Rachel giggled. “I guess all that goblin-chasing made me hungry … that was my stomach!”
Kirsty linked arms with her best friend. “I know just the place,” she said, leading the way to the hotel café just off the lobby.
When they arrived, they were greeted with waves and friendly hellos—Kirsty’s whole squad was there! They were seated together in a corner of the café, snacking and chatting. Kirsty gave Rachel a relieved smile—it looked like her team was getting along again!
“Carmen’s teamwork magic is working again,” Kirsty whispered as the friends headed over to join Kirsty’s squad.
“Just in time,” Rachel said, grabbing a cookie and taking a big bite. “Mmmm … magical!”
Goblin Squad
A Pep Talk
An Icy Emcee
Tricks and Tumbles
Trophy Time
“I can’t believe the big competition is today,” Kirsty said nervously, biting her nails as she climbed onto the shuttle bus. “It seems like we’ve been practicing forever!”
Rachel followed her friend down the bus aisle and plopped down in a seat next to her. “Your squad has worked so hard,” she said with a grin. “You’re going to rock this!”
Kirsty gave a tiny smile. Then she sighed and peered down at her sneakers.
“Hey,” Rachel said, nudging Kirsty with her shoulder. “What’s going on? Are you nervous?”
“Yeah, but it’s more than that.” Kirsty looked around the bus, frowning. “I know in my head that we’re ready to compete, but I don’t feel ready. And it doesn’t seem like anyone else does, either!”
Rachel took in the gloomy faces of Kirsty’s teammates. Kirsty was right—not a single kid looked happy or excited! Where was the squad spirit?
Kirsty dropped her voice to a whisper. “What if we don’t find Carmen’s magic megaphone in time? Then my squad won’t be able to find our confidence before the competition.”
Rachel hated to see her friend so sad. She threw an arm around Kirsty’s shoulders and flashed her a big smile. “Then we’ll just have to make sure Carmen gets her megaphone back soon—that’s all there is to it!”
By the time the bus pulled up to the Cove College campus, Kirsty was already looking a little more cheerful. She couldn’t help grinning as she peeked out the window. The outdoor venue was packed with people! Cheerleaders milled around and warmed up quietly in different brightly colored uniforms, while their families and friends took pictures, handed out snacks, and gave pep talks. Banners and balloons hung all around the outdoor stage, and people were already filing into rows and rows of folding chairs. Upbeat music blared over a set of giant speakers. It was exactly what Kirsty had always dreamed a big cheerleading competition would be like!
Now if only Jack Frost and his goblins don’t ruin it for everyone, she thought grimly.
As everyone filed off the bus, Kirsty’s teammates began chattering in low voices.
“Wow, the stage is huge!”
“People are already claiming seats!”
“Look—they’re even selling T-shirts!”
Rachel and Kirsty climbed down the bus steps and looked around carefully. They knew they were supposed to let the magic find them, but the clock was ticking! Maybe they could spot a clue that would lead them to Carmen’s megaphone …
Before they could even step away from the bus, the girls heard a booming voice nearby.
“One, two, three, four; you watch us, you’ll want more!”
Rachel raised an eyebrow, and Kirsty nodded. Together, they walked over to join a large crowd that had gathered on the grass. Everyone seemed to be watching a performance, but there were so many people that Rachel and Kirsty had trouble seeing through the crowd!
“Clap your hands, stomp your feet, because our squad can’t be beat!”
As the same voice boomed out again, the crowd suddenly parted. The girls had a clear view of the performers jumping, cheering, and clapping energetically.
“They’re amazing,” Kirsty said under her breath, looking gloomy.
“They’re goblins!” Rachel whispered with a gasp.
Kirsty clapped a hand over her mouth. “You’re right!” she said. “I didn’t even recognize them in those uniforms.”
Both girls stifled a giggle. The goblins were dressed head-to-toe in matching green cheerleading uniforms, each holding sparkly pom-poms. They even wore green hair bows—even though none of them had any hair!
