Magic Puppy: Sunshine Shimmers

by Bentley, Sue

  Chapter

  * SIX *

  When Della awoke the following morning, bars of sunlight were streaming in through the partially opened shutters.

  Her mom and dad had decided to have a quiet day reading and relaxing by the pool. They suggested that Della might like to invite Honey over.

  “Cool!” Della and Storm went to the Greens’ villa right after breakfast.

  Honey was delighted. “I’ve got a great idea!” she said, stopping dead as they were walking back up the hillside. “Follow me!”

  “Where are we going?” Della asked, a little wary after yesterday.

  “You’ll see,” Honey said, starting to jog in the opposite direction.

  Della hung back and the still-invisible Storm paused beside her. “I thought we were going back to my place. I ought to tell Mom and Dad if we’re going anywhere else. They’re really strict about that.”

  Honey rolled her eyes. “Don’t freak out! Jeez! We’ll only be gone for a few minutes.”

  Della hesitated, but it was really hard to say no to Honey. She had a way of making her feel silly and fussy. “Well—okay then. If we’re quick,” she decided.

  They set off again and soon came in sight of a familiar building. It was Maria Isola’s farm.

  “I’m not hiding in the garden and chucking things at people,” Della said, guessing that was what Honey had in mind.

  “As if! Been there, done that,” Honey scoffed. “I’ve got a much better idea.” She dashed across the field and went into the grove of orange and lemon trees.

  Della followed more slowly. She didn’t feel quite right about being there.

  “We’re going to have a climbing contest!” Honey sang out. She grabbed a low branch and rapidly climbed upward. Oranges fell out of the tree and bounced on to the grass. “See, easy-peasy! Your turn! Go on—climb that one,” Honey urged, pointing.

  Della stood there, undecided. Maybe she should just go back to her villa, but then Honey would think she was a pathetic wimp.

  Storm looked up at her. “What do you want to do?” he woofed.

  “I guess I’ll have to climb up,” Della whispered to him.

  Storm’s furry brow wrinkled in a frown. “Are you good at climbing?”

  “I’ve never tried. I don’t like heights much,” Della admitted.

  “Come on! What are you waiting for?” Honey called.

  Della swallowed hard. Reaching up, she grasped a branch and felt around for a foothold. Bracing herself against the trunk, she heaved herself upward. Climbing was harder than she’d expected, but with a lot of puffing and panting she finally managed to scramble into the tree.

  “Phew!” Della clung on tight, feeling quite pleased with herself. Maybe Honey was right and this was going to turn out to be fun.

  But when she looked down through the branches at Storm, he seemed a long way below her and looked even tinier than usual. His bright-blue eyes were full of concern.

  Della started to feel dizzy and there was a swirling feeling in her head.

  Honey crowed with laughter from the nearby tree. “Gotcha! I never thought you’d do it!” She swiftly climbed back down and jumped to the ground. “See ya!” she called, racing back across the field and disappearing.

  “Hey! Wait for . . . Oh, great,” Della groaned. Her heart sank as she realized that Honey had played a trick on her.

  There was a movement from near the farmhouse. Someone began walking toward the trees.

  Panicking, Della started to climb down, but in her hurry she lost her footing and her legs dangled in midair. She tried to hang on to a branch, but her fingers weren’t strong enough and started slipping.

  “Eek!” Della gulped as her tummy lurched. She was going to fall!

  Suddenly Della felt a warm tingling feeling down her spine, stronger than last time, as bright golden sparks ignited in Storm’s fluffy ginger-and-black fur and tiny lightning bolts fizzed from his ears and tail.

  Della plunged downward surrounded by a silent whirlwind of golden sparks, which swirled around her like tiny worker bees. She tensed, ready for a jolt of pain, but instead of the bruising landing that she expected, Della fell on to a deep pile of squishy green velvet cushions.

  Plop! Plop! Plop! Oranges bounced down beside her, knocked off the branches by her fall.

  A voice rang out as someone came closer. “Della? Are you all right?” Maria’s face was creased with concern.

