by T. L. Clarke
They looked at her silently.
“Well, let me tell you. We will get thrown out of Vineswell, and I, for one, have no intention of bringing shame to my father and family by getting thrown out of school,” she said angrily.
“Relax. That won’t happen because we won’t get caught,” Gabrielle said calmly as she rubbed her hands together with glee. “Come on, Princess Rosalinda, don’t be afraid,” she teased.
Rosalinda stamped her foot angrily like a child throwing a tantrum. “Oh, chica! That is so annoying. Stop calling me Princess Rosalinda.”
“Gee-whiz, relax. You’re way too uptight,” Gabrielle said.
Rosalinda crossed her arms in front of her chest stubbornly.
“I know that you want to know why we all have the same pendant. I mean, come on. We all want to know, don’t we?” Gabrielle continued. She poked Rosalinda playfully with her elbow. “Come on, Rosa, you know you do.”
“All right…but we must be very, very careful,” Rosalinda agreed grudgingly.
Gabrielle smiled. “Okay, so we’ll wait until the room checks are done then we make our escape,” she said with excitement as she looked over at them. “Does everyone agree?”
They looked at each other and giggled as they nodded their heads in agreement.
“So, in honor of this awesome time, we should do something totally crazy to mark the start of our great adventure,” Zora said eagerly.
“Like what?” Jessica asked with a baffled look.
Gabrielle placed her hands on her hips and walked over to the window in deep concentration. She swiftly twirled around with a playful smile on her face. “Okay, I have an awesome idea that will motivate us to victory. Remember at the tea party—”
Rosalinda groaned painfully. “Gabi, don’t even mention that tea party ever again. That was the most embarrassing moment of my life,” she wailed.
Zora and Jessica nodded in agreement.
Gabrielle held up her hands defensively. “Hold on a minute; hear me out first before you bite my head off.” She pulled a lollipop out of her ponytail and popped it into her mouth. The lollipop clicked against her teeth as it rolled from one side of her mouth to the other. “Believe it or not, I thought it was just as embarrassing—and I don’t get embarrassed easily. But I just remembered what Ashley said about us gabbing too much. You know, when she called us Gabby Girls?”
They groaned painfully.
“Well, I think Gabby Girls is an awesome name. So, in honor of our Vineswell girl Ashley, I hereby name us the Gabby Girls,” Gabrielle declared boldly.
Jessica quickly covered her mouth as she giggled softly.
Zora smiled mischievously. “Splendid! But let’s add that we’re Gabby Girls on our way to countless adventures,” she said happily.
Rosalinda looked at them like they were all crazy.
“No, I have one even better—we’re Gabby Girls on our way to a Gabby Girls Adventure,” Jessica chimed in.
“Okay, so now that we agree on our name—and in the spirit of our Gabby Girls Adventure—let’s kick it off with something totally off-the-hook,” Gabrielle said eagerly. “Hmm, let me think…” She looked over at them and smiled mischievously. “I got it! Quick, let’s form a small circle,” she said with excitement.
“Oh, this is so ridiculous. I will do no such thing,” Rosalinda said with disdain in her voice.
“Rosa, come on. You’re a Gabby Girl now. Let’s not argue,” Zora said.
Rosalinda rolled her eyes skyward as Zora moved to stand in front of Gabrielle, and Jessica moved to stand to the right of Gabrielle. They all looked at Rosalinda expectantly.
“Gosh, I didn’t know that Gabby Girls were so pushy,” Rosalinda declared sullenly as she moved to stand to the left of Gabrielle.
“Now, that’s the spirit, Gabby Girl,” Gabrielle chirped happily. “Hmm…let me see…so how should we do this?” She rubbed her hands together anxiously. “Okay, I got it.” She stuck out her right hand face-down. “Okay, Jessica, you place your hand on top of mine. Zora, you place yours on top of Jessica’s. And, Rosa, you place yours on Zora’s,” she instructed.
They placed their hands as instructed then looked at Gabrielle expectantly.
With a huge smile on her face, she screamed, Gabby Girl Gabrielle!”
