After the first day of Spirit Week, Makenna returned home in an excellent mood. In just forty-five minutes, she would be with Peter Nelson! Yeah, Makenna had homework but refused to do it. She had to get ready for Peter.

When her mother pulled into their garage at 3:45, Makenna unbuckled and grabbed her book bag. "Thank you, Mom!" she announced, opening the car door. "Excuse me, but I have a lot of homework. I might as well go ahead and get it done."

"Get a snack first, Makenna," Mrs. Delling spoke. She and Caleb focused on the excited fairy.

"No problem, Mom!" Makenna cheered. "I'll go right away! Please do not disturb me until I finish my homework. Thank you! Yippee!" She unzipped her backpack and stuck her hands inside.

Makenna pulled out three blue, pink, and purple pencil cases and juggled them. "I love homework! Fun times! See you later, Mom and Caleb! Ha, ha!" She caught the pencil cases and jogged out of the garage.

Behind, Caleb and Mrs. Delling exchanged glances, and Caleb said, "Hm, she's rather chipper this afternoon. Why do you think so, Mom?"

"I'm not sure, Caleb," Mrs. Delling admitted. She pulled the keys out of the ignition and unbuckled herself. "Something definitely happened today at school."

"But what?" Caleb asked. "To me, it appears as if..." He smiled, closed his eyes, and pulled his hands together. "Makenna's in love."

"In love?" Mrs. Delling yelled. "In love with who?"

***

The second Makenna entered the front door of her house, she hurried to the kitchen and grabbed an apple. Biting into it, she jogged up the stairs toward her room and jumped the last two steps. When Makenna landed, she hurried to her room and opened the door, sprinting inside.

As soon as she was inside, she dropped her book bag and locked the door. Makenna pressed her back against it. "This is my date with Peter Nelson! I've got to make sure I look beautiful!" Right after she announced that, she took her back off the door and went straight to work.

Makenna turned on pop music from the boom box on her desk and plopped her book bag in the chair. She hurried to her closet and changed into her blue and white top and denim skirt.

After Makenna changed, she scurried to her mirror and took her hair out of the high ponytail. Grabbing a brush, Makenna brushed her hair. While she brushed, her feet danced a little. Makenna soon pulled her hair back up into the high ponytail. Still staring at herself in the mirror, she put dark blue dolphin studs in her ears. She then redid her makeup.

When Makenna was satisfied with her appearance, she last put on perfume. Then, backing away from the mirror, she approached her boom box and replaced her heels with ballet slippers. Makenna reached for the boom box and turned on ballet music. Scurrying to the center of her room, she put herself in first position and waited.

Makenna kicked her leg straight up and stood on the tippy tops of her toes. Her mother may have taken away her ballet lessons, but that didn't mean she could stop her from dancing.

Makenna jumped into the air and twirled, landing on her toes. She acted out numerous jetés. When she landed, she twirled ten times.

Makenna was having so much fun that she lost track of time. Finally, she stopped momentarily to take a breather. Makenna gasped when she glanced at the digital clock on the dresser beside her bed. It was 4:30!

"4:30?" Makenna asked, turning off her boom box. "Oh snap, I'm late! Peter Nelson!" She pulled off her ballet slippers and put her heels back on.

Panicking, Makenna jogged in place and tried to think of a way to sneak out of the house. She wanted to keep her door locked so she couldn't exit from downstairs.

Makenna said, "Oh no!" and reached for her head. "What am I supposed to do? Think, Makenna, think!" She ran in circles and repeatedly smacked herself. "Run in circles, Makenna! Run in circles! Think of a solution! Wait a minute." Makenna stopped, and her eyes rolled over to the window in her room. Wasn't she a fairy?

Gulping, Makenna approached her window and pulled it up. A warm spring breeze blasted through her room, and Makenna cautiously peered outside. Her eyes landed on the alligator pond, and she gasped at what she saw. Down below, standing beside a bench next to the pond with an orange bicycle beside him, was Peter Nelson.

He surveyed the area like the Coast Guard.

Makenna knew he was looking for her. "Peter Nelson!" she yelped, and her hands started shaking forcibly. "What should I do?" She thought she could dive out the window and catch herself if she were a fairy, but Makenna was nervous about taking the risk. What if she wasn't a fairy? What if she splattered in the driveway? Makenna was scared, but no! She had to do it! She was brave!

