They both looked at Grace.

  TWELVE

  “I GUESS I’m up! Hmm…” Grace said, looking off into the distance. Tick-tock. Tick-tock. The ticking of the pink rhinestone-covered clock filled the silence. April stared at the gold numbers on its face.

  Tick-tock. Tick-tock. Tick-tock.

  April and Eve looked at each other, waiting for the next outburst by Grace. But there was still silence.

  Grace rapidly blinked her eyes and turned her head from side to side. “I feel like I can see the wheels turning in her brain,” April whispered to Eve.

  “So,” Grace said. “Let me just make sure I am clear.” Grace squinted her eyes. She rested her chin on her thumb and started to tap her pointer finger on her cheek. Grace clearly watched way too many detective television shows.

  “We have to distract April’s parents, get outside to get three things the elephants messed up, then get back into the house, and then get April to fall asleep. Is that right?” Grace looked at Eve.

  “Yes, ma’am.” Eve nodded.

  “Just making sure that I have that right. OK!” Grace’s eyes lit up as she jumped to her feet. “So, I think, April, you should stay here and keep your parents busy with Austin.” Grace looked at April. “Then Eve and I will go to the back door and try to sneak outside to get the three things.” Grace motioned to Eve.

  “OK,” April replied.

  “And,” Grace continued, “I will bring my cell phone and I want you to carry yours too, just in case we need to text, OK? Sound like a good plan?”

  “Let’s give it a try,” April said as she stood up. She grabbed her cell phone, then put it in her pocket. Eve closed the book and slid it under April’s bed.

  “I’m going to go downstairs first. I’ll go into the living room and distract them. You guys come down the stairs quietly and go through the dining room and into the kitchen. Go out that door and get the three things.” April took a breath. “But, before you leave, go under the sink and get some plastic bags just in case you need to pick…uh…anything up,” April exhaled.

  “Wow, you’re becoming a planner too,” Grace smiled at April.

  Gosh, I don’t like hiding this stuff from my parents. Mom just bought me these pretty new school clothes. April looked down at her new jeans. Then I go and do this. Ugh! And, Dad just let me stay up late with him. He made popcorn for us to watch that movie together. That was so much fun. April felt her smile melt off her face and turn into a frown. I’m NEVER, EVER going to trick them again.

  “Ready?” Grace asked.

  Her bedroom door opened. Her mother was standing there. “Ready for what?” her mother asked.

  THIRTEEN

  APRIL’S heart raced as she stared at her mother standing in her doorway. How long has she been standing there? How much did she hear? She is smiling at me, so I don’t think she heard anything. Whew! Answer her. Think of something FAST. Think. Think.

  “I…um…was asking if…if the girls are ready to go downstairs. Yeah, I wanted to see what the news was saying about the elephants, you know?” April swallowed hard. Her palms were wet with sweat. She wiped them on her jeans.

  “Well, they are not saying much. They don’t seem to know how the elephants got here or where they came from,” April’s mom said as she walked into April’s room. She walked closer to April and gave her a slight hug as she rubbed her head. April hugged her mom back. She always felt safe when she was close to her mom.

  “I’m just glad that you girls are safe,” her mom said. She gave April a gentle kiss on the top of her head.

  Then she looked up at the ceiling. “What happened there?”

  April froze. She stepped back from her mom’s hug. She just stared at her mom then back at the ceiling. Oh no. I can’t lie to her again. What should I say? What should I say? I’m a horrible daughter.

  Grace jumped to her feet. “Yeah, that looks like what happened to my ceiling…um…around the ceiling fan after we had that big rain storm a few weeks ago. Remember that storm?”

  Eve nodded as her eyes grew wide.

  “My dad had to call this guy who went on the roof. Apparently, there was a leak that caused some cracks in the ceiling.” Grace stared at Mrs. Appleton as she inspected the ceiling.

  “Oh, that makes sense,” April’s mom nodded. “I guess I should tell your dad to check this out.” April exhaled and started to breathe again.

