When Makenna woke the following morning, she discovered she had been crying.

She pulled soggy hair out of her face and chokingly asked, "What's going on with me?" Muffling a cough, she rolled out of bed and slumped to her window, rubbing tears from her cheeks. "I don't understand." Why did she feel lonely?

Makenna glanced at her wingless back and groaned. It was still hard to believe that everything that happened that weekend was real. However, it was Monday, which meant the start of a new week. Perhaps it would be better?

While Makenna woke, she studied birds playfully twirling around one another outside and groaned again. Then she gasped. She had just remembered that this week was Spirit Week at her school. Makenna recalled that Friday was the Spirit Week dance. Peter Nelson! What if he asked her to do it?

"Holy smokes!" Makenna chirped. "It's Spirit Week! I forgot all about it!" She hurried to her backpack resting at the foot of her bed. Makenna unzipped it and pulled out a binder. She drew a piece of paper with the Spirit Week schedule. Makenna sat on her bed and carefully studied it. "Hmm. Let's see, what do we have today?" Her eyes moved to Monday, and she saw that it was Country vs. Metropolis Day. Students could attend school dressed as someone from the country or city.

"All right," Makenna said. She put up the schedule and returned her binder to her bookbag, re-zipping it. She knew what she wanted to go dressed as—a city girl.

For the time being, Makenna forgot about the so-called nonsense that happened that weekend, her wings, and Tracey and got ready for what she hoped was a decent day at school. Who knew? Maybe Jimmy Carter wouldn't be there today. Makenna hoped that Jessica and hunky Peter would be, though.

She changed into her costume for the next twenty minutes and got her backpack ready. It took her ten minutes to find the perfect outfit and ten more minutes to change, do her makeup, put on perfume, etc. Makenna's outfit consisted of short, khaki shorts in which the pant legs were rolled slightly up, a golden orange, fancy, city shirt in which one of the shoulder sleeves dropped below her right shoulder, a blue, belt-like feature that wrapped around the lower portion of her shirt, two golden bracelets that she wore over her right wrist, a gold purse, a gold hat, and finally, golden orange shoes. Makenna put on some blush and red lipstick, and finally, to complete the ensemble, she pulled her hair back up in a high ponytail.

When Makenna finished changing, she admired herself in the mirror, and her face lit up. "Oh, I look beautiful! Peter will fall head over heels with this outfit!" She chuckled and picked up her backpack, slinging it over her shoulder. She danced in her room for a moment to warm up. Afterward, she smiled, opened her door, and entered the hallway. While Makenna descended the stairs, she said, "Commence operation Win Peter Nelson."

***

Michelle, Andy, and Caleb sat at the square table in the kitchen, eating breakfast.

Caleb sipped his cup of orange juice, and Andy stuck his fork in his mouth. The kitchen smelled of sausages and eggs.

The family members ate silently for a few moments, but then Makenna appeared at the kitchen's entrance, a grin plastered across her face. "Hey! How's everybody doing this fine morning? I'm doing great! Sleep well? I slept wonderful!"

Her family members lowered their silverware and glanced at her. Even Tony peered up from his food bowl.

Makenna, continuing to grin, headed toward the front door, but she stopped at the table and picked up a breakfast roll. "Why don't I go out and round up the alligators? As they say in the city, nothing beats fresh alligator for breakfast!" With that, she hurried to the front door and opened it, slipping outside to the newborn day.

Behind, her parents, Caleb, and Tony stared.

Finally, Mr. Delling fixed his eyes on Mrs. Delling, Caleb, and Tony. "Who in Sam heck was that?"

"Just continue eating," said Mrs. Delling

Makenna arrived at school half excited and half nervous.

When Mrs. Delling let her out in the carpool line, she told her, "Now remember, Makenna, when you come home today, I expect you to show me your planner. If you want your phone and ballet lessons back, you will bring up your grades."

"Whatever," Makenna smugly said. She reached into her purse and pulled out a perfume bottle. Makenna sprayed herself down, and her mother gagged.

She rolled her eyes and mumbled, "Fourteen-year-olds. Goodbye, Makenna. Have a good day."

Caleb smiled at his sister from the backseat of the car.

Mrs. Delling started to roll up her window, but she stopped and gasped. Leaning toward the window, she called to Makenna: "Makenna!"

Makenna huffed. She rolled her eyes and faced the car. "What is it, Mom?"

"Do you have your lunch money?" questioned Mrs. Delling, fingertips drumming the car's steering wheel.

Makenna blushed. "Yes, Mom. I do."