Jessica giggled then screamed, “Gabby Girl Jessica!”
Zora grinned impishly. “Gabby Girl Zora,” she screamed loudly.
They all giggled hysterically as Rosalinda breathed out with exasperation, “Gabby Girl Rosalinda.”
Gabrielle looked at them with mock seriousness. “Okay, so on the count of four, we let go, raise our hands in the air, and scream, ‘Gabby Girls Adventure.’ Ready, everyone? One, two, three, four…”
In unison, they raised their hands in the air. “Gabby Girls Adventure!” they screamed at the top of their lungs.
Gabby Girls Clue #2
Now finding the answer to this second clue will be quite easy for the four of you. It has a back, supports four legs, it’s made for one, and rests the arms when they get weary. When you have found the answer you seek, just plant your arms and then your feet.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The Secret Passageway
Ms. Duncan’s shoes clicked softly on the wooden floors as she walked down the Tea Rose Dormitory hallway. Mid-stride, she stopped and shook her head disapprovingly when she spotted a group of girls chatting animatedly in the hallway.
They looked over at her and smiled apologetically. “Hi, Ms. Duncan,” they shouted in unison.
Ms. Duncan smiled back. “Now, young ladies, you know the rules. You have to be in your room by ten-thirty with the lights out. No exceptions.”
The girls nodded their heads in agreement and scuttled quickly into their rooms.
“Good night, ladies,” Ms. Duncan said in a sing-song voice. She slowly walked down the now-empty hallway, searching for any signs of turned on lights under each of the room doors.
Gabrielle, Rosalinda, Zora, and Jessica sat silently in their room, anxiously waiting for Ms. Duncan to leave the hallway.
Jessica smiled knowingly. “Just like I said, she’s right on schedule.”
“Shush…she might hear you,” Gabrielle whispered.
“Sorry,” Jessica whispered.
Ms. Duncan slowed her pace and a mysterious smile spread across her face. Abruptly, she turned on her heels, walking back down the hallway and down the stairs.
Gabrielle sat anxiously in her pair of well-worn jeans, a sweatshirt, and sneakers. Her hair was brushed and pulled neatly into two ponytails; stuck on top of each ponytail was a cherry lollipop.
Zora quickly stuffed her backpack with a hodgepodge of items: among them were a magnifying glass, a flashlight, a notebook, a pencil, the gold compass, and the clue.
“Okay, Gabby Girls, it’s time to go,” Gabrielle whispered as she quietly tiptoed over to the door.
Rosalinda quickly brushed her hair then smeared lip gloss onto her full lips. She grabbed her designer purse and sauntered over to the door.
Gabrielle looked impatiently at Rosalinda. “Now where in the world do you think you’re going with that purse? This is a Gabby Girls Adventure, not a trip to the mall,” she said in a loud whisper.
“Qué usted significa? What do you mean? My purse is filled with all of my essentials and I am not leaving this room without it,” Rosalinda whispered as she opened her purse. “Mirada…I mean, look. It has my comb, my lip gloss, my cell phone, my—”
Gabrielle looked at Rosalinda with stunned disbelief. “Rosa, can you tell us how any of those stupid things that you just rattled off so proudly can help us on our Gabby Girls Adventure?”
Rosalinda sniffed with displeasure. “Well, first of all, I don’t have to explain anything to any of you. And second of all, I’m not leaving this room without my purse and that’s that,” she declared as she looked over at Gabrielle stubbornly.
“Look, princess…” Gabrielle began.
�
�L-look, Gabi, if she wants to take her purse, let her take it. We have to go; we’re wasting time here,” Jessica stuttered.
Zora picked up her backpack, hoisted it onto her back, and quietly walked over to the door. “I agree with Jess. Let her bring the purse. We have to get a move-on,” she whispered urgently.
Gabrielle looked furiously at Rosalinda. “Fine—you win!” she said grudgingly.
Then she slowly opened the door and carefully peeked out. “The hallway is clear. Let’s go.”
They looked around nervously as they tiptoed down the hallway, down the stairs, and to the front door, quietly opening it. As they stepped outside into the frigid air, Gabrielle took the lead and the others followed closely.
