CHAPTER 5

Walk on the Wild Side

Maxine reads over the Pegasus Post I just received and has the same reaction I did. “Anna wrote your mother and not you? She can’t still be mad at you, can she?”

“I guess she still is,” I say, feeling embarrassed. Then a thought occurs to me. “Unless she didn’t write that scroll.”

“What do you mean?” Maxine asks.

“Why would she send my parents a scroll claiming how happy she is to be on some big adventure?” I question. “Anna never liked to brag. Maybe Stiltskin wrote that scroll to keep us off the scent because he doesn’t want Anna to leave the squad.” I think of what Jack said about his mum and cow being around the troll for too long. “How could she still think he’s better than sliced cheese?” I say to myself as much as to Maxine.

“There’s no way she thinks he’s as good as sliced cheese.” Maxine nods her head vigorously. “That is like the best food invention ever! Stiltskin can’t compare to that.” Drool drips down her chin. “But if she did write that scroll, she’s obviously happy that she went with Stiltskin, and I don’t think she’s coming back anytime soon.”

I take back the scroll. “I know.” I stare at a group of trolls carrying swords on their way to early-morning pirate training with Blackbeard. They’re all wearing eye patches and bumping into walls. Alongside them, a group of mermaids swims swiftly by behind one of the clear glass walls. Suddenly, they stop as a new hallway waffles in front of us and changes our direction. Jax and Ollie come rolling out of it.

“Aye, it’s a beautiful morning!” says Ollie, walking proudly with his RLW sash prominently placed over his uniform.

“You know we don’t have a meeting today, right?” I ask him.

Ollie gives me a look. “A good RLW wears his sash with pride every day of the week.”

“Show-off,” I mumble.

“Who sent a Pegasus Post?” asks Jax, pointing to the scroll in my hand.

“Anna!” Maxine can’t contain herself. “To Gilly’s mom, and she claims she’s happy she left town with the Stiltskin Squad and is basically living on a rainbow.” She pauses. “Okay the last part is an exaggeration.”

Jax looks at me, his violet eyes shimmering. “There is no way Anna wrote that scroll.”

“Thank you!” I throw my hands up. “I know she wanted to be in the Stiltskin Squad, but by now she must realize he’s up to no good, right?”

Jocelyn appears out of nowhere and steals the scroll. She and Kayla, who has fluttered over, read it quickly. “Not if she’s meant to be evil,” Jocelyn says. “Evil likes evil, remember?”

“My sister is not evil,” I say firmly. “She’s just confused.” I look at the scroll again. “I think.”

Ollie peeks at the scroll. “She doesn’t sound confused. It sounds like she loves traveling, and your mom thinks she’s having a good time.”

“Mothers always want to believe the best of their kids,” Jocelyn says. “So I’ve heard.”

“Mother would feel better knowing Anna isn’t in trouble, but Anna has been gone for two months. Why send Mother a Pegasus Post now? It’s like she wants to send me a message.”

“She might be.” Jax adjusts his school uniform shirt, positioning the new-and-improved crest (which now includes a skull and crossbones for Blackbeard and a rose for Beauty and the Beast) over his heart. “Raz just got word from the royal guards that there are over a hundred children from our kingdom and neighboring ones working for the Stiltskin Squad now. If he’s getting kids to join him willingly, he’s spinning quite the tall tale. Anna is either telling the truth about enjoying his crew or trying to let you know she’s in trouble.” He frowns. “I’m just not sure which it is.”

I try to ignore the worried feeling gnawing at me.

“New hall!” Ollie shouts as a scrolled archway shimmers before appearing a few feet from us. We break into a run to reach it before it disappears. Jax and I are the last ones through. I slide into the hallway as it closes, landing on my back. I look up and see a giant, gray foot coming down on my stomach.

Jax pulls me away before the foot hits the ground with a thunderous shake.

“Sorry, Gilly!” says Millie, a goblin I know from the RLWs. “Teensy needed a walk before Magical Fairy Pets class, and I got lost.”

