Quick as a flash, she jumped back behind the door, hugging the glitter bomb, her heart pounding. Thankfully, the footsteps passed on by. Ella waited until all was quiet and then she crept out again to the cabinet.
The red dust in the little bottle sparkled.
Ella took the bottle and pulled out the silver cork. She opened the bomb’s lid and scattered a little inside—and then she stopped. How much did she need? It would be awful if it didn’t go off! She put another big sprinkle into the bomb and was about to put the cork back in when she couldn’t resist the temptation. She added another big sprinkle, just for luck. She knew Tilly and Poppy wanted a small glitter bomb, but where was the fun in that? She smiled to herself as she imagined Jess’s stunned face as the bomb exploded. She was going to be so happy. Ella felt excitement bubble up through her. She simply couldn’t wait for the next day! She loved making her friends happy.
Putting in the cork, she put the bottle back and locked the cabinet up. Then she cast the spell on the glitter bomb as Angel Gabriella had taught her and set off back to the dorm as fast as she could.
“Done it!” she cried cheerily, pushing back the door.
“That’s fabulous, Ella,” cried Poppy and Tilly.
“You did put only a little bit of the angel dust in though, didn’t you?” Tilly asked anxiously.
“Yes, yes, just a little bit,” lied Ella.
“So where shall we put it?” said Poppy, looking around the dorm.
“How about over the door,” said Tilly.
“Great idea!” said Poppy. “Let’s put it there now, then it will be ready for Jess tomorrow. We can set it off when we get back from assembly, before classes start. Ella, you can put a disguising spell on it so Jess won’t notice.”
“This is going to be just perfect!” Ella said happily, as she thought about all the angel dust inside the glitter bomb. “The best birthday surprise ever!”
CHAPTER 6
A Change of Plan
AS THE ANGELS SLEPT THAT evening, all was quiet, the sound of gentle breathing filling the dorm. But Ella couldn’t sleep. She tossed and turned, her thoughts firmly on the glitter bomb. Surely they could do better than the door of their dorm, couldn’t they? It seemed such a waste. There had to be another place for it to go off where everyone would see it. Then all the angels in the school would know it was Jess’s birthday!
Ella’s thoughts raced. Where else could she put it? Somewhere everyone would be when it went off. Suddenly an idea popped into her head. The statue of Angel Emmanuel! Everyone passed it on the way out of assembly in the morning. It was the perfect position. If she could make it explode from behind as everyone filed into the courtyard, then it would be amazing. . . .
She stopped herself. Tilly and Poppy would never agree to it. She bit her lip. Maybe . . . maybe she could put it by the statue without telling them. Okay, so they would be surprised, but they’d soon forgive her when they saw how perfect it was, wouldn’t they? And when they saw Jess’s face!
Yes, she’d do it. . . . Ella’s mind was made up. First thing in the morning. She’d get up early, but for now it was time to get some rest. . . . And now that a plan was in place, Ella fell into a deep sleep.
When Ella woke a few hours later, the sun was just rising in the sky. The first thing she did was roll over and check the other cloud beds. They were moving gently around the room, but her friends were still quietly sleeping.
Quickly, Ella got out of bed and pulled on her clothes. Then she flew up and pulled the glitter bomb down.
All was quiet as she pushed open the door and flew along the hall, down the spiral staircase, and into the giant hallway.
She went out into the courtyard, the heavy door creaking slightly as she turned the big gold handle. The morning dew was fresh on the ground and the rays of the early-morning sun shone down. The bluebird was circling around the statue’s head again. Ella wondered where his nest was—it must be nearby.
Putting her foot onto the angel statue, she pushed herself up from the ground.
“Sorry about this, Archangel Emmanuel,” she apologized to the statue as she climbed. “I hope you don’t mind me standing on you.” Reaching up, she grabbed the angel’s halo and used it to steady herself. Then she reached up and, carefully, very carefully, she placed the glitter bomb on the angel’s shoulders before jumping back down to the ground to admire her handiwork. Last thing to do was cast a disguising spell so no one else would know it was there. She waved her wand:
Disguise and hide, true shape concealed,
Until it’s time to be revealed.
