I looked at Destiny. She was flapping and trembling, but she was alive. I snatched her up and backed away.
“Your fox was going to eat my gosling,” I yelled. “I didn’t touch it!”
“Nonsense! Sweet Tooth wouldn’t hurt a fly.” Raveneece Greed lifted the stiff fox in her arms. “Poor Sweetie,” she crooned, rocking it back and forth.
“It’s not our fault,” Sage said. “We didn’t do anything!”
“Besides, it’s not dead,” I added, although I wasn’t sure how I knew that. “And you shouldn’t be here. This is private property.”
Raveneece scowled at me. “We wildlife rehabilitators must go wherever there are creatures that need us.”
“I don’t believe you! I think you’re hunting! That’s why you brought that fox with you. You nearly scared us to death.”
Raveneece studied me. “You, frightened? Ha! If you expect anyone to believe that, Goose Girl, you’d better learn to hide your powers.”
Although the day was warm and sunny, I broke out in goose bumps. “I don’t know what you’re talking about! Your fox had a seizure. Maybe it has rabies.”
“Pixie, look—it’s waking up,” cried Sage. “Let’s go!”
She was right. The fox was stirring in Raveneece’s arms.
I stared long and hard at Raveneece. I wanted her to know I wasn’t backing down. “My father is the caretaker here. He can have you arrested for trespassing,” I said. “Go away and don’t come back.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Ye Olde Secret Deal
Okay, so the fact that I’d stopped the fox was amazing. But it hadn’t exactly been a surprise the way halting Raveneece’s van had been. This time when the rhyme came to me, I’d understood it had power. Was this the “distinct gift” Aunt Doris had said I’d be getting? Oh, why did it have to be such a weird one?
I carried Destiny tightly in my arms as Sage and I half-walked, half-ran back to Acorn Cottage. Sage had seen what I’d done. She’d even heard Raveneece call me a Goose Girl. I wondered what she was thinking.
“That woman was really strange,” I said to break the silence.
Sage burst into tears. “Ugh! How do you even know her?” she blubbered. “She looked like one of those wild people who live in the woods. I should have listened to my mom.”
“But I don’t know her,” I said, surprised. “At least, not really. Once she stopped at our house by mistake.”
“Well she seemed to know you.” Sage swiped at her eyes, but she didn’t slow down. “Or at least about your powers.”
“Yeah—she really was a nut.”
“Huh!” Sage huffed. “The fox didn’t stop moving until you recited that rhyme, Pixie.”
“The rhyme? It was nothing. When I’m nervous I start babbling.” I smiled to show her I was back to normal.
She rolled her eyes. At least she’d stopped crying. If I were Sage I would’ve been suspicious, too.
When we approached the side of the cottage, we could see our mothers talking on the doorstep. Suddenly Sage jumped back and grabbed on to me. “Listen. Don’t say anything about where we were or what happened. If my mom finds out I was in the woods, she’ll ground me for years.”
I hesitated a second before I agreed. “Fine. But, it would be better if you didn’t mention what happened to that fox to anyone.” I held out my little finger for a pinky swear and she hooked her own pinky around it.
But just as we were sealing the deal, war broke out between our mothers. We hid behind the hedge against the side of the house and listened.
“I hate to say this, Dana,” said Sage’s mother, her voice shrill, “but Grease is a poor choice for your theater group. It’s undignified for senior citizens to act like teenagers. They’ll just look silly.”
“They won’t look silly at all, Meredith,” my mom argued back. “And your mother is doing a wonderful job in the role of Frenchy. You should come to a rehearsal and see for yourself.”
“I don’t need to see it!” Mrs. Green’s voice was higher and louder than Mom’s. “Frankly, I don’t think the costumes you wear to the residence are very helpful, either. My mother is an adult—she doesn’t need your childish games. She isn’t going to be in your play and that’s final!”
“That’s so mean!” I started out from behind the bush to run to Mom’s side, but Sage put a hand on my shoulder.
“Wait! We can’t let them know we were listening.”