Teensy is a full-size elephant that is about to charge down a hallway full of students.

“Ms. Millie!” Headmistress Flora hurries through a doorway that opens behind us. “What have I told you about bringing Teensy through the halls? Always use the outside entrance for large animals.” The headmistress waves a wand, and a doorway to the yard outside our classroom opens up. Millie leads Teensy outside. A baby giraffe and a cow are already grazing in the gated area. The cow makes me think of Jack again. I wonder if he’s in this class.

“Come in, children,” says Flora, motioning to the door to her left, which has recently been patched after an ostrich pecked its way to freedom. “Class starts in ten minutes.”

I didn’t think Flora would keep teaching after regaining her title as headmistress, but I guess she doesn’t mind being pooped on a few days a week. I slip into my seat in the second row and pull Winston out of my pocket, resting him in a tiny pen on my desk. I plunk a small piece of cheddar cheese that I saved from last night’s dinner in the pen with him to nibble on. He squeaks gratefully. I wink back at him as a symphony of neighs, baas, tweets, barks, and other sounds take over the room. Ollie’s parrot is sitting on his shoulder, while Jax’s dog is doing flips on his desk.

“Quack!”

Peaches swoops over my desk and swallows Winston’s cheese in one gulp. Winston immediately starts yelling at her. Peaches quacks back.

“Maxine! Would you please keep Peaches on a leash in here?” I push the duck away, and it nips at me. “She can’t eat everything in sight!”

Maxine gently pulls Peaches back to her desk and puts the duck on her oversize chair next to her. “Peaches hates the leash.” Maxine frowns. “She ate the last two I bought her.”

“Well, you have to do something,” I say as the goose coughs up a pencil.

“Oh good, I needed one of those,” Maxine says. “Thanks, Peaches!” She pats the goose’s head.

“The cafeteria is right down the hall,” I tell Winston. “I’ll be there and back with more cheese before class starts.”

I slip out the door without Flora noticing and follow the scent of tomato bisque down the hall. As I hoped, I’m able to run into the cafeteria and grab cheese without anyone noticing. I’m almost back to class when I spot Jack outside the Fairy Pets classroom. For some reason, I slow up so he can’t see me. He’s talking to someone… Wait. It’s something. I step closer. A mirror? Jack spins around.

“What are you doing?” I ask, looking at him strangely.

Jack hides the gold mirror behind his back sheepishly. “Nothing! I’m on my way to Magical Fairy Pets and I-I…” I walk closer. “Okay, you caught me.” He pulls the mirror back out. “I was giving myself a pep talk. I’ve been doing it every morning since I got here.” He looks into the mirror again. “Hey, you. You’re going to do great today and find your mum before you know it. Stay strong.” He looks at me worriedly.

I want to laugh, but it’s not such a bad idea. Jack doesn’t know anyone here. Why would he trust anyone other than himself?

“Do not tell the others,” he begs. “Please?”

“Your secret is safe with me,” I say as the bell rings. “But you better hide that mirror before class.”

Jack slides it into his pants pocket, and the two of us run into class. He takes the first seat he finds, and I head to the back as Jax watches me curiously. I place the piece of cheese in front of Winston, and he squeaks happily.

“Guard it with your life,” I whisper.

“Today we are going to continue to work on teaching our fairy pets to obey commands using the reward system,” says Flora, tapping the board with her wand. A list of instructions glimmers and glows in front of us. “Teaching your fairy pet to sit or stay, to not eat your homework, shoes, or dinner, and to come when called are important pet-master skills that you will all be graded on this semester. These skills take time and patience. Why don’t we all spend a few moments working with our pets on the sit-and-stay command?”

The classroom gets really loud as people try to keep their pets from trampling them or running out of the classroom. Ollie’s parrot is good at flying and landing on command. Peaches refuses to listen.

“Wilson, stay,” I tell him, and the mouse looks at me curiously. He’s already learned this one. He’s so smart. “Good mouse!” I give him another speck of cheese.

