by Ahmet Zappa
“Of course!” It would be an opportunity to find out about the caves with Cassie. Usually when she baked, every bit of her energy went into creating the perfect dish. But this time, she’d multitask. Smiling, she motioned for Cassie to join her as she stepped off the Cosmic Transporter.
“I want to use fresh delicata,” Tessa went on, “so I’m thinking about mini comet cakes. Only instead of sparkleberries, I might add cocomoons with a starburst of solar cream.”
“Mmm-mmm,” said Cassie as they entered the kitchen. “Sounds starmendous. What can I do to help?”
“For starters, set the micro-zap for a moonium and four degrees.”
The two girls got to work, Tessa humming as she measured and mixed, crimped and coated, sometimes telling Cassie what to add.
“A flounce of milk.”
“Two quax of sunflour.”
“A zingspoon of sparklesugar.”
Then she poured the batter and popped the tray into the micro-zap. “Two point six seven starsecs,” she instructed Cassie. She grinned happily. “Star salutations for your help!” Then she remembered: the whole time, she was supposed to have been getting more information!
Before she could say anything else, the comet cakes were ready. There were twelve mini comet cakes, one for each Star Darling. Tessa couldn’t help admiring the treats, with their perfectly round shape and tapered tails made from starberries. The bright red fruit looked just like a comet’s fiery stream.
Cassie sniffed. “They smell so good! Can I have mine now?”
Tessa grinned. “Tell you what. Let’s have as many as we want. Then we can make another batch!”
Cassie stretched out her hand, but Tessa held the tray high over the small Starling’s head. It was a little unfair, she knew, to hold back the treat. But she had to work fast now to get some information. And she knew from when Gemma was younger that this was the best way to get it.
“Tell me what you and Scarlet were whispering about on the Cosmic Transporter this morning.”
“What? I don’t know what you mean,” Cassie said, turning away so she wouldn’t have to look Tessa in the eye.
“Oh, I think you do.” Tessa sounded more confident than she felt. “I distinctly heard you say ‘Star Caves.’ And I bet you two are convinced those caves have something to do with your Lady Stella suspicions.”
The caves were real, not a theory or an idea, and they were something Tessa could reach out and touch—something that could hold solid proof of Lady Stella’s innocence. Or guilt, Tessa thought for a starsec, before she could help herself.
She lowered the tray and waved it tantalizingly under Cassie’s nose.
“Oh, okay!” Cassie grabbed a cake.
She paused to take a bite. “Scarlet’s explored the caves. She found another entrance, and she’s gone down a bunch of times. I guess she likes the bitbats and the feel of the tunnels—the mystery and the isolation. But it’s not as if she’s found anything revealing there.”
“Is that all?” Tessa asked, disappointed.
“Well, I have my own ideas about the caves,” Cassie went on. “There are so many twists and turns. They could hold so many secrets, and they’re so closely tied to our missions I just feel there could be clues down there—answers to what’s been going on.”
“Exactly!” Tessa exclaimed. “So what are you two going to do next? For your sleuthing?”
“Nothing,” said Cassie, squirming a bit.
Was Cassie skirting the truth? She seemed uncomfortable, and Tessa guessed the Starling didn’t really like to lie. So she didn’t want to call her on it. But she needed to keep pressing her.
“The next time Scarlet explores the caves, we should go, too,” Tessa said. “We may spot something she’s missed.”
Tessa gave a little shudder. Really, the last thing she wanted to do was trek through those damp, spooky tunnels. Going with the Star Darlings to their special Wish Cavern was one thing. But just roaming around—unescorted—was a galliope of an entirely different color.
Meanwhile, Cassie had polished off four comet cakes and was reaching for a fifth. “Well, I can ask her. I have no idea what she’ll say, though, and there’s no way we can go alone. We don’t even know how to get in.”
Cassie popped the round cake into her mouth and sighed. “These are really good, Tessa. I wish I could bake like you.”
“You can!” said Tessa. “You already watched me once. So this time when I bake, holo-vid me with your Star-Zap and use it for reference.”
“Can I borrow yours?” asked Cassie. “I brought mine in for repairs. It’s been weird lately, and I haven’t been able to get holo-messages, or even send them.”
