A week later Halo raced toward the door of Star IV, her drawing pad and notes under her arm. She’d been at WFA for three months, the Star Festival was less than a month away, and she still hadn’t found her talent, life path, or a gift for the talent presentation.
Dr. Leaf’s mood hadn’t improved since he discovered the dead spotted berry plant. She’d tried to cheer him up by whistling while she cleaned the cages, but he said that the noise disrupted his patients. She’d memorized the name of every single plant in the first ten rows of the healing garden. He didn’t even congratulate her or give her an A or whatever grade they gave at White Feathers. He simply said she could start on the next ten rows. When she helped Jet sweep the dust off the porch, Dr. Leaf told her that she needed to take care of her own work. Didn’t anybody care? She tried to do a good job. What did it matter? She’d still be dead. She couldn’t possibly earn enough feathers to fly up when the deadline was less than a month anyway.
She’d just learned about the Field Day event during the Star Festival, and every student had to participate. The students form their own teams of four to eight members and elect a captain. Amber, Opal, Star, and Zadie asked her to be on their team, and they’d elected Zadie to be captain. They chose the name Team Purple.
The captain participated in a drawing held at the Shell Arena to choose the event. Team Purple had accompanied Zadie there yesterday to watch her reach into the large rotating barrel and pull out the envelope containing the name and rules of participation for their event.
They watched as Zadie carefully opened the envelope then told them, “We drew the raft race.” Zadie tried to hide her disappointment with a big smile. She didn’t want them to know she couldn’t swim, but she clapped and pretended to be happy.
~~~~
Halo was in the dorm when the chimes rang one bell. It reminded her to let the girls know she might be late for their first raft practice, since she had another errand planned after class. She paused outside the triplets’ bright-pink door when she heard Zadie’s hushed voice.
“It’s Effie’s round-string! I’d know it anywhere.” Zadie sounded hysterical even though she was whispering.
“Effie’s gone,” Star reminded her.
“She would never leave it behind,” Opal argued.
“It’s Effie’s round-string, and Annie has it. She took it to music practice today.” Zadie stomped her foot.
“Maybe it’s a copy,” Amber suggested.
“Impossible. Effie designed it herself. She took forever to get it right. Don’t you remember how she collected parts from old violins, cellos, guitars, anything with strings...and how she designed the wooden circles? She even talked one of the woodcrafters into cutting and sanding them.” Halo stayed in the shadow of the door, straining to hear what Zadie had to say.
“Well, I remember because I held the circles for her day after day while she laced the strings. I watched her make the tuning pegs. She would never, ever go anywhere without it. I don’t know how Annie got it, but it’s Effie’s.” Zadie’s voice broke as she sagged down in a chair facing away from the door.
“Annie’s bad, and you know it. Think about what she’s doing to us. It’s the same thing.” Zadie’s voice trailed off, overtaken by gulping sobs.
Halo tiptoed backward, hoping her eavesdropping had gone unobserved. She hurried to the exit and down the painted rock path to TLC. Some days she tried to step on only rocks shaped like fish, avoiding the colorful animal or flower-painted stones, but today she had no interest in making a game of getting to class. She wished she’d knocked instead of eavesdropping. Maybe Zadie would have explained to her who Effie was and why she thought Annie was evil. Zadie admitted to not liking Annie, but she didn’t say bad things about people, ever.
How could Annie be evil? She had lots of friends and neat clothes, and she sang like the teenage pop stars on TV. Well, when she used to watch TV. Questions kept her mind busy. She was startled by the sound of running feet behind her.
“Jet!” She turned and slapped her hand against her chest. “You scared me to death.”
Jet flashed a smile at her, his sea-green eyes twinkling with mischief as he slowed to a walk and motioned for her to sit with him on the nearby bench.
He tapped his wrist link, revealing a drawing of a train made up of individual cars. Each car held a nest, cage, or crib, and one had an aquarium. The lead car had a steering wheel and a bell above the window like the engine on a real train.
“Will you help me build this for the Star Festival?” Jet tapped.
“Why?”
“The week of Birth Day starts with the Star Festival parade. TLC could be in the parade.”
“You know Dr. Leaf will say no, don’t you?” She didn’t share Jet’s enthusiasm for the parade float, mainly because she was sure Dr. Leaf would veto it.
Jet shrugged, refusing to wipe the smile from his face, and patted the roll of papers against his leg.
“You will ask him?” Jet’s mechanical voice asked.
“Why me? It’s your idea.”
“He trusts you, and so do the animals. Come on, please ask him.”
“Only if you go with me.”
“All right. Let’s go ask him now.” Jet tapped on his link, stood, and pulled her by the arm toward TLC.
“I said I would, didn’t I?” She immediately regretted snapping at Jet, but she had more on her mind than building a float. She wished she’d stayed, confronted Zadie, found out what they were talking about.
“The worst thing he can say is no. Come on, let’s go.” She winked at Jet, attempting to lighten the mood.
She figured she might as well help with the parade float. It wasn’t likely she would find a talent before the Star Festival anyway. After all, she wasn’t even in a group study, unless being with Jet counted as a group of two.
They found Dr. Leaf on the back porch, examining a spotted berry plant sprouting in a glass vial. His bushy brows knitted together in a frown as they approached. “No class today.”
“We know. We, uh, wanted to talk to you,” she began.
“Out with it, then. I’ve got things to do.” Dr. Leaf fisted his hands on his hips and waited.
“It’s about the festival parade, you know, the Star Festival, before Birth Day. Jet and I...uh, we’d like to make a float for the parade.”
“And? What does that have to do with me?” Dr. Leaf eyed them over spectacles riding on the tip of his nose.
She straightened her shoulders, blew out her breath, and started over. “We want to enter a TLC float in the Star Festival Parade this year. Jet knows how to build a float. I can decorate the cages, nests, and containers and make bows and collars for the animals.” She watched Dr. Leaf’s face and waited.
“Wait a minute. You want to put my patients, my creatures, in a parade?” he fumed.
“Yes, sir. They’ll love it. They never get to go anywhere or see anybody but us and you.” She paused then added, “And, of course, they love you.” Her words stumbled out, anxious to say the right thing. “Jet’s drawn up plans, and Koze said we could use parts from some of the old mobile transports—”
“Koze? He’s in this conspiracy, too?” Dr. Leaf asked.
“We’ll work after class. You won’t have to use a single pinfeather from TLC. Honest. We’ll let the creatures—ah, your patients, practice in a ride through the garden first, a trial run. Please? Jet even made sketches. Please?” She nudged Jet with her elbow, a signal to show the plans.
“I’m busy, now.” Dr. Leaf stopped Jet before he had a chance to spread them on the outdoor table.
“It won’t take a minute...” she pleaded when Jet retrieved the plans and started to walk away.
“Leave them here. I might check them later.” He pointed to a table on the porch and turned to go inside the cottage.
“Thank you.” She rushed toward Dr. Leaf, stopping short of hugging him. “We’ll work hard, but you won’t even know we’re here, and we’ll do all our assignments, too. Jet’s making a cart for every creature, even an aquarium for Oscar.” She followed Dr. Leaf to the door, talking a mile a minute.
“I’ll think about it,” Dr. Leaf grunted. “First I get apprentices, now they want a parade, too.”
They gave each other a high five and walked toward the forks together.