Free Leona''s Unlucky Mission by Ahmet Zappa, Shana Muldoon Zappa & Ahmet Zappa Page B

small friend stared off into space.
    â€œWhat?” said Leona. “What’s so funny?”
    â€œNothing,” said the girl, laughing. She covered her mouth with her free hand. “It’s just that you look really startled by Dolly. Like you thought she was a real girl.”
    Leona didn’t know what to say. She did know that her Wish Pendant did not show this was her Wisher, so she smiled and slowly backed away.
    â€œExcuse us, we’re trying to rehearse here,” said a sharp voice, which made Leona spin around.
    â€œOh, sorry!” She smiled at the three girls. “What’s your talent?” she inquired.
    They all looked at her and then at each other’s matching shorts and leotards.
    â€œDance,” one said, swinging her hip to meet her hand.
    Another nodded. “Jazz.”
    â€œWait, Talia, I thought it was modern,” the third one said, frowning.
    â€œWhatever, Adeline.” The first girl, Talia, rolled her eyes back to Leona and lifted one cheek in a half grin. “What’s
your
talent?” she asked. “Staring? Good one, right, Kasey?”
    â€œHa!” Kasey laughed.
    â€œCan you do that as a talent?” asked Adeline.
    â€œIt was a joke,” explained Talia. She was their leader, Leona guessed.
    Leona wondered if maybe these girls didn’t want to be mean and wished they weren’t that way. She checked her Wish Pendant, but it was barely glowing. None of the girls was her Wisher. Too bad. That would have been such a great wish to grant, helping one of them change into a better person.
    â€œFirst up! Make-a-Move!”
    â€œOmigosh, Talia! We’re first!” Kasey squealed.
    â€œFirst?” Adeline blanched.
    â€œFirst is good!” Talia declared. “Then we can get out of here and eat, and we don’t have to sit through all these weirdos, like Hannah and her creepy dummy.”
    She nodded toward the girl with the little stiff friend as she said that. The other girls giggled behind their hands.
    â€œCome on, let’s go!” Talia went on, dragging her dance mates down the aisle.
    â€œGood luck,” Leona told them.
    â€œThanks,” Adeline said.
    Talia tossed her ponytail. “Who needs luck when you have talent? But yeah…” She snorted. “Thanks, lemonhead.”
    Leona watched them head toward the stage, wishing she could take her “good luck” back. She had no idea what a lemonhead was, but it sure didn’t sound like a compliment. Still, she couldn’t take things on Wishworld personally. She had to remind herself of that. She was there on a mission, and it was way too important to let silly names distract her from that.
    And besides, she thought, she had more talent in her little finger than those three Make-a-Moves combined.
    Anyway…
Leona sighed and turned at a sound behind her. A girl stood in the back of the theater, blinking nervously, looking as if she was afraid the auditorium would swallow her. Leona walked up to the girl, and feeling her wrist tingle, she looked down at her Wish Pendant. She was nearly blinded by its glow.
    â€œHi. My name’s Leona. What’s yours?”
    â€œEr…Lily,” the girl said, then gulped. She stared at the floor.
    â€œLily!” Leona nodded. “That’s a pretty name! So…Lily…are you here to try out for this thing?”
    Her head still down, the girl nodded.
    Awesome!
Leona thought. There was only one wish this Wisher could have: to win this talent show!
    â€œSo what’s your talent?” she asked the girl. “Or should I say
which
talent do you want to perform?”
    The girl took a long, deep breath and held it. “Singing,” she said, exhaling at last.
    â€œReally?” Leona could hardly contain her excitement. This was going to be the best mission ever! How lucky could a Star Darling get?
    Meanwhile, music had started and so had Make-a-Move’s routine.