That afternoon after school, when Michelle dropped Makenna off at home and got ready for her meeting, she said, "Now, Makenna, I'll be back in a few hours. Caleb and your dad should be back in another hour. While I'm gone, I would like you to do your homework." She was fixing herself a snack in the kitchen, and Makenna sat at the counter.
She rubbed her freaky, blue fingernails with a cuticle pusher and paid no attention. However, she pretended she was listening. "Okay, Mom. Sure."
Mrs. Delling slightly glared at her. "I mean it, Makenna. I know you'll take Tracey back to Merlin's Island later, but I want you to finish your homework before you do. Be careful going back now, okay? Tell Tracey that I hope he gets better soon."
"Sure, Mom," Makenna said. "Bye-bye. Have fun at your meeting."
"Very well." Mrs. Delling sighed. She picked up her bag and headed toward the door. "There's mac and cheese and soup in the cabinet if you get hungry. I'll be home in just a little while."
"Goodbye, Mom," Makenna cooed. "I don't want you to be late for your meeting."
Michelle again sighed. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. She finally waved goodbye and turned the doorknob, opening the door. From there, she slipped outside and closed it behind her.
Right after she did, Makenna threw down the cuticle pusher and leaped up from the countertop. "Homework?" she asked, scoffing. "Yeah, right. I'm Makenna Delling, and Makenna Delling doesn't do homework! She goes on dates with Peter Nelson!" Makenna rushed into the hallway bathroom and fixed her hair. Afterward, she went to her room and pulled out her wallet and a blue purse. She put the purse strap over her shoulder and admired herself in the mirror.
Makenna blew her reflection a kiss and winked. She then checked her digital clock and saw it was 4:20. She should probably head out. She didn't want to be late like last time. Since no one was home, she wasn't trapped in her room. She didn't have to dive out the window.
Before she knew it, Makenna stood on the top of the front staircase, the door wide open behind her. She smiled in the direction of the Gator Pond. She actually beat Peter to it that time. Makenna arrived about five minutes before he did. While she waited for him, she sat on the bench and watched the pond, the birds, and the alligators.
Makenna soon looked up at the sky and saw that it was clouding over. "Hm," she observed, "it appears we may get a storm later." Makenna shivered. If a storm was coming, she hoped it wouldn't be as crazy as the last one that hit the island when she first became a fairy.
After observing the sky for a little longer, Makenna sauntered to the edge of the Gator Pond. She peered down at some ripples, a sign that a fish had just dove underwater, and saw her reflection. Makenna stared at it. It looked a little mournful.
Makenna held her breath and whispered, "Tracey." She thought she saw the reflection of Merlin's apprentice beside hers. "Sorry, my friend," Makenna added. "I guess I've been nothing but a giant fairy amateur lately, huh?" She reached for Tracey's reflection. "I'll try. I'll try to protect you from the Octopus Man, but I don't know if I can." She sniffed. "I hope you forgive me for being such a jerk."
"Who are you talking to?" a sudden voice asked behind her. Peter had just arrived at the Gator Pond and hovered behind Makenna's back.
When she heard his voice, Makenna gasped. Not recognizing it was Peter's, she placed her hands on her lips and asked, "Are you the spirit of the lake?"
Peter chuckled. "It depends on how you look at it. Are you performing a telepathic conversation with Ninja Boy? You have quite the relationship with him, huh?"
"Of course, we're a little close, Lake Spirit," Makenna said. "Don't you get it? We're very alike. Why do you ask?"
Peter rolled his eyes and ordered, "Would you turn around?"
"Sure," said Makenna. She turned, and her eyes landed on Peter. "Oh hey, Pete." She turned to the lake. "One more thing, Lake Spirit, do you know that at sunset, I'll pop my—Peter Nelson!" Makenna gasped and whirled around to Peter, who stared at her.
"Pop your what?" he inquired.
Makenna chuckled nervously. "Nothing. I tend to go into La La Land occasionally, Pete. You understand, right? I meant to say, 'Who cares about Ninja Boy when I have you?'"