"Are you sure?" asked her mother. "I don't want you to go without lunch."

"Yes, Mom!" Makenna snapped, waving her away. "You don't need to treat me like a child! I'm in Ninth Grade! Shoo! I'll see you this afternoon."

Caleb rolled down his window and told his sister, "Makenna, make sure not to use magic accidentally. You'll get your wings back this evening at sunset. I can tell you miss them and Tracey."

"Shut up, Caleb!" snapped Makenna, blushing. "I don't want to hear anything more about fairy nonsense! Roll up your window!"

Caleb quickly did, and Mrs. Delling finished rolling hers up, too. Then, the car rolled forward.

While it drove away, Makenna barely saw Caleb smiling at her. Ugh, little brothers. What was it with them and their imaginations? Makenna waited until the car was well out of sight. She then turned on her heel and headed for her school's front door.

Makenna had stumbled into a world of cowgirls, cowboys, city boys, and girls. She carefully walked through crowds of students and heard a few muttering, "Is that Makenna Delling? She wasn't expelled?"

Makenna gulped and smiled nervously at her peers.

They didn't smile back. They merely retreated from her and refused to come any closer.

Makenna shivered at the sight of them staring. Clenching her fists, she tried to hide her blue fingernails and let her arms hang at her sides. However, she suddenly heard a wise female voice in the sky. "Who's speaking?" Makenna asked, observing it.

"Makenna Delling," spoke the sky voice.

"Yes?" For some reason, the voice hypnotized Makenna.

"You will go to North Beach," was the voice's following sentence.

"North Beach?" asked Makenna. She searched for the source of the voice.

A few students muttered, "She's freaking weird."

Makenna paid them no attention.

"On North Beach, you will find a shipwreck," the voice said.

"Shipwreck?" was Makenna's next question, stopping halfway to her school's front door. The voice came from inside her head. Somebody was communicating with her through telepathy. Who though?

"At the shipwreck," explained the voice, "you will seek me out, but no need to worry. Tracey will work with you to find me. Then, you will return to Merlin's Island. Understand?"

"Who are you, ma'am?" inquired Makenna. She started walking again.

"You will find out yourself," spoke the voice. "If you are to find me, you must work together with Merlin's apprentice. Only you and he can save our two worlds from the evil clutches of the Octopus Man. However, to do so, you must first become a Crystal Metamorphic Fairy and help Merlin regain control of his powers. Get to work, Makenna. I will soon visit you in your dreams."

The voice cut out, and Makenna returned to reality. "What was that?" she asked herself. "That was the strangest thing ever." She groaned as thoughts about Merlin's Island, her being a fairy, and Tracey reentered her brain. No, she couldn't believe it. She was just shaken up by something.

Carrying on with her walk, Makenna gripped her horse head necklace pendant and sighed. The necklace glowed slightly, but the glow quickly faded.

"Sunset," Makenna whispered. She crashed into somebody's back and stumbled backward, yelping. Makenna glanced up at the towering character. "Huh?" He was dressed as a city boy.

Makenna gasped. She couldn't believe it! It was Peter Nelson!

At the sight of him, Makenna immediately blushed. She stood straight and said, "Peter."

"I was looking for you," he spoke back.

"You were?" asked Makenna in a squeaky voice.

"Yeah," Peter voiced, nodding. He rubbed the back of his head and began stuttering. "Happy Monday, Ma-Makenna. Happy fi-first da-day of Spirit We-Week. Wow. You-you look be-beautiful."

Makenna squealed. Beautiful! He said, "beautiful"! She didn't know what to say, so she chose, "And you, too."

"I was afraid you would get expelled," Peter admitted, dropping his hand. "But you didn't! Dr. Medford let you off clean! I'm so relieved!"

"You are?" Makenna rubbed her nose. "Thank you, Peter." There was silence between the two teens, who smiled at one another.

However, after a bit, a familiar voice ruined the silence. "Makenna!"

Makenna and Peter turned and saw Jessica standing before them.

"Jessica," said Makenna.

Jessica was dressed as a cowgirl. Her hair was in braids, and she wore a hat over it. In her ears, Jessica sported horseshoe-shaped earrings. She wore blue jeans, knee-high cowgirl boots with spurs, blue jeans, and a plaid shirt.

"Howdy, partners!" Jessica said. She removed her hat and twirled before Peter and Makenna. "What do you think? Happy first day of Spirit Week!"

Peter brushed by Makenna to get to Jessica. "Wow, Jessica. You look great. How was your weekend?"