I shrugged off her hand. For a few moments there was silence. When Mom finally spoke, her voice was calm but firm. “I think Gloria can decide for herself about being in the play. As you said, she’s not a child. You can discuss it with her when you see her at the fun fair on Sunday.”
Mrs. Green shook her head. “But I won’t be there. I have more important things to do next weekend. Besides, I visit my mother on Thursdays.”
“Are you sure, Meredith? The fun fair is an event that brings families together. The residents have been looking forward to it. They’ve put in a lot of work.”
“I really must get going!” Sage’s mom sounded impatient. “Where are the girls?”
Quickly Sage brushed the dirt off her knees and smoothed her hair. “Come on!” she whispered, hurrying around to the front of the house.
“Hi, Mom. Look how cute Pixie’s goose is!” Sage chirped.
“What happened to your face! Did it bite you?”
I looked at Sage. There was a thin red line on her chin. She must have cut herself when she tripped.
“No!” Sage touched her face. “I guess I scratched it.”
Mrs. Green raised an eyebrow in disbelief.
“Thank you for having me over, Mrs. Piper,” said Sage.
“You’re welcome here anytime.” Mom smoothed down her poodle skirt and turned to Mrs. Green. “You know, Meredith, I have an idea. I’m taking Pixie and some of her friends to the fair on Sunday. Sage could come with us, if it would be more convenient for you.”
I wondered how Mom could still be so nice after what Mrs. Green had said to her.
“Who else is going?” Sage asked, smiling at me.
“Lucy and Alexa.” My answer made her smile shrink. Sometimes she could be such a snob.
“You forgot Gray,” said my mom. “He’s going with his grandma.”
Sage cocked her head like a puppy. If she’d had a tail, she would have wagged it. “Can I please go, Mom? I’d like to see Grandma.”
I started to worry that we’d oversold the fair. I mean, it was in an old people’s home. The place smelled like bathroom deodorizer and overcooked veggies.
“Please don’t whine,” said Mrs. Green. “You know it gives me a headache.” Poor Sage. I wouldn’t have traded my poodle-skirted mother for hers, any day.
I was relieved when Sage and her mother finally drove off. I told Mom I was tired and went up to my room. I needed to be alone, so I could think about what had happened in the woods.
I flopped on my bed and squinted at the ceiling. “Aunt Doris, I’m worried,” I said in case she was there, but invisible. “Raveneece Greed is definitely trying to steal Destiny. And I think I’m getting some weird power. It came out today right in front of this girl named Sage who’s not even my friend.”
Suddenly I heard a voice. “Pixie, is everything okay?” It wasn’t Aunt Doris. It was Mom.
“Yes.”
“Who are you talking to?”
“Um, the ceiling light?”
“Oh! Well, say hello for me,” said Mom after a moment. “And dinner will be ready in a half hour.”
“Okay.” I listened to her footsteps retreating down the stairs. Then I turned my attention back to the ceiling. But Aunt Doris didn’t show up or speak. The air in my room was just empty air. I began to wonder if I really was up to the challenge of becoming a Goose Girl, after all.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Ye Olde Not-So-Fun Faire
Instead of cooked cabbage and air freshener, the rec room at the senior residence s
melled like fresh, buttered popcorn and cotton candy. Streamers and balloons hung from the ceiling, and there were game booths, craft centers, and snack tables everywhere. Mom had been working on decorations and stuff for the fair every night for weeks. I was really proud of her.
“Have fun, girls,” she said, handing us long strips of tickets. I knew she’d be too busy assisting her senior ladies to pay much attention to us, but I didn’t mind. It made me feel a bit like a teenager.
“That Flying Donuts game looks like fun,” said Alexa. “You poke your head through the hole in that poster and try to catch one in your mouth.”
“No way am I getting jelly and chocolate all over my face,” said Sage. “Anyway, that’s my grandma at the Paint a Mug booth. Let’s go there.” She headed off without waiting to see if we’d follow her.
I liked imagining Sage with donut smeared on her face. We followed her across the room anyway—even Alexa, who could be pretty bossy herself. Tiny Grandma Gloria pulled Sage into a long hug. She was wearing a navy tracksuit and a princess-like tiara. If her hair wasn’t gray, I might’ve thought she was a kid.