"That's right," said Peter. "I thought that was what I heard. Are you prepared to go on our date?"
Makenna grinned. "Heck yeah! I've been looking forward to this all day! How are we going to get there? Are we going to take your bicycle?"
"No." Peter shook his head. "We're going to take my car, Makenna."
"Car?" Makenna questioned. "You mean, you have your own car now?" She wished she had her own car!
"Of course," Peter answered. "I'm seventeen, Makenna. Well, are we going or not?"
Makenna didn't speak. She just nodded quickly.
Peter soon took her hand and pulled her to the road, where his car waited.
At the sight of it, Makenna's mouth dropped to the ground. He really did have his own car! It wasn't exactly fancy; it was a normal, teenage-style car that was red, but Makenna didn't mind.
Peter opened the door for her, and Makenna thanked him. She climbed into the car and squealed. She couldn't believe she was actually sitting in Peter Nelson's car!
He soon slipped in on the driver's side and smiled at the fairy. Then, eyes landing on her ears, he checked them and giggled. "Um," he said, pointing at Makenna's left ear, "you know you only have one earring, right?"
Makenna felt her ear. She did. She was missing her left dolphin stud earring. "Right." Makenna grinned and took out her right earring. "Who cares?" She threw it out the car door, and the earring landed on the road. "Let's go to Freshfields and have some fun now."
"Sure." Peter turned on the car, and Makenna pulled her door shut. She squealed again, and tears appeared in her eyes.
Before Makenna knew it, Peter turned onto the main road, and they headed toward the club and the Seabrook Island Stables, Bohicket, and Freshfields.
***
Freshfields Village was located on the border of Seabrook and Kiawah Island. It was a stylish and unique town center that featured a mix of shopping, dining, and service establishments. Many buildings inhabited the town, and many activities took place there. Freshfields was one of Makenna's favorite places, aside from North Beach and Bohicket, so she was excited.
In less than ten minutes, Peter turned into Freshfields and parked on the side of it, in a parking space beside a large pond. He turned off the car and asked, "Are you ready, Makenna?"
She quickly nodded yes. Slowly, she opened the door and hopped out of the car. Momentarily, Makenna studied the pond. Soon, though, Peter approached her and offered her his hand.
Makenna took it, and Peter pulled her forward. "Where do you want to go first?" he asked. "Lots of these stores here have nice dresses in them."
"I really don't care," Makenna answered. "As long as I find the perfect dress."
"You will," Peter said. "I promise. You can be sure of that, Makenna. You will find the perfect dress as long as you're with me."
"I'm so excited," Makenna squealed. "I don't need Ninja Boy. All I need is you, Peter Nelson."
"Correct. Ninja Boy is ancient history now. Come on, let's go."
The first store Peter took Makenna to was The Resort Shop. They went through the racks and tried to find a good dress.
Makenna tried on three blue dresses since blue was her favorite color. However, none of them suited her. Peter, the one criticizing the dresses, said that one was too long, one was too short, and one was too fancy for a girl her age.
The Resort Store was soon scratched off the list. The next place Makenna was taken to was another clothes store known as J. McLaughlin. Peter had her sit in a chair and try on a few pairs of hats and infinity scarves. He got so close to her that Makenna kindly asked him to move further away. From J. McLaughlin, she bought a couple of hats and scarves, all of which she thought were cute but no dress. Peter was right. Spending the afternoon with him really did lift Makenna's spirits.
At one point, while they were leaving J. McLaughlin, she couldn't help herself. She opened her mouth and yelled, "Hello!" to everyone in the store.
They heard her, and heads turned toward Makenna and Peter.
Peter blushed.
However, the shoppers smiled at them and called, "Hello!" back.
Makenna waved. She turned to Peter and asked, "What? Can't a fourteen-year-old have fun, too?"
Peter quickly grabbed her wrist and pulled her out the door. Before long, he chased Makenna, who headed for an ice cream shop called Marble Slab Creamery. She held tons of shopping bags in her hands, and a pair of sunglasses was over her eyes. When she saw the creamery, she stopped and smiled at it.
