CHAPTER 1
Bad Morning
I would be going into middle school in September. It meantbigger responsibilities besides middle school. And for thenext four summers I would be traveling to a far-off placewith relatives who work for a billion-year-old tooth-collectingbusiness.
My little brother, Kai, came into the kitchen and took hisplace across the table. It was going to be his last day of third grade.He was grinning and chattering about what he planned to do allsummer.
Kai's hair was unevenly chopped into a cut he did on his own.It got me laughing. Mom took one look at it and rolled her eyes.She took a baseball hat off the counter and covered his head.
"Now that's better," Mom said.
Mom was hustling back and forth, talking to us as she wentabout the kitchen. She was putting things on the table, gettingthings out of the fridge, scrambling eggs, turning bacon, andburning toast. This was a morning ritual with Mom.
I knew she was trying to cheer me up with her endless chatter.She was obviously hoping to get me interested in the tooth-collectingbusiness. But it wasn't going to work. I was determinedabout that.
Kai finished his breakfast and hurried away. I munched downthe last bit of scrambled eggs and left Mom to do the cleanupchores. But she followed me to the door.
"Are you upset today is the last day of school, Magnolia?" sheasked. I didn't answer, and she looked concerned.
I knew I had to say something. I had to speak for myself; thetime was now or never. So I said, "Mom, I don't want to spendthe summer in Tooth Kingdom. I don't care about it. I want tostay here with my friends."
There was a knowing look on her face. And her eyelids seemedto be weighed down more than normal. I thought she might nothave slept well. I wondered if my summer trip to Tooth Kingdomwas bugging her too. Or was it Dad's snoring again?
"It's silly to worry about your friends," she said. "They willbe here when you come home. Tooth Kingdom is a beautifulplace. It's filled with tooth fairies and magic. You're going to havea wonderful time. I'm sure you'll even forget about your friendswhile you're there."
I opened the door and saw my best friend, Sun, walking upthe driveway. I couldn't help wondering what would happen ifshe found a new best friend over the summer. Tears welled up inmy eyes. I told Mom, "I won't forget my friends, but they mightforget me."
I didn't bother to wait for her reaction before running out thedoor. She was still calling after me when I caught up with Sun.
"Is everything okay?" Sun asked.
"Yes," I answered. I didn't want to lie to my best friend. ButI had to, because I remembered Dad's warning about keepingTooth Kingdom and its tooth fairy counterparts secret. He saidit's a law that must never be broken. The punishment is instantdeath. And that scared me.
Sun hugged her notebook and folder to her chest. She was sostudious; who else would have those things on the last day of school?
I gave up on being studious when spring started. What kindof kid wouldn't get excited over spring? Oh, that's right, a kid likeSun. She already has her whole future planned out. I thought I'dstart planning mine in about ten years.
Sun had a thick, golden bracelet on her wrist. It was set withrubies that seemed to twinkle in the morning sun. She didn'tusually wear jewelry; she was more the athletic type. And herfigure was filling out. My figure was boring next to hers. Momwas always telling me I'd fill out as I got older.
"I like your bracelet," I said. "Where did you get it?"
Her almond-shaped eyes lit up. "Thank you, Magnolia. Mygrandpa gave it to me. It belonged to my mother."
Everybody knew Sun's parents died years ago. She said it wasan accident, but she never went into detail about it. Part of methought there was a lot more to her story, but another part of mefigured it was just too hard for her to tell it.
I gave her my best smile. "It's beautiful, Sun. Take good careof it."
We reached the bus stop, and I heard footsteps behind us. Fora moment I thought it was Mom, but then I heard Kai say in asarcastic tone, "Thanks for waiting for me, Sis."
"Sorry, Kai. Mom was about to make me crazy," I replied. Ihugged his shoulder.
"I don't understand," he replied.
I expected him to be confused. After all, who wouldn't wantto visit Tooth Kingdom? From what Mom and Dad had told us,it was the most magical place in the world. And surely I wouldwant to go—if my friends could come along.
