Flunked

by Jen Calonita

  Then I disappear through a narrow alleyway off the square that leads to the smaller, poorer streets on my side of town where oversized teacups, boots, and thatched huts replace the nicer brick buildings. The streets are already dark—we don’t have lanterns to light the way—but I would know this trail blindfolded. I hurry past the panhandler, dropping a biscuit into his outstretched hand, and move toward the smell of shoe polish that always leads me home. My boot is one of four on this tiny block. With one last look around to make sure I am not being followed, I turn the key and head inside.

  “Gilly!” My four-year-old twin brothers, Han and Hamish, knock me backward into the door I just came through. They’re so light, they roll off me. I see they got into the shoe polish again. There is black all over their cheeks, foreheads, and identical plaid rompers.

  “What did you get?” Six-year-old Trixie, with her rosy cheeks and bright red hair, runs into the room at the sound of the collision. “Jam? Cheese? That good pepperoni you got last week?”

  “Shh….” Felix, my five-year-old brother, hushes her as he comes down the ladder from the loft where we all sleep in bunk beds. Felix is the wise-beyond-his-years one and looks the most like Father. His dark brown eyes seem to see right through me. “You didn’t get caught, did you?”

  “No,” I assure him and lift my cloak to reveal a satchel full of dinner rolls. My siblings try to grab some. “Wait!” I say, looking around the room. We can barely fit in the living room despite only having a fireplace and one shabby couch.

  The walls of the boot have patches to keep out the cold from cracks in the leather exterior. The patches look like paintings, of which we have none. A single drawing of a field of lilies hangs above our fireplace. My sister Anna drew it one night when we were too cold to sleep. The cuckoo clock on the wall chimes six, and I know Father will be home from the shop soon. “Where’s Mother?”

  “Mother is in the kitchen with Anna, finishing her birthday cake,” Trixie says. “Do you want me to go around the back of the boot, knock, and leave the rolls there again?”

  “Yes, after you’ve each eaten a roll first.” I open the satchel again and let them each take a roll. They devour the bread within seconds.

  The shoe business isn’t what it used to be and money is scarce. Sure, we have three meals, if you call half a cup of chicken broth a meal. If it weren’t for my hauls from the market, my siblings would waste away. Instead, the twins finally have a little weight on them and the dark rings around Trixie’s eyes have disappeared.

  I do what I can to help out around here. And that includes making sure my siblings are fed enough and get a birthday gift. I could buy a lot with that dragon tooth clip I stole today, but the minute I saw it, I knew I was going to keep it for Anna. The green in the clip matches her eyes, and I could picture her using it to pull back her long hair. She will never let that clip out of her sight, unlike that spoiled royal. That’s for sure.

  That’s why I targeted Blondie today. I only pluck from people who can afford to lose things. Royals can definitely afford to lose a few trinkets. So can the baker whose business is booming and who treats Mother poorly whenever she comes in to see if he has any day-old bread on sale. The royals are part of the reason we live in this overcrowded boot, so I don’t feel bad taking from them.

  “Gilly? Is that you?” I hear Mother’s voice and quickly give Trixie the satchel to deposit on the back steps.

  Mother looks tired as she comes over to give me a hug, smelling like a mixture of flour and leather, which means she must have had to help Father in the shop earlier. I sink into her like I would a soft pillow.

  “You okay?” she asks. Her blue eyes look tired. “Your cheeks are flushed.”

  “Fine,” I say. “I just hurried home from studying so I wouldn’t miss cake.”

  “How do you think you did on your test?” Mother asks.

  How hard can a test on shoe polishes be? I took it and then left school for the rest of the day to find Anna’s present. “Great,” I say with enthusiasm. “Probably got an A.”

  “You’re home.” Anna removes her apron. She has flour on her cheeks and in her brown curls. She’s wearing that Rapunzel perfume I snagged her a few weeks back (and claimed it was a free sample. Anna hates my thieving.). “You’re just in time for cake!”

  “Cake? What happened to presents first?” I tease.

  Mother looks downward. “Gillian, you know business has been slow.”