Peter soon joined her with his hands on his knees and said, "Whew, you sure run fast, Makenna."
"Uh-huh," Makenna said. She continued to stare at the creamery.
Peter soon saw what she was staring at and said, "Do you want some ice cream?"
Makenna glanced at him. "Yes," she squeaked.
That was that. Peter took Makenna inside the creamery. After he ordered his ice cream, it was Makenna's turn.
To the lady serving the ice cream, she asked, "By any chance, do you have any type of ice cream that doesn't have nuts in it?"
"Nuts?" asked the lady.
Peter turned on a bewildered face. He lifted his eyebrow, and his eyes landed on Makenna.
She nodded. "Yeah, you see," she chuckled, "I'm allergic to nuts." To Makenna's luck, there were ice cream flavors that didn't have nuts.
As the lady fixed her cone, Peter approached Makenna and inquired, "You're allergic to nuts, Makenna?"
"Yeah," Makenna admitted. She fixed her eyes on her crush. "I'm highly allergic to nuts, Pete. It stinks. When I was in 6th Grade, I had an anaphylactic reaction to nuts, and I do not want another one."
"An anaphylactic reaction?" questioned Peter. He rubbed his bare chin. "Really?"
"Yeah," said Makenna. She thanked the lady who had just handed her her ice cream cone. Peter already had his.
After paying, while the two left, Makenna licked her ice cream and smiled. Peter, too, smiled, but his was more heinous.
He turned away from Makenna so she wouldn't see his face and told himself, She's allergic to nuts! Perfect! So, she does have a weak point! This suddenly got so much easier. I would love to see an anaphylactic reaction. He chuckled a small, evil chuckle. However, he quickly returned to his nice self when he saw Makenna looking at him.
The two sat at a table outside and kept eating their ice cream. Peter appeared lost in thought the whole time.
After enjoying their ice cream, the two teens went to another store, Aubergine Home Collection, where they played with the cooking supplies and beds. They spent a good while in Freshfields, but Makenna never did find the dress she wanted to wear to the dance. Finally, she gave up because she was getting hungry. The last store Peter took her to was a bookstore known as Indigo Books. There, they read the first chapter from most of the books in the teen section and even checked out a few biographies and history books.
The storekeeper, preparing to close for the night, couldn't help but tell them, "Aw, you two make the perfect couple." Her statement caused Makenna and Peter to blush.
Finally, late afternoon rolled in. By that time, clouds were really starting to build up in the sky, but the rays of the setting sun shone on them, so it was stunning for the time being. Bohicket Marina, where Peter took Makenna out to eat, was on the way to Seabrook Island. It was an incredible yet eventful location. It was in a cluster of more shopping buildings and restaurants. From the marina, people had a perfect view of boats coming in and out.
Peter and Makenna arrived at the marina at sunset and inquired about a table. Unfortunately, they would have to wait a bit before they could eat. Since it was late afternoon, Bohicket was packed with people wanting to eat dinner there. It would be about a thirty-minute wait for Peter and Makenna, but they didn't mind.
While they waited for a table, they explored the back of the marina and briefly watched a band and a few children playing cornhole.
Makenna had had a wonderful afternoon, even though she didn't get a dress, and Peter made sure she got even more comfortable with him. Perhaps he could pull a few secrets from her fragile little head to help him discover her and Tracey's true identities if she did.
After watching cornhole and the band for a bit, Peter took Makenna down to the marina's docks, and they checked out the different boats.
Makenna enjoyed looking at the boats. A few of them were sailboats, and just looking at them, Makenna was reminded of the shipwrecked sailboat on North Beach. She gasped. However, she quickly refocused on Peter. No, she refused to take Tracey back to Merlin's Island. She just wanted to be with her so-called boyfriend.
A little later, Makenna and Peter sat at the end of the dock and listened to the band and birds.
Makenna ran her fingers through the marina's warm water and sighed.
"Makenna," Peter finally spoke in a stern voice. It was time.