“Uh-huh,” Tessa murmured, not really listening. Already she was measuring sparklesugar and pouring it into a bowl. Maybe this time she’d add just a flicker more delicata.…
The next starday Tessa was late for class. But why, oh, why did it have to be Wishworld Relations with Professor Margaret Dumarre?
After baking the comet cakes with Cassie, she’d felt so calm and productive she’d actually finished her “Being Human” paper. She’d sent it right off but hadn’t heard back from the professor. Not a holo-note saying it was okay it was late. Not a message saying she was lowering the grade because Tessa had missed the due date. However her teacher felt, Tessa wasn’t looking forward to walking into class after the lecture had already begun.
If only she hadn’t tried to take a quick peek at Jewel! The “quick peek” had turned into a very long gaze. And then her mom had holo-texted a new recipe, and Tessa just had to holo-call to say star salutations, it sounded great, and the two had talked until her mom asked why she wasn’t in class.
Now, racing along the Cosmic Transporter, she was tempted to go back to her room and grab a leftover comet cake to give to Professor Margaret Dumarre. Maybe that would somehow explain her tardiness, or at least give the teacher a reason to be more lenient. But Tessa doubted that would, in fact, help. Professor Margaret Dumarre would know she was being bribed.
“Oops!” Lost in thought, Tessa had almost gone right by her classroom.
“Hey, where’s the starfire?” Scarlet stepped in front of her, blocking the classroom door.
“I’m late for class, Scarlet. So please star excuse me.” Tessa started to walk around the other Starling, but then she remembered the caves. She stopped, turned back, and smiled encouragingly.
Scarlet almost smiled back. “I’m actually late, too. Since I’ve stopped skipping, it’s taking me longer to get places than I think it should.” She shrugged. “I didn’t even know I was skipping, but I guess acting crazy can have its benefits. Anyway, it’s okay with me if you and Cassie come with me next time.”
“To the caves?” Tessa said loudly, not quite hiding her surprise. It was all happening faster than she’d thought it would. She had imagined Cassie would have trouble convincing Scarlet, a notorious loner, to let them go along.
“Shhh!” Scarlet said, annoyed. Then she stomped away without saying another word, her boots thudding loudly.
Tessa took a deep breath and peered through the window of the classroom door. Professor Margaret Dumarre had her back to Tessa and was speaking to the students.
Now! thought Tessa. She quietly opened the door—just a bit—with her wish energy manipulation, then slipped inside.
“Today we will delve into one of the pillars of positivity: creating a peaceful space.” Professor Margaret Dumarre paused, then, with her back still to Tessa, said, “Tessa, please take a seat and join us.”
Tessa hurried to an empty desk, thinking, That wasn’t bad at all! Professor Margaret Dumarre didn’t sound angry in the least. Maybe she didn’t care that Tessa was arriving after the bell.
A girl named Violetta, sitting next to Tessa, turned to her with a smirk. “Late again, Star Dope,” she hissed.
If only she hadn’t been in such a rush, Tessa would have noticed Violetta and found another empty desk. She would never, in a
moonium staryears, purposely sit next to the girl. The purple-haired Starling was great friends with Vivica. Even though Violetta was two grades ahead, she fawned over the younger Starling as if she was the most starmazing thing since sliced tinsel toast.
Maybe Violetta liked the way their names sounded together, or maybe she was just afraid if she didn’t flatter Vivica, she would turn on Violetta like she had done to so many others.
Violetta tapped the clock on her Star-Zap and shook her head sadly at Tessa. “Now you’re slow to get to class, too? Poor, poor Tessa. You Slow Developers lag behind in everything.”
Or maybe she was just plain mean.
Tessa shifted her attention to the front of the room. Professor Margaret Dumarre was gesturing at a small device. Instantly, a holo-picture of a lovely garden appeared. Flutterfocuses, their sparkly wings glowing, fluttered around delicate blushbelle flowers, their pink petals glimmering in the sun. Kaleidoscope trees ringed a clear blue pond, their ever-changing colors reflected in the still waters.
With a wave of the teacher’s arm, the picture expanded, wrapping around the classroom and winding among desks so it seemed the girls were sitting right at its very center.
