Try and stop us,’ Froom said cheerfully. ‘We’re starving!’
<
br />   After all the dancing, everyone was hungry – and the food disappeared at speed.

  When it was finally time for the cake, Lottie went to fetch it from where she had hidden it under a tree.

  Froom saw what she was doing, and whispered to Harper, and Harper whispered to Loop … and as Lottie carried the cake into the middle of the party they began to play ‘Happy Birthday to You!’

  Marjory looked at Lottie and Wilf. ‘Thank you!’ she said. ‘It’s the best birthday party anyone ever had!’

  And, as she hugged her friends, Lottie saw that her moonstone necklace was shining as brightly as the stars in the dark night sky above.

  LOOK OUT FOR ANOTHER

  LOTTIE ADVENTURE!

  KEEP READING FOR AN EXTRACT …

  CHAPTER ONE

  KING Lupo jumped and looked up at the ceiling. Water was oozing through a zigzag crack and splashing on his head.

  ‘I did warn you, dear,’ said Queen Mila. ‘If you will insist on sitting at the head of the table, you’ll get dripped on.’ She passed the king a napkin and he wiped his ears.

  ‘A king should always be kingly,’ he announced. ‘I may not have been king for long, but I do know how to behave. A king is head of his people, so he should sit at the head of the table – drips or no drips! And talking about behaving, ‘WHERE is Lottie? She’s late for breakfast!’

  ‘I think she’s getting ready,’ Queen Mila told him. ‘Do remember, dear – it’s her first day at her new school, so she’s bound to be a little nervous.’

  ‘Nervous? Why would she be nervous?’ King Lupo dodged another drip and took a bite of his toast. Finding it was soggy, he made a face and put it back on his plate.

  Queen Mila sighed. ‘You know how happy she was at her last school, dear. She had lots of friends and was popular with the teachers too. She doesn’t know anyone at Shadow Academy. She’s starting all over again.’