Rachel glanced around the crowd. “No one seems to notice anything strange about them,” she said. In fact, the crowd had started clapping along. The goblins’ confident energy was infectious! They added some jumps, tumbling passes, and tosses to their routine, and no one could deny it—they were fantastic.
“Whoa,” Kirsty said, grabbing Rachel’s arm as the goblins completed a tricky toss.
Rachel sighed. “I know—they’re really good.”
“No! Well, yes, they are, but that’s not all,” Kirsty said. She dropped her voice to a whisper and pointed. “That one has Carmen’s magic megaphone!”
The goblin whose voice they had heard when they got off the bus was holding a megaphone up to his mouth. When the girls looked closely, they could see that it sparkled with fairy magic!
A shiver ran up Rachel’s spine. “We found it! Now we just have to get it away from the goblins before the competition starts.”
Just then, the group of kids next to Rachel and Kirsty started talking among themselves.
“We’ll never be able to beat THEM,” one boy said with a groan, staring at the goblins.
Another girl nodded. “Yeah, we might as well just drop out of the competition now.”
Kirsty’s eyes grew wide. “We have to get that megaphone back fast,” she said to Rachel. “But how? Everyone is watching the goblin squad. We can’t even get close to them. It’s hopeless!”
Rachel squeezed her friend’s hand. “You only feel that way because the goblins have the megaphone. Everyone’s confidence has vanished—mine, too.” She shrugged sadly. “I don’t know if we can stop them this time, but we still have to try.”
“The only thing to do is wait for them to finish performing,” Kirsty said.
“Right,” Rachel agreed. “Then we’ll try to snag the megaphone as fast as we can and get it back to Carmen … if we can find her.”
Kirsty grinned. “I think I can help with that!” She pointed behind Rachel to a nearby fountain. The water near the top of the fountain twinkled and shimmered. It almost looked like a reflection of the sunlight, but when the girls squinted, they could see a familiar tiny figure perched on the edge.
“Carmen!” Rachel cried, rushing over to the fountain with Kirsty on her heels.
The little fairy grinned up at them, kicking her feet in the trickling water. “Hi, girls! I was hoping you’d find me. There are so many people here!”
“People … and goblins,” Kirsty said, raising an eyebrow.
As the girls told Carmen all about the goblin squad, the fairy’s face grew pink. She crossed her arms and huffed, “They have some nerve!” Then she looked closely at Rachel and Kirsty, who both stood with slumped shoulders. “You seem a little down in the dumps, girls.”
Rachel shrugged. “I just don’t see how we’re going to get your megaphone back in time, Carmen.”
Carmen twirled up into the air in a burst of sparkles, then zoomed down and landed on Rachel’s shoulder as quick as a wink. “Lucky for you both, I’m great at pep talks! Listen, you’re only feeling like this because my megaphone isn’t in Fairyland, where it should be.” She fluttered her wings against Rachel’s neck, and Rachel giggled. “But you two have proven over and over that you can do anything you set your minds to!”
Kirsty and Rachel had to smile. Carmen was right!
“It’s time to stop those goblins—and save the competition!” Kirsty cheered.
Carmen laughed. “Now that’s the spirit!”
Luckily, the goblins finished their perf
ormance, and the crowd headed off to find their seats.
Carmen tugged on Rachel’s hair and pointed. “Follow those goblins!”
With some pep in her step, Rachel started after the green troublemakers—but Kirsty grabbed her arm. “Wait!” she whispered, pointing to the competition stage. “This may be even trickier than we thought … ”
Just then, the sun disappeared behind a cloud. Rachel, Kirsty, and Carmen all shivered as a tall, thin figure stepped out onto the stage, holding a megaphone up to his mouth.
“Welcome! Welcome, everyone, to the Junior Cheerleading Competition!” a familiar voice bellowed through the megaphone.
“Oh!” Rachel cried in surprise, clapping a hand over her mouth. “It’s Jack Frost!”
Kirsty nodded grimly. “And he has Carmen’s magic megaphone now.”