  Mrs. Appleton examined the chandelier more carefully. “But, why are there crystals missing?” She touched some of the crystals then a lone wire that looked as if it had formerly held a crystal.

  Grace briskly walked to the door. “Um, Mrs. Appleton, could Eve and I please have some, um, juice?” Grace looked at Eve and made her eyes big.

  “Oh, yes please, Mrs. Appleton,” Eve said putting on her sweet smile. Eve walked toward the door following Grace.

  “Oh sure, girls,” Mrs. Appleton said. She let go of the wire and walked toward the door. April quickly followed her.

  Thank goodness for those girls. They save me every time. But, geez, I have to fix this fast. I really don’t like not telling her the truth. One day I will tell her everything, April thought as she closed the door behind her. She checked her pocket to make sure she still had her cell phone.

  FOURTEEN

  THEY all walked down the stairs, past the front door, through the dining room and into the kitchen. Grace whispered to Eve, “Change of plans. Can you please keep Mrs. Appleton busy? I’m going to sneak out the front door on my own to get the three things for the spell.”

  Eve looked worried but nodded her head.

  Mrs. Appleton was pouring the apple juice while she stood behind the kitchen island. She faced the family room which was right off of the kitchen. She stared at the television as she poured. Eve walked up to her. “So, um…Mrs. Appleton, did you like that jambalaya my mom made for the school potluck dinner?”

  Mr. Appleton and Austin were sitting on the couch facing the television. The couch was in front of the kitchen island. Mrs. Appleton’s back was to Grace and April. April glided over to the sink and slowly crouched down. She opened the cabinet under the sink, and reached in and grabbed a few plastic shopping bags with handles. Her mom always put them there after she came back from the grocery store. April slowly stood up. She tightly balled them up in her hands behind her back. Reaching behind her, she passed the bags to Grace. The girls quietly crept backwards out of the kitchen. They walked through the dining room and past the stairs. They stopped at the front door.

  They heard April’s mom speak to Eve. “Yes, honey. It was great. Your mom, uh, actually gave me the recipe. I was, uh, going to make that tonight but I do not think I will be able to get to the grocery store today.” Mrs. Appleton sounded distracted as she spoke.

  April could still see her mother staring at the television. The news was showing the elephants marching down many of her neighborhood’s streets. They also showed picture after picture of the elephants causing destruction. The elephants were making a massive mess of their neighborhood; doing everything from eating and breaking down trees, to stepping on cars, to pulling down traffic lights and stop signs.

  Grace looked over at the television. They could both hear the news announcer telling everyone, “Stay inside! For your safety, do not go outside!”

  “Oh gosh, I better be careful,” Grace said as she reached for the knob to the front door. Her face was ghost-white as she quietly opened the front door. She usually had a perfect golden tan all year. But, at that moment, she was as white as a sheet of paper. April held her hands as Grace held the bags.

  “Sorry, Grace,” April said. She took another deep breath.

  “Sorry for what?” Grace asked as she furrowed her eyebrows.

  “Sorry for this.” April grabbed the bags, quickly pushed Grace to the side, and ran out the door. Grace tried to grab April’s arm, but she was already out the door. April turned back to look at Grace who was staring at her as she walked toward the street. April mouthed, “Sorry. I have to fix this.” April turned around to face the street.

  I have to fix this. I made this problem. Grace did not do anything wrong and I can’t put her in danger. I have to make it right before my mother notices I’m gone. And, I hope… April took a huge breath. I hope I am safe and nothing bad happens to me.

  FIFTEEN

  APRIL’S heart raced with each step she took. The ground continued to shake as the elephants walked. The closer she came to the street the stronger the poop smell became. She wiped her nose as if that would push the smell out of her nostrils.

  Acid built and climbed up her throat. She swallowed hard trying to push it back down. Her stomach churned as she walked over to one of the trees that the elephants uprooted. She leaned down and picked up a small branch from it. One down, two more things to go. What else can I get? She placed the branch in her bag.

