Operation Tenley (9 page)

The sipLips hovered behind him with smaller stroons, ready to pounce. “It’s go time, boys.” The sipLips rushed forward and devoured the Rocky Road. Finished within seconds, their chins were still dripping when Gavron threw the empty container over his head and onto the pile of garbage. He used his robes like a napkin, licked his stroon clean, and slipped it back into his pocket. The other sipLips did the same.

“Now then.” He cleared his throat. “I’m sure you’ll understand that travelling to the big E holds many risks. Risks that could—but
won’t,
I assure you—end in an explosion.” Gavron slugged a fist into his palm. “
Pow
!”

Pennie smiled weakly.

Gavron glanced down around her waist. “But just in case, in the
teensy weensy
chance of a sudden explosion, we’ll need to ask you for a little, ooh, something for our time.”

“I brought you the frozen yogurt,” Pennie reminded him.

The sipLips chuckled and drooled.

“And it was
de
licious.” Gavron slurped. “However, we were thinking of a more permanent gift. You know, like a few of your fancy Fair One gadgets.”

The sipLips hooted.

Pennie threw open her hands. “I don’t have any tools at all.”

“How about stroons?”

“Sorry.”

“And we’re off, boys,” Gavron snapped, spinning around and forming a huddle.

“No please!” Pennie rushed forward.

Gavron looked back at her pointedly. “We have a wave light surfing contest we forgot about. Encounter you later, Fairly One.”

Their flimsy propellers began to turn in unison.

“You don’t understand. I
have
to get down there. Fair Force has started the time,” she held out her wrist.

Gavron eyed the stopwatch. “On second thought, what’s the rush, boys?” The propellers came to a halt.

Pennie looked down at the stopwatch and then up at Gavron.

She shook her head. “I need this.”

“Now here’s where you’re wrong, Fairest of the One. You won’t be needing
any
of your tools on the big E. That’s even against the rules for the rule-breakers.”

“This was assigned to me
for
the trip.”

Gavron stepped closer, ogling the watch. “Hel-
lo
beautiful purple creature.” He smiled at the dinosaur. “Where’ve you been all my life?”

Pennie pulled her hand back and tucked it inside her robe. “I’ll give you something from my tool belt when I return.”

“Yeah. Nope.” Gavron shook his head, a little dust flying off as he did.

She lowered her voice and tapped on her pocket. “I have an earpiece?”

He pulled a dozen tangled earpieces out of his robes. “Like these?”

Pennie flinched.

“You think you’re the only desperate Fair One, Fair One?”

Pennie checked the stopwatch.
45:50:04
. More than two hours were gone. Tink said it was only a simple stopwatch, but what if it wasn’t? What if the Fair Force couldn’t locate her without it? Ever?

“Time’s a tickin’,” Gavron slurped.

She started to undo the watch. It was her only chance to save Tenley. It was the only chance to save herself. “Stop!”

From the top of the garbage pile, with his red beard blowing over his shoulder, Laraby looked down on them.

“Don’t give that sipLip
anything
.” He pointed at Gavron. “She brought you froyo.”

Gavron opened his arms and chuckled. “It’s a risky business, bro.”

“It’s nothing, Laraby. It’s just a stopwatch,” Pennie argued.

“Nothing? Every time these
things
get a piece of our equipment, they get closer to their goal.” Laraby held his gaze on Gavron.

The smaller sipLips chuckled repulsively.

“What goal?” Pennie asked.

“Oh, you know,” Gavron flapped his hand, “to take over the whole universe and all that. This side of it, anyway. That side’s a little too outback for us.”

“These sipLips are capable of things you can’t even imagine, Pennie. Particularly this one. Isn’t that right, Gavron?”

“Always bragging about me, aren’t you, bro?” He beamed.

Pennie looked from Gavron to Laraby and back to Gavron.

“That’s right. We’re bros. As in
brothers
.”

“Get out of here, Gavron.” Laraby slid down the pile of garbage. “And take your mini-me’s with you.”

“Hey! Don’t insult my boys. Don’t
ever
insult my boys. It hurts their feelings.” Gavron snapped the sipLips to attention. “Deal’s off.”

“Laraby,” Pennie pleaded. “Do you have any other way of getting me down there?”

He hesitated, but shook his head.

“Well, I’m sorry then. I have no choice.” Pennie handed Gavron the stopwatch, who deposited it into his robes faster than Laraby could react.

