The Wish Stealers

by Trivas, Tracy

  Every time the gym doors opened, Griffin thought maybe Garrett had changed his mind and was showing up after all. Maybe he’d even forgive her.

  “The booth looks great,” said Mrs. Forester, walking over from the locker rooms.

  “Mary Beth!” said Dr. Penshine.

  “Nice to see you both,” said Garrett’s mom, smiling. “Hello, Griffin.”

  “Hi, Mrs. Forester.” Griffin gulped.

  “Thank you for your cards to me and Garrett. It meant a lot to both of us,” said Mrs. Forester.

  Griffin nodded. “Is Garrett coming tonight?”

  “He’s in the locker room practicing. The guys have been rehearsing night and day at my house. I was counting down to science night, just so I could get some sleep! I told him he has to come over to the booth and help as well. I don’t want him marked down either, but he’s being very stubborn.”

  “Okay,” said Griffin with a sad smile.

  Taking a deep breath, Mrs. Forester said, “I want you both to know something. Garrett doesn’t know this yet. I plan to tell him at the end of science night. His dad flew into town late last night from Alaska. Ever since he received Griffin’s letter, we’ve talked every day. He wanted to come support Garrett for science night. Maybe even stay awhile. I told him he can watch, but he should only talk to Garrett when the night is over so Garrett doesn’t get nervous or upset.”

  Griffin froze. Garrett’s dad was here? From Alaska?

  “It’s okay, Griffin,” said Mrs. Forester, looking at her ashen face. “It might be very good for Garrett to have his dad around if we can all forgive one another. None of us ever stopped loving one another.”

  Griffin and her mom stared at each other. Then Dr. Penshine turned to Mrs. Forester and spoke. “Mary Beth, that sounds like big news. Congratulations.”

  “Thank you,” she said. “I’d like you to meet Garrett’s dad, Griffin. I want to show him the booth you both worked so hard on. One minute, okay?”

  Griffin turned toward the back of the room. Sitting on the bleachers was a tall, handsome man with a brown beard. Just like his picture, thought Griffin. Mrs. Forester waved him over, and he walked back to booth 17.

  “Griffin?” he said in a deep voice.

  “Hello,” she said.

  “Hi, I’m Garrett’s dad,” he said, and shook her hand. “I wanted to thank you for writing to me. I wouldn’t want to miss this. I’ve missed so much already.”

  “I wasn’t sure I should have written to you,” whispered Griffin.

  “I’m so glad you did. I hope one day Garrett is too. I’ll be rooting for your booth and for The Alchemists tonight.”

  “Thank you,” she said.

  “You guys need any help?” he asked.

  “I think things are under control, right, Griff?” said Dr. Penshine.

  Griffin nodded.

  How does one become a butterfly? You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar.

  —Trina Paulus

  Chapter

  40

  Griffin! Griffin!” called Jason, out of breath and running toward her booth.

  “Griffin, I have to talk to you!”

  “What’s the matter?”

  “We need your help!” he said, panting. “Kurt got really sick, stage fright or something. He started to hyperventilate and then threw up everywhere! His mom’s taking him home.”

  “Oh, no!” she said.

  “We really want to play tonight. We’ve been practicing for hours every day. Do you think you could play his bass? We have all the music here.”

  Griffin looked at her mom.

  “Up to you, Griff,” said Dr. Penshine.

  “We’re on in twenty minutes!”

  Griffin looked at the stage set up at the front of the gym. What if she couldn’t play? I wish to become an amazing bass guitarist. Did I return enough of the wishes so I’m not cursed with that wish too? Will I mess up onstage? Can I even do it?

  Slowly she turned to Jason. “You know, Garrett refused to do the booth with me tonight. If he’ll come to our booth when the judges are here, then I’ll play in your band.”

  “Awesome! I’ll go tell him! Be right back!”

  He darted away. “Twenty minutes?” said her mom. “Can you do it, Griff?”

  “I know the music. I was supposed to teach Kurt, so I learned it.”