  As she stood up, she looked between two houses, and saw an elephant taking the water out of her neighbor’s pool and spraying the water everywhere. The yard was flooded. She walked between the houses toward the elephant.

  The closer she got to the elephant, the bigger he seemed and she had to tilt her head further back to see the top of his head. She was breathing with her mouth open trying to get in as much air as she could. There she stood, with just the pool between her and the elephant. She looked at him. She studied his grey, wrinkled skin. He had so many folds and flaps she could not count them.

  Everything I read says they are big, harmless creatures. He’s not going to hurt me. He’s not going to hurt me. He’s not going to hurt me. She took a huge, deep breath trying to calm down a little bit. The elephant stood on his back legs then came crashing down to the ground. BOOM! April’s heart raced so fast, each beat vibrated in her throat and head. She just stared at him, but then noticed something out of the corner of her eye: a pretty purple flower that washed over to her on the flooded grass. She bent down, picked it up and put it in the bag. The elephant stared at her for a moment As their eyes met, April stopped breathing. Is he going to do something? Is he going to come over to me? Then he looked away and went back to spraying the pool water everywhere.

  Ding! April heard her cell phone go off. She reached into her pocket and pulled it out. It was from Grace:

  “R U OK?”

  “Gr8. Just gr8…”

  “No, seriously. Are you OK?”

  “I’ve got 2 things. Looking for #3.

  Suggestions?”

  “Branch?”

  “Got that.”

  “Uh…poop?”

  “Must I?”

  “Thinking…”

  “Is Eve keeping my mom busy?”

  “Yep. They are now onto how to make muffuletta sandwiches.”

  “What?? Well keep her busy, k?”

  “Sure thing. And next time…don’t push me.”

  “I know. I’m sorry. Won’t happen again.”

  “Hurry back.”

  April looked around. She saw that same elephant still sitting on the car, and a few still tramping down the street. Right in front of her, on the side of the road, was a huge pile of elephant poop. Should I? Ugh! I swear I’m never EVER doing a spell again. Well, I really didn’t mean for this one to happen. She walked closer to it. The smell was so strong that she coughed a little. She covered her nose with her arm and kept walking closer.

  She opened a new bag and checked it for holes. With one hand in the bag, so she did not have to touch it, she reached out to grab some of the poop. It was hot and steamy. The mushy warmth made April gag. She scooped it, turned it inside out and quickly tied it as tight as she could. She ran back to her house and through the front door. She closed it behind her. I’m glad Grace left the door cracked open!

  “Who is at the door?” she heard her father ask. She heard steps coming closer to her. Oh no! What should I do? What should I say?

  SIXTEEN

  APRIL opened the bathroom door in the front hallway and ran in. She closed the door behind her. Her father came around the corner and knocked on the door. “April, did I hear you come through the front door?” her father asked.

  “Uh, uh, oh, oh—”

  “What is that smell?” her father asked, sounding grossed out. “April, honey,” he asked carefully, “do you have a… stomachache?”

  “Uh, uh, yes! YES! I have a BAD stomachache!” April replied. She looked down at the plastic bag with the elephant poop in it. She exhaled and her shoulders dropped. When she inhaled and realized how stinky it was, she pinched her nose.

  April groaned and moaned like she was in pain. Her dad turned the knob on the bathroom door. April put her foot in front of the door to stop it from opening all the way. The door cracked open but not enough for him to look in, “Honey, do you need help? Are you OK?”

  “Oh no, Dad. I’ll be OK. I think, uh, that smell from the elephants got to me.”

  “OK, honey. Do you need any medicine?”

  He is so nice. He takes such good care of me. I’m so lucky. “No thanks, Daddy,” April smiled. She knew that he liked it when she called him Daddy, like when she was a little girl.

  “OK. I will give you a minute,” her dad said. He pulled the door closed and walked away.

