ONE and#8220;Alison Elizabeth Brown Butler!and#8221;
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#8220;Iand#8217;m coming!and#8221; Ali hurriedly pushed the rest of the dirt on top of the little hill sheand#8217;d built and packed it down. and#8220;Iand#8217;ll be back,and#8221; she whispered.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#8220;Hurry,and#8221; said a little voice.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#8220;I will.and#8221; Ali rubbed her right hand across her neck, making sure she didnand#8217;t have any stray hairs, and stood up. From here, she couldnand#8217;t see the evil fairies at all. How was she supposed to make sure they stayed put?
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#8220;Al-li-son!and#8221;
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#8220;I said, Iand#8217;m coming!and#8221; Ali jogged across the backyard and up the steps into the kitchen. Everyone was at the tableand#8212;Mom, Dad, and Hannah. Dad and Hannah were already eating.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#8220;I called you fifteen minutes ago,and#8221; said Mom. She picked up Aliand#8217;s plate and slammed a helping of mashed potatoes on top of a mangled slice of roast beef.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#8220;Iand#8217;m sorry,and#8221; said Ali, sliding into her seat. Unfortunately, her seat was right across from Momand#8217;s, so she had no way of avoiding the glare. She took her plate and stuffed a spoonful of potato into her mouth, not even bothering with salt and pepper.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#8220;Your mother worked hard on this meal, young lady,and#8221; said Dad.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#8220;Iand#8217;ff ffoggy,and#8221; said Ali.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#8220;Youand#8217;re still wearing that stupid hairdo?and#8221; said Hannah. and#8220;What is going on with that?and#8221;
and#160;and#160;and#160;Ali almost choked. She hated being called stupid, and Hannah knew it. and#8220;Itand#8217;s not stupid,and#8221; she said.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#8220;Iand#8217;m sorry, Ali, but a bun right smack on top of your head is stupid. And that hairspray is disgusting. No wonder you repel boys.and#8221; Hannah flicked a lock of her perfect, glossy light-brown hair off her shoulder. The blond highlights practically sparkled.
and#160;and#160;and#160;Ali had been planning to raid the shower drain every day for hair, but Hannah was really tempting her. If only her sister knew how much her hair was worth, and what the evil fairies could do. Then sheand#8217;d have her hair up in a and#8220;stupidand#8221; bun, too. But no one over thirteen knew about the fairies, unless they were still in middle school, like Michael. When you finished eighth grade, it was over. Hannah was about to finish tenth grade, so she had no chance at all. But Ali had a whole and#8217;nother year. She smiled and took a bite of cold roast beef.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#8220;What are you smiling about?and#8221; Hannah delicately lifted her last bite of green beans to her lips, chewed, and swallowed. and#8220;Iand#8217;m going to do my homework.and#8221; She smiled at Mom and got up from the table. She took her plate with her, rinsed it, and put it in the dishwasher. So perfect. Her parents thought Hannah spent all her time studying to bring home those straight-A report cards. But Ali knew better. and#8220;Doing homeworkand#8221; probably meant calling Michaeland#8217;s older brother, Deacon. He was just as big as Michael, and twice as meanand#8212;to everyone but Hannah. Actually, heand#8217;d been mean to Hannah, too, up until around Christmas, but sheand#8217;d forgotten all about that.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#8220;Me too,and#8221; said Ali. She shoved another bite into her mouth and chewed as quickly as she could. Michael had insisted on coming to check up on her, and she didnand#8217;t want him to get impatient and come in the front door. She rushed her plate over to the sink.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#8220;If you donand#8217;t want to eat now, you can forget about having a snack,and#8221; said Dad.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#8220;Fine. I had plenty,and#8221; said Ali.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#8220;Do you need any help with your homework?and#8221; Mom asked.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#8220;No,and#8221; Ali said.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#8220;Well, with finals coming up, you can always use a boost,and#8221; said Mom. Unlike Hannah, whoand#8217;s smart enough to never need help, Ali heard.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#8220;I can do it myself,and#8221; she said, and before Mom could say anything else, she ran through the living room and sprang up the stairs. Of course Mom would offer to help her and not Hannah. As if Ali were too stupid to figure anything out. Just because she didnand#8217;t get the same grades didnand#8217;t mean she wasnand#8217;t every bit as smart as Hannah. In fact, Iand#8217;m smarter, Ali told herself. I donand#8217;t spend all my time fixing my hair. She barreled into her bedroom and stifled a surprised scream.
and#160;and#160;and#160;Michael was sitting on her bed, tossing her pink stuffed unicorn between his giant hands. He was at least six feet tall even though he was only fourteen, and his shaved head added to the feeling of big.
and#160;and#160;and#160;Ali pushed the door shut. and#8220;How did you get in here?and#8221; she whispered. and#8220;I said Iand#8217;d let you in the back door.and#8221;
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#8220;Well, I let myself in.and#8221; He grinned, showing two rows of crooked yellow teeth.
and#160;and#160;and#160;Thatand#8217;s what you get for smoking, Ali thought. Gross.
and#160;and#160;and#160;He pointed the unicornand#8217;s horn at the open window.