Makenna glanced at him. "Yes, Peter?"
"You have some explaining to do," Peter said. "I want you to be honest. Since I first saw him, I've been suspicious. I feel that Ninja Boy may be a fairy."
Makenna's eyes widened, and she shivered.
"Is he?" asked Peter.
Oh snap, Makenna was in a tight spot. How did Peter figure it out? She opened her mouth, but her eyes landed on the pink and orange sky, and she gasped, whispering, "Sunset. It's already sunset? Uh oh." She turned to Peter. "I have to go, Peter."
"What?" Peter asked. "Again? What about dinner? You haven't even answered my question!"
"Sorry, Peter," Makenna shakily apologized, standing, "but I've stayed too long. I have to go home. I'm sure my parents are worried sick. Let's do dinner another time, okay?"
"Uh, okay," Peter said. "Do you want me to drive you home?"
"No," Makenna quickly said in a somewhat country-like accent. "Goodbye, Peter. This is too complicated to explain. Here, I'm sure this will make you feel better." Smiling, she leaned into Peter and kissed him.
He gasped, and his eyes widened.
When Makenna pulled away, she chuckled and jogged away from him.
Left behind, Peter's jaw dropped to the ground.
Makenna scurried down the docks and tried to find a place to hide. She couldn't transform in front of all these people! She peered down at her necklace pendant and saw it was glowing, but it was strange—it didn't shine as brightly. It was almost as if the pendant was losing its magic.
Makenna scurried up a ramp that took her back to the marina's yard and leaped on it. Her eyes rotated everywhere. She searched and searched and searched, and then, she found something! An alleyway! It wasn't far from her—it was near the band and cornhole game—but it was dark and a perfect place to hide and transform. Makenna hurried toward it.
She pushed through crowds of people and said, "Excuse me, excuse me!" It was time for her to return to North Beach, and even though she didn't want to, she had to take Tracey back to Merlin's Island. She had to get there fast, too, or else Selene would track her down.
Makenna soon reached the alleyway and checked her surroundings. The second she disappeared, she glowed up and lifted into the sky.
Makenna's hair waved. She blinked, and the light pink eye shadow reappeared on her upper eyelids, the blue highlights in her hair. Her hair grew and braided itself again.
A blanket of blue magic soon covered Makenna, and she crossed her arms over her chest. She soared forward, and another blanket of magic trailed behind her. While she soared, she twirled a few times.
Before long, her enormous, new wings popped out of her back, and the magic sucked itself away from Makenna. Her metamorphosis was complete.
Makenna's feet touched the concrete of the alleyway, and her wings dropped behind her. She fell to her knees and took deep breaths. Seriously, was she always going to be that pooped whenever she transformed?
It was strange, but Makenna's new transformation was starting to lose color. She was beginning to grow pale, just like Tracey.
After recovering from her exhausting transformation, Makenna flapped her wings. Since she had changed enough to get them to listen, they lifted her into the air, but she wobbled. Flying was still a bit unusual to her.
Makenna thought fast about what she should do to hide her fairy self when she flew out to Bohicket's parking lot. Then, she remembered hearing about a spell called the Shrinking Spell.
Makenna closed her eyes and thought about becoming small. It was unbelievable, but she did it! Makenna shrank down to two inches tall and gasped when she saw she had done it. "I did it," she said. "I managed to perform another spell! Don't worry, Tracey, I'm coming." Makenna looked down at her now-paler transformation and gulped. "Why am I losing my color?" She remembered Selene's warning that she was going to be a dead fairy if she didn't give her act of true metamorphosis by Friday. No, Makenna wasn't dying! She didn't believe she was. The chaos in the past week shook her up.
She flapped her wings and lifted higher into the sky. While she climbed, she examined the walls of the buildings she flew between.
Before she knew it, Makenna appeared over the cluster of buildings. She studied the parking lot and watched as adults and kids headed toward Bohicket.
Makenna took a deep breath. "All right, here goes." With those words, she soared out of the parking lot and toward North Beach.