  “That doesn’t mean magic hasn’t found its way to our boot!” I try to sugarcoat everything for my brothers and sisters. “Look what I found near the Pegasus stables this afternoon.” I pull the comb out of my pocket and they gasp. “It practically begged to be rescued.” Anna reaches out to touch the golden comb as if she can’t believe it’s real. “I guess it was meant for you.”

  “Someone dropped it,” Anna says, being her noble self. “We should find the owner.”

  “Nonsense!” I put the comb in her open palm. “Finders keepers, losers weepers. Isn’t that what Hamish says?” Anna doesn’t look convinced. “I asked one of the stable guys if he knew whose it was,” I improvise. “He didn’t and said I should keep it.”

  Anna’s face lights up. “Really?” Mother smiles as Anna uses the comb to pull her curls to one side. She runs to the small mirror near the door. “It’s so pretty! Thank you, Gilly!”

  I’m about to say “You’re welcome” when I hear the lock turn. Father is home. My siblings hurry across the creaky floorboards and stand near the front door. Mother brushes off her apron and Anna jumps to her place next to her. We all line up like we’re a processional at a ball. “Hello, Father,” we say as if on autopilot. Mother does too.

  “Family,” Father says as he hands Mother his hat and cloak to hang up. The smell of shoe polish radiates off him like stinky perfume. “Are we ready to eat?”

  “Yes,” Mother says. “You can go in first and I’ll feed the children after.”

  I bite my lip. Father always gets to eat alone and takes the biggest portion. Mother says he needs his strength and quiet after working so hard. I hear Han’s stomach growl.

  “Okay,” Father says, stopping to ruffle my brothers’ heads and kiss Trixie and Anna. When he sees me, he freezes. “Gillian.”

  “Father.” I bow my head. The two of us are not on the best of terms these days. He’s tired of getting visits from Pete, and I’m tired of us going hungry. Neither of us is willing to budge.

  He’s barely squeezed his way past us to get to the kitchen when we hear the knock at the door. Anna and I lock eyes, and my stomach drops. My brothers and Trixie look at me. I pretend to fluff pillows on the couch. Dust appears in the air from where I hit a pillow.

  “Felix, please get the door.” Father squeezes past us all again to greet our visitor.

  I try to stay calm. There is no way I was trailed. But the door creaks open and my worst fears are confirmed: there are Pete and Olaf. Pete walks in without being invited. Olaf is so huge he has to duck his bald head under the rafters. I’m not even sure he’s going to fit in the room. We all move back so they can squeeze in. I try to appear cool and aloof.

  Father reaches for Pete’s hand and shakes it. “Good to see you, Peter. Olaf.”

  “Hi, Hal,” Pete says solemnly. Olaf grunts. “Sorry to bother you this late in the evening. Are those work boots I ordered almost finished?”

  He’s here about a boot order! I relax and almost chuckle. I’m so paranoid.

  “Yes, should be done by tomorrow.” Father bows. I feel my cheeks flush. Father believes commoners must bow to law enforcement because they work for royals. We are at the bottom of the barrel. Father has always believed a person’s class in life is their class. You can’t change it. You shouldn’t want to change it. All you can do is respect it.

  I totally disagree.

  “I wish I could say that’s the only re
ason I’m here,” Pete says and looks right at me. “Good evening, Gillian. How was your day?”

  “Nice, Pete,” I say. “Have you gotten taller?”

  He grimaces.

  Father glares at me. The only sound is our cuckoo clock. “What has she done?”

  “Of course you’d take his side,” I mutter under my breath. Father may not warm to me the way he does to a hot cinnamon bun, but I still hate letting him down.

  “Have you given me reason to think otherwise, Gillian?” he asks. Father is a tall man, as tall as Olaf, but unlike Olaf, he looks tired. Working fourteen-hour days in that shoe shop and then coming home to six kids will do that to a person, I suppose. “First it was that pocket watch you took from the King’s page, then it was the book from Belle’s library—”

  “Borrowed,” I correct him. “Belle said that was a library, so I borrowed a book. I was going to bring it back.”

  Maybe.

  Father rubs his forehead. “I don’t know what to do with you anymore.” He looks at Pete for backup. “All I do for this child and it’s never enough.”

