Chapter 18
“SO, DANIEL,” MEL said after I turned our elephants back into horses. “What’s next?”
Mel was radiant. Happiness filled her face. To tell the truth, I was feeling pretty giddy, too.
“I dunno,” I said. “What do you want to do?”
“I dunno. Hey—there’s this really cool cave up at the base of that hill. We could go in there, and you could turn the bats into flying dinosaurs or something, and the horses could be like brontosauruses….”
Great, I thought. Another bat cave.
“Or we could eat,” said Joe as he climbed over the white fence behind the horse barn, followed by Emma, Willy, and, of course, Dana.
Yes, I had conjured up my four friends.
You know what it’s like when you meet somebody who you think is pretty great: you want to make sure your old friends like your new friend as much as you do. Plus, having the gang around meant I could avoid Mel’s spelunking idea. What can I say? I’d already fulfilled my subterranean adventure quota for the year.
“Mel,” I said, “these are my best friends: Joe, Willy, his sister, Emma—”
“I love your horses, you guys!” Emma gushed as she rushed over to stroke their manes. “Can I feed them an apple?”
“Sure,” said Mel.
“Um, Daniel?”
“Yes, Emma?”
“Apples?”
“Coming right up.” I snapped my fingers and materialized Emma a bushel full of Granny Smiths, Macintoshes, Braeburns, and Galas—with a couple of carrot stalks and sugar cubes stuffed in down the sides to make it a gourmet gift basket.
“So, Daniel,” said Dana, “aren’t you going to introduce me to your new… friend?”
Okay, this was going to be a wee bit awkward.
How does a guy introduce his dream girl to the girl of his dreams—or vice versa?
Dr. X? I mentally checked in with my trusted steed and advisor.
But all he did was chuckle. Heh, heh, heh.
I had to handle this one all by myself.
Welcome to the joys of being a teenage boy.