Professor Margaret Dumarre wrinkled her forehead in concentration, her magenta-and-blue-striped bangs swaying gently with the motion. Tessa’s seat slowly transformed, shrinking, changing shape, texture, and color, until she realized she was sitting on a moss-covered stone as soft as her bed. She looked around and saw all the chairs had been replaced. A sweet fragrance filled the air. Someone sighed with contentment.
“To feel positive, to be trusting and open to experience and accepting of outcomes, to be in the moment…” Professor Margaret Dumarre spoke in a low soothing voice. “Be mindful of your surroundings. Feel a sense of place…real or imagined. And let that place bring a peaceful moment…a moment that will bring good vibrations to everything and everyone in sight. Gather and share that positive energy flow!”
Tessa’s fingers grazed her velvety-smooth moss and, using all her senses, took in the scene.
She watched a gold-and-silver flutterfocus intently, studying and enjoying its grace and beauty. She felt loose and relaxed.
Is this for real? she wondered idly. Or just a holo-illusion? The girl on her other side slowly tipped her head up to the ceiling, now a bright sky. The entire class seemed lulled into a sunshiny, dreamy state. Even Violetta had a sweet smile on her face. So maybe it didn’t matter.
What counted was the feeling, the positive emotion you took from a tranquil setting—the feeling that you could achieve the impossible. She felt the positive energy flow.
“Creating a peaceful space,” Professor Margaret Dumarre said softly, “can bring with it power to shrug off negativity.”
She turned to look steadily toward Tessa, an understanding smile on her lips. “One day, when you’re on a Wishworld mission, things may not be going your way. You may not be able to find your Wisher.” She paused for a moogle to stare directly at Tessa. “Or your Wisher may be late.”
Tessa realized she hadn’t really gotten away with anything. In her own way, Professor Margaret Dumarre was taking her to task for being late. But Tessa felt surprisingly okay about it; the calm feeling persisted.
“And in those cases,” the professor continued, “you’ll need to increase your positivity.”
At the word positivity, Tessa heard a buzzing sound and looked for a nearby glitterbee among the flowers. But the garden scene was fading, the flutterfocuses and flowers disappearing, and the buzzing seemed more insistent.
Oh! Tessa realized with a start that it was her Star-Zap, set on low.
“Class dismissed. See you on Lunaday,” the teacher said, smiling. “And don’t forget to check 3C for your term paper grades. I’m sure you’ll all be pleased. There were many Is.”
Illumination! Tessa thought. Did she have a moonshot at a grade like that? Violetta gave her one last sneer before she left class, saying, “If I were a Star Dope, I wouldn’t be in a rush to find out my grades.”
But Violetta spoke in such a soft, pleasant way the words barely stung. Positivity at work! Tessa thought. A little more time spent in pleasant surroundings—minus Vivica—might be all that Starling needs.
Buzzzz!
Oh, my Star-Zap, Tessa remembered. She checked the screen and saw a group holo-text from Scarlet, with Cassie included in the message.
My Aspirational Art class is canceled! Professor Findley Claxworth is off to Starland City for the opening of his new exhibit, Paint by Sunbursts. Have free period next. Let’s go exploring! Meet me at the fountain right now!
Tessa had to smile. Scarlet, usually so abrupt, was quite chatty by holo-text!
Luckily, Tessa had an independent study period next. She was supposed to go to the Illumination Library and report to the supervising librarian, Lady Floridia. But as a third year, she was allowed to skip study hall three times a term. She wasn’t sure how many periods she’d missed already. Hadn’t she used some study time to bake Bright Day cakes just recently?
But she didn’t have time to check in at the Illumination Library, so she hurried directly to the fountain, in the Star Quad. As always, the water seemed to dance as it flowed, sparkling with all the colors of the rainbow. Scarlet was already there.
“Where’s Cassie?” Scarlet said immediately, dispensing with any sort of greeting.
“Moonberries!” Tessa shook her head. “I totally forgot. Cassie brought her Star-Zap in for repairs. She didn’t get the holo-text.”
