Star-Bubble Trouble

by Cecilia Galante

  Willa Bean followed Mama’s voice. There was another voice, too. It sounded a lot like Baby Louie’s. Except it was the slightest bit louder.

  Mama was in the backyard. She was bouncing Baby Louie up and down on her hip. “Shhh, my darling,” she said. “It’s okay. Shhh.”

  But Baby Louie wasn’t listening. He was making the worst sound that Willa Bean had ever heard. It was a yell and a scream and a baby cry—all rolled up into one. It was a Baby Blare!

  Willa Bean put her hands over her ears. “What’s the matter with him?” she yelled.

  “I can’t find his red rubber star-bubble ball!” Mama hollered back. “He was playing with it this morning, and now it’s gone!” She looked hopefully at Willa Bean. “You haven’t seen it, have you?”

  Willa Bean shook her head. “Nope,” she said. Who cared about goofy old red rubber star-bubble balls anyway? They were boring. The only things rubber star-bubble balls could do were roll or bounce. Sometimes the baby stars inside them glowed, but they didn’t always work. Willa Bean had a purple rubber star-bubble ball once. But that was when she was a baby.

  “Guess where we’re going tomorrow?” Willa Bean tried again. “On a cloudtrip! A real one! And guess which cloud we’re going to?”

  Mama looked exasperated. “In a minute, Willa Bean,” she said. “Please help me look for Louie’s star-bubble ball first. Maybe you’ll think of a place that I haven’t thought of yet.”

  Baby Louie stared at Willa Bean. For a brief second, he was quiet. His little eyes were red and swollen. His nose was running terribly, and he had drool coming out of his mouth. He blinked once. Twice. Then he took a deep breath. Another Baby Blare burst out of his mouth.

  “Staw baw!” Baby Louie screamed. “Staw baw!”

  “We’ll find your star ball,” Mama said, stroking Baby Louie’s head. “Willa Bean is going to help Mama look, and we’ll find it.”

  But Willa Bean did not want to look for Baby Louie’s red rubber star-bubble ball. She did not want to look for anything of his, really. She was still annoyed with her baby brother. Last night, he had ruined her blue stardust paint and given her a blue bottom. Plus, she’d had to take a shower. All because of him.

  She put her hands over her ears again. “I can’t help you look!” she said to Mama. “Miss Twizzle said we have to get our bow and arrows ready for our cloudtrip. I have to go find mine and clean them up. They have to be nice and sparkly.”

  Mama raised one of her eyebrows. “You can do that later, Willa Bean. Now I am not asking you to help me look for your baby brother’s toy. I am telling you. Or there will be no cloudtrip tomorrow. Anywhere.”

  Willa Bean stamped her foot.

  “You may stamp your foot all you like,” Mama said. “That is not going to help things, either.”

  “But I don’t know where it is!” Willa Bean wailed.

  “I just want you to help me look,” Mama said. “For twenty minutes. Then you can go get your bow and arrows ready.”

  “Hmph,” Willa Bean said.

  “Right now.” Mama was using her stern voice. That meant that she wasn’t messing around. “Ariel is already looking upstairs. I’m going to search the kitchen again. And I want you to look in the backyard.”

  “Pooey,” Willa Bean said.

  But she said it very softly so that Mama could not hear her.

  Willa Bean looked all over the backyard for Baby Louie’s red rubber star-bubble ball.

  First, she looked under the blue lily plants in Mama’s garden. But she did not find the red rubber star-bubble ball. She smelled one of the flowers. It smelled like rain. She picked it and put it in her hair.

  Next, she looked in between the wingberry bushes. But there was no red rubber star-bubble ball. She picked eleven wingberries and ate them, one by one. They were red and soft and very sweet.

  She looked in a pile of old cloudtoys in the sandbox. She used to play with the toys when she was little. But there was no red rubber star-bubble ball. She sat for a while and played with her old Moon Tune Doll. The doll didn’t have any more hair. And she was missing an eyebrow. But she used to be one of Willa Bean’s favorite toys.

  Next, Willa Bean checked inside Ariel’s old cloudhouse. She looked up and she looked down. She looked inside and she looked outside. No red rubber star-bubble ball there, either. She crept back inside the old cloudhouse. She pretended that she lived in it, the way she used to imagine when she was little. Now it was cramped. Her wings were getting smooshed. She couldn’t even fit her legs all the way inside!