"I wish I was going to Tooth Kingdom," Kai said.
My heart sank as soon as I heard "Tooth Kingdom."
"What's Tooth Kingdom?" Sun asked.
My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, and my heartfelt like it was about to. I squeezed Kai's shoulder tightly, hopingit would be enough to keep him quiet. Otherwise there was notelling what might happen to him.
"It's some story Kai made up," I blurted out.
"I'd like to hear more about it sometime," Sun said to him.
Sun was waiting for a response, and it appeared Kai hadchoked up. I gave him a light nudge, and he spit out one word:"Sure."
An awkward silence fell over us. The bus came around thecorner. And I was nervous this conversation would come up againlater. For now, a blast of the horn put a stop to my worries. Thedoors opened, and I climbed the short stack of stairs.
CHAPTER 2
The Monarch
Kai sat with the other third-graders. I wasn't sure whichseat he fell into, but I knew it was somewhere in themiddle of the bus. That was where all the third-graderssat. But the fifth-grade graduates got the good seats, the ones inthe back.
As Sun and I walked the aisle, my eyes zoned in on the second-to-lastseat. That was where Sun and I sat every day together.Mallory always sat across from us, and she enjoyed sitting alone.But she didn't mind sharing if someone was bringing along afriend.
We were close enough to our seat to hear Zayne and Scottychuckling. They always sat behind us and were always doingsomething to make our bus ride irritating. Like the time they shotspitballs over the seat. Sun and I were pulling germ-infested, tinyballs of loose leaf from our hair the entire bus ride. Or the timethey snuck the cell phone from my backpack and prank-called themost popular girl in our grade. That was hard to explain.
I wondered what they had planned for our last day of school.
We sat down. Sun and Mallory got into a conversation aboutthe fun they had planned for the summer—trips to the beach,amusement parks, and pool parties, all sounding exciting. Ofcourse I was included in those plans. The only thing was, theydidn't know I wouldn't be able to come along.
"Sun, are we still coming to your house after school?" I asked.
"Yes, of course."
"Yay!" Mallory and I cheered.
That was when I felt the first kick hit the back of the seat."Cut it out!" I demanded.
The kicks came harder and faster. They were loud enoughto attract the attention of the bus driver. His beady eyes werewatching us from the rearview mirror.
"Ouch!" Sun cried.
The boys ignored her and continued to drive hard kicks intothe back of our seat. Sun leaned forward and put her hands overher face.
Really? I thought. She's not going to stick up for herself? She's justgoing to allow those boys to irritate her entire trip to school. No wayam I going to allow that. Yup, this is war!
I started punching the seat and yelling for the boys to stop,but they continued to kick the back of the seat. Sun thrust herelbow into the seat; she hit her funny bone. "That hurt," she saidas she grabbed her elbow and squeezed her eyes shut.
The boys laughed harder. They were really making me onedge.
"Girls are so weak," Scotty said.
Mallory threw her feet into the aisle. "Did he just call girlsweak?" she asked.
"Yup, he sure did," I replied.
As hard as I could, I threw my fist into the back of the seat."Take that!"
"Is that all you got?" Zayne called out.
I let out a long squeal. And before I knew it, I was punchingthe seat as fast and as hard as I could. It wasn't long before Sunjoined me. Punching the back of a leathery seat wasn't nearly ascomfortable as letting frustration out on a pillow. I had a lot ofexperience with that.
Mallory stood up and yelled, "Stop, guys!"
The bus driver took notice. "Sit down!" he yelled.
She plopped onto the seat, rolled her eyes, and muttered, "Itried."
I'd had enough of the troublesome two behind me. I turnedaround in my seat, sat up on my knees, and said, "Why are youtwo so annoying?"
"Oh, calm down, Magnolia. We're just having fun," Zayneanswered.
"Well, I don't like your type of fun."