“What if it tracks you? How do you expect Fair Force to find you when the time’s up?” Laraby asked.

Pennie’s knees went weak.

“Give me a jingle. I’ll come get you,” Gavron said. He waved to his boys. “We’re on again.”

“I’m sorry, Laraby,” Pennie mumbled.

“See you, L-train.” Gavron yanked Pennie into their huddle. She gagged and coughed under their foul smell.

“Pennie! Don’t leave!” Laraby shouted.

Their huddle began to shake.

Dirt started to fly.

And Pennie started to lift.

She could hear Laraby’s voice wafting up to her.

The sipLips let out a sickening laugh. Everything swirled faster. Pennie felt her stomach jump into her mouth. Any moment now, her head would explode. Below her, she could just make out Laraby watching.

“Relax,” Gavron shouted. “It’s all downhill from here. After a little
up,
that is.”

Pennie shuddered against a loud boom. Her tiny feet felt like they were being ripped from her body.

And then Gavron’s laugh started to echo and everything went black.

45:37:17

Hadley Beach

Mrs. Tylwyth stopped the car.

“Thanks, Mom,” Tenley said, opening her door and blowing a quick breath at the sky before jumping out. The rain directly above her stopped, but across the rest of the school parking lot the rain was falling hard.

“Okay, honey. Good luck.”

Tenley clapped her paper pom-poms and shut the door. She looked up at the sky, blew out another quick breath above the path leading into school, and walked inside.

The auditorium stage was set with two podiums on either side of a larger podium. Dan Ringer was talking to a teacher below it.

“Hey, Danny,” Tenley said with a big smile. “Like my pom-poms?” She shook them at him.

Dan glanced at her. “Are you here for the auditions?”

“Y-E-S!” she cheered.

“Great. We’re not quite finished setting up.” He turned back to the teacher.

“Looks good, Dan,” the teacher, whom Tenley vaguely recognized from her second period English class, told him. “I think we can get started.”

“Very good, sir.” Dan tried to spin away, but spun into Tenley instead. “Sorry.”

“So where do you want me?” She flipped her hair.

“Everyone is back there, through that door.” Dan waved to the right.

“Super!” Tenley skipped away.

Backstage, girls and boys were pacing and mumbling to themselves.

“Excuse me.” Tenley tapped a small brunette with earbuds sprouting out both ears.

The brunette ignored her.

“Hey!” Tenley said, this time forcing her way into the brunette’s line of vision and snapping.

The brunette popped one earbud out.

“Hi. Thanks. I couldn’t help noticing your awesome nail beds.”

“What?”

Pennie pointed to the girl’s fingers.

“I just wanted to ask if you’d been watching my nail art tutorials on YouTube?”

The girl crinkled her nose and looked at her fingers. “No.”

“I post them daily. Tenley Tylwyth’s Nail Art Tutorials. I’m running for America’s Next Most Inspirational Teen. Building confidence one nail at a time.” Tenley smiled. “Sure would appreciate your vote.”

The brunette popped her earbud back in and looked over Tenley’s shoulder.

Through the curtain wings, they could see Dan Ringer stepping onto the stage. The contestants started lining up in pairs.

“Excuse me,” Tenley asked them. “Would anyone mind if I went first?”

The confused boy at the front of the line was the only one to respond. “What?”

“Thanks. Auditions are kind of my thing,” Tenley straightened her sash and slipped into his spot.

“Ladies and gentleman, thank you for coming today and cheering these middle-school students on,” Dan greeted the crowd. “There are pamphlets at the back explaining how to get more involved. Remember, there are hundreds of kids who struggle with literacy every day. Reading shouldn’t be a privilege. And spelling should be fun!”

“He’s even hotter and more inspirational behind a microphone,” Tenley mumbled. She turned back to the boy. “He’s not trying out for ANMIT, is he?”

The boy shrugged.

“Let’s have the first two contestants come on out. Roberta Robb and Jorge Menendez!” Dan Ringer announced.

Tenley thrust herself forward, leaving a confused Jorge Menendez behind.

Rather than go to one of the podiums, Tenley took to center stage and clapped her pom-poms. “Hey everyone. Let’s hear it for
Hadley Beach! Hadley Beach! Go, Hadley Beach
!” She added a high kick.

The students, upon noticing Tenley’s homemade tutu and pom-poms, started laughing.