  “Go for it! I was in a band, you know,” said her mom.

  “You were?” said Griffin.

  “Yeah. In college. The Rocket Girls.”

  They burst out laughing.

  Jason came running back. “Garrett said okay. Come back to the locker room.”

  “Mom?” said Griffin.

  “I’ll watch the booth until you take over,” she said.

  Maneuvering through the booths about black holes, electricity experiments, and jungle animals, Griffin located the locker room. Garrett stepped out from the door. Half his face was painted gold like a rock star.

  “Hey,” he said.

  “Hey,” said Griffin.

  “Thanks for playing in the band,” he said.

  “Yeah,” she said. “You’ll come help with the booth when the judges arrive?”

  “Yeah,” he said.

  They both smiled.

  “We go up onstage in fifteen minutes. Here.” He tossed her a tube.

  “What’s this?” said Griffin.

  “Our costume,” said Garrett. “We’re The Alchemists, so you gotta paint half your face gold.”

  “Really?” she said.

  The other three guys poked their heads out the door, one stacked on top of the other like circus clowns.

  “Hey, Griffin. Thanks a lot!” they all said.

  A big smile spread across her face. The boys looked so funny painted half gold—foolish, even. But Griffin shrugged and went to paint her face too. In the girls’ locker room she stared at herself in the mirror. Her eyes glowed and her hair was shiny. Griffin peered into the mirror and thought about all those pennies, how she had tried so hard to give them back, break the curse, and help people. Griffin drew a long golden line down her face and painted the right side gold. On the left side of her face, around her three freckles, she drew shooting stars.

  If you don’t risk anything,

  you risk everything.

  Chapter

  41

  Ladies and gentleman, your attention, please!” called Principal Yeldah from the gym’s stage. “We are so proud to welcome you to science night!”

  Clapping echoed through the gym and crackled through the stage microphones. “Before the judges make their rounds to evaluate each student’s booth, Garrett Forester and his band, The Alchemists, will be playing. They’ll kick off our evening to help raise money for Pennies for the Planet. This fine charity helps turn pennies into gold for the environment. You all may notice there are five empty water jugs in front of the stage. Please donate your change. Students, dump out your mayonnaise jars of coins you brought from home, and let’s fill these containers! All proceeds go toward protecting our environment. Now, it is my great pleasure to introduce … The Alchemists!”

  The lights dimmed except for a few spotlights hovering overhead. Applause inside the cavernous gym sounded like thunder. Griffin’s heart was pounding louder than any drum she’d ever heard. Why did I say yes? she thought.

  “One, two, three!” shouted Garrett, and the first song boomed through the speakers. Garrett’s drums and Griffin’s bass made up the rhythm section and set the base and anchor for the whole band. Kids cheered and started dancing. It was good the lights onstage were so bright and the audience so dark, because Griffin could hardly see anything. At first her fingers moved too slow. She messed up a few notes, but she recovered. Music and energy swirled around her. The Alchemists played three fabulous songs.

  Out of the corner of her eye she saw what looked like shooting stars soaring in front of the stage. Turning her head, Griffin saw pennies being flung into
the plastic containers. Pings, plops, and whooshes flew in electric zigzags as people threw money into the jugs. Ping. Ping. A dime bounced in too. This is a different kind of ping! thought Griffin. Nothing stolen, just given. A silver raindrop. A shooting penny. A copper missile defending the rain forest.

  “Thank you! Thank you, everybody!” shouted Ethan and Garrett, both breathless as the lights flashed on. Roaring applause sounded like a jungle downpour through the gym. “Thank you. Please make your donations to Pennies for the Planet.”

  Mr. Reasoner and Principal Yeldah walked together onstage. “Folks,” said the principal, taking the center microphone. “First, another big round of applause for The Alchemists!” Griffin could now see all the faces in the bright gym lights. Hundreds of faces! Libby, Audree, Maggie, Madison, the kids in her science class, and Garrett’s mom all beaming with pride. Griffin’s father was there holding her mother’s hand, smiling at her. Everyone else was passionately clapping. Except Samantha. And Martha and Sasha. They just scowled. But no one noticed. In fact, everyone was having such a good time that no one paid much attention to them.

