Read Online Piper's Perfect Dream by Ahmet Zappa - Free Book Online Page B

suggestion—and to believing whatever the Starlings told them.
    Piper stared into Alice’s eyes. “I am Piper, and I am here to help out.”
    Alice nodded solemnly. Then she called, “Everyone! This is Piper, and she is here to help out.”
    The cook came from the kitchen, wiping his hands on a dishcloth. “I think I’ll whip up a coconut cake. For some reason, there’s a smell around here that reminds me of coming home from school and finding a thick slice of cake waiting for me on the kitchen table.” He stuck out his hand for Piper to shake. She touched his fingers, unsure what to do. “I’m Pete,” he said. “Now, what is your name again?”
    â€œI am Piper,” she repeated. “And I am here to help.”
    â€œOf course you are,” Pete said, slightly dazed. Then he smiled. “We can always use an extra pair of hands around here.” He turned to the counter. “Olivia! Come meet our new employee.” He stopped, looking confused. “Wait a minute. Not an employee. A helper, I guess.”
    Olivia walked over. “Just a helper?” she asked Piper. “Why would you want to help without getting a—”
    â€œStar payment,” finished Piper.
Oh, Starf!
she thought. That can’t be right.
    â€œUm…a paycheck,” said Olivia.
    â€œIt’s for a school assignment,” Piper told Olivia as the two girls moved off to the side to talk.
    â€œYou don’t go to the Lincoln School, do you? Where do you go?” Olivia sounded curious, not accusing. But Piper felt angry—at herself: why hadn’t she thought about that earlier? Walking over, she had come up with a pretend last name: Smith. She had read somewhere it was a common Wishling name. She had even thought of a pretend address: 123 Main Street, again very common. But her school? She had no idea. And she couldn’t very well whip out her Star-Zap to request information about common Wishling school names. Not that it would work anyway!
    Her gaze lit on a passing truck that said MAIL DELIVERY .
    â€œUh, the Mail School?”
    â€œMale School?” Olivia said, puzzled. “You go to a school for boys?”
    â€œNo!” Piper said quickly. “It’s Mayle…M-a-y-l-e, for the name of my town…Maylefield!” The name sounded kind of lame, Piper knew. Too much like Greenfield. But it was the best she could do with hardly any time to think.
    â€œMaylefield,” mused Olivia. She shook her head. “I’ve never heard of it.”
    Piper smiled. She had this part covered. “Oh, it’s floozels…I mean miles…away. And we’re on vacation this week so I’m visiting my grandmother. I’m doing a work-study program for extra credit,” she said.
    Olivia nodded. “Extra credit is good,” she said thoughtfully. “It could bring up your grade so you don’t get anxious when you take a test. It’s kind of like being thrown one of those rescue rings lifeguards use to save people from drowning.”
    Piper had just studied beach recreation in Wishling Ways, and she could picture the safety device—like a floating doughnut. Then, just as Olivia started talking again, she had another vision. It was from a bad dream. She was trying to swim to shore at Luminous Lake, but that same evil presence she’d felt before was trying to pull her down…down.
    â€œSo if you have that sinking feeling during a test, you—” Olivia was saying with a laugh.
    â€œGo underwater,” Piper finished for her. “You don’t scream, you don’t breathe, you don’t even think.”
    Olivia took a step back, startled by the dark image. “No…I was going to say that you can just relax. It would make you feel better knowing you had help—like a rescue ring.”
    Relaxation!
Piper, of all Starlings on Starland, knew about relaxation. Why hadn’t she