They quickly walked across the lawn. When they finally reached Parker Hall, Gabrielle, Zora, and Rosa warily walked towards the front door.
Not paying attention, Jessica nervously walked toward the side of the building.
Gabrielle impatiently looked at Jessica. “Where are you going, Jess?” she whispered urgently.
“What do you mean? The front door is always locked by six o’clock so we’ll have to climb through the side window,” Jessica whispered.
Rosalinda stamped her foot. “No way! No one said anything about climbing through any side window,” she whispered angrily.
Ignoring them, Zora quickly ran up the front stairs, hesitantly turning the doorknob. She smiled with relief when the door slowly creaked open. “Gabby Girls, come on! The front door is unlocked,” she whispered urgently.
Jessica shook her head in disbelief as she followed them up the stairs and through the front door. They all shivered when they stepped in and Gabrielle quietly shut the door.
Rosalinda nervously looked around and quickly hugged her body for warmth. Zora took off her backpack, pulling out her flashlight.
Jessica looked around the hall nervously. “Something is awfully wrong here; this building is always locked by six. So why was the door open? It’s like someone intentionally left it open for us.”
“Oh, come on, Jess. Who really cares why the door was open? I really don’t think any of us were looking forward to climbing through a window. I know I wasn’t,” Rosalinda said impatiently.
Zora walked over the first painting, carefully running her fingers across it. “Wow, this painting was done in 1908,” she marveled.
Rosalinda walked over to stand next to Zora, looking at the painting with amazement. “What a beautiful lady. Who is she?”
Jessica smiled proudly. “That’s my mother.”
Gabrielle looked around the room. “We need to start moving. Zora, take out the clue and read it again.”
They gathered around Zora as she carefully pulled out the clue from her backpack.
“Jessica, can you hold the flashlight and shine it on the clue? I can’t see a thing; it’s way too dark in here,” Zora said.
Jessica held the flashlight as Zora read the clue aloud,
For all the questions that you may have, just pay attention to this first half. First go to Parker—that’s a start—then read and solve the second half. It’s wide and tall from floor to ceiling and always filled with words and meaning. You’ll know that you have found a clue when all that binds has come unglued.
“Um…what’s wide and tall from floor to ceiling and always filled with words and meaning?” Gabrielle asked.
Zora’s face lit up with excitement. “I got it. Books are filled with words,” she said as she looked eagerly at Jessica. “Is there a library in here?”
Jessica gave her a look of disappointment. “Nope, the library is not here. We’re in the wrong building; the library is all the way over on the other side of campus.”
Rosalinda huffed with frustration. “Great!”
Gabrielle scratched her head in puzzlement as she pulled out a lollipop from her ponytail and popped it in her mouth. Then her face lit up. “Wait a minute, that’s not exactly true, Jessica,” she said excitedly.
Jessica’s face turned red. “Well, of course it’s true, Gabi. Believe me, I know this building by heart and I’ve never seen a library in here.”
Gabrielle smiled mischievously.
“Oh, no, please don’t tell me that you’re talking about that weird room with all those books?” Jessica asked nervously.
“Yep,” Gabrielle stated.
“But, Gabi, that’s not a library,” Jessica said apprehensively.
“Well, isn’t it filled with books from floor to ceiling?” Gabrielle demanded.
Rosalinda looked anxiously from Gabrielle to Jessica then back again. “Um, tell me…is this room burgundy with some sort of strange wooden thing—no, wait—table?”
They looked at her strangely.
Jessica adjusted her sweater. “Yes, but how did you know that?”
“Well, I really can’t explain why or how, but a couple of seconds ago, a strange image just popped into my head...and that room was the image,” Rosalinda said guardedly.
“Now who’s the liar or freak? Isn’t that what you called me?” Zora asked.