and#160;and#160;and#160;Ali stomped over to the bed and grabbed the unicorn out of his hand. and#8220;Youand#8217;re going to kill my tree and get me grounded.and#8221;
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#8220;None of thatand#8217;s going to matter once you get your flock grown.and#8221; He picked up Aliand#8217;s tuxedo-shirt-wearing teddy bear and started bouncing it.
and#160;and#160;and#160;Ali grimaced. Sheand#8217;d have to wash everything in her room now. and#8220;I know, and Iand#8217;m doing the best I can. Iand#8217;ve got the first mound done. Why canand#8217;t you just go home and wait like a normal person?and#8221;
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#8220;You know why.and#8221; He squeezed Teddy Tuxand#8217;s head. and#8220;Iand#8217;ve got three weeks until eighth grade is over. And if your flock isnand#8217;t done by then, I lose everything.and#8221; He was no longer smiling. and#8220;You think I donand#8217;t know what everyone thinks of me? Once Iand#8217;m the best football player in the country, theyand#8217;ll be sorry.and#8221;
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#8220;Thatand#8217;s what youand#8217;re going to wish for?and#8221; Ali had wondered what Michaeland#8217;s wish would be, but sheand#8217;d been afraid to ask. Michael was the kind of person you avoided if you could. And the tone of his voice right now wasnand#8217;t changing her mind.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#8220;Well, I was going to wish for better parents, but then I found out that youand#8217;re only allowed to change yourself,and#8221; Michael said. Ali had once overheard her parents talking about Michael and Deaconand#8217;s dad, saying that if heand#8217;d ever come home from the bar, maybe his boys wouldnand#8217;t be such goons. That was one of the reasons Hannah had to hide the fact that she was dating Deacon. But Ali didnand#8217;t want to show Michael that she knew that much.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#8220;You can wish for happiness,and#8221; said Ali. and#8220;That way you wonand#8217;t care what your parents do.and#8221;
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#8220;Yeah, but I donand#8217;t want to just be magic happy,and#8221; said Michael. and#8220;If I can be a sports star, Iand#8217;ll be rich and famous, and that will make me happy. Maybe Iand#8217;ll do basketball instead of football. I donand#8217;t know. For sure, though, Iand#8217;m not going to use my wish for something stupid like being good looking.and#8221; He rolled his eyes.
and#160;and#160;and#160;Ali rolled hers, too. Michael had gotten his fairies from Jennifer Jackson, who also lived on their street. When Michael had finished growing his flock and had passed the two starter-fairies on to Ali, Jennifer had gotten to make her wish. And sheand#8217;d chosen to be gorgeous. As if she wasnand#8217;t popular enough already. Why hadnand#8217;t she wished for something she could really use, like a little bit of brainpower? That was what Ali was going to wish for. If she were a genius, sheand#8217;d never have to worry about doing homework or studying for tests again, and sheand#8217;d never get anything but As. Sheand#8217;d never have to see that look on her momand#8217;s face after every report card, the one that said Iand#8217;m very disappointed in you, young lady. And most of all, sheand#8217;d never again have to see that smug look on Hannahand#8217;s face when she brought home straight As and Ali didnand#8217;t.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#8220;You have nothing to worry about,and#8221; said Ali. and#8220;Iand#8217;ve got the directions you gave me. Iand#8217;ll build more mounds, and Iand#8217;ll get all the hair they need. Theyand#8217;ll be done in two weeks.and#8221;
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#8220;Okay,and#8221; said Michael, dropping Teddy Tux back onto Aliand#8217;s pillow. and#8220;You know I canand#8217;t actually help, but I can answer some questions.and#8221;
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#8220;I know,and#8221; said Ali. and#8220;Now get out of here before my parents hear us.and#8221;
and#160;and#160;and#160;He got up off the bed and headed for the window. He put his hands on the sill, then turned back around. and#8220;You read the whole thing, right?and#8221;
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#8220;Of course.and#8221;
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#8220;Then you know you have to be careful.and#8221;
and#160;and#160;and#160;Ali patted her bun. and#8220;See? Not a stray hair.and#8221;
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#8220;Okay, but itand#8217;s not just that. I mean, thereand#8217;s a reason everyone calls them evil fairies.and#8221;
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#8220;Besides that they climb into kidsand#8217; brains through their hair follicles and eat them from the inside out?and#8221; She crossed her arms over her chest. Sure, that was why a new flock. But no one could be sure that was what had happened to Molly Parker and Tyler Griswold. Sometimes kids just disappeared.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#8220;So remember that,and#8221; said Michael. and#8220;Grow the flock, get your wish, and get out.and#8221; Was he actually concerned about her? Nah.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#8220;Donand#8217;t worry about me,and#8221; said Ali. and#8220;Iand#8217;ll be fine.and#8221;
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#8220;Okay,and#8221; said Michael. With a slight shake of his stubbly head, he jumped out the window and into the tree.
and#160;and#160;and#160;Ali cringed as the branches cracked, but no one else seemed to have heard. She reached for the band holding her bun in place. It was still tight. No evil fairies were going to get her.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#8220;Hair.and#8221;
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#8220;Hair.and#8221;
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#8220;Sheand#8217;s late.and#8221;
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#8220;Midnight.and#8221;
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#8220;Canand#8217;t wait.and#8221;
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#8220;Soon.and#8221;
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#8220;Hair.and#8221;
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#8220;Hair.and#8221;