  Della felt the velvet cushions disappear one by one. She sat up on the grass, unable to believe that she hadn’t hurt herself.

  Storm ran up, jumped into her lap and started licking her face.

  “Thanks, Storm,” Della whispered, moving him gently aside as she struggled to her feet. “I’m okay!” she said in a louder voice so that Maria could hear her.

  “I am glad. You can help yourself to oranges whenever you like,” Maria said gently. “But maybe you should ask Carmella to help you pick them.”

  “I wasn’t picking ora—” Della stopped herself. “I was . . . We were . . . I mean . . .” she stammered and then fell silent. She was furious with Honey, but she wasn’t prepared to tattle on her, even if it would get herself out of trouble. “I’m really sorry,” she finished miserably.

  “I accept your apology. Let us say no more about it,” Maria said, patting her arm. “Are you sure that you were alone just now?”

  Della nodded, mutely, her face burning.

  “Very well. I do not think I need to tell your parents about this,” Maria said kindly. “Off you go, Della.”

  Storm trotted alongside her as she walked quickly across the field without turning back. She felt awful about lying to Maria, but she didn’t think she had much choice.

  Honey was waiting for her a bit farther on. “You took your time. What happened?”

  “Maria thought I was stealing oranges. She said I could have as many as I like. I only had to ask.”

  “That’s hilarious!” Honey clapped her hands to her mouth and burst out laughing.

  Della didn’t think it was funny and was still too annoyed about Honey’s mean trick to talk to her just then. She marched up the hillside toward her villa with Storm, leaving Honey to follow her.

  “It was only a joke! You didn’t get in too much trouble, did you?” Honey called after her. “Look, I’m sorry, Della. Let’s still be friends?”

  Della sighed and stopped, waiting for Honey to catch up. She guessed that, even with Storm keeping her company, the vacation would definitely be more interesting with Honey around.

  Honey looked at Della solemnly. “I’m glad you got down the tree safely. Otherwise you’d be orange juice!”

  The two girls burst into giggles and carried on back up the hill together.

  Chapter

  * SEVEN *

  The following day the two families had planned a shared trip to the seaside. Della was really looking forward to it. She had decided to forget about yesterday and hoped Honey wasn’t in too much of a joke-playing mood.

  She began putting some last-minute things into her shoulder bag. “Bathing suit, towel, dog food for Storm,” she said, mentally ticking things off. “Oh, where are my other flip-flops?”

  “I will find them,” Storm woofed helpfully, diving into the bottom of her wardrobe and emerging with a flip-flop dangling from his mouth.

  “Thanks, Storm.” Della smiled at him as she took the now slightly damp shoe and then reached in for the other one. Her fingers closed on something big and leggy.

  “Aaargh!” Della shrieked, shooting backward and sitting down hard on her behind.

  Yipe! Taken by surprise, Storm almost jumped out of his fur.

  He leaped into the wardrobe again and came out carrying the most enormous plastic spider Della had ever seen. Shaking his head and growling, he tossed it across the room.

 
“It’s okay. It’s not real,” Della spluttered, laughing now that her heartbeat had returned to normal. “Honey must have sneaked up here yesterday and put it there. It was pretty funny. I don’t mind jokes like that. I bet they heard me screaming in America!” She shook her head slowly as she finished packing her bag.

  “The Greens are here. Are you ready, Della?” Mr. Walton called up the stairs.

  “Coming!” Della and Storm ran down, went outside and piled into the back of the Greens’ car. Honey was already in the back. Della plonked down next to her.

  “Thanks for the pet spider! It was a bit small. Couldn’t you find a bigger, blacker, hairier one?” she joked.

  “What spider?” Honey tried to look innocent, but she couldn’t help grinning. “I couldn’t resist it. Glad you liked it. I’ve brought my new kite with me,” she said, changing the subject. “I hope it’s windy enough to fly it. We can take turns with it.”

