The First Wish

by Trish Granted

  Chapter 1

  WEIRD WEDNESDAY

  Wednesdays in Jeanie Bell’s second-grade classroom were predictable.

  And that’s just how Jeanie Bell liked them.

  Ms. Patel always started the day with journal writing. In her journal, Jeanie had written about the new trick her dog, Bear, had learned at breakfast that morning.

  She’d done her science work ahead of time. Labeling plant parts was easy-peasy.

  But Jeanie couldn’t work ahead in gym. Luckily, on Wednesdays the class did yoga. Tree pose was perfect for resting… but also for practicing for the spelling bee. Plus, yoga meant she didn’t have to worry about fending off the Lee triplets in dodgeball!

  At lunch Jeanie ate while she read a few chapters of the book she’d chosen for independent reading. She didn’t want to lose her lead in Ms. Patel’s Reading Challenge.

  All in all, it was a totally normal Wednesday.

  But when Jeanie returned to room 2B after lunch, something unpredictable and not normal was happening.

  A girl Jeanie didn’t recognize stood at the front of the class.

  Ms. Patel clapped her hands twice to get everyone’s attention. “Class, this is Willow Davis,” she said. “Today is her first day at Rivertown Elementary.”

  Jeanie wouldn’t want to be the new kid in class. She hated being the center of attention.

  But this girl didn’t seem to mind the attention! She wore a big smile and a bracelet with little bells that jingled as she waved to the class.

  Ms. Patel asked Willow to tell everyone about herself.

  “My house has a wishing well,” Willow began. “I love shooting stars and blowing out birthday candles. And I like to draw—especially ladybugs.”

  “That’s lovely. And where are you from, Willow?” asked Ms. Patel.

  Willow hesitated. “Um… all over, I guess.”

  Ms. Patel smiled. “You can take the empty seat in the second row,” she said.

  Willow practically floated toward her new desk… which was right behind Jeanie’s.

  Willow tapped Jeanie on the back. “What’s your name?”

  Jeanie raised her eyebrows. Ms. Patel was beginning a math lesson on fractions. Jeanie knew she should be paying attention. But she didn’t want to be rude. “I’m Jeanie,” she replied, then quickly turned back toward the front of the room.

  “What’s your favorite color?” Willow asked. “Mine’s rainbow.”

  “It’s green,” Jeanie whispered.

  “What subject do you like best?” asked Willow.

  Has this girl never been to school before?! Jeanie wondered.

  “Math,” murmured Jeanie, hoping Willow would take the hint.

  Ms. Patel was comparing fractions to slices of pie. Each slice was one quarter of the pie. Jeanie tried to focus. But another pesky question came from over her shoulder.

  “Do you believe in magic? I do!” Willow’s eyes sparkled, and a dreamy look spread across her face.

  Jeanie did not believe in magic. She believed in paying attention. And facts and math and fractions. Willow was friendly, but she was also at least a fraction annoying. And her questions were still coming.

  “What did you wish for on your last birthday?” asked Willow.

  Jeanie sighed. At the moment, she wished Willow would just stop talking.

  Chapter 2

  WILLOW’S FIRST DAY

  When the last bell of the day rang, Willow watched her new classmates gather their belongings.

  The Lee triplets had basketball practice. Aaron and Ben pretended to shoot hoops while Charlie frantically searched for his sneakers. Then they all bolted out of the room. Nico Romero and Zora Klein argued about whose turn it was to take Jelly Bean, the class hamster, home for the night.

  And a girl named Jeanie Bell carefully checked her homework folder, waved to Willow, and headed out the door.

  Willow looked around the empty room. Classroom 2B had a reading nook bursting with books, a bulletin board on the history of Rivertown, and a giant word wall that described Willow’s first day of real school pretty perfectly: “exciting,” “strange,” and “new.”

  Plus, Willow’s desk was next to the window, where a pair of orange butterflies had spent the afternoon playing tag.