Without hesitating, Carmen darted into the air. “Why, that horrible, icy grouch! I’m going to give him a piece of my mi—”
But before Carmen could go anywhere, Rachel gently grabbed her foot between two fingers and held her back. “Careful, Carmen. You can’t let the crowd spot you!”
Carmen sighed, her wings drooping as she slumped down on top of Rachel’s head. “You’re right. I just can’t stand seeing that wicked thief with my megaphone, especially now that the competition is about to start!”
Up on stage, Jack Frost was still chatting up the crowd, waving his arms and smiling widely. “You’re going to see some amazing cheerleading today, folks!”
“Yeah, from your cheating goblins,” Kirsty mumbled under her breath.
“So let’s get this competition started!” Jack Frost continued. Then, to the girls’ surprise, he began stomping his feet in rhythm—and launched into a cheer of his own!
“We’re so glad you all are here,
Let’s fill this stage with tons of cheer!
1, 2, 3, 4,
The squad that wins will have the highest score!”
With that, the crowd burst into applause. Jack Frost bounced excitedly on his toes as he waved the magic megaphone over his head.
“Now if the competing squads will all assemble backstage, we’ll get started in just a few minutes,” Jack Frost went on after the applause died down. “Enjoy!” Waving to the crowd, he ran offstage.
Carmen looked at the girls with wide eyes. “Well, that was … strange.”
“You said it,” Rachel agreed. “I’ve never seen Jack Frost so cheerful!”
Kirsty frowned. “Your magic megaphone must be really powerful, Carmen. It’s not safe with Jack Frost!”
The girls raced around to the back of the stage, with Carmen out of sight on Rachel’s shoulder. But they didn’t get very far before …
BAM!
Rachel and Kirsty both ran smack into Jack Frost himself!
“Watch it!” he snapped icily. Fortunately, he barely even glanced down at them! Instead, he tossed the magic megaphone to one of the nearby goblins. “You’re up first,” he called to the goblin squad. “You’d better win that trophy—it’s going to be the centerpiece of the trophy case in my Ice Castle.”
The girls ducked behind a set of stairs leading up to the stage. They had to think fast!
“Hey, look!” Rachel said, pointing to where the goblin squad was gathered. “There, on the ground. Don’t those look like—”
“Extra uniforms!” Kirsty cried, peering at the green clothing scattered among the goblins’ messy bags.
Carmen frowned, confused. “But what good are those going to do us?”
“I have a crazy idea,” Rachel said with a grin. “And it just might work … ”
With no time to waste, Rachel and Kirsty darted out, grabbed two of the extra goblin uniforms, and ducked back behind the stairs. They quickly changed into the green outfits, including pom-poms. When they finished, both girls turned to face Carmen.
“So?” Kirsty asked the little fairy.
Carmen winked. “You’re the best-looking goblin cheerleaders I’ve ever seen! Now go get ’em!” She pointed to where the goblin squad was gathering. They were about to take the stage!
Rachel squeezed Kirsty’s hand, then took a deep breath. Together, the two friends joined the group of goblins, elbowing and jostling along with the others in order to fit in.
“Look,” Kirsty whispered as they all climbed onstage. “That goblin leading the way has Carmen’s magic megaphone!”
Rachel nodded, feeling more confident now that the megaphone was so close by. “Don’t let him out of your sight!”
The girls stepped onto the stage, following the goblins’ lead as they jumped around excitedly, rousing the crowd. Everyone in the audience clapped and cheered as the goblins took their places.
Rachel and Kirsty stood near the back of the stage. They copied the goblins’ movements as the leader’s voice boomed through the magic megaphone.
“We’re green, we’re mean, we’re a top-notch team!”
The routine went on, and the girls followed along. All the while, they kept an eye on Carmen, who sat on the rafters above the stage. Suddenly, the little fairy waved her wand and sent a tiny stream of sparkles into the air. That was their cue!
Before the goblins knew what was happening, Kirsty was doing a perfect tumbling pass across the stage. She turned a series of cartwheels and handsprings until she reached the goblin with the megaphone—then she snatched it right out of his hand as she tumbled by!