  “Willa Bean?” Mama called from the kitchen window. “Any luck?”

  “Nope.” Willa Bean crawled out of the cloudhouse. “It’s not anywhere out here.”

  “Okay.” Mama sounded sad. “Thanks for looking. Your twenty minutes are up. Come on in now. You can go get your bow and arrows ready.”

  Finally! Willa Bean dashed inside. Baby Louie was still screaming. His face was bright red. And his little nose was running even worse than before.

  Willa Bean flew upstairs. She went into her room and shut the door.

  Quiet, at last.

  The next morning, Willa Bean woke up to a strange noise. It sounded like the air being squeezed out of a balloon. It was hoarse and wheezy and a little bit squeaky. She sat up in bed. Was it Snooze? Maybe he was sick again.

  She got out from under the covers. But Snooze wasn’t in her closet. She leaned out the window. The air was warm and soft. The sky was the color of Mama’s blue lilies.

  Snooze was just coming around the corner. His brown wings were spread wide. “Bonjour, Willa Bean!” Snooze said. “You’re up early!”

  Willa Bean waited for her owl to settle himself on the sill. “Snooze,” she said, petting the feathers on his head, “do you hear that strange sound?”

  Snooze cocked his head to the right. He cocked it to the left. “My goodness, I do,” he said. “What in the world is that?”

  “I don’t know,” Willa Bean said. “I thought it was you. I thought maybe you got sick again.”

  “I’m healthy as a horse,” Snooze said. “I just flew back from Montana.”

  “What’s Montana?” Willa Bean asked.

  “It’s in the United States of America,” Snooze said. “Out West. Lots of beautiful rivers and mountains. A really lovely place.”

  There was a knock on Willa Bean’s door. “Can I come in?” Daddy called.

  “Okay!” said Willa Bean.

  Daddy opened the door. He was holding Baby Louie in his arms. Baby Louie’s eyes were even redder than yesterday. He leaned against Daddy’s shoulder and sucked his thumb. Weird sounds were coming out of his nose and mouth.

  “I wanted to make sure you were up, little love,” Daddy said. “You don’t want to be late for school.”

  But Willa Bean just stared at her baby brother. “What’s wrong with Baby Louie?” she asked.

  Daddy touched Baby Louie’s cheek with his finger. “He cried himself to sleep last night,” he said. “It took a long, long time. And now his voice is gone. He’s completely hoarse.”

  “His voice is gone?” Willa Bean asked. She felt a twinge of sad feeling inside. Maybe she should have looked a little harder for that silly ball of his.

  Daddy nodded. “It was hard for him to sleep without that red rubber star-bubble ball. I hope we find it soon. Otherwise, it’s going to be another long day.”

  Suddenly, Willa Bean remembered what day it was. It was Class A’s cloudtrip day! To Cloud Nine! She was going to practice with her bow and arrows! And then go to Waterworld!

  “I hope you find his ball, too,” Willa Bean said. “But I really have to get dressed now, Daddy. I have a huge day ahead of me. Plus, I have to pack my bathing suit.”

  “Make sure to brush that hair, too,” Daddy said. “You don’t want Mama going after it when you come downstairs.”

  Willa Bean got dressed super-quick. She zipped up the back of her red-and-white uniform. She tightened the laces on her sa
ndals. She put her orange-and-white checkered bathing suit in her wingsack.

  Then she brushed her purple wings with the silver tips. They were soft and fluffy. She brushed her hair, too. It was not soft and fluffy. It boinged out all over the place.

  Oh well. There was only so much a cupid could do in the morning. It was time to go. Her very first cloudtrip was waiting!

  “Good-bye, Snooze!” Willa Bean kissed the top of her owl’s head. “I’ll tell you all about my trip when I get back.”

  “Au revoir,” Snooze said. His beak opened into a yawn. He rubbed his wide yellow eyes and shook out his tail feathers. “I’m just about ready for bed myself.”

  Willa Bean grabbed her wingsack and her bow and arrows and headed for the door. Then she stopped. “Snooze?” she said.

  “Yes?” Snooze looked up.

  “Where do you think Baby Louie’s voice went?” Willa Bean asked.

  “What do you mean?” said Snooze.

  “Well, Daddy said it’s gone,” Willa Bean said. “Where do you think it went?”