  “If it were enough, Mother wouldn’t have trouble putting dinner on the table every night,” I jump in, unable to contain my anger. “Too bad we can’t eat shoe leather.”

  “That’s enough!” Father’s voice starts to rise.

  Pete spots Anna and points to her hair. “Gee, that is a pretty hair thingamajiggy. Looks expensive. Possibly of dragon origin, wouldn’t you say, Olaf?”

  “It was a gift,” Anna says stiffly. “Gilly found it on the ground.”

  “Found it,” Pete repeats. “I guess that’s the only way anyone in this boot could afford a piece of jewelry like that.” Olaf and Pete chuckle, and it takes all my willpower not to deck them both. My parents say nothing. “Gillian is a lucky girl.”

  “I didn’t steal it, if that’s what you’re getting at,” I snap. “It was just lying on the ground by the Pegasus stables.”

  “You mean like this satchel?” Pete pulls the green satchel of rolls from behind his back and Hamish lets out a sob. Our dinner. “We found this on your back steps. It looks a lot like the one that went missing this morning at Gnome-olia Bakery. I guess that’s a coincidence.” Olaf pushes past Trixie to muscle his way to me. “Come clean, Gillian.” Pete’s beady eyes darken. “You stole that hair clip from a royal at Combing the Sea. Neil, the shop owner, places you there five minutes before the royal realized it was missing.”

  Fiddlesticks. I’m busted, but my best bet is to stick to my story. “I don’t know what to tell you. Maybe the girl has the same clip as the one I found.”

  “Gilly?” I hear Anna’s soft voice and I turn to see her disappointed face. “You didn’t find this, did you?” I can’t lie to Anna. So I don’t say anything. “Here.” Anna takes the clip from her hair with trembling hands and hands it to Pete. “This doesn’t belong to me.”

  “Sorry, kid.” He scratches his beard, which hangs all the way down to his knees, and looks at me greedily. “This is your third offense. You know what that means.”

  I feel the color drain from my face. “Second offense! Those golden eggs came rolling down the hill toward me at the Fairy Festival, I swear.”

  Pete gives Olaf the handcuffs to put on me. Han and Hamish start to wail.

  “I’m taking you in,” Pete says. “Headmistress Flora already got your order approved.” He hands my parents an eggplant-colored scroll I’ve seen only twice before. Both times were when thieves got hauled off to FTRS. I’ve never seen either kid again.

  Mother shakily unspools the scroll to read it and Father takes it from her hands. I look over their shoulders to read it myself.

  URGENT MESSAGE

  FOR HAL AND EVA, PARENTS OF GILLIAN COBBLER:

  Your daughter Gillian COBBLER has been taken into custody for the third time for PETTY THEFT. By order of the Enchantasia Dwarf Police Squad, this REPEATED OFFENSE requires that she be taken to Fairy Tale Reform School immediately.

  Please follow the dwarf squad to FTRS to register her for admission. Bring any personal items she will need for an extended stay.

  Headmistress Flora, FTRS

  MESSAGE APPROVED BY: Princess Ella

  I feel Olaf click the cool metal around my wrists in front of me, and my heart drops.

  “Here’s the school brochure too.” Pete gives one to Mother, who immediately opens it and starts reading. I can see the school’s gold crest on the front of the pamphlet.

  “Don’t take Gilly!” Han cries, gripping the bottom of my overalls. Hamish throws himself on me along with Trixie. Felix looks sad.

  Tears stream down Anna’s face. “This has to be a mistake! Tell them it was an accident,” Anna begs me. “You didn’t mean to take the comb, right?” Her eyes are so wide and innocent that I only feel worse. But seeing Pete’s smug face makes something inside me snap.

  “Maybe I did mean to take that comb,” I say defiantly, and Father glares at me. “I had no choice! The shoe shop is doing terribly. We don’t have enough money to eat!”

  “Gilly!” Mother wrings her hands. “We do not talk about family matters in public.”

  “We’re fine,” Father tells Pete and Olaf. “The shoe business isn’t what it used to be, but it’s fine.” Father is furious with me, I can tell.

  “You should pack her a bag,” Pete tells my mom. “Don’t forget her toothbrush. This one is going to be there a while.”