Makenna backed up to her door and focused ahead on her open window. She stood still momentarily, taking deep breaths, then lifted her hand and yelled, "For Peter Nelson!" With that, Makenna sprinted forward and dove out of the window.

Makenna shouted, "Ahh!" when she saw the driveway drawing closer. "I've committed suicide! Help!" Makenna continued to fall and scream. Her necklace pendant then glowed, and blue magic outlined Makenna. Her fall stopped an inch from hitting the driveway, and she gasped.

"What the—?" Makenna checked her hands. "Wait, I'm flying? I'm flying!" She really was a fairy! However, she still did not have her wings. Makenna didn't care, though.

She laughed and closed her eyes while she lifted into the air. Her dolphin studs, necklace pendant, and blue fingernails glittered in the sunshine. "This is amazing!" Makenna announced. "I'm flying!" However, her flight ended after a bit. Makenna's necklace pendant ran out of juice, and Makenna felt herself stopping. However, she still grinned.

Slowly and carefully, the necklace took her toward the ground, and Makenna watched as it drew closer. After a bit, the necklace dropped her off on her feet in her driveway and stopped glowing.

With a smile, Makenna reached down and grabbed it. "Oh, thank you, necklace pendant! You are amazing! What would I do without you?" She let go and faced her house.

Makenna lifted her hand and saluted. She turned on her heel and jogged to the end of the driveway, where she saw the road, the Gator Pond, the bench, and Peter Nelson.

"Eee!" Makenna squealed. She looked both ways to ensure no cars were coming. None were. Makenna took a deep breath. Then, squealing again, she stepped onto the road and crossed it, heading toward Peter. "Hey, Pete!" she called, waving at him.

"Huh?" he asked, turning his head. He smiled and stood straight when he saw Makenna.

She stopped before him, out of breath, and said, "Hey, sorry I'm late."

"Oh, you're not late," Peter said. "I was early. Here, I got these for you."

Makenna pulled her ponytail onto her shoulder and watched Peter reach for the bench. She gasped when she saw that he had picked up a bouquet of beautiful blue roses from it.

"They're a gift." Peter held the roses out to Makenna.

"Oh, Peter," she said, on the brink of tears. She accepted the flowers. "They're beautiful. Thank you."

"I thought you'd like them," said Peter, scratching his beardless chin. "I got them for half off at Freshfields. Besides, I know blue is your favorite color."

"Thank you," Makenna again said, and she and Peter hugged.

They spent a few moments at the pond before meeting Peter's parents.

Peter took Makenna's hand and tugged her over to the bench, sitting her down. He sat beside her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Together, they stared at the Gator Pond, and Makenna sighed.

"I love this pond, Peter."

"Yeah," he said, nodding. "I do, too. I feel right at home when I'm looking at it. Anyway, this is amazing." He and Makenna met eyes. "I mean, I didn't even realize how close we lived to each other."

"Same here," Makenna voiced, lifting the roses and sniffing them. "It's inconceivable. Mmm, these smell so good, Pete."

Peter chuckled, cleared his throat, and scratched his nose. "Makenna, are you ready to meet my parents?"

"Well, I don't know," Makenna lovingly said, resting her hand on his thigh. "What do you think?"

"Why don't we go ahead and go?" Peter asked. Standing up from the bench, he approached his bicycle and grabbed it.

Makenna squealed from where she sat.

Peter soon rested his hands on the bike's handlebars and glanced at Makenna. "Hop on, Makenna. I'll give you a ride to my house."

"Seriously?" Makenna asked, and Peter nodded.

"Sure. It's not fair to make you walk. These handlebars are strong."

"Thank you," Makenna said, standing. She approached Peter's bike and soon stood before its handlebars, grabbing them. She hopped up and gasped when she saw she was sitting on Peter's bike's handlebars.

He mounted the bike next and said, "Hang tight, Makenna."

Makenna did.

"Are you ready?" inquired Peter.

Makenna vigorously nodded.

"Very well," Peter said. He lifted his feet and rested them on the bicycle's peddles. "Let's go, then!" He peddled forward onto the road and started down it.

The wind blasted Makenna's hair and face during the journey. She never thought she would have this much fun with a boy.

Makenna and Peter didn't realize it, but Tracey flew over Jenkins Point Road and surveyed the area. He had reached Seabrook Island only a short time ago and reached Jenkins Point. He was now searching for Makenna.