  “I think it’s just plain tired out.” Snooze flew over and settled himself on Willa Bean’s shoulder. “And when it gets a good rest, it will come out of hiding again. Just like me.”

  One by one, Class A piled on the cloudbus. Mr. Bibby, the cloudbus driver, was taking them to Cloud Nine for their cloudtrip.

  Willa Bean climbed the steps of the cloudbus. She stopped when she reached the last one. Mr. Bibby was wearing a black bow tie today. It had white stripes on it. “Your bow tie looks wonderful, Mr. Bibby!” she said. “It matches your hair!”

  “Thank you, Willa Bean,” Mr. Bibby said. “And you certainly look like a grownup cupid with your bow and arrows on your back!”

  Willa Bean felt her inside proud feeling filling up. She wished she could take her real bow and arrows to school every day. But that wasn’t the way Mr. Rightflight did things. He had boring old practice arrows for the cupids at school.

  Today was different, though. Today was special. Everyone was allowed to bring their real, very own bows and arrows on the cloudtrip. Mr. Rightflight wanted them to use their own arrows when they practiced on Cloud Nine.

  Their own arrows were very light. They weighed almost nothing at all. They had soft, squishy tips, too, which were covered with velvet. From far away, arrows looked as if they might hurt when cupids used them. But they didn’t. In fact, they felt like little kisses.

  Willa Bean took her favorite arrow from her quiver. It was silver with white polka dots. At the very bottom of the arrow was a special silver knot. The knot made the arrow go extra fast. She had spent a long time cleaning the arrow last night. Now it was shiny smooth. It sparkled in the sun.

  “Look at this one, Mr. Bibby!” Willa Bean said. She held out her special arrow in front of him. “Mama and Daddy got it for me last year! For my birthday!”

  “Willa Bean!” Miss Twizzle called out. “Keep moving, please. All the cupids behind you are waiting to get on the cloudbus, too.”

  “It’s a magnificent arrow!” Mr. Bibby whispered. “I’ve never seen one like that! Now hurry back to your seat so we don’t hold everyone up.”

  Willa Bean shoved her silver-knotted, polka-dotted arrow back in its quiver. She hopped down the middle of the cloudbus. Then she squeezed in next to Harper, who was eating a Snoogy Bar.

  “Hi, Willa Bean!” Harper said. “You want some of my Snoogy Bar? It’s a lemon wingberry!”

  “No thanks,” Willa Bean said. “I already had Wingfastic cereal for breakfast. I wanted to make sure I had extra energy this morning.”

  Vivi was sitting by herself in front of Willa Bean and Harper. She turned around and looked over the seat. “I saw you showing that silver-knotted, polka-dotted arrow to Mr. Bibby,” she said. “Where did you get it?”

  “My mama and daddy,” Willa Bean said proudly. “They gave it to me last year. For my birthday. It’s my most special arrow in the world.” She hugged her quiver to her chest. Just to show that she meant it.

  “I can’t believe you have a real silver-knotted, polka-dotted arrow.” Vivi’s face looked mad. “That’s not fair. My mom said that they’re almost impossible to find. She still hasn’t gotten me one.”

  “Oh well,” Willa Bean said. “I guess that’s just how it goes.”

  “Yeah.” Vivi turned back around slowly. “I guess so.” She put her wingsack on her lap and fiddled with her pink rubber star-bubble ball.

  “Hey, Willa Bean!” At the back of the bus, Pedro and Raymond were waving their arms. “Bring your arrows over here! We want to see that really cool one!”

  “I want to see it, too!” Sophie called.

  “And me!” yelled Lola.

  Willa Bean stood up. She would just run really quick to the back of the bus to show Pedro and Sophie and all the rest of the cupids. No one else had an extraspecial silver-knotted, polka-dotted arrow except her!

  But then she heard her name being called. Her real, super-long name. It was the one that Mama used at home when she was not particularly pleased with Willa Bean.

  “Wilhelmina Bernadina Skylight!” It was Miss Twizzle. “Mr. Bibby will not start this cloudbus until you are seated!”

  Mr. Rightflight was standing next to Miss Twizzle. His silver whistle hung around his neck. He did not look very pleased, either.

  Harper tugged on Willa Bean’s sleeve. “Park it, lady!” she whispered. “Else we’ll never get to Cloud Nine!”