  “We have a special announcement this evening. Tonight we will witness how small things can add up to very big things! Mr. Reasoner,” said Principal Yeldah, handing him the microphone.

  Mr. Reasoner stood before the crowd. “Good evening, everyone. Tonight I would like to introduce one of my most dedicated metal shop workers, Alfred Coombs.”

  Griffin gasped. It was the silent boy from the back of the metal shop. Griffin held her breath.

  “Alfred has been collecting pennies since he was five years old. One day in class, after Alfred heard about Griffin Penshine and Garrett Forester’s fund-raiser idea, Alfred whispered a little something to me.”

  Alfred wheeled up on the stage two huge water jugs filled with glittering pennies packed to the top. “Each full jug of pennies is worth three hundred and fifty dollars. Alfred is donating two full containers to Pennies for the Planet!”

  The audience erupted in applause. Griffin jumped up and down.

  “That leaves the rest of the night to fill the five containers in front of the stage.

  Also, Principal Yeldah informed me that we also have a donation from Nome, Alaska, for two hundred and fifty dollars.”

  Both Garrett and Griffin froze, looking out at the audience.

  “Let’s hear it for Alfred and for The Alchemists!” More clapping. Griffin looked at Alfred Coombs and smiled. He smiled his goofy grin back. He wasn’t strange at all. He was fantastic.

  “How about one more song from The Alchemists!” shouted Mr. Reasoner.

  Thankfully they had one more song to play. It was called “Celebration.”

  Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,

  committed citizens can change the world.

  Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.

  —Margaret Mead

  Chapter

  42

  When Griffin walked into science class the next day, the entire school smelled like warm chocolate chip cookies. The home economics teacher and her students had baked cookies for every student in the school to promote their department.

  Griffin smiled, inhaling the scent that wafted in every corner of the building. I wish my new school smells like warm chocolate chip cookies! Maybe she was on track after all! She hoped things had gone well for Garrett—meeting his dad last night. She wondered if he’d even show up to school today, with his dad in town. Maybe he would be mad at her until the end of school, or even mad at her forever.

  “Did you hear, Griffin?” asked Audree.

  “Hear what?” asked Griffin, and she sat down in her seat.

  “The newspaper is coming!” she said.

  “What?” said Griffin.

  “Shhhhh. Here comes Mr. Luckner,” Audree whispered as the class bell rang. Just then Garrett darted in from the hallway and plunked into his seat.

  “Well, class. I am humbled and amazed,” said Mr. Luckner. “Your projects last night were out of this world. I’m so proud of all the hard work and learning that you’ve accomplished! Of course, the biggest winner of all last night was our own Earth. Now, Principal Yeldah has a special announcement.”

  BZZZZZZZZzzzz. The loudspeaker broadcast Principal Yeldah’s voice through the school into each and every classroom. “Good morning, students. Congratulations on your stupendous work at science night. I’m so proud of all of you. A gigantic congratulations to last night’s two team winners, Audree Stein and Aury Laww and Caden Nosam and Carol Peters. A huge thank you to both teams for their incredible generosity in donating their prize money to Pennies for the Planet. I need to say a special thanks to Griffin Penshine, Garrett Forester, Alfred Coombs, and The Alchemists for all their hard work protecting our Earth. In fact, in addition to Alfred’s donation of two jugs of pennies, the remaining five jugs were filled last night, making the grand total for Pennies for the Planet five thousand fifty-three dollars and eleven cents!”

  Applause erupted throughout the school. “Five thousand dollars!” kids shouted in classrooms. Griffin looked down at her desk and scribbled the math in her notebook:

  Seven jars of pennies (around $350.00 each) = $2,553.11

  An 1872 Indian Head penny (in a ring case) worth: $150.00

  Mariah’s garnet and gold ring: $1,100.00

  An anonymous donation of $250.00 from Nome, Alaska

  Two $500.00 science night winner donations.

