The Magic Mistake

by Barbara Brauner

  Sunny looks confused. “Her ‘true love’? Who is that?”

  “That’s the hard part. I don’t know.”

  Paige shakes her head and whistles. “And you thought it was tough being my fairy godmother!”

  Sunny looks at me, shocked. “You don’t know? You’re just going to find her some guy?”

  I say, “He won’t be some guy, he’ll be her true love. And they’ll live happily ever after.”

  “No, no, NO!”

  “But—”

  “No buts!” Sunny says. “Mom thought Dwight was her true love, and look what happened! She’s still in her pajamas, eating wedding cake out of the freezer!”

  “That’s why she needs a fairy godmother! Katarina says if I don’t do this for your mom, she’ll be miserable for the rest of her life. You don’t want that, do you?”

  When Sunny just frowns, Paige steps out of the fountain and puts her arm around her. “Lacey did an awesome job when she was my fairy godmother.”

  Trying to decide what to do, Sunny looks over at Katarina to see what she thinks.

  Katarina plasters on a blank expression and says in a flat voice, “I am only here as a neutral observer. I cannot insert my opinion into the proceedings in any way.” But then she pretends to cough, and in between coughs she says, “Cough—DO IT!—cough!”

  An instant later, Katarina shrieks and slaps the side of her neck—one of the invisible pinch gnats must have just gotten her. She yells at it: “I wasn’t helping! I was coughing!”

  I guess I’m not the only one the pinch gnats are keeping an eye on.

  But Sunny must have heard the “DO IT,” because she turns to me and says, “I don’t want my mom to be miserable.”

  “So you’ll help?”

  “Yes! What do we need to do?”

  I’m so happy I give Sunny a big hug. “The first thing we have to do is tell your mom I’m her fairy godmother. We can’t do this without her.”

  Sunny leaps up and starts walking in the direction of her house. “Let’s go!”

  I say, “Sunny, hold up! What if she doesn’t believe me?”

  Sunny stops. “Of course she’ll believe you.”

  Paige shakes her head. “Don’t be so sure. It even took me a while to believe Lacey.”

  I say, “More than a while. You told me I was crazy.”

  “Because you did it all wrong. You can’t just tell somebody you’re a fairy godmother.”

  “So what am I supposed to do? Float up to her in a bubble like Glinda the Good Witch?”

  Sunny asks, “Can you do that?”

  Half an hour later, I’m on my way to Sunny’s house, floating high above Pine Street—in a pink bubble. This is so cool! Katarina peers out of my pocket unhappily, but I’m not going to let her rain on my parade.

  The last time I worked with Katarina, I did a lot of practicing with a magic wand, so by now I’m pretty good at spells. It’s all in the wrist. You can’t just wave the wand, you have to say the spell out loud and toss it. Plus, the spell has to rhyme—that’s the rule. I don’t know why it’s the rule, but it is.

  To make this pink bubble, I chanted: “Convincing’s no trouble when you ride in a bubble,” flicked the wand, and tossed the spell at myself. So here I am!

  The plan is for me to float in through Gina’s bedroom window, bubble-style, and say, “Ta-da! I’m your fairy godmother! You’re the lucky winner of a dream wedding!” Then Gina will light up like a Christmas tree and say, “Wow!” At least, I hope she will.

  Sunny and Paige have already gone on ahead to make sure that the bedroom window’s open and that Gina isn’t in the bathroom. (That would be embarrassing for everybody.) So I’m pretty sure we’ve thought of everything.

  The view is so beautiful up here in the bubble that it takes my breath away. It’s like looking down at a living map, with trees and houses and streets stretching away in every direction. I turn around and try to find my house. There it is! It looks so—

  “LOBSTER!” Katarina flies out of my pocket, shrieking—and slaps away an invisible pinch gnat on her neck. Does that mean she’s helping me?

  Yes, she’s helping me, because when I turn back around, I see we’re about to crash into a billboard for Lobster Shack. Plywood claws are inches away from bursting my bubble.

  I’ve just discovered the problem with traveling this way: no brakes. Also—no steering wheel! And also—no air bags!