Grandma Gloria hugged the rest of us, too. “I’m so happy you came,” she said. “I hardly ever get to meet Sage’s friends.”
Classmates, not friends, I thought. But we all just smiled as if it were true.
Sage’s grandma showed us the stencils we could use to design our mugs. The choices included animals, superheroes, sports equipment, flowers, and other stuff. I was about to choose a goose until Sage picked a golden retriever. I didn’t want her to think I was copying her. Instead, I found an acorn design I thought Mom would like.
“Graham! Over here!”
My paintbrush made a jagged line when Sage jumped up. Gray had just arrived with Grandma Westerly. Since Sage was already running to get him, I stayed put and picked out stencils he might like for his mug. After all, I was the one who knew him best. I selected two—a high-top sneaker like the ones he always wore and a wrench like my dad’s. I didn’t care what he chose, as long as he didn’t use the same golden retriever Sage had picked.
But instead of coming back to Paint a Mug and her grandmother, Sage led Gray over to the cotton candy booth. Miserably, I watched the two of them stick little pink puffs to each other’s noses and laugh.
“Ooh, she’s so annoying!” whispered Lucy. “I don’t mind that she dumped us for her grandmother, but now she’s dumped her grandma for Gray.”
“It’s Pixie who should be mad,” Alexa said. “Gray was her best friend until Sage stole him.”
“Who cares?” I grumbled.
“Right! You’ve got us for best friends now.” Lucy threw one arm around Alexa and the other around me.
Although the truth was, I did care that Gray was ignoring me, I was really grateful to have Lucy as a friend. And Alexa, too.
We finished painting our mugs and left them on a shelf to dry. “I’m sure Sage will come back to finish hers later,” I told Grandma Gloria.
“It’s all right,” she said with a little shrug. “There are so many tempting things to do at our fair, I can’t blame her for wanting to try them all.”
I guess she was used to Sage being Sage. Still, I thought if I had a grandmother, I would have treated her better. My dad’s mother had died while he was still in college. And my mom’s mother had been killed in the crash. Sometimes I missed them even though I hadn’t known them.
As if she could tell I was feeling sorry for myself, Alexa grabbed my arm. “C’mon, you need to have some fun. We can shoot out fake flames on candles with water guns at that booth over there. It’s called Lights Out! I love that name.”
“Okay.” For just a second I glanced over at Sage and Gray, who were fishing with magnets on strings. They were laughing really hard as they tried to “catch” construction-paper fish with paper clips on them. I didn’t see what was so funny.
At the Lights Out! booth, two ladies wearing plastic rain slickers, one yellow and the other pink, took our tickets.
“Here you go, girls,” the pink lady said, handing over three water guns. She looked as big and comfy as an old armchair. When she grinned at me, I couldn’t help smiling back. “You’re Dana’s daughter, Pixie, right?” she asked.
I nodded.
“I’m Kitty Beans.”
I recognized her name right away. “I’ve met your sweater,” I blurted.
“Your mom said you were a stitch,” said Kitty, laughing. “Well, you’re supposed to get three tries to hit the flame on the candle, but since you’re family, you and your friends can each have six.”
“Wow, thanks!” I said. But the candles were on a table that was really far away. Even if I had a hundred chances, I didn’t think I’d ever hit a flame.
I pulled the trigger. A stream of water shot out of my gun, missing the candle by a mile. Lucy and Alexa didn’t have any luck, either. Our aim was so bad we started giggling.
“Pixie, look!” Alexa called.
When I turned, water hit me in the face. “Hey!” I shouted, but I cracked up and sprayed her back. Then we both turned to Lucy and got her, too. She doubled over, squealing.
“Other people are waiting, you know,” said Sage from behind me. “Graham and I want a turn.” I hadn’t even seen them arrive.
“Okay, here.” I spun around and squirted her.
Water dripped down her shocked face. I was shocked, too. I couldn’t believe I’d done it.
“No fair, Pixie!” she yelled. “I’m wet!”