Tessa expected an angry retort from Scarlet, but maybe she’d come from a positivity class, too, because the Starling only shrugged. “Well, no rush. I have band practice after this period, but Leona won’t mind if I skip it.”
Scarlet was the Star Darlings band’s drummer. She was so talented maybe Leona allowed her flexibility. But no matter what, Leona most certainly would mind if Scarlet missed practice.
Then again, Scarlet probably found that appealing.
“Cassie has Wishers 101,” Tessa told Scarlet. It was an introductory course, taught by Professor Elara Ursa. The class was held in the largest lecture hall, filled with row upon row of first years just figuring out Wishlings. Cassie had already met several in person and surely knew more than all the other students combined. It wouldn’t be a big deal for her to miss it. “If we hurry, we can catch her before class starts.”
The two Starlings ran along the Cosmic Transporter but weren’t quite fast enough. Cassie’s classroom door was just sliding shut as they approached. Through the door’s window, they could see Cassie’s pink hair falling over her desk as she readied her supplies.
“Come on,” said Scarlet, pulling Tessa back outside. She stopped by the floor-to-ceiling window along one wall of the lecture hall. “We’ll just wave to Cassie until she comes out.”
“Uh, I don’t think so.”
The last teacher Tessa wanted to get in trouble with was Professor Elara Ursa. Well, no. The very last teacher was Professor Margaret Dumarre. But she needed to be on her best behavior around Professor Elara Ursa, too.
Tessa ducked behind a starmarble pillar.
“Listen, Tessa, you have to stop hiding,” Scarlet told her. “You still haven’t gone on a mission, so you may be chosen any starmin now. How will you be successful on Wishworld if you’re too nervous to get a friend out of class right here on Starland?”
Tessa took a deep breath. Everyone knew Scarlet was fearless. And she, Tessa, was not—not by a moonshot. Still, Scarlet had a point. She had to learn to handle setbacks, just like Professor Margaret Dumarre was trying to teach them. For a moogle, she pictured the peaceful classroom garden.
“Okay,” she said, stepping close to Scarlet.
Scarlet grinned, then waved her arms furiously at Cassie. She shielded her eyes like she was on some sort of search, then flapped her arms like a bitbat.
It was a good pantomime and would definitely give Cassie the idea of exploring the caves…i
f she was looking. Unfortunately, she wasn’t.
Tessa waved tentatively just as Cassie turned her head and seemed to stare in her direction. So Tessa gestured widely with both arms, meaning, “Come out to us.”
Cassie wrinkled her brow in a “Huh?” expression.
Now Tessa put her whole body into it, gesturing wildly at Cassie, then crouching low and holding her Star-Zap like a flashlight, as if she was exploring a dark tunnel. Tessa began to enjoy herself, thinking it was like star charades, a game she and Gemma would play for starhours on cold, snowy nights at the farm. She didn’t even pause when Scarlet tapped her shoulder.
“Wait a moogle. I’m almost finished,” she whispered.
“Finished doing what?” asked someone in an amused tone. It was a voice Tessa knew all too well. She straightened slowly, a bright green blush rising to her cheeks.
“Uh, nothing, Professor Elara Ursa,” she said weakly. Scarlet was nowhere to be seen.
“Would you mind doing ‘nothing’ somewhere else, Tessa?” the professor said pleasantly. “It’s a little distracting for the class.”
“Of course,” said Tessa, edging away and ducking her head in embarrassment. “Star apologies, Professor Elara Ursa.”
When she found the courage to look at the teacher, it was too late. Professor Elara Ursa was already back in the classroom.
“Whew, that was close,” said Scarlet, emerging from behind the pillar.
“Yes, for me,” Tessa said testily. But really, she’d done the same kind of thing to Gemma at home, thinking their parents would go easier on her little sister because she was younger. Of course, she and Scarlet were exactly the same star age. But what good did it do for both of them to get in trouble? “Now what?”
“We go to the caves!” said Cassie, coming out from behind the pillar, too. “While you were talking to Professor Elara Ursa, Scarlet snuck me out of class!”
“Wrong way, Tessa!”
“What?” Tessa was heading toward Lady Stella’s office, where the Star Darlings always took a secret passage to the Star Caves.