Um, have they read their HEAS scrolls?
“I couldn’t have saved FTRS without her,” Ollie says without looking at me.
“So where is this Professor Blackbeard you wrote about?” Ollie’s father asks. “You say he knows the pirate whose ship you were a stowaway on. If so, I’d like to have some words with him.”
“Father, he carries a sword,” Ollie reminds him. “At. All. Times. Oh look! That must be Maxine’s family! Wow, her dad is so huge that his head hits the ceiling!”
I jump slightly at the towering sight of Maxine’s family, especially after what I said about Maxine. They make Maxine look like a mini ogre. I have to remind myself that ogres don’t eat people. That’s a big, fat, ol’ myth. Are there bad ogres out there who stomp on villages? Sure. But there are also bad humans who train gargoyles to destroy schools. Maxine sees me standing with Ollie, and I smile tentatively. She looks away as Jax walks over and shakes hands with Ollie’s parents.
“You must be Gillian! You’re just as Maxine described you,” Maxine’s mom says, and I try not to stare at her sharp teeth or the warts on her chin. “Maxine has written us about your friendship.”
I think I might throw up. Maxine’s such a good friend that she didn’t even tell them what I said about her. “I care about Maxine a lot,” I say awkwardly.
“Mother, these are my good friends Ollie and Jax,” Maxine says to her parents and everyone shakes hands. “We’ll find my friends Kayla and Jocelyn later.”
Wait. Jocelyn? What?
“Look at your sash,” Maxine’s mom gushes, drool spilling from her mouth. “You’re a Royal Lady-in-Waiting? Maxine has wanted to be one forever.” I’m so embarrassed I wish I could reach up, grab a magic carpet, and disappear.
“Mother, we should really get to our tea,” Maxine says. “I’m sure Gilly has to get her parents and escort them to the exclusive RLW tea.”
“FTRS has been the best thing to ever happen to Maxine,” her father interrupts, scratching the horn on his head. I wonder if Maxine will eventually grow one. She’s pretty cute in comparison to her parents, who she once told me are one hundred fifty-two and one hundred fifty-three years old. “So much safer here than out there with all those manifestos popping up in the villages.”
“We had one show up in the seaport the other day,” Ollie’s father says, looking way, way up at Maxine’s dad. “I wouldn’t let myself read it. What if it’s magically bewitched to make a person follow Alva’s orders?”
“That’s what I think happened to all our ogre friends in Tailsmen,” says Maxine’s mom sadly. “And we were so close to signing a peace treaty for all ogres too.”
We grow quiet at talk about the ogres teaming up with Alva. As if I wasn’t depressed already about how awkward things are between me and Maxine or how distant I’ve felt from my friends the last few days. And that’s when I hear it. A faint voice that makes me feel like I’m home.
“Excuse me,” I say politely. I walk swiftly toward the sound of my name.
“Gilly! Gilly!” Trixie yells. “Father, I see her!” She rushes toward me with Felix on her tail. They hug me so hard that I almost fall backward.
I look up just in time to see Father and Mother walking toward me too. I feel like my heart might explode. Anna is with them.
CHAPTER 12
Be Careful What You Wish For
I want to run to my parents and throw my arms around them, but Princess Rose says a lady never runs. (Exception: if they are in mortal danger.)
“Mother, Father, Anna,” I say demurely and curtsy. Everyone looks at me. Trixie and Felix burst out laughing. Father clears his throat and my siblings stop.
“What a lady you’ve become.” Mother hugs me. “Madame Cleo was just telling us about the etiquette class you’re in. It sounds like you’ll be practically royal when you leave Fairy Tale Reform School.”
“Gilly?” Felix sputters with laughter. Even Anna shoots him a nasty look, but I can’t stop staring at them. They’re in beautiful new clothes that look like they were made by a tailor rather than on Mother’s old sewing machine. They all have proper haircuts, and Father is wearing a spiffy hat that looks like a Mad Hatter original. Business really must be good!
“Why don’t we head to the Royal Ladies-in-Waiting tea?” I look at Anna hopefully. “Princess Rose is looking forward to meeting you all.”
“Can we see the wicked fairy scroll?” Felix asks, and families around us gasp. “I hear there’s one in the castle too. I’ve never seen one.”
“And you should never look for one,” I insist, holding him by his shoulders. “Stay away from those manifestos. The one in the castle is closed off.”