Cassie Comes Through (15 page)

Usually, when Cassie
headed to Lady Stella's office for the Wish Orb reveal, her stomach was in knots. She would look at her fellow Star Darlings who had not yet been chosen for their Wish Missions and silently hope that it was their turn, instead of hers. She'd be ready, she would tell herself, next time. Just one more reprieve, and she'd be ready. But then she never was.

But this time was different. Cassie knew she was ready. And she also knew that there was no better choice for this mission than she. In fact, she was sure of it.

Cassie calmly made her way to Lady Stella's office, where she sat at the shiny silver table until all the Star Darlings were gathered. Then she patiently waited her turn as they all made their way down the hidden staircase behind Lady Stella's desk into the cool, dark secret caves underneath Halo Hall. Scarlet was just in front of her, and in the gloom Cassie noticed a silvery white bitbat land briefly on the girl's shoulder.
That's odd,
she thought. Bitbats were notoriously skittish. Soon they entered the special Star Darlings Wish Cavern. Cassie took in the scene—sunlight shining through the glass roof, golden waterfalls of wish energy streaming down the sides, the garden they stood in green and abundant. The glowing Wish Orbs still in the ground waiting for the moment when they would be ready now numbered just six. It was clearly impossible for the place to exist deep underground, yet there it was, right in front of their eyes. The girls moved to the grass-covered platform in the middle of the Wish Cavern and waited for the chosen Wish Orb to emerge. They did not have to wait long. A shaft of sunlight lit up the center of the platform and the orb burst out. Cassie never took her eyes off the glowing globe. This time, instead of circling the room quickly, or pausing at each Star Darling as if trying to decide who it belonged to, the orb simply zoomed right up to one student: Cassie. She held out one hand confidently, motioning for the orb with the other as if to say,
Get over here right now.
The Wish Orb nestled right into her open palm. Everyone stared at Cassie in disbelief.

Even Lady Stella looked very starprised. “Cassie, the Wish Orb has chosen you,” she said, which seemed unnecessary, since Cassie was already cradling the glowing orb in her hands. “Are you okay?” she asked, craning her neck to look searchingly into Cassie's eyes.

“Of course,” said Cassie. “Why wouldn't I be?”

As Cassie sat on her bed the morning of her mission, finalizing her arrival outfit with the help of the Wishworld Outfit Selector function on her Star-Zap, she wondered why she had feared that day so much. Everyone acted like being picked to go on a Wish Mission was such a big deal, and now that Cassie was the chosen one, it didn't seem monumental at all. For stars' sake, even Ophelia had gone on a mission. (Granted hers had been a startacularly terrible mess.) Cassie couldn't understand it. She flipped through the Wishworld outfits she had picked for the rest of her trip. They were all perfectly coordinated, down to the shoes and socks. She said her mantra to herself, annoyed that she hadn't been able to change it. “Listen to your feelings. Let your inner light sparkle,” she repeated unenthusiastically. Her mantra was a dud; there was no doubt about that.

She glanced at her Star-Zap. It was time to head to the Wishworld Surveillance Deck. She picked up her Star-Zap, then decided to send a quick holo-text to Ophelia, who she hadn't seen since that day in the Celestial Café.

Hey! I enjoyed our talk. Let's get together soon so we can start making you sparkle! I'll be in touch….

She snapped her phone shut. “Time to go?” she said to Sage, who chuckled as if Cassie had said something amusing.

“Time to go!” Sage said. “Is there any last-minute advice I can give you?”

Cassie shook her head. “No, I'm good.”

Cassie paused for a minute in front of the glass doors that led to the Wishworld Surveillance Deck. “You go ahead,” she said to Sage. She slipped a pair of safety starglasses over her own star-shaped glasses and took stock of herself. Though she would soon be taking off into the heavens attached to a wild shooting star and landing in an unfamiliar world, she didn't feel any flutterfocuses taking flight in her belly. She looked down at her hands, which were not even close to trembling; they were as still as a piece of starmarble. She was cool, calm, and collected.

She pushed open the door and was immediately mobbed by Star Darlings wearing safety starglasses in a rainbow of colors. She looked around at everyone. Someone was missing. “Where's Libby?” she asked.

“She was still sleeping,” offered Gemma. “I couldn't get her out of bed.”

“Get out of here,” Cassie said.

A perplexed look crossed Gemma's face. Then she shrugged. “Okay,” she said. She turned around and headed inside.

Cassie started after her, but then Vega leaned in for a hug and Cassie caught a glimpse of herself in the lenses of Vega's blue safety starglasses. Cassie smiled at herself. She really did look great in white.