  “Sounds great. Thanks, Honey,” she said, touched by the other girl’s generosity. This was the Honey she really liked and wanted to be friends with.

  Della sat stroking Storm, who was on the seat beside her, nearest the car door. After a while he stood up on his little back legs to look out of the window, his ears flapping in the breeze.

  They reached the coast twenty minutes later. Mrs. Green parked the car and they all walked the few yards to a wide beach with pale, silvery sand. Creamy-topped waves were gently rolling in and breaking on the shore.

  It was very hot, but there was a strong breeze blowing.

  “Perfect for kite-flying later,” Honey announced.

  Storm’s nose twitched as he smelled the salty air. His little paws kicked up spurts of sand as he scampered invisibly after Della.

  The moms set up a striped beach umbrella, and the dads went off to buy everyone ice cream. While they were waiting for them to return, Honey and Della made a sand castle.

  The castle of heaped sand was soon patted into shape, but it was still a bit lumpy. Honey thought it was in need of a tower or two, but they didn’t have any buckets with them to make some.

  “At least we can make a moat,” Della said. Storm came and stood very close to her hands, so he could enjoy digging, too, without Honey noticing. His little paws pedaled like fury and he yapped with enjoyment as sand flew everywhere.

  “Wow! You work fast!” Honey said, impressed, as Della appeared to have dug a moat in record time.

  “Yeah, I do, don’t I?” Della replied, grinning.

  The dads arrived with ice cream. Della and Honey sat on the sand to eat theirs. Della sneaked a fingerful of ice cream to Storm when no one was looking.

  Honey finished hers first. She looked sideways at Della and a familiar mischievous expression crossed her face. Reaching out, Honey snatched her half-finished ice cream.

  “Hey!” Della cried.

  She watched in disbelief as Honey leaped to her feet and dumped the half-eaten cone upside down on top of their sandcastle. “Perfect. One pointed tower!”

  “Why didn’t you use your own cone? I was enjoying that!” Della grumbled.

  “Ha-ha! I’ll buy you another one,” Honey laughed.

  “Don’t bother!” Della stomped down to the shore, where she paddled about by herself in the cool water. “Honey just can’t help herself! She makes me so mad!”

  Storm was nodding sympathetically when he was almost drenched by an incoming wave. Barking furiously at the sea, he dodged backward to keep from getting his paws wet.

  Della felt her mood lifting as she laughed at his antics. Storm always seemed to find a way to cheer her up, even when he didn’t mean to!

  “Della! Do you want a turn with my kite?” Honey yelled, waving.

  Della looked up the beach. She shrugged. “Might as well. No sense in holding a grudge. Come on, Storm,” she called softly.

  When Della reached her, Honey held out the kite and a long length of string, but she kept hold of the reel with the rest of the string wrapped around it. The kite was shaped like a blue-and-orange butterfly and had two long, flowing tails.

  Della reached out and took hold of the butterfly wings.

  “I will hold it for you!” Storm woofed helpfully. He grabbed one of the kite’s long tails in his teeth.

  “No, don’t! It could be dangerous . . . ,”

  Della cautioned, realizing that Storm probably hadn’t seen a kite before and might not know how it worked.

  It was too late. “Okay, go!” Honey ordered, and pulled down hard on the kite strings just as it billowed in a gust of wind, deliberately jerking it out of Della’s hands. The orange-and-blue butterfly flapped as it began to rise, with Storm still dangling from its long tail.

  Chapter

  * EIGHT *

  Storm gave a muffled whine of alarm as he hung from the kite’s tail.

  “Hey! Where did that puppy come from?” Honey shouted.

  Della realized that Storm was so scared that he must have forgotten to keep himself invisible. She didn’t think twice.

  One step. Two steps. Three steps. She leaped high into the air. Yes! Della just managed to grab hold of Storm around his middle. “I’ve got you!”

  The tiny puppy let go of the kite, which zoomed straight up into the air until it was flying high above them.

  Della landed awkwardly and twisted her ankle. “Oh!” she gasped as a sharp pain took her breath away. She lay on her side on the sand, holding the shocked puppy.