  Willa Bean sat down fast.

  She clicked on her cloudbelt.

  Very slowly, the cloudbus began to move. Class A was off on its very first cloudtrip!

  It did not take long to get to Cloud Nine. In fact, Willa Bean was just telling Harper about Baby Louie and his missing star-bubble ball when Mr. Rightflight stood up.

  “All right, cupids!” he hollered from the front of the bus. “I need complete quiet!”

  The buzz of cupid chatter stopped. Everyone looked at their flying teacher. Mr. Rightflight was not very tall. And he did not have much hair, especially in the front. But he had a very big voice. And he knew how to use it.

  “We have arrived at Cloud Nine!” Mr. Rightflight boomed. “I need everyone to line up—quietly! Make sure that your quivers are buckled across the front of your chest, and that all your arrows are inside!”

  Harper hopped up and down next to Willa Bean. “Check my arrows, will you, Willa Bean?” she asked.

  Willa Bean peeked inside Harper’s quiver. She had two orange arrows, two blue arrows, and three white ones. “Perfect,” Willa Bean said. “Now can you check mine?”

  Willa Bean turned around so Harper could see her arrows. She stood very still as Harper counted out loud. “Two orange, two blue, three white.”

  “And …?” Willa Bean asked.

  “And one silver-knotted, polka-dotted arrow!” Harper yelled.

  “Woo-hoo!” Willa Bean hollered.

  Suddenly, Mr. Rightflight appeared in front of Willa Bean and Harper. His arms were crossed over his chest. His mouth was turned upside down. “What part of ‘quietly’ do you cupids not understand?” he asked.

  Willa Bean clapped her hand over her mouth. So did Harper.

  Vivi tapped Mr. Rightflight on the sleeve. “Actually, they’ve been yelling during the whole trip,” she said. “And now I have a headache.”

  “One more outburst back here,” Mr. Rightflight said, “and both of you will stay on the bus while we practice.”

  Harper’s eyes got very wide behind her blue polka-dotted glasses. She nodded. So did Willa Bean.

  Mr. Rightflight looked at Willa Bean’s quiver. “Where did you get this arrow?” He pointed to Willa Bean’s silver-knotted, polka-dotted arrow.

  Willa Bean shook her head. She pressed her hand against her mouth.

  “Willa Bean,” Mr. Rightflight said, “you can talk now. I just asked you a question.”

  Willa Bean dropped her hand away from her mouth. She took a gigantic breath. “I got it f
or my birthday last year,” she said. “From Mama and Daddy.”

  “Well,” Mr. Rightflight said, “it sure is a beauty. Those are hard to come by these days. You’re a lucky little cupid.”

  Willa Bean nodded. “Actually,” she said, “I think it’s ’cause my parents adore me.”

  Mr. Rightflight coughed. Then he brought his silver whistle to his mouth and blew on it. “All right! Let’s get moving here. Everyone off the bus!”

  One by one, the cupids filed off the bus. Mr. Rightflight led them to a wide area dotted with small buildings and circled by a fence. On the other side of the fence was Waterworld!

  Willa Bean stood on her tiptoes. Over the top of the fence, she could see a bright green slide. It was almost as high as a cloud! And it had three upside-down loops in the middle of it!

  She tugged on Harper’s sleeve. “Look at the slide!” Willa Bean whispered.

  “I’m already looking at it!” Harper said. “Wanna go down it together?”

  Willa Bean nodded. She had hoped Harper would say that. Going down such a high slide seemed a little bit scary. Especially if it had upside-down loops in the middle of it.

  Mr. Rightflight blew his whistle again. “Okay, cupids! Listen up! We are in the gift-shop area outside Waterworld, where you can buy gifts or cloudcandy on your way out of the park. Usually, these shops are open. But it’s early, so everything is still closed. I want you to pretend that these shops are Earth buildings. And that Earth children are playing around them.”

  Miss Twizzle cleared her throat. “What’s the most important thing cupids have to remember before they let an arrow fly?” she asked.

  Lots of hands went up.

  “Lola?” Miss Twizzle asked.

  “To stay out of sight!” Lola shouted.

  “That’s exactly right,” Mr. Rightflight said. “Earth children should never, ever see you when you release your arrow. Otherwise, it won’t work.”

  “What’s the second thing you need to remember?” Miss Twizzle asked.