“So this is it,” she said to Vega. “Anything to share before I go?”

“Your Wisher is now busy wishin',” Vega replied.

“That's true,” said Cassie.

“Lots of luck upon your mission,” Vega concluded.

“Thanks,” said Cassie.

Clover stepped up and threw her arms around Cassie, nearly knocking her over. “Good luck, Cassie!” she cheered.

Adora was next. “Are you nervous, Cassie?” she said.

Huh?
“Um…thanks,” replied Cassie. She was suddenly surrounded by a group all eager to say their good-byes—Tessa, Scarlet, Leona, and then Astra. Finally, Piper stepped forward.

“Wish me luck,” Cassie said to her. “Not that I—”

“Will listen!” said Piper.

“Need it,” finished Cassie.

The last people to bid farewell to her were Lady Cordial and Lady Stella. Lady Cordial handed Cassie her silver backpack, and Cassie slipped it over her arm, giving the silver stuffed star a squeeze. “Star salutations,” she told Lady Cordial.

Cassie stepped forward to join Lady Stella on the edge of the surveillance deck and found she couldn't move. She looked down in confusion. That's when she realized that someone had tied her shoelaces together!

“Really, Starlings?” she said as bent down to tie them properly. “That is so not funny.”
Someone must be very jealous of me and my Wish Mission,
she thought. But everyone looked back at her innocently.

Lady Stella helped her to her feet and put her arm around Cassie's shoulder She pointed to the Star Wranglers throwing out their lassos made of wish energy. “You'll be on your way any starmin now,” she said. She turned so she could look directly at Cassie. “And now some last-minute advice,” she said, her eyes shining. “It's to trust your instincts. As I mentioned to you, your intuitive powers are startacular. And also recognize that you have the power to shape your feelings. Feeling nervous? Use your energy to turn it into excitement. But most of all, believe in yourself.”

Cassie nodded. “I'm going to do a startastic job,” she said.

Lady Stella nodded. “Of course you are.” But Cassie thought she saw a look of starprise in her eyes. She gave Cassie a searching look that made her feel like a starquark under a holo-scope.

“You seem a little different today,” Lady Stella said, a look of concern on her usually serene face.

“I am,” said Cassie. “I am.”

Cassie stood in front
of a large, long building, knowing that her Wisher was somewhere inside, feeling utterly miserable. It was cold, it was muddy, and it was rainy. And rain on Wishworld was nothing like the rain back home. It was decidedly unsparkly and rather than being a gentle refreshing mist it was actually quite, well,
wet
. Her clothes were soaked clean through.

With a sigh she accessed her Wishworld Outfit Selector and changed from the adorable but now sopping silver platform sandals (for height as well as fashion), light floaty white top with spaghetti straps, and pair of pink-and-white wide-legged pants that ended just below the knee into a more weather appropriate ensemble—cozy leggings; an oversized pale pink sweater, toasty as a blanket; and rubber boots. She also added a waterproof coat with a hood which she pulled up to cover her now platinum-blond hair with pale pink tips. Then she bent to fish the shooting star out of the brown muck, gave it a shake, folded it up, and placed it in her backpack, right next to her safety starglasses.

She made her first observation, which she knew would be recorded in her Cyber Journal.
Wish Mission 6, Wishworld Observation #1: Be sure to be fully prepared for all Wishworld weather conditions because you never know what you might need. You'll save yourself some time and annoyance.

She took another deep breath and exhaled, marveling at the billowing white cloud she created. Then she squared her shoulders and marched forward in her rubbery boots. After waiting a moment for the heavy-looking metal door to slide open, she realized she had to push it to get inside.
Look out,
Wisher, here I come,
she thought.

The hallway was long and appeared to be empty. Cassie stood dripping on the floor, her glasses foggy from the sudden warmth. She sighed. Wishworld was one annoyance after another so far.

“Well, hello there, young lady.”

Cassie turned around quickly in the direction of the voice, and the combination of her quick movement, her slippery boots, and the wet floor caused her feet to slide right from underneath her.
Moons and stars!
she thought as her feet scrabbled on the floor, looking for purchase. The next thing she knew, she was flat on her back, staring up at the ceiling.
Oof.

A face appeared in her line of vision—a woman's face, staring down at her and looking concerned. “Oh, my goodness, are you okay?” she asked.

“I'm fine,” said Cassie with a sigh. This was not a stellar way to begin her first Wish Mission! Luckily, the only thing that was bruised was her dignity.