  Across the beach, Honey was rooted in place with her mouth hanging open.

  “Thank you for saving me, Della,” Storm woofed.

  “I’m just glad you’re all right. I couldn’t bear anything to happen to you.” She winced. Her entire leg seemed to be aching, and she couldn’t move.

  Storm’s midnight blue eyes widened. “You are hurt. I will make you better.”

  Della felt a familiar tingling down her spine as Storm hid behind her and, once again, became invisible. He then opened his mouth and huffed out a cloud of tiny gold sparks as fine as gold dust. The glittering mist swirled around Della’s leg. Her ankle felt very hot for a second, and then it turned ice cold. Finally, the pain completely drained away as if it was being carried out to sea by the tide.

  “Thanks, Storm. I’m fine now,” Della said. She rolled over and got to her feet, just as Honey thrust the kite-reel at a nearby boy and ran up to her.

  “Oh, my gosh! What happened? Where’s that puppy gone? Have you hurt yourself?” she asked, her face pale.

  Della took a deep breath. She could just about cope with Honey’s annoying tricks and teasing ways, but it was a different matter when they put Storm in danger.

  “I don’t know where the puppy went. It ran away. But I’ve really had it with you! What kind of cruel person gets their laughs from making someone else feel angry and upset?” she fumed. “I’m not hurt, but I could have been. You’re so silly! You never think about anyone but yourself!”

  “I . . . I . . .” Honey opened and closed her mouth. Two bright spots of color glowed on her cheeks. She looked shocked and had obviously never thought about it like that.

  Della didn’t wait for a reply. She walked past Honey, stormed up the beach, and threw herself down on the sand. She needed time to calm down.

  Storm followed her. He laid his chin on her knee and looked at her with big solemn eyes. “I do not think that Honey is a bad person.”

  “Me, neither. I do like her. If only she’d stop being such a pest. I really don’t think Honey understands how awful it feels to have pranks played on you all the time.” She sadly stroked Storm’s fluffy, sun-warmed fur. “Well, I’ve done it now. Honey will probably never speak to me again. Thank goodness I’ve got you. You’re a real friend. I hope you’ll live with me forever.”

  A serious expression crossed Storm’s pointed little face. “That is not possible. I mus
t return to my home world one day, to fight Shadow and force him to leave our lands. I will become the leader of the Moon-claw pack. Do you understand that, Della?”

  Della nodded. She felt a pang of regret. She didn’t think she’d ever be ready to lose her amazing puppy friend. “But that won’t be for a long time, will it?” she asked.

  “I do not know, but I will stay as long as I can,” Storm woofed softly.

  “That’s okay then.” Della forced all thoughts of his leaving out of her mind. She decided that she was going to enjoy every single moment she could with Storm. She jumped up and ran across the sand. “Come on, let’s go exploring for shells!”

  Della didn’t see Honey the following day. She was starting to feel a little bad about yelling at her, even though Honey had unknowingly put Storm in danger. But it was too late for Della to take back what she’d said.

  Della decided to spend the day lazing by the pool with Storm instead. Her mom came up to where she was lying on a lounge chair, reading under an umbrella.

  “Aren’t you going to meet up with Honey today?” she asked.

  Della shook her head.

  Mrs. Walton looked thoughtful. “Did you two have a fight or something?”

  “Not exactly,” Della said evasively. “Maybe I’ll see her later.” Or she might come talk to me, she found herself thinking hopefully.

  The day after, there was still no sign of Honey, so that afternoon Della and Storm visited a medieval hill-town with her mom and dad.

  There was a fiesta, celebrating the birthday of the town’s patron saint. The tall buildings of sand-colored stone were strewn with flags and ribbons, and a band led a colorful parade.

  A large splashing stone fountain helped cool the hot air. Della and Storm nibbled at some churros, long thin doughnuts, as they watched people in costumes holding up a picture of a woman in long robes, decorated with flowers.