  It was also next to Jeanie Bell. Willow liked how Jeanie had lined up her pencils so perfectly. Willow’s desk, on the other hand, was already a jumble of strawberry-scented erasers and fairy doodles.

  But the best part of the day had been art class. The teacher was a funny man with a funny mustache, named Mr. Bloom. He had shown everyone how to make collages out of found objects.

  Willow used the most fantastic things she could find: glittery buttons, feathers, and gum wrappers. “What is it?” asked Jeanie when she saw Willow’s creation.

  “A flying kittycorn, of course. She’s part kitten, part bird, part unicorn, and all amazing,” Willow said.

  “Cool!” said Jeanie. “I never would have thought of making up a creature like a kittycorn.”

  Willow smiled. She wondered if Jeanie was up for a joke. “What’s the difference between a unicorn and a carrot?” she asked.

  Jeanie shrugged.

  “One is a funny beast, and the other is a bunny feast!” Willow cried. It was one of her best jokes… but would Jeanie think so?

  Jeanie stared at Willow. Then she started laughing. That made Willow laugh too. Then they both laughed even harder.

  Willow was pretty sure art class was going to be her favorite thing about Rivertown Elementary.

  But now, it was time to go home.

  And in the blink of an eye, Willow was walking through her front door. The sound of wind chimes announced her arrival.

  She dropped her backpack in the hall, grabbed a cookie from the kitchen, and headed for her mother’s office.

  “Mom!” Willow called as she barged inside. “Are you ready to hear about my first day of school? Art class was awesome, and I think I made a new best friend, and—”

  “Hi, honey,” Willow’s mom interrupted. “I want to hear all about your first day, but I need to check tomorrow’s forecast and star alignment, and make sure all our schedules are on track. Can this wait?”

  “Sure,” said Willow as she touched the necklace she always wore. “Now that we’ve moved to Rivertown, I’ve got plenty of work to do.”

  Willow’s mother looked up from her calendar and said with a knowing smile, “I’m sure you do.”

  Chapter 3

  MAKING FRIENDS

  The next morning at breakfast, Jeanie told her family about her new classmate.

  “Willow is funny and super artsy,” said Jeanie. “But she talks a LOT!”

  Jeanie tore four squares of waffle from her plate and fed them to Bear. He gobbled them down and barked for more. Arf! Arf! Arf!

  “Bear talks a lot,” Jeanie’s little brother, Jake, pointed out. “And you like him.…”

  Jeanie rolled her eyes.

  “It sounds like Willow’s just trying to make friends,” said Jeanie’s mom. “It’s hard to be new.”

  Jeanie’s dad nodded. “Just be your sweet, sunny self. I bet you’ll find you have things in common,” he said.

  Jeanie knew her parents were right. If she was going to sit next to Willow all year, it would be better to get along. Being nice was the practical thing to do. And if there was anything Jeanie was… it was practical.

  At school later that morning, Jeanie tried to be friendly.

  “How do you like Rivertown so far?” she asked Willow.

  “I love it!” Willow gushed. “The shops downtown are so cute. And I can’t wait to throw a penny in that fountain in front of Gio’s Pizza. Something about this town just feels… special.”

 
Ms. Patel called the class to order. Then she began their science lesson.

  “Have you been to Rivertown Gardens?” asked Willow. “I want to see the exotic flowers!”

  “Not yet,” Jeanie whispered. “I like ice-skating better. Glimmer Pond is really pretty in the winter.”

  “Jeanie,” called Ms. Patel. “What did we just learn about why plants need the sun to grow?”

  Jeanie’s stomach clenched. “I’m n-n-not sure…,” she stammered.

  “Please pay attention,” Ms. Patel scolded. “I won’t ask again.”

  Jeanie’s cheeks burned. She hated getting in trouble. And it was all Willow’s fault! From now on, Jeanie’s lips would stay zipped.