He stopped to take a cupcake from the tin on his lap. He helda cupcake out in front of me and asked, "Want one?" The sweetsmell of chocolate rushed through my nose.
Is this his peace offering?
I asked, "Aren't those for class?"
"Mom made extra." He bit into the frosting. "You want oneor not?"
Duh, of course I want one! What kind of twelve-year-oldwouldn't? But if I take one that means I forgive him for messingaround ... and I don't. "No, I don't want a cupcake." I crossed myarms and watched as he took another bite. He shrugged and tooka third bite. With the fourth bite, it was gone.
He's like an eating machine. It would take me double time to dothat. Is he really reaching for another cupcake? Doesn't he know hecould really afford to lose a few pounds?
"I want one! I want one! I want one! I want one!" Scotty calledout. Zayne didn't answer, so Scotty started to wave his arms andkick his feet.
Why can't he ever keep still? Does he always have to remind meof Mom and a pot of coffee?
Zayne pulled out a cupcake. "Here you go, butthead," he saidas he pushed the cupcake right onto a big cluster of freckles onScotty's face. Scotty wiped the palm of his hand across his cheek."Now I have chocolate on my face," he whined.
We all started laughing. Even Sun joined in. Mallory wasreally into it. Her laughter overpowered all of ours, and I expectedthat. If she were a type of music, she'd be a classical opera.
"I bet you're going to miss him when he's gone this summer,"Mallory said.
Suddenly everyone was still, even Scotty. Zayne glared atMallory.
There she goes again. Zayne should have known better. AskingMallory to keep a secret is like asking a dog not to bark.
"Are you going to go see your father this summer, Zayne?"Sun asked.
"Yup." Zayne's dad wasn't around a lot. He was an architectand spent lots of time working in another country. When he washome, it never lasted long.
"Are your sisters going?" I asked.
"No way, butthead! My dad wants me to start learning thebusiness. The girls would be in the way."
How is he ever going to run a business with a mouth like that?Besides that, he can't even get his homework done. Zayne LombardyEnterprise? I'd have to wait and see.
My thoughts were interrupted by a gigantic butterfly flutteringoutside the window. I tried to get a better look. Its wings were thesize of my hand. Its coloring was the brightest I had ever seen. Theorange reminded me of the sun setting.
It caught Zayne's attention too. He glanced at the othersbefore moving in closer to me. "It's a monarch, and that one is amale," he whispered.
"How do you tell?" I asked.
"See that black spot? Only males have that."
The rest of the group didn't acknowledge the butterfly. Theywere busy helping Scotty get the chocolate frosting off his face.
"Is it gone?" Scotty asked.
"Not yet," Sun replied. She pointed to his nose, and Scottywiped it with his palm. Then Mallory directed him to his chin.Sun giggled. And I let out a short chuckle when I realized thatthey were playing tricks on him.
I tugged on Sun's T-shirt, once, twice, then three times. Sheturned my way, and I pointed to the window, but the monarchwas gone.
"There was a butterfly with wings the size of my hands," I said.
"Sure there was," Sun replied.
"It's true. Zayne saw it too."
"Sure he did," Scotty said.
Sun, Scotty, and Zayne laughed.
Is Zayne really pretending he didn't see what I saw? I was juststarting to think he wasn't all that bad. Now he pulls a trick on me.Are all boys like this?
"I'm sure it was there, Magnolia," Mallory said. "It flew away,is all."
Yup, it flew away.
The bus pulled to a stop in front of the school. Everyone piledout of their seats, making as quick an exit as they could. There wasshouting and laughing all the way. The last morning bus trip I wasto ever take to elementary school was about to become a memory.None of the other fifth-graders seemed to be upset over it.
Maybe I'm just weird.
* * *
The day progressed normally. Mom and Tooth Kingdom weretemporarily out of my mind. In class Mrs. Girgis was handingout our science exam. As she walked the rows of desks, she gaveone of her usual lectures on the wrongs of cheating.