A roar from Sasha’s tiger cage makes everyone jump, including Headmistress Flora.

“Maybe we will continue this exercise in the courtyard after I introduce our two new students, Jack Spriggins and Allison Grace.”

Jack gives a little wave from his chair, but AG actually stands and curtsies.

Behind me, I hear Tessa and Raza giggle.

“Where does the perfect princess think she is? A knighting ceremony?” Tessa hisses. “People don’t curtsy in class.”

AG’s smile fades, and she quickly sits down. She clearly heard Tessa. I watch AG’s breathing become rapid, and she scratches her arms, which quickly turn red. Look what they’re doing to the poor girl! I turn around and glare at Tessa and Raza.

“Leave her alone,” I growl, sounding a lot like the puma on the desk across from them. They shut up. I give AG a bright smile. She smiles back, looking relieved.

“New students, the first thing we need you to do is to allow yourself to be picked by a magical fairy pet,” says Headmistress Flora. She taps a bookcase on the wall, which flips to reveal a stack of both big and small cages with new pets waiting for owners.

“Come again?” asks Jack, putting his feet up on the desk. Headmistress Flora pushes them off.

“The pet picks you. You don’t pick the pet,” Jax says in simpler terms.

Jack yawns. “Sounds lame. Besides, I already have a pet—Milky Way, my cow.”

“Wasn’t your cow taken by Rumpelstiltskin?” someone asks. At the name, all the animals in the room start to howl and hiss.

Jack stands up. “Yeah. And I’m going to get her back!” He pushes his chair over. “So I don’t need another pet! Get it? Butt out!”

I sit back, stunned.

“Mr. Spriggins, that is no way to speak to the class or to me.” Flora bristles. “You will allow yourself to be picked by a pet, or you will find yourself in your first detention.”

Jack walks to the door. “Then give me detention.” His face saddens. “I’m not taking another pet when I already have one I love. I can’t do that to her.” He slams the door behind him.

Flora looks completely flustered. “Well, I…I must go deal with him, but Allison Grace, why don’t you tell the pets about yourself, and one can pick you.”

Allison Grace starts to cough. Badly. “Right now? In front of the whole class? But I don’t have anything prepared.” She pulls at her jumper uncomfortably. The RLWs giggle again.

“Speak from the heart,” Flora tells her. Allison Grace looks at her blankly. “Your likes, dislikes, habits. Why don’t we—”

“Mother!” We hear identical wails as Azalea and Dahlia, the formerly wicked (depending on who you ask) stepsisters, burst into the classroom like they are apt to do.

“I need a silk tufted pillow to sit on in our Waiting for a Prince to Come class,” says Azalea. “How can I sit in a tower all week long when it’s made of stone and has no chairs?”

“And I need new oils for my Scents and Sensibility class,” says Dahlia. “If I’m going to attract a prince, I need to have the best oils to create the best perfumes!”

I look at Jax in horror. “Those are actual classes at Royal Academy?”

Jax’s smile is grim. “Why do you think I’m so happy not to go to RA anymore?”

“Girls! What have I told you about interrupting me?” Flora ushers them out, but their high-pitched squeals have sent most of the pets into a tizzy. “Gillian, can you please help Allison Grace with her magical fairy pet ceremony? I’ll be back soon.”

Allison Grace stares mournfully at the cages in front of her.

“Hey,” I say with a smile. “Don’t worry. You’ll get matched with the perfect pet. Look at mine.” Wilson peeks out of my pocket. AG reaches out to pet him. “We didn’t get along good at first, but now we’re a team, just like you’ll be with your pet. Let’s think about what you can tell these guys to help find your match. It’s like Flora says: What do you like, dislike, like to do with friends?”

AG’s eyes dart around the room. “I haven’t really had many friends up until now. I guess Raz is my friend. She’s my godmother.”

“Raz as in Rapunzel?” Tessa’s mouth gapes.

AG nods. “I’ve spent some time around her and the other members of the royal court, but I haven’t really been anywhere except other castles.”