She smiled as the bomb faded from sight. All was ready. If this doesn’t cheer Jess up, she thought happily, nothing will.
It was quiet and still as Ella let herself back into the school. A troubling thought crossed her mind. What if the others had woken up and found her gone? “I know, I’ll check the mail room,” she said to herself. “See if there’s anything there for Jess yet. I can say that’s where I’ve been.”
She ran to the pigeonholes, quickly making her way over to Jess’s, and peeped inside. She let out a heavy sigh. It was still empty. It made her surer than ever that her plan was the right one. Jess had no packages to open that morning, but at least she was going to get a great, big, angel surprise!
Ella was so impatient she could hardly eat any breakfast that morning and she fidgeted as they went in for assembly. Jess had run down to her pigeonhole first thing but found nothing there and was looking very sad. Ella, Poppy, and Tilly had sung “Happy Birthday” to her and given her cards they had made but, although Jess had smiled, she wasn’t any happier by the time they went to assembly.
Ella couldn’t wait for the glitter bomb to go off. As they waited for Archangel Grace to come onto the stage and talk to them all, she nudged Jess. “Cheer up!”
Jess forced a smile. “Sorry!”
“Shhh,” came a pious voice from behind them.
“Oh, do be quiet, Primrose,” Ella said impatiently. “It’s Jess’s birthday.”
But there wasn’t time to get into a fight now. Archangel Grace had come onstage and begun to speak.
“Good morning, angels,” she said. “This morning we will be hearing from Polly and Chloe, who will be performing the Angelic Concerto Major in E flat.” She nodded across at two angels who sat with their harps at the ready, looking nervous. “But before we do, I have a serious announcement to make. Some of you may already be aware, but it has come to my attention that over the last few days, mail seems to have been going missing from the mail room.”
A low murmur ran around the room.
“Yes, indeed, you may look shocked,” said Archangel Grace. “It’s a worrying time for us all, and obviously someone must know what is going on. I just wanted to let you all know that I am taking it very seriously and intend to get to the bottom of it. If anyone knows anything, please come and talk to me about it.”
And with that, she turned away, nodding over to the two angels with the harps, who started to play.
Ella was fizzing with excitement as the concerto came to an end and the assembly was over. She filed out with the others into the courtyard. The angels milled around, talking as they usually did. That day everyone was discussing the missing mail. Ella waited until everyone was there and then she pulled out her wand. Was this going to work? Oh, please, she prayed! She waved it three times, counting under her breath: “One . . . two . . . three!”
BOOM!
The glitter bomb exploded, sparkling letters forming in the air and multicolored glitter cascading down. . . . Only, it wasn’t just the glitter that was flying through the air, but thick white marble dust. Ella let out a loud gasp as the glitter and dust cleared. The top half of the statue of Archangel Emmanuel had been blown to smithereens!
CHAPTER 7
Disaster!
THERE WAS A STUNNED SILENCE as the final sprinkles of glitter and marble dust rained down. The words Jappy Hirth Bessday shone out in the air. Ella st
ood rooted to the spot. She hadn’t even gotten that right. . . .
“What the . . . ?” Archangel Grace ran forward, her bun bobbing on the back of her head as she bent toward the wreckage. “A glitter bomb!” she cried. “And behind the statue of Archangel Emmanuel. Who could have put that there? What sort of angel would deliberately try to destroy the ancient statue of our most noble founder with a glitter bomb?”
Angel Gabriella joined her. “I’m sure there must be a reasonable explanation for this.”
“A reasonable explanation?” Archangel Grace, who usually looked serene and calm, was furious. “Enough is enough. First the mail. Now this. Who is responsible for all these things? Take responsibility right now!”
Ella wanted the ground to open and swallow her up. Everyone in the school was looking around. She wanted to speak up, but how could she? Her cheeks went bright red. She opened her mouth, but Poppy clapped a hand over it to silence her.