“Here, give that to me.” Gray snatched the water gun out of my hand and started soaking me. So I grabbed Lucy’s gun and fired back. We were both laughing.
Kitty Beans came hurrying over. “Kids, kids, stop! You’re making a mess of the floor and the table, not to mention each other,” she scolded. “Pixie, you don’t want to upset your mother—she’s worked so hard on this fair.”
“Oops—sorry.” Suddenly I felt like a wet rat. I’d been having so much fun I’d almost forgotten where I was. I glanced around the room.
“Lucky for you, your mom just ran to the supply closet. I think she missed this little flood.” Kitty handed me a mop. “Here, clean up the floor right away before someone slips and breaks a hip. And you girls can dry up the table.” She handed a roll of paper towels to Alexa and Lucy.
“You are such a loser,” said Sage.
I gave her a wide-eyed, innocent look. “But you asked for a turn.”
Gray burst out laughing. “Pixie’s right.”
“It’s not funny, Graham!” Sage snapped. “Let’s go.” She pulled him away by the arm.
Alexa, Lucy, and I dried the floor and the table really carefully. After Kitty inspected it, she gave us a nod of approval. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell your mom,” she said.
“Thank you,” I whispered. I was so relieved I bit my lip to keep from tearing up.
Kitty patted my damp hair. “You girls didn’t put out a candle, but why don’t you each pick a prize from the treasure chest, anyway.”
We dug through candy rings, mini cars, Super Balls, and other stuff. Lucy and Alexa chose glow-in-the-dark bracelets. I found a key chain with a tiny, goose-shaped flashlight that lit up when it was squeezed. It felt like good luck.
“Ick! I’m squishy,” Lucy announced. “Let’s go to the bathroom and dry off. We can use the hand dryer.”
“Are you coming, Pixie?” Al asked.
“No thanks. I’ll just hang out here until you come back.” I didn’t mention I’d just noticed a table I hadn’t seen before. It was way in the farthest corner of the room, and its only decoration was a hand-lettered sign, too small to read. The fluorescent light above it was flickering in a creepy way. Yet something was drawing me to it like a paper clip to a magnet.
Whoosh! Snap! I was there.
When I read the sign on the table—PEANUT BUTTER WISH COOKIES, ONE PER TICKET—my throat started pulsing.
“Excuse me,” I said as I eyeballed a plate of three nicely br
owned cookies. “Are those all you have left?”
The silver-haired woman behind the table was checking a sparkly cell phone. “Just a minute, kiddo,” she said without looking up. That’s when I knew.
“Aunt Doris!” I squealed. If the table hadn’t been between us, I would have hugged her.
“Like it?” She patted her wig and smiled. “So tell me what’s up.”
For a moment I wasn’t sure where to begin. Then everything that had happened came pouring out of me—Raveneece Greed showing up at our door, meeting her again in the woods with her fox, and reciting strange rhymes that seemed to have the power to stop bad things from happening. By the time I finished babbling, I was a wreck.
“You’ve done well,” said Aunt Doris. But she sighed in a worried way. “I guess it’s time I told you about your aunt Raveneece.”
I staggered back as if she’d shoved me. “My what?”
She nodded and pulled out the chair beside her. “You’d better sit down. You don’t look so good, kiddo.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Ye Olde Horrid History
The moment I sat down beside Aunt Doris, things felt different. Our shadowy corner of the rec room seemed to get farther away from the rest of the noisy, bustling fair. The hum of voices laughing and shouting became softer, as if someone had turned down the sound. But most of all, I felt different. It was like I was floating above the room inside a soap bubble.
Then Aunt Doris cracked her gum, nearly giving me a heart attack. “Are you sure you want to know more about the family?” she asked.
“Yes,” I whispered. “If I’m going to be an apprentice, I need to know everything.”
“Maybe you’re right, kiddo.” She smoothed her cape and straightened her silver wig as if she were getting down to business. Then she began to chant:
“Open up the mystery
Of Mother Goose’s history
Where cakes and rhymes with hope unite
And jealous sisters start to fight
For cakes with power bring out greed
The Secret Destiny of Pixie Piper Page 9