  I scream and slam myself against the bottom of the bubble, and at the last possible moment, we dip under the billboard and pop up on the other side…

  …where there are about a million pine trees. (Now I know where the street got its name.)

  “TREES!” Katarina shouts; this is followed by “Ow! Ow! Ow!” She must be getting pinched all over by the invisible gnats.

  I hurl myself back and forth against the sides of the bubble and finally manage to wobble us through the miniforest and out the other side.

  What with Katarina screaming and me sweating buckets, the inside surface of the bubble is fogging up like a car window. My hand makes squeaky sounds as I try to wipe away the moisture. Through the clear spot, I see that we’re almost at Sunny’s house. I’m just glad she doesn’t live on Pine Street.

  Oh, geez.

  Sunny doesn’t live on Pine Street; she lives on Oak Street. I don’t want to tell Katarina this—but I don’t have to:

  “OAK TREES! OAK TREES!” Katarina shouts; she follows up with more ow-ow-ows!

  Oak trees with twisty, gnarled branches line both sides of Sunny’s street.

  And the biggest, twistiest oak tree of all is right outside Gina’s second-floor window. The bubble heads straight for the tree. I’ve got to steer around it!

  Too late.

  *pop*

  With that quiet little sound, the pink walls of the bubble burst into mist, leaving Katarina and me standing on nothing but air outside Gina’s window. Katarina’s fine—she’s got wings. But I don’t.

  I scream as I nose-dive toward the ground. Then, with a jolt, I stop in midair, right outside Gina’s open bedroom window. What just happened?

  Katarina hovers nearby, scribbling furiously in her notebook as I dangle like a puppet on a string.

  I finally figure out that a big tree branch has snagged the back of my sweater. I reach behind me to grab the branch, but it’s like trying to scratch the spot between your shoulder blades that you can never reach by yourself.

  “Lacey! What are you doing?” Gina stands at the window wearing her broken-heart bathrobe and looking astonished.

  I flash her my biggest, most fairy-godmother-like smile. “Ta-da!” I say.

  Then: crack! The branch starts to break and I’m a second away from falling to the hard brick patio beneath me.

  When there’s another crack, Gina lunges halfway out the window to grab my arms as the big branch falls with an explosion of leaves, almost taking me down, too.

  Gina’s arms shake as she tries to pull me inside. But she’s not strong enough—we’re both going to fall.

  Sunny and Paige suddenly poke their heads out of the window on either side of Gina. “Hang on!” Sunny yells.

  “I’m trying! Help us!”

  The girls reach out the window and, grabbing wrists and arms and anything else they can hold on to, finally haul Gina and me inside.

  It’s exhausting when you almost get killed!

  While Katarina floats above Gina’s head, where Gina can’t see her, the rest of us sit on the bedroom floor, panting.

  Gina finally catches her breath enough to say, “Lacey! Why were you in that tree?”

  Okay, so I messed up my big entrance, but maybe I can still make this work. I spread my arms dramatically and tell Gina, “I’m your fairy godmother! You’re the lucky winner of a dream wedding!”

  Gina just looks confused and says, “No, really. What were you doing in that tree?”

  “I told you! I’m your fairy godmother, and I can do magic! It’s going to be a
lot of work, but by Friday night we’re going to find you a new husband and throw you the fanciest wedding ever!”

  Gina gives me a big hug. “Aren’t you a sweetie! I wish you could do that, too.”

  She doesn’t believe a single word I’ve just said. Thinking that maybe some magic will convince her, I reach into my pocket for the wand and say, “I’m not a sweetie, I’m a fairy godmother. Let me show you!” But the wand’s not there—it must have fallen out when I was in the tree.

  “Show me what?” Gina says.

  I look at Katarina fluttering over Gina’s head and get an idea. “There’s another fairy in the room. Look above you!”

  Gina looks up—but Katarina zips out of sight behind a lamp before Gina sees even a flash of butterfly wings.

  Ow!!! The invisible pinch gnats attack me from all sides. I guess using Katarina for show-and-tell is cheating.