His eyes landed on the bike whizzing down the road—it was gaining up on a bridge—and he recognized the person sitting on the handlebars.

"Makenna!" Tracey said, soaring down toward the bike. He landed in a tree and crouched, grabbing a higher branch with his right hand. Tracey pulled other branches aside with his left and studied the bicycle. It stopped, and Tracey noticed that Makenna and the other person she was with stared into each other's eyes.

"Makenna!" Tracey whispered. "Don't trust him!" He watched as Peter's hand touched Makenna's cheek. He tried to kiss her, but Makenna pulled away. "That's right, Makenna," whispered Tracey. "Pull away."

The bike started forward again.

Furrowing his eyebrows, Tracey reached into his pant pocket and removed one of his ninja stars. He stuck it between his teeth and, through ninja speed, vanished into midair. He appeared above the road.

The bike now crossed the bridge, and marshland surrounded it, Makenna, and Peter. It stopped, and the two lovebirds studied the marsh.

Peter told Makenna, "We're almost there, Makenna. My house is a little further down."

"Wow," Makenna said. "You do live far down Jenkins Point, Pete."

"Yeah," said Peter, peddling forward.

Tracey flew after them, equal to the bike's height. While he was gaining up on it, he remained cautious and quiet. He pulled the ninja star out of his mouth and targeted Peter's back tire. However, shortly after Tracey aimed, Makenna asked, "Hey, Pete?"

"Yes, Makenna?" he returned.

Makenna turned her head and glanced over her shoulder. She opened her mouth to speak, but just before she did, her eyes landed on Tracey flying behind the bicycle, and they widened. She gasped.

Tracey lifted his head, and his eyes met Makenna's. They widened as well, and he, too, gasped. Then, cracking a feeble smile, Tracey waved at the Metamorphic Fairy and lowered his star.

"Tracey!" Makenna whispered, totally shocked. "Tracey, it's you!" She took one hand off the handlebar and waved him away.

"What's wrong, Makenna?" Peter said. "Is something behind me?"

"No!" Makenna whispered in a frightened voice.

Peter stopped the bicycle.

As quick as a flash, Tracey flew straight up and out of sight, but he dropped his ninja star in the process, and it landed with a clang on the cement.

Peter soon asked Makenna, "Did you hear a flapping sound, Makenna?" He peeked behind him at the empty road.

When he wasn't looking, Makenna sighed with relief. She then glanced into the sky and saw Tracey hovering. Makenna cracked a grin. It was Tracey! It was really Tracey, Merlin's apprentice! He was all right! He had survived the magic coma!

However, Makenna quickly lost her smile and lowered her head when she saw that Peter had turned back.

"That was so strange," he said, looking into the sky, but Tracey had disappeared. Peter was only looking at beautiful blue skies and cumulus clouds. "I thought a bird had caught up in the bike's tire. Oh well." Peter lowered his head and focused on Makenna, who stared at the side of the bridge. "Are you ready, Makenna? We're getting close. Makenna?"

"Huh?" Makenna asked. She pulled her eyes away from the bridge and focused on Peter. "Oh yes, I'm ready, Peter."

"All right, then!" Peter cheered and peddled forward again.

While he peddled, Makenna locked her eyes on the continuous road and smiled to herself.

Soon after she and Peter vanished from sight, Tracey popped up behind the bridge, and his fingers gripped it. He smiled and said, "Ah," waving his hand. "That always works. Speed and stealth are essential for a fairy." He focused on where he had dropped his star and extended his hand. Green and purple sparkles escaped his fingertips.

They soared to the star and circled it. The sparkles picked it up and threw it back toward Tracey.

He caught it and said, "No way am I going to let that happen again, partner." He slipped the star into his pocket and prepared to fly over the bridge, but a screech behind him caught his attention. "Huh?" asked the young fairy. Letting go of the bridge's side, he turned and saw that in the marsh, staring at him with widened eyes, was a Great Blue Heron.

Tracey chuckled nervously and said, "Hey," at the bird in his best manly voice. "Me gotta go. Me gotta save me friend. Return to your wading, please."

The heron continued to stare.

Tracey checked his surroundings to ensure the coast was clear. When he was sure it was, he fluttered over the side of the bridge and focused ahead on the direction the bike had entered.

"All right, Makenna," Tracey seriously said. "Where are you going?" Drawing his star again, he flapped his wings and flew in the direction where the bike had gone.