I began to write my name at the top of the page. As I wrotethe n in Bloomgarden, the tip of my pencil broke off. I went to theback of the room, where the pencil sharpener was attached to awindowsill. The window blinds were open to let in the sunshine. Istared out the window while turning the handle of the sharpener.Off in the distance was something I couldn't make out. As itmoved closer, it looked like a beam of colors. Like a flying rainbow.I wished I could reach out and touch it.
It moved toward me fast. I thought the prism of colors wasgoing to crash into the window and spill over everywhere. As it gotclose enough, I could see it taking form. Hundreds of butterfliesflew in an intense array. I looked around the room for help.Everyone was working on their tests. Not one of them gazed outthe window. Was I the only one who saw the swarm?
"Miss Bloomgarden, I think that pencil is ready," Mrs. Girgissaid.
I dragged my feet back to my seat and looked out the windowonce more. The butterflies were gone ... just like that.
I started working on my test. Earth Science had been myfavorite topic that year. The planets made me wonder what elsewas out there. How could Earth be the only planet that supportedlife? It seemed logical to me that there had to be more to it. Alienbutterflies from Mars, maybe.
I glanced out the window. Blue skies and green grass coveredall I could see. I hoped to see the butterflies again. I wantedeverybody to see them.
Scotty was sitting next to me, tapping his pencil rapidly onthe desk. I hated when he did that. Couldn't he control himselfat all? Somehow I grabbed his attention. I eyeballed the pencil,and he moved it faster.
Mrs. Girgis was at her desk doing whatever teachers do. Sheglanced up and peered through her old-fashioned glasses. "Mr.Woe, perhaps you'd like to finish your exam in the hallway," shesaid.
Scotty's pencil froze in his hand. He instantly went back towork on his exam. I did the same.
Smallest plant,
Mercury
Largest planet,
Jupiter
Mallory slapped her palm on the desk and flipped her paperover.
"I'm done," she announced.
Of course she's the first one done, again. And of course the otherkids are praising her for it like they always do. Look at her enjoyingevery second of it.
"No need to announce it to the class, Miss Midvale," Mrs.Girgis said.
I was looking at Mallory when it happened. Behind her, aflash of color surged past the window. I was thinking it was myimagination, but half a minute later it happened again. I couldn'tturn my head away. There it went, a third time and then a fourth.I swore I heard it buzzing this time. I turned to Sun, who wassitting behind me. She turned her head to where I was pointing.
"I don't see anything," she whispered.
I turned back to my test, confused. How could she have notseen it? I saw it pass before her eyes. Surely she wouldn't play thesame trick on me that Zayne had.
I was trying to focus on the test, but the distraction made itvery hard. I kept checking on the butterflies. I wanted to makesure they were still there. They were moving faster. Only secondsseparated the circling. I found it hard to believe no one elseseemed to notice.
Sun pushed my shoulder. "Hand in your test. School isover."
I must have been lost in a daze. I took the paper in my handand stood up. "You did see it, didn't you?"
"I don't understand what you're talking about."
I pulled Sun to the window. "I'm talking about butterflies,Sun. There are hundreds of them out there."
She rolled her eyes.
Zayne walked by with leftover cupcakes in hand. He laughedand said, "Are you talking butterflies again?"
"Go away, Zayne!" I yelled.
Zayne shrugged, flapped his arms, and zigzagged out thedoor.
Is he seriously pretending to be a butterfly?
We waited for the flash of color. Where was it? I wanted Sunto see it. I wanted her to believe me.
"Come on," she said. "We're going to miss the bus."
"But it was here. I swear it."
"Well, now it's gone, and we really do have to go."
I sighed. Sun was right. We really did have to go. The rest ofthe class was already gone. If I held us up any longer, we wouldmiss the bus. If we missed the bus, we wouldn't get to spend therest of the day with Mallory. And Sun's grandfather or my motherwould have to pick us up. It felt like there were a million reasonsnot to miss the bus and only one reason to risk missing it: to proveI wasn't crazy.