Ella gulped. If she admitted she was to blame, the others might get into trouble too. She knew they would try and take responsibility as well, even though it had been her idea to put the bomb by the statue—and add the extra powder. Oh, why hadn’t she listened to them?
“Well, has no one got anything to say?” Archangel Grace demanded.
Ella felt herself hot and itchy under the collar. The other angels murmured around her.
“The angel responsible for this must come forward,” insisted Archangel Grace. “If she doesn’t, then the fireworks show tomorrow will be canceled!”
“Canceled?” all the angels gasped.
Archangel Grace nodded grimly. “And when the angel in question is found—and she will be found, have no doubt about it—I’ll expel her from the school forever!”
A little gasp went around the crowd. Ella looked across at her friends in horror. Expelled!
“Now back to your dorms,” snapped Archangel Grace. “I hope by lunchtime the culprit will have come forward and I shall be able to inform you that the show will take place as we had planned.”
Ella hurried back to the dorm with the others. Poppy and Tilly looked as shocked and pale as she did. Neither of them seemed to know what to say.
“Isn’t it awful?” gasped Jess, as they shut the door behind them. “I can’t believe someone set out to destroy the statue like that—I bet it is the same person who’s been stealing the mail!”
“It’s not!” blurted out Ella. “It was . . . it was me! Well, the statue—I haven’t been stealing the mail.”
“You blew up the statue!” Jess gaped. “What?”
“I didn’t mean to.” Ella felt awful. “It was supposed to be a birthday surprise for you. The words were supposed to say Happy Birthday, Jess.”
Jess’s mouth opened and closed.
“We were all involved,” put in Poppy. “Tilly and I helped make the glitter bomb.”
“But it was supposed to be a little bomb—just in here.” Tilly gestured around the dorm. “What were you thinking, Ella?”
“I wanted to make it really special!” Ella said. “I wanted to let everyone know it was Jess’s birthday and give her a real surprise. I must have put too much powder in.”
“Way too much!” said Tilly.
“I’m sorry,” said Ella, hot tears prickling her eyes. It had all gone so horribly wrong. “I’m just glad the message didn’t work. If it had said Happy Birthday, Jess, as it was supposed to, then the Archangel would have guessed right away that it was us.”
Jess went over and hugged her. “Oh, Ella.” She shook her head. “It was a lovely thought. In fact”—she looked around at the others too—“it’s the nicest thing that anyone has ever done for me. But now what are we going to do?”
“I’m going to have to go and admit it was me,” said Ella. “I can’t let everyone else get into trouble and have the show canceled.”
“But you’ll be expelled,” protested Jess.
“I still have to go and confess,” said Ella. Tears fell down her cheeks. “Maybe I won’t be expelled if I go and tell the truth.”
“We’ll come and take responsibility too,” said Poppy.
Tilly nodded. “It is our fault as much as yours.”
“No, it’s not!” Ella shook her head. “You don’t have to come.”
“We do. We’re all in this together. We’re not going to let you take the blame,” said Poppy, firmly. She hugged Ella and the other two joined in.
CRASH!
The door was shoved back with a mighty bang. The angels jumped as Primrose entered the room.
“Well, well, well,” she sneered. “I suppose you thought no one would realize it was you, but I’ve guessed exactly what is going on. Jappy Hirth Bessday? It’s Jess’s birthday, isn’t it? You told me in assembly,” she told Ella. “I reckon you blew up the statue as a surprise. Well, I’m going to go and tell the Archangel right away.”
“No, Primrose—no, you mustn’t,” Jess cried. “Please don’t!”
But it was too late. Primrose was already off, flying down the hall.
“Come on!” gasped Jess. “We’ve got to stop her—before she gets to Archangel Grace!”
CHAPTER 8
An Unexpected Discovery
THE FOUR ANGELS CHARGED DOWN the hallway after Primrose, but she was so good at flying, she raced away from them.
“We’ve got to catch her!” gasped Poppy. “Ella, you’re the fastest of us. You go on ahead!”
Ella beat her wings as fast as she could. She zoomed down the hallway and stairs, through the hall, and out into the courtyard. Primrose had just reached the Archangel and the teachers. “Archangel Grace! Archangel Grace! I know who did it!” Primrose cried in delight.