"Great!" Jessica announced. She acted out a few dance moves. "However..." Losing her smile, she glanced at Makenna. "Makenna and I need to chat. She wasn't at ballet lessons Friday night. She disappeared after first period."

"Oh yeah," Peter said, facing Makenna. "Where were you, Makenna?"

"Um," Makenna stammered, scratching her chin. "I was sick."

"Really?" asked Peter. "Physically or mentally?"

"Both," said Makenna. "You see, guys, I had a crazy weekend. In fact"—she faked a cough—"I think I still may be a bit under the weather." She reached into her purse, pulled out a tissue, and blew her nose. She balled it up and tossed it into a trash can.

Peter offered her his hand. "Why don't I sit you down, Makenn?"

Makenna smiled. However, a familiar, mean voice ruined the happy hour before she took Peter's hand. "Well, well, well."

"Huh?" Makenna asked, pulling her hand away from her crush. Altogether, she, Peter, and Jessica turned, and Makenna gagged. "Seriously?"

Standing before her, Peter, and Jessica, with his gang hanging out behind him, was Jimmy Carter. Why Jimmy Carter? Ugh, Makenna hated her life.

Jessica glared at Jimmy.

Makenna stepped before her to protect her. She clenched her right fist and waved Jimmy away with her unclenched one. "Shoo, Jimmy! Why don't you go hang in a cave somewhere, you useless bat?"

Jimmy chuckled menacingly.

Makenna took a step back and pulled Jessica behind her arm.

Jimmy sneered and approached her. He stopped before Makenna and grasped her chin. "What are you going to do, Fairy Girl? Are you going to throw a little fairy tantrum?" He pulled Makenna's face closer to his. "I dig girls who play hard to get."

Peter gasped, and his eyes widened. He clenched his teeth and approached Makenna, but one of Jimmy's gang members stopped him.

Makenna glared and smacked Jimmy's hand away. "How dare you touch me, you harasser! Don't come any closer! Do you want me to hurt you? I can, and I will!"

"Ooh," laughed Jimmy. He winked at his gang members. "Check it out, gang; Fairy Girl's threatening me now. Where do you think her wings are so she can swat me?"

Makenna clenched her fists, and flames burned in her eyes. "Shut up, you useless bat!"

Peter Nelson broke free from Jimmy's gang member. Approaching Makenna, he clutched her shoulder. "Calm down, Makenna."

Makenna removed his hand and pulled him behind her arm, too. She glared at sneering Jimmy Carter. "Watch that big mouth of yours, Jimmy! Yes, I can do a lot of damage to you, but my friend can do much worse! Don't make me call him! He's a ninja!"

"Ooh," Jimmy sarcastically said, reaching for his cheeks. "A ninja, you say? Who's the ninja? Don't tell me he's your crybaby friend, Peter Nelson, you're protecting. You make me laugh, Fairy Girl."

Makenna opened her mouth to shout, but before she did, the Spanish teacher, Mr. Fernando Gheesling, a tall, middle-aged man wearing spectacles, appeared from nowhere. "What is going on here? Go to class, kids," he ordered with clenched teeth. "Fighting is not an option at the beginning of the day."

Jimmy scoffed. "Whatever, Mr. Gheesling." He gestured at his gang. "Let's go, gang."

Makenna glared and watched as he and his gang marched toward the school's front entrance. However, for a second, Jimmy turned back and mouthed Fairy Girl. He turned on his heel, and he and his gang members vanished inside the school building.

Peter and Jessica stepped out from behind Makenna's arms.

"He's a jerk," Makenna huffed, glancing at them.

Peter and Jessica nodded.

"To class," Mr. Gheesling ordered. "School will start soon. Don't try to get caught up in that gang, kids, all right? They have a nasty reputation."

"Yes, sir," spoke the teenagers.

Peter, Jessica, and Mr. Gheesling marched forward. As they left, Peter whispered to Jessica, "Ninja? What ninja was Makenna talking about?"

"I'm not sure, Pete," Jessica admitted. "I'm not sure."

Makenna stayed behind and again whispered, "Jerk." Why did Jimmy Carter have to ruin every second of her life?

Makenna soon observed the fair sky. A zephyr blew her ponytail.

Desperate, Makenna asked, "Oh, Tracey, where are you? Are you all right? I need you." She lowered her head and wrapped her arms around her. Makenna hurried after Jessica, Peter, and Mr. Gheesling. While she hurried, she thought about the mysterious voice's instructions to go to North Beach, Tracey, Merlin, Merlin's Island, and the Octopus Man. While Makenna still contemplated it, she started to believe that what happened that weekend did happen.