Gabrielle’s mouth dropped open with shock. “Are you kidding me? Do you really want us to believe that suddenly a strange image just popped into your head? Okay, so what’s really going on here? This has to be some sort of sick joke.” She pointed accusingly over at Zora. “First, we have Zora with this wacky ‘I can tell you the age of anything’ thing, and now we have Rosalinda over here with strange images popping into her head. Well, we might as well get it out in the open right now,” she declared as she looked suspiciously over at Jessica. “So, Jessica, what is your secret talent? Walking on air? Making things magically appear out of thin air? Do tell,” Gabrielle asked sarcastically.
Jessica gulped nervously, shifting her gaze away.
Gabrielle looked guardedly over at Rosalinda.
Rosalinda held up her hands defensively, “Stop looking at me like I’m some sort of weirdo!” She looked around the room tensely. “Look, I really don’t feel good about being in this building. I just got this weird feeling in the pit of my stomach like we really shouldn’t be here,” she said anxiously.
Gabrielle angrily placed her hands on her hips. “Okay, so let me get this straight. All of a sudden you have a weird feeling in the pit of your stomach? What about me? What about us?” Gesturing wildly at Rosalinda, she said, “Do you know that you just described a room that you’ve never even been in? Frankly, this whole thing is freaking me out. And it takes a whole lot to freak me out.”
Zora straightened her glasses as she flashed the light towards the end of the hallway. “Well, Gabby Girls, I don’t think we’re going to solve this mystery by standing here yapping about it or getting hysterical. I have a sneaking suspicion that the room upstairs holds all the answers to our questions,” she stated calmly.
Gabrielle pursed her lips with determination. “You’re right, Zora, we have to K.I.M. or we’ll send ourselves crazy with trying to figure out all this stuff by ourselves. So, what are we waiting for? It looks like the Gabby Girls Adventure has definitely just begun.”
Zora gave her a perplexed look. “What in the world is K.I.M.?”
Gabrielle burst out with laughter. “Please help me! Do I have to break down everything around here? Jessica, fill her in, will you?” She quickly turned on her heels and stormed down the hallway without looking back.
Zora and Rosalinda gave Jessica a puzzled stare.
“Okay, K.I.M. means ‘keep it moving,’ so when she says ‘K.I.M.,’ you just say, ‘K.I.Ming,’” Jessica explained self-importantly.
“Oh!” Zora and Rosalinda responded in harmony.
Zora shined the flashlight down the dark hallway to guide them. “Well, what are you waiting for, Gabby Girls? Let’s K.I.M.”
* * *
The old floors squeaked as they strolled down the dark hallway. They turned the sharp corner only to see the staircase blocked by a red velvet rope with a sign hanging from it:
Attention!
<
br /> Do Not Enter
“Wait a minute, where did this sign come from? It wasn’t here before,” Jessica stuttered.
Ignoring her completely, Gabrielle turned around and looked over at Zora. “Zora, since you have the flashlight, I think you should go first; it’s way too dark for us to see anything,” she whispered.
Zora nodded her head in agreement then ducked under the velvet rope with Gabrielle, Jessica, and Rosalinda following closely behind.
As they crept up the stairs, a big gust of wind swept through the hallway, causing the front door to slam open, which echoed throughout the hall.
With eyes large as saucers, Rosalinda yelped loudly.
“Shush, Rosalinda, you’re making too much noise. Besides, it’s only the wind,” Zora said anxiously.
“Sorry,” Rosalinda muttered.
They continued to creep up the stairs with Zora in the lead.
When they finally reached the top, Zora looked around the hallway, confused. “So, which way do we go?” she asked.
“Follow me,” Gabrielle whispered.
Rosalinda grabbed Jessica’s arm tightly as they silently walked towards the end of the long hallway.
When they arrived at the door, Gabrielle slowly pushed open the door and they stepped into the narrow passageway.
Zora’s eyes glazed over with amazement. “Interesting, very interesting…it’s a passageway.”
Gabrielle smiled mysteriously. “You haven’t seen anything yet. Wait until you see the weird room filled with all these books,” she exclaimed with joy.
As before, the passageway was filled with the warm glow from lit torches hanging along the walls.
Zora squinted at the walls. “This is so odd, and why are these torches lit? Interesting, very interesting…”
Rosalinda rolled her eyes with exasperation. “Oh, stop with the ‘very interesting’ nonsense.”