  When lunchtime came, Jeanie grabbed her book and found a quiet corner of the cafeteria.

  But then she spotted Willow sitting all alone. Jeanie remembered what her parents had said about being new.

  So she took the seat next to Willow instead.

  “I’m sorry about this morning,” said Willow.

  “That’s okay,” said Jeanie. “We’re not supposed to talk in class. But maybe we can go to Rivertown Gardens together sometime.”

  Willow’s eyes lit up. “I’ll ask my mom!” She glanced at Jeanie’s book. “What are you reading?” she asked.

  “It’s an awesome series about a time-traveling mouse,” Jeanie answered. “You can borrow the first book if you want.”

  When Willow leaned forward to get a better look, Jeanie noticed something shiny glinting at her neck.

  It was a pretty gold chain with a charm that looked like a teapot. Or was it an elephant head? Jeanie wasn’t sure.

  “I like your necklace,” said Jeanie.

  “Um, thanks,” said Willow. She quickly tucked the charm back inside her shirt. “These books sound great!”

  Jeanie smiled. Maybe her dad was right. Maybe she and Willow had more in common than she’d thought.

  Chapter 4

  GRAND TOUR

  Lunch period went by in a flash.

  Willow swallowed her last bite of meatloaf. “I definitely need to start bringing my lunch,” she said. “This meatloaf reminds me of when I made pumpkin pie and forgot the sugar.”

  Jeanie laughed. “Come on, I’ll show you around on the way back to class.”

  Willow dumped her tray, then followed Jeanie into the hallway.

  They passed by a classroom filled with the slightly off-tune sounds of the pre-K music class. Willow spotted one tiny boy struggling to ding his triangle at the right moment.

  The fifth-grade hallway was even louder.

  “That’s the water fountain where the Show-Off Showdown happened,” said Jeanie. “The choir kids and the theater kids both wanted to do morning announcements. They settled it with a sing-off.”

  “I guess they just had to du-et,” Willow joked.

  Jeanie pointed out the auditorium and the principal’s office. Then she stopped in front of the library.

  When Willow peeked inside, she saw shelves bursting with books, beanbag chairs, and computer stations. Murals of some of her favorite stories covered the walls. Willow could almost picture fairy godmothers and fire-breathing dragons flying around the room!

  “I would love to spend more time here,” Jeanie said. “There are so many books I haven’t read yet. But we usually only come once a week.”

  Willow nodded. She would have to keep that in mind if she checked out any books. Sometimes she had trouble remembering to return them!

  Next they turned down a hall with windows that overlooked a baseball diamond, track, and meadow where a soccer game was going on.

  “Those are the sports fields,” said Jeanie. “Someone else might have to show them to you, though. I’m not exactly a star athlete.”

  “Me neither,” said Willow as she watched a soccer player flick the ball into the net for a goal. “At least, I don’t think I am. I’ve never really played sports before.”

  Jeanie shifted from one foot to the other. “I try,” she said. “But I’m just not that good. Or fast. Or strong.”

  “But you’re smart,” said Willow. “This is only my second day, and I can already tell.”

  Jeanie shrugged. “I don’t need to be an Olympian or anything,” she said. “I just wish I was a little better at one sport.”

  Willow could hear the longing in Jeanie’s voice. She reached for her necklace. Then she stopped. She wasn’t sure if the time was right.

  Keeping her eyes on the field, Willow said, “Well, we have PE next, so at least we can both be terrible together.”

  Jeanie smiled and said, “Yeah! But remember—we can’t talk during class.”

  Willow nodded, then pretended to lock her lips and throw away the invisible key.

  That made Jeanie giggle, and suddenly Willow realized she was really happy at Rivertown Elementary. It was a nice, normal, totally average school.

  And things that were nice, normal, and average were always ready for a little magic.…

  Chapter 5

  GAME TIME

  The class walked single file into the gym.