Without hesitating, Kirsty held the megaphone to her mouth and started a cheer.
“We’ve got spirit, yes we do! We’ve got spirit, how about you?”
The goblins all froze, looking at one another in confusion. Just then, Rachel stepped to the front of the stage and began cheering along with Kirsty, waving her pom-poms in the air. The goblins shrugged and followed along, trying to act like they knew what was going on—exactly as the girls had hoped they would!
Kirsty continued cheering, and Rachel gathered a group of goblins to set up a basket toss. They quickly got into formation. When Kirsty was done with her cheer, the goblins lifted her up and tossed her into the air!
As Kirsty sailed up into the air, a flash of light flickered overhead—Carmen! The tiny fairy darted to Kirsty and grabbed the magic megaphone from her hand. As soon as she touched it, the megaphone shrunk back down to its Fairyland size! Carmen squealed with delight and fluttered away before anyone could spot her.
The goblins easily caught Kirsty and set her back down on the stage. No one even seemed to notice that she no longer had the megaphone! They worked their way through the rest of the routine, and finished to a huge round of applause from the audience.
Grinning from big ear to big ear, the goblins ran off the stage, with Rachel and Kirsty trailing behind them.
Jack Frost was waiting at the bottom of the stage steps, scowling. “Not bad, not bad,” he said. “Now give me that megaphone for safekeeping.”
The goblins all looked around at one another, holding up empty hands.
“I don’t have it!”
“I thought YOU had it!”
“Who had it last?”
“Um, it wasn’t me … ”
Rachel and Kirsty stood back, watching carefully as the goblins scrambled to cover up their mistake.
But Jack Frost wasn’t amused. “You fools!” he thundered. “Do you mean to tell me you LOST the magic megaphone?”
Kirsty and Rachel froze in their tracks. They looked at each other with wide eyes.
“We can’t let Jack Frost punish the goblins for this,” Rachel whispered.
Kirsty paused thoughtfully. “You’re right, that wouldn’t be fair. Plus, if he gets really angry, he could ruin the competition with his ice magic anyway—even though Carmen has her magic objects back!”
Rachel stood up tall. She felt more confident than she had all weekend, now that the magic megaphone was back in Fairyland! “There’s only one thing to do.”
With that, the girls stepped forward. “Excuse me, Jack Frost?” Kirsty call
ed.
Jack Frost’s spiky head whipped around to look at the girls, and his mouth curved into a sneer. “What could you pesky girls possibly want?”
“We want to explain what happened to the magic megaphone,” Rachel said calmly. “It’s been returned to Fairyland by Carmen the Cheerleading Fairy.”
Jack Frost’s icy eyebrows shot up. “What?!” he spat. “I’ll get back at that horrible fairy for this, mark my words!”
“No, you won’t,” Kirsty said, with her hands on her hips. “The megaphone wasn’t yours. Neither were the magic pom-poms or the magic hair bow. It’s not right to take things that don’t belong to you!”
A frustrated yowl came from Jack Frost’s mouth, and he raised his wand. The goblins all cowered in fear. Rachel and Kirsty looked at each other in panic. Now what?
But before Jack Frost could summon any wicked ice bolts, a sparkling light zoomed right in front of his face. A little fairy landed on his hand—Carmen!
“Stop!” she cried. “I have an idea that I think you’ll like, Mr. Frost.”
Shaking with rage, Jack Frost narrowed his eyes. “I should send you tumbling off my hand right now,” he said to Carmen. “But I have to admit, I’m curious. Tell me your idea—and it had better be good!”
Carmen fluttered up into the air. “Even better—I’ll show you!”
She zipped off, and returned a second later with a huge gold trophy floating over her head! She held her wand in the air, using her fairy magic to move the giant trophy along, since it was much too big for her to carry. Then she set the trophy down on the corner of the stage, and flew down to perch on top of it.
“I know you wanted a trophy for the case in your Ice Castle,” she said. “But rather than hijacking the cheerleading trophy, I thought you might like this one better. I made it just for you!”
Carla the Cheerleading Fairy Page 3