  TOTAL: $5,053.11 for Earth!

  “Some of the most exciting news is that the Kansas Tribune called the school early this morning and wants to do a huge front page article about how young students can protect and help our planet. Next Saturday at eleven o’clock in front of the town hall Mayor Alexander will be giving an award to Griffin Penshine and Garrett Forester for starting the campaign. Television news channels are coming as well, and Dr. Fonda, a representative from Pennies for the Planet, is traveling from Washington, D.C., to accept a giant check representing the entire donation.”

  Applause exploded from the entire school, and Griffin and Garrett blushed simultaneously. When Griffin looked up, a note was on her desk.

  Carefully, under her desk, she opened it:

  Hey, great job last night. Amazing bass guitar.

  I saw my dad last night. He’s really cool. He’s a champion fisherman. Sorry for the things I said.

  G.

  Griffin turned around in her seat.

  Garrett smiled at her.

  Help others achieve their dreams,

  and you will achieve yours.

  —Les Brown

  Chapter

  43

  Mom?” called Griffin from her bedroom before school.

  “Yes?” said her mom from the couch. Sweat beaded on her mother’s forehead. Her breathing was heavy.

  “Mom, are you okay?” asked Griffin, walking down a few steps.

  “I’m fine. The baby is coming soon. I can feel it. Maybe she or he is coming early for your award! We are all so proud of you.” She laughed and wiped her damp face with a cloth.

  “You sure you’re okay?” asked Griffin. All the wishes except four had been returned. Returning seven wishes had to count for something. “Puppy,” “world peace,” the unlabeled penny, and the “STOP” penny were left.

  “Mom, before the ceremony next week, there’s one more thing I have to do. Could we get a puppy for Florence Daniellson Busby, the lady who wished for one? When I called the assisted living home, they said pets are allowed there.”

  “Hmm,” said her mom, and rubbed her belly. “I’ll tell you what, let me make a few calls while you’re at school. Can you give me the name of the assisted living home?”

  “Sure.”

  When Griffin came home from school, her mom didn’t move from the couch.

  “Mom?” whispered Griffin. I wish for a baby sister sprang into Griffin’s head. Have I not tried hard enough? Will my mom and the baby be okay?

  “Grif
f,” she said, waking up. “I have some good news.” Her mom struggled to get off the couch. “I made a few calls, spoke to the Sunflower Home director, Mrs. Regan, and explained things. She was charmed by the puppy wish and said it’s just what Florence needs. Dad can’t drive you there on Saturday—he’s got a morning appointment—and I think I should stick pretty close to home with the baby kicking so much. Garrett’s dad agreed to take you and Garrett to pick out a puppy for Garrett and another one for Florence. I guess Garrett has been begging his mom for a dog for a year! I called ahead and paid for Florence’s puppy, so you just choose one that would be best for an elderly lady, okay?”

  “Thanks!” said Griffin, throwing her arms around her mom.

  “It seems Mr. Forester is a big believer in wishes lately,” said Dr. Penshine.

  No dreamer is ever too small;

  no dream is ever too big.

  Chapter

  44

  At exactly ten o’clock Saturday morning Garrett rang Griffin’s doorbell. Griffin’s heart raced. The sky had never been so clear, like a blue birthday streamer floating free above them.

  “Hi, Garrett,” said Griffin, opening the front door. She had checked her teeth three times for anything green. Libby had come over the night before and helped her pick out her outfit too.

  “Hi,” said Garrett. “Are you ready?”

  “Yup,” she said. Did Garrett just blush? Could he be nervous too? she thought.

  Dr. Penshine called from the couch. “Have fun! I’m so proud of you both!”

  Griffin slid into the backseat of the car.

  “Good morning, Griffin,” said Garrett’s dad, smiling. They drove straight to the Dadesville Humane Society.