Tenley shook the pom-poms harder. “C-O-M-P-E-T-I-T-I-O-N! What does it spell?” she asked the crowd.

“
Nice outfit
!” they yelled back.

Dan lifted his hand to quiet them. “All right. We need to get going. There are a lot of you here tonight and only a few spots to move on to the regional level. Remember, those of you who are eliminated need to exit immediately so we can keep the competition moving. Let’s begin!” He walked over to Tenley. “What happened to Jorge?”

“He let me go F-I-R-S-T!” Tenley bopped him once on the shoulder with her pom-pom.

“And your name is?”

Tenley looked stunned. “Tenley Tylwyth.” She bopped him harder this time.

Dan scribbled it down and returned to center stage. “Well, it’s cool to see such enthusiasm for tryouts this year. Let’s hear it for word nerds!”

The gym erupted.

Dan Ringer raised both hands to quiet the crowd. “Okay. So, Tenley, we’ll start with you.”

“Great. And I just want to say that I would be so honored to represent Hadley Middle School on America’s Next Most Inspirational Teen, which is holding nominations Friday. I promise each and every one of you that my nails and I will look our personal best.”

A few loners in the crowd clapped lamely.

“Hey!” someone yelled out. “Last year’s winner on that show gave Beats
headphones to their entire school.”

“Y.E.S!” Tenley clapped her pom-poms.

Dan Ringer cleared his throat. “Here we go.” He picked up an index card. “‘Triumphant’.”

Tenley went blank.

“The word is ‘triumphant’,” Dan repeated.

Tenley looked at the audience, at the judges, and then at Roberta Robb, all of whom were staring back at her.

“Tenley. You have ten seconds.”

The audience shuffled.

Tenley broke out into a mega-watt smile and walked around the podium. “Give me a T, give me an R, give me an I, give me a—” She stopped with a blank look.

The tension in the auditorium was palpable.

For half a second, Tenley’s expression fell, until she broke into another mega-watt smile.

“I’ll tell you how to how to spell
triumphant
! H-A-D-L-E-Y-M-I-D-D-L-E-S-C-H-O-O-L!”

The audience clapped halfheartedly. Tenley curtsied, waved, curtsied again, and slipped behind her podium, still waving.

“I’m sorry, Tenley, that is incorrect. Thank you for coming today,” Dan said, showing her the exit.

Tenley leaned into her microphone. “Don’t forget. On Sunday, text ANMIT: T.E.N.L.E.Y.T.”

Someone threw a water bottle at her. Undaunted, Tenley reached into her sleeve, pulled out a handful of glitter and threw it at the audience before walking off the stage.

42:58:43

Hadley Beach

Something sharp was jabbing into her side. Pennie opened her eyes.

Branches.

Poking her.

Real branches
.

The kind that could only be found on Earth.

Pennie jolted upright and hit the ground.

She moaned. She’d landed in a tree. The one she’d just fallen out of.

Her head felt like it was splitting down the middle. She reached for her tool belt before remembering she didn’t have it. She lifted her wrist to look at her stopwatch, before remembering she didn’t have that either.

“Gavron?” Pennie whispered. “Gavron?”

But Gavron was not there. And there weren’t any slurps or drools coming from anywhere, either.

She tried to stand, but must have forgotten about the house on her back. Or maybe it was a small meteor. Something very heavy was preventing her from standing. She pushed against the ground with all her might and got to her knees.

Gravity, she remembered. That’s what it was.

Using the 3
^rd
i, it was impossible to believe that gravity could be so heavy. It was invisible, after all! “
Breathe,”
Laraby had told her.

Pennie tried to sip in the thick air, but her heart was racing. Everything was too bright. And pointy. And
heavy
. She sipped in more air until slowly, slowly, using the closest tree for support, she pulled herself up to standing.

Through the maze of branches, she saw it: a house. The Tylwyth house.

She was here, at 19 Nathan Lane.
On Earth
!

She gritted her teeth and took a baby step toward the yard. How could her tiny feet be this heavy? By the time she reached the end of the tree line, beads of sweat were slipping down her temples.

But the sky!

“So bright,” she said, reaching up for it. No one had ever come close to describing the sheer beauty of it from this point of view.

She looked across the luscious green grass. “I can’t believe I’m here,” she whispered to the trees. Acclimating to Earth took a few days—she knew that part. But no one had told her about the birds chirping or the leaves blowing. Everywhere she looked, there was color and movement and energy. And all of it was spectacular.