“Woe is me,” snorts Raza as her bat flies onto her shoulder. “You’re a princess. Your whole life is games and ball gowns.” I give her a look to shut her up again.

“Not really.” AG stares at her shoes again. “My parents are pretty protective. Up until now, I’ve been with them all the time.”

“Well, your mother let you join a class, so she must be loosening the reins,” Jax says. “I grew up in a castle, but I found ways to make it work. What kind of things did you like to do in your ivory tower?”

AG’s porcelain face softens. “Like my mother, I read a lot. Not just stories, but travel books too—I’ve always wanted to see other kingdoms. I’m a decent seamstress, and I like to make accessories out of stuff lying around the castle, like this.” She points to the flower in her hair. “I made it from leftover fabric.”

“Ooh…” Kayla and Maxine reach for the flower glued to a glittery headband.

“I’m a little tired of the ‘I’m a princess, I’ve been locked away, love me’ routine,” I hear Tessa say to whoever will listen, including her pet rat. “The princess title has been wasted on that one.”

“Are we supposed to bow down to her because she graced us with her presence at FTRS instead of going to RA?” Raza adds. “She’s not an actual princess like we follow in the RLWs, so I don’t think she should be given special privileges.”

“Please let her get a heinous pet,” begs Tessa, and a few girls giggle. “Like a snake or a spider or something so not princess perfect!” They all laugh.

I cough loudly so they hear me.

AG touches my arm. “Are you okay?”

“Fine.” I side-eye the RLWs watching me. “Back to you, what else can you tell your pet? Do you have any secret talents?”

“Being a wallflower,” Tessa whispers, and others giggle. What is with those girls? I hate how jealous they are of AG.

“Well…” AG hesitates, trying to ignore the girls. “When I sing, I can make pumpkins grow.” The color in her face deepens.

“Impossible!” Tessa says. “We’ve been working on that skill in botany all year, and none of us have mastered it.” Girls around her nod. “My voice is the most beautiful in the school, and I can’t do it.”

“Beautiful if you’re listening underwater,” Jocelyn mumbles.

“I’ve done it before.” AG sounds suddenly unsure. “Maybe it was beginner’s luck.”

Everyone is talking over each other now, and Ollie runs outside and grabs a pumpkin from our vegetable patch. “Here!” He sets the small green-and-orange pumpkin on the desk in front of her. “Try it on this one.”

AG backs away. “I don’t know.”

Anna used to be shy like this. Maybe if I had helped her become more confident, she wouldn’t have been so unsure of herself all the time. We have to toughen this girl up if she’s going to survive here. “You can do it!” I say. “Try it!”

AG takes a deep breath. “My pumpkins always liked the song ‘My Prince Will Wait for Me.’”

“Is she kidding me?” Raza whispers.

“Please let her get a snake!” Tessa says again.

AG starts singing. Her voice is buttery and light, like a fine violin. Even the pets grow quiet. The little pumpkin starts to grow larger and larger until it gets so big that it threatens to break the desk.

When she’s done, we all cheer. AG curtsies. Tessa’s and Raza’s mouths are hanging open. A fly zooms into Raza’s mouth, and she starts to cough. Soon the cages in front of us begin to glow and glitter. We wait and watch with interest to see what comes out, but nothing appears out of the darkness.

“Look at that. None of the pets wanted her,” Raza says, and she and Tessa giggle.

Suddenly the back door bursts open and a white unicorn with a purple mane comes galloping into the classroom, coming to a halt in front of AG. It neighs softly, its golden horn brushing against her cheek.

“Wow, aren’t you beautiful! Hello!” AG pets the unicorn gently. “We have to give you a name, don’t we?”

“No one has gotten a unicorn before!” Kayla marvels, as most of our classmates gather around to see the mystical creature. “It’s the perfect pet for a princess!”

“Nice job,” I tell AG, giving her a hug. I knew she could do it.

Everyone is gathered around AG, patting her on the back and marveling at her unicorn. Everyone, that is, except Tessa and Raza.