  Jeanie watched Willow. She had such a bounce in her step! Jeanie wished she could feel that excited about PE. But she’d much rather be in the library, curled up with a good book or doing homework.

  When they’d all lined up in two neat rows, their PE teacher, Ms. Martinez, blew her whistle.

  “It’s dodgeball day!” she announced.

  Jeanie groaned. Dodgeball was her least favorite sport. The Lee triplets threw the balls so fast Jeanie could barely keep track. And she was never quick enough to get out of the way!

  While Ms. Martinez explained the rules of the game, Jeanie’s tummy began to feel shaky. Her heart beat faster, too. Jeanie broke her no-talking-in-class rule.

  She turned to Willow and whispered, “I wish we weren’t playing dodgeball!”

  For a moment Willow closed her eyes, like she was trying to decide what to say. She was twirling her pretty necklace in her hands.

  Then something strange happened. Jeanie thought she saw a golden flash.

  “And finally, the most important rule of dodgeball is never, ever… well… um.” Ms. Martinez paused as her face went totally blank. “Actually… I’m not sure what it is.”

  Jeanie had never seen the PE teacher so confused. What was going on?

  “Class, I’ve made a mistake,” continued Ms. Martinez. “Today isn’t dodgeball day. It’s broomball day!”

  Jeanie’s eyebrows shot up. She didn’t love broomball, but it was way better than getting pelted by the Lee triplets.

  Everyone marched over to the equipment closet to grab brooms, nets, and a ball.

  “Can you believe it?” Jeanie asked Willow.

  “Um, no,” Willow said, “I can’t. I guess Ms. Martinez just, um, changed her mind totally on her own by herself.”

  Jeanie noticed Willow’s cheeks were a little pink. And they hadn’t even started playing.

  Ms. Martinez blew her whistle again. “Jeanie, Willow, you’re both on the blue team.”

  The girls walked over to join their classmates. The Lee triplets were already smacking the ball around.

  “At least we’re teammates,” said Willow.

  Jeanie took a deep breath and put on a blue jersey. “Let’s do this!” she said.

  The girls clinked brooms and headed to one side of the gym.

  Ready or not, it was time to play ball.

  Chapter 6

  RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY

  “That actually wasn’t so bad,” Willow told Jeanie as they headed back to classroom 2B.

  In fact, Willow had sort of enjoyed the game. She hadn’t scored a goal, but she’d had a few good shots. And she’d spent the whole time pretending to be a witch riding a broom!

  At first, Jeanie had told Willow she looked silly. But soon both girls were racing around and cackling loudly.

  For quiet reading time, Jeanie chose books about magical creatures. She told Willow she liked
reading about fantasy worlds!

  Willow was really curious to learn more, but she didn’t want to get Jeanie in trouble. Willow decided to wait until later to ask.

  Before they knew it, it was time for afternoon recess. Gray storm clouds were gathering in the sky as they filed out onto the playground.

  “What do you like to do during recess?” Willow asked Jeanie.

  “I usually sit over there and read by myself,” said Jeanie, pointing to a big, leafy oak tree. Willow considered that. It wasn’t exactly something they could do together.

  “We could make up a dance routine!” suggested Willow. “Or go on a treasure hunt. Or do cartwheels.”

  Jeanie blushed. “I can’t really do a cartwheel.”

  “I’ll show you,” said Willow. “Just make sure your hands are even, like this!”

  Willow sprang forward, circling the playground as the wind picked up.

  “I’m a twisting tornado!” she shouted. “A whirling, twirling, swirling—WHOA!”

  Willow stumbled as a boy with lots of freckles zoomed down the slide and crashed right into her.

  “Whoops!” cried the boy. “Sorry about that!”

  “That’s okay,” Willow said. She felt a raindrop splash her cheek.

  “Willow, this is Finn.” Jeanie introduced Willow to the boy, who Willow thought looked nice.