  Gina looks at Paige, Sunny, and me with a sad smile. “I’m so glad you girls aren’t too old to play fairy godmother. Stay kids as long as you can.” She kisses us all on the forehead, then says, “There’s another Bridemonsters marathon on TV. Anybody want to watch it with me?”

  If you’re ever a fairy godmother, remember: no one says “Wow,” and lights up like a Christmas tree when you try to tell them who you are.

  After a lot of searching, we finally find the wand. It’s underneath the broken tree branch in a puddle of red sugar water from a tipped-over hummingbird feeder. As I wipe the wand clean, a few drops splash on Katarina.

  “Be careful,” she snaps.

  “It’s just sugar water,” I tell her.

  Sunny asks me, “Are you going to go up and talk to my mom some more?”

  “No. Before I try again, we need a new plan.”

  “Like what?” Paige asks.

  “That’s what we need to figure out.”

  All of us flop down on the grass to think. The backyard is really quiet—there’s just the faint sound of the Bridemonsters marathon and a slurping noise.

  Slurping?

  I look over and see Katarina drinking from the puddle of red hummingbird water like it’s the best thing she ever tasted.

  “Katarina! Gross!” I say. She ignores me, so I try not to watch.

  Five minutes of hard thinking go by, and I ask the girls, “Anyone come up with a plan yet?”

  Paige shakes her head. “Gina is never, ever going to believe you’re her fairy godmother. You saw the way she looked at you—like you were a silly little kid.”

  Sunny nods, depressed. “She’ll never get her dream wedding with her true love.”

  I tell the girls, “We can’t give up. If Gina’s not going to believe me, I’m just going to have to give her a dream wedding without her help.”

  Paige says, “You can’t have a wedding without a bride.”

  “There’ll be a bride. By Friday, she’ll want to get married for sure.”

  Sunny and Paige both ask, “Why?”

  I can’t think of a single good reason, but I still say, “Trust me. I’ll figure this out.”

  Sunny and Paige don’t look convinced. So I’m glad for the interruption when BZZZ!!!!! Katarina circles around the yard like a drunken bee.

  BZZZZ!!! She circles a second time.

  BZZZZ!!! BZZZZ!!! And a third and a fourth.

  BZZZZZZZ!!!!! Katarina starts one more loop—and suddenly drops to the grass like a rock. We all gasp.

  “What’s wrong with her?” Sunny asks.

  When I pick Katarina up, she’s sticky and sound asleep. I tell the girls, “It’s got to be a sugar crash. It happens to Madison whenever Grandma visits.”

  Katarina snores and smacks her sugar-sticky lips.

  “She needs a nap. I’ll text you guys later.”

  I’m glad to have an excuse to go. I need more time to think.

  When I get home, I put Katarina in the jewelry box on my dresser. She’s still sleeping, and if she’s at all like Madison, the sugar crash will zonk her out for another couple hours. And, just like Madison, Katarina looks so angelic and sweet—

  “YOU IDIOT!” Katarina sits bolt upright in the jewelry box and shakes her fist at me. “That bubble trick was the stupidest thing you ever tried! And I don’t know who that Glinda is, but she’s an even bigger idiot than you are!”

  “The bubble wasn’t as stupid as you drinking all the hummingbird food!”

  “I did not.” Katarina burps loudly and looks a tiny bit embarrassed. She throws her hands up in the air in defeat. “And I was doing so well on my diet! But the pinch gnats drank more than I did.”

  “Pinch gnats like sugar water, too?” Oops—that question is going to get me pinched for sure. I brace myself, waiting for an invisible attack. But nothing happens. “I didn’t get pinched. Why not?” Double oops—that was another question. Still nothing.

  Katarina calls, “Here, pinch gnats! Here, pinch gnats! Come here, you horrible creatures!”

  When we don’t hear a single angry buzz, Katarina looks at me and laughs. “I bet the greedy things never left the puddle.”

  “Really?”

  “The only thing pinch gnats like more than pinching people is sugar water.”

  “How long before they come back?”

  “Soon.”

  But they’re not here right now. So this may be my chance to get some advice—if only Katarina will help. “Before they get back…can you help me with Gina’s wedding?”

  Katarina crosses her arms and stares at me. She’s not saying yes, but she’s not saying no.