  Father could care less if I go. My only hope is Mother. “You know me,” I plead. “Don’t let them take me away. I messed up, but I’m no villain.”

  Mother’s face crumbles. “Not yet, but you could become one if you don’t start changing your ways.” My jaw drops, and her cheeks burn. “You say you’re trying to help us, but you’re so focused on the royals and what they have. That hatred worries me.” She looks down at her apron. “And besides, the brochure says the school has wonderful classes. They’ll be much more interesting than the ones you’re in at trade school,” she says brightly. “Maybe now you’ll really learn something and won’t feel the need to skip out.”

  Pete snorts. “She’ll regret the day she skips a class at FTRS. I’ll tell you that.” Pete gruffly pushes me toward the door, sidestepping the coatrack.

  “I’m sorry, guys,” I say to my sniveling siblings. I won’t look at my parents. I try to sound upbeat. “I’ll see you soon, okay?”

  Pete snorts. “Doubt that.” He grabs the back of my shirt and I elbow him in the ribs. “Ow!”

  “Gilly!” Father scolds.

  “Like I said, you won’t be leaving FTRS for a while,” Pete seethes. “Which is great news for me, bad for you. You, my little thief, are off to Fairy Tale Reform School.”

  CHAPTER 3

  Time to Face the Music

  “Let me go, Olaf!” I bark as the big guy swings me through the giant oak doors at Fairy Tale Reform School and drops me on the marble floor with a loud thud.

  Ouch!

  That’s the second time he’s dropped me today. The first time was when he put me in the carriage to take me to FTRS. If this is how they treat minor criminals, I can’t imagine what they’d do if they came across Alva, the fairy who cursed Princess Rose to all those years of slumber.

  “Get these handcuffs off me,” I yell as Pete stands there calmly, chewing on a piece of taffy. He looks like he’s enjoying my tantrum. “I know my rights! I’m only twelve. You’re not supposed to handcuff me!”

  “Normally we’re not supposed to cuff a kid, but you can’t be trusted,” Pete grumbles. “Last time I let you go, a ruby ring mysteriously disappeared from a visiting queen’s fat finger not five minutes later!”

  “I have no clue what you’re talking about.” That pick freaked me out, but it bought us enough food to last a month. No regrets there.

  “The handcuffs stay until the boss l
ady gets here,” Pete says.

  Headmistress Flora. I’ve seen Ella’s former stepmother in the village. That woman never cracks a smile. I might as well enjoy whatever “freedom” I have left. “Can you give me a hand up at least?” I ask Pete. He nods to Olaf, who lifts me by my armpits. I shrug out of his grasp and take a look around the giant hall.

  So this is what Fairy Tale Reform School looks like. Having heard the rumors all these years, I was expecting to see kids handcuffed to walls and torture chambers. The woman who runs this place supposedly made her own daughters cut off part of their feet to fit into Ella’s precious glass slipper, so I wouldn’t put anything past her. But if she’s hiding a torture chamber in this building, it’s not in the swanky foyer.

  I can’t let my guard down, but I have to say…

  This place looks cushy! The outside is. It took the carriage at least ten minutes to get from the gates to the castle, which is surrounded by a moat. Olaf said the moat is filled with hungry crocs to keep kids from escaping, but I think he was trying to scare me.

  I hope.

  The castle doesn’t look creepy at all—well, if you ignore the fact there are some gargoyle statues hanging around. With its trio of tall towers, mint-green roof, and ivy and rainbow-colored flowers everywhere, it rivals the courtyard of Royal Manor. Even the doors Olaf tossed me through were pretty—pale green with strange hand-carved panels that show pictures of a full moon, an apple, a mermaid, and a glass slipper.

  The inside is inviting too. Olaf won’t let me go far, but I can make out a large fireplace in the sitting room that looks quite toasty. Velvet couches and leather chairs perfect for reading surround the fire and are also tucked into nooks next to large stained-glass windows. Candles are burning everywhere. Some are scented, which make me a bit woozy, and a bit hungry too. I can hear light music playing in the distance—something classical—but this room is silent, empty, and spacious. Ahhh. I take a moment to enjoy the space. Then I spot a large, gold sign above the doorway to the sitting room.