Archangel Grace and some of the other teachers were clustered around the ruined statue. They seemed to be peering inside. A bluebird was flying around their heads chirping loudly. They all turned.
Primrose’s cheeks were flushed and her eyes triumphant. “I know who blew up the statue!” she exclaimed. “It was—”
“Me!” gasped Ella, screeching to a stop beside her.
Primrose looked crestfallen. “Ella wasn’t going to admit it!” she told the teachers crossly. “She only came here just now because she knew I’d found out about her plan.”
Archangel Grace handed something she was holding to Angel Seraphina. Her eyes were on Ella. “You destroyed the statue, Ella?” she said in astonishment.
Ella nodded. “I’m really, really sorry.” The words tumbled out of her. “I didn’t mean to blow up the statue. I promise I didn’t! And I was coming to tell you, I really was. I didn’t want the fireworks show to be canceled and everyone to be punished because of me.” Poppy, Tilly, and Jess landed beside her.
“Ella really was coming to take responsibility,” Jess panted.
“I was going to confess too!” said Poppy.
“And me!” said Tilly. “Poppy and I helped Ella make the glitter bomb. It was a birthday surprise to cheer Jess up.”
“I wanted it to rain glitter down on her and for everyone to know it was her birthday,” said Ella.
“They should all be punished!” said Primrose, smugly.
“It was my idea to put it behind the statue,” Ella said, shooting Primrose an angry look. “The others wanted to put it in the dorm. So punish me for destroying the statue, Archangel Grace. Please don’t punish them.”
“No, it’s our fault too!” both Poppy and Tilly protested.
“Ella should be expelled!” Primrose said loudly.
Archangel Grace held up her hands. “Stop! All of you!”
The third graders all fell silent.
“So, let me get this straight,” the head teacher said. “Ella, you and Poppy and Tilly made the glitter bomb but, Ella, you put it behind the statue?”
Ella nodded. “Because I wanted Jess’s birthday surprise to be really big. You see, her birthday package hadn’t arrived from her parents and . . . and . . .” She suddenly trailed off as she noticed that the teach
ers around the statue were all holding glittering packages and envelopes. “Packages . . .” she breathed. “There are lots of packages.”
Her friends followed her gaze.
“Why have you got so many packages?” said Poppy.
Jess gasped. “That one’s from my mom and dad!” She pointed at a sparkly package in Angel Seraphina’s hands. “I can see my mom’s handwriting on the label.”
Angel Seraphina read the label and smiled. “It is indeed for you, Jess—happy birthday.” She handed the present to Jess, who promptly opened it.
“A fountain pen!” Jess squealed. “One of those that writes in glitter! And look, it’s covered in stars and moons and glitter. Cherub-azing!”
Ella blinked. “What’s going on?”
Archangel Grace smiled. “Well, Ella, it looks as though you did us a favor by blowing up the statue. We’ve found our mail thief.”
“Who?” all the angels said.
“It was the bluebird,” Archangel Grace replied.
“The bluebird!” Ella gasped.
“He must have been nesting inside the hollow statue,” said Angel Gabriella, nodding. “Remember how I told you in class that bluebirds like nesting in strange places? Well, this bluebird had clearly decided to nest inside the statue—flying in through Archangel Emmanuel’s mouth and nesting in the base.”
The bluebird landed on her shoulder and chirped, his head tilted to one side.
“Bluebirds like sparkly things,” remembered Ella. “You told us that too.”
“Yes, and this one in particular seems to like them. We think he’s simply been visiting the pigeonholes in the morning and picking up any packages or cards that caught his attention. Naughty little creature!” Angel Gabriella shook her head.
The bluebird chirped at her boldly.
“So it wasn’t an angel after all?” said Ella.
“No, thank goodness, and if you hadn’t put your glitter bomb behind the statue, we might never have found out,” said Archangel Grace. Her lips twitched into a smile. “Maybe we should be grateful to you, Ella Brown.”
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