  April dropped the bag of poop on the floor. She looked at her hands. Ick! That poop was so squishy, hot and steamy. Gross!

  She washed her hands then reached in her back pocket to pull out her phone to text Grace.

  I’m in the downstairs bathroom. My dad thinks I have a stomachache. I have to get upstairs so we can do the spell.

  April heard Grace saying, “I’m going to bring April something for her stomach.” Grace’s voice grew louder with each word.

  “Be careful in there. It certainly smells like she has bad gas or something!” April’s dad said to Grace as he chuckled a little.

  Grace lightly tapped on the door. “I followed the smell. Are you in there?”

  “Yep.” April sounded like she had a cold because she was pinching her nose shut.

  “They are both watching the news. Come out and we’ll go upstairs.” Grace cracked the door. She stuck her head in. “OMG, that is a horrible smell!” Grace wrinkled up her nose and quickly stepped backwards.

  April came out of the bathroom. She picked up the bag and extended her arm to hold the bag as far away from her body as possible.

  Grace also pinched her nose so she did not have to smell the horrible poop. Sounding like she had a cold too, she said, “I’m going to get Eve. You go upstairs and get ready to do the spell…ewww.”

  April went up the stairs, into her room and closed the door behind her.

  She put the bag of the three things on the rug in the corner of the room. “Phew!” She fanned her nose. She knelt down and pulled out the Book of Magie from under her bed. She opened it to the page she had been on before. Her fingers glided across the small tear in the page. She tried to un-crinkle it. I really do not want to do anything bad again. I only wanted to help the elephants. Maybe Eve’s grandmother is wrong. Maybe this is a curse and not a blessing.

  I have to make this right before someone tries to hurt the elephants because they are destroying our town.

  April’s bedroom door swung open. Eve and Grace stood there squeezing their noses. They both rushed over to April and sat on either side of her.

  “Oh, honey. You look sad. Don’t worry. We’ll fix this.” Eve smiled at April.

  “Maybe this isn’t a blessing,” April said as her voiced cracked.

  “What are you talking about? Maybe you shouldn’t have wished in your dream to bring them here; BUT, you could try dreaming that they are protected in their natural habitats. That would help to keep them safe.” Grace tilted her head so she was looking right into April’s eyes.

  “That would be like being a fairy godmother to the elephants, right?” Eve continued.

  April took a deep breath.

  “As I read the spell, you could definitely NOW dream that you protect the elephants in their homeland. You could do the spell like a bubble of protection around each of these elephants,” Eve pointed outside toward the elephants.

  April smiled. She put both her arms around her best friends. “You girls are the best! Eve, what did the rest of the spell say? I want to get them back to their homes and get our home all cleaned up.”

  “Well, it says that you have to lay down and fall asleep,” Eve took the book from April’s lap and put it on her own. “And, while you lay down you have to hold the three things. So…” Eve cleared her throat and looked at April and then at the plastic bag. “You have to hold that bag in your hand.”

  April looked across the room at the bag as it sat in the corner. Ugh! April nodded.

  Eve continued, “When you lay down you have to say:

  ‘As I lay down to sleep,

  A sleep that is very deep,

  I make a wish to un-do,

  The spell I did as I flew.’”

  “How does it know what or who I did the spell on?” April asked.

  “It’s magic. The universe knows,” Eve tapped her friend on the leg to reassure her.

  “OK. I trust you,” April said to Eve.

  “You have to say that out loud three times, then keep repeating it in your head until you fall asleep. You said in your dream that you were flying, like the picture, right?” Eve pointed to the picture of the woman flying over something as she pointed.

  “Yeah.” April nodded.

  “When you fall asleep and you are flying over what you want to undo, you have to replace your thoughts with what you want to have really happen. So, instead of thinking you want the animals to be protected, you have to think, ‘I want the animals to be protected in their natural habitat.’ Get it?” Eve asked as she raised an eyebrow.

  “I think so,” April replied.

  SEVENTEEN