  “Katarina, if I can’t get Gina married, every person in the world will hate me. I thought you were my friend. Can’t you give me some help? Please! Just a little.”

  “I can’t…”

  My heart sinks.

  “…officially help you. Unofficially—well, you don’t have a ghost of a chance without me. And, though you definitely have many flaws, you’re not the worst girl in the world. I’m walking a very fine line, but I’ll give you as many hints as I can. What do you want to know?”

  I’m so happy I feel like hugging her. “I want to know everything! How do I get Gina married? Where do I find a guy?”

  “Not just a guy, her true love!”

  “Is there a spell I can use? A love spell?”

  “Love spells don’t last. This needs to be the real thing.”

  “But how will I know?”

  “Relax. It’s very simple. All you have to do is—OW!”

  “All I have to do is ‘OW’? What are you talking about?” Then I get pinched all over. I look down and see an ugly red bug, about the size of a bumblebee, on my arm. I shudder and flick it away.

  There have got to be a dozen of these red bugs flying around Katarina and me. If they’re pinch gnats, why aren’t they invisible? And gnats are supposed to be tiny! These are huuuuuuuge! One of them burps loudly, and I suddenly figure out what’s going on: the gnats are big and red because they’re full of red hummingbird food. Gross!

  Dad suddenly calls from outside. “Lacey! You want to play some hoops?” I walk toward the window, and all the red bugs zip after me. Geez—I hope Dad can’t see them from the driveway.

  I call back: “I’m busy right now!”

  “Don’t you have gym tomorrow? You need the practice.”

  “Maybe later!”

  I turn back to Katarina. “How am I going to explain big red bugs to Dad and Mom?” I ask—and then get pinched on all sides. This is so annoying!

  Since the pinch gnats are here again, Katarina can’t help me, but there must be something I can do. After all, I’m smarter than a bunch of bugs, or at least I hope I am.

  I know! I know!

  I drag the vacuum cleaner in from the hall closet and plug it in.

  “Lacey! Don’t do that!” Katarina gives me a frightened look. She flies into my jewelry box and closes the lid.

  Ignoring her, I turn the vacuum on. It only takes me a couple of seconds to suck up every pinch gnat in the room. “K
atarina, you can come out, now. The problem’s solved!”

  Only it’s not.

  The vacuum cleaner buzzes and shakes as the angry pinch gnats try to get out, and then it slowly floats up above the ground—and lunges for my head!

  I duck, and the vacuum smashes against the wall. Still floating, it spins around and lunges again. Screaming, I run out of the room with the vacuum cleaner following me, but then the vacuum stops with a jerk. It’s reached the end of its cord.

  If I were Madison, this is where I’d tell it, “Nyah-nyah-nyah.” But I’m too mature for that. Oh, what the heck—I stick out my tongue and say, “Nyah-nyah-nyah.”

  The vacuum lunges at me like a pit bull on a chain—and yanks the cord out of the wall.

  Eek!

  It chases me down the hall, through the family room, around the dining room (where I circle the table three times), and finally into the kitchen.

  I dash for the back door—and the vacuum smashes into it before I can turn the doorknob. The vacuum’s lid pops off, and a dozen furious (and dusty!) pinch gnats burst out.

  They corner me near the refrigerator. Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! I get pinched all over. Where’s a hummingbird feeder when I need one? Forget the feeder—I just need the sugar water.

  Sugar water…that’s like soda, right?

  I fling open the refrigerator. Oh, no! There’s not a bottle of soda in sight.

  And then I see a little bit of red behind the cottage cheese and the Tupperware containers. I pull out a bottle of strawberry Fanta left over from when my aunt Ginny visited. (It’s her favorite.)

  There’s a little hiss when I open the bottle, and the pinch gnats stop what they’re doing and look at the bottle curiously. I think they can already smell the sugar.

  I take a saucer out of the cupboard, and I’m about to fill it with soda, but then I stop. I don’t want Mom and Dad to find a saucer full of bugs on the counter.

  So I wave the bottle and lead the swarm back to my room like the Pied Piper, if the Pied Piper had used strawberry Fanta instead of a flute.