gesturing, but this time we have liftoff. He seems to understand, because the next thing I know, he’s bashing himself against Betty’s shoe like a bumper car.
She takes a step back. Go, Jonah, go!
Bash!
Step back.
Almost there …
Bash!
Except she’s getting annoyed. She swings her foot back and — no! — kicks Jonah with the pointy toe of her shoe and sends him flying across the room. He somersaults through the air and lands in the fireplace.
Hey, that’s my brother you’re kicking around!
“Squeooonah!” I yell, and before I realize what I’m doing, I’m flying, supermouse style, straight for the top of Betty’s head.
Plunk.
“What —” Betty says.
Before she figures out what’s happening, I grab the wand with my pudgy little mouse-fingers and yank it from behind her ear.
Now the wand and I are on a collision course with the ground.
O hmyohmyohmy!
The floor is coming at me fast and I’m holding on tight to the wand.
We land with a thud and a burst of sparkle.
Yay!
“Yes, we definitely need an exterminator,” Betty growls, reaching down for the wand, a terrifying expression on her face.
No, no, no! She is not getting back this wand. I transfer it to my mouth and run, run, run toward lizard-Farrah, who’s currently helping mouse-Jonah out of the fireplace. He’s covered in ashes, but otherwise fine.
“I’ll catch it,” goatee guy says, chasing after me.
There’s a straight line from me to Farrah. All I have to do is run. Or, maybe scurry is the right word.
“Just step on the thing,” Betty says, which chills my spine and sends me running even faster.
But then — whoosh!
My tail! Goatee guy has my tail! He’s picking me up by my tail!
My feet are lifting in the air, and I realize I only have one shot. I harness all my energy and give the edge of the wand the strongest shove I can muster, sending it skidding across the room.
“Is that mouse wearing a dress?” goatee guy asks.
Betty is too busy running toward the wand to answer.
I strain my neck to see the wand barrel toward Farrah and the fireplace. And … it makes it! She jumps on it!
There’s a huge burst of yellow sparkle and Farrah stretches into her normal self.
Goatee guy gasps and drops me, and once again I plummet to the ground. Ouch. I’m getting tired of all this plummeting.
“Farrah, is that you?” Prince Jordan asks.
“Hey, Jordy,” Farrah says. “Good to see you again. You’re looking well.” She holds the wand up in the air and spins aroundand around and around. A splatter of yellow sparkle flies around the room.
Everything changes at once. I feel like I’m on that Tilt-A-Whirl again and I’m stretching, stretching, stretching until I look down at my legs and realize I’m no longer mouse-Abby.
I’m person-Abby once again.
Yay!
Jonah and Cinderella have morphed back as well.
Yay and yay again!
And then there’s the sound of cracking glass.
“OWWW!” Beatrice screams.
Her feet have doubled in size, and the glass slippers have cracked right open because of the pressure.
“This is not the girl I danced with,” says the prince. “I fear you’re trying to trick me. Our shoe doesn’t even fit, and neither does the other one! Come on, Gary, we’re leaving.”
“No, wait!” Betty exclaims, a wild look in her eye. “I have another daughter you can marry. She’s running around here somewhere….”
“Mother, I’m right here,” Kayla says, stretching back into her human form.
“Can someone please tell me what’s going on?” Prince Jordan demands.
“I’d be happy to,” I say. “You’re right. Beatrice is not the girl you danced with. Her mother stole Farrah’s wand, turned us all into animals, and zapped her daughter’s feet so they’d fit in the glass slippers.”
“So then who do the shoes belong to?” His gaze falls on Kayla. “Is it you? I know you. We talked at the ball, right? You made me laugh.”
She hesitates, but then shakes her head. “Yes, I
She takes a step back. Go, Jonah, go!
Bash!
Step back.
Almost there …
Bash!
Except she’s getting annoyed. She swings her foot back and — no! — kicks Jonah with the pointy toe of her shoe and sends him flying across the room. He somersaults through the air and lands in the fireplace.
Hey, that’s my brother you’re kicking around!
“Squeooonah!” I yell, and before I realize what I’m doing, I’m flying, supermouse style, straight for the top of Betty’s head.
Plunk.
“What —” Betty says.
Before she figures out what’s happening, I grab the wand with my pudgy little mouse-fingers and yank it from behind her ear.
Now the wand and I are on a collision course with the ground.
O hmyohmyohmy!
The floor is coming at me fast and I’m holding on tight to the wand.
We land with a thud and a burst of sparkle.
Yay!
“Yes, we definitely need an exterminator,” Betty growls, reaching down for the wand, a terrifying expression on her face.
No, no, no! She is not getting back this wand. I transfer it to my mouth and run, run, run toward lizard-Farrah, who’s currently helping mouse-Jonah out of the fireplace. He’s covered in ashes, but otherwise fine.
“I’ll catch it,” goatee guy says, chasing after me.
There’s a straight line from me to Farrah. All I have to do is run. Or, maybe scurry is the right word.
“Just step on the thing,” Betty says, which chills my spine and sends me running even faster.
But then — whoosh!
My tail! Goatee guy has my tail! He’s picking me up by my tail!
My feet are lifting in the air, and I realize I only have one shot. I harness all my energy and give the edge of the wand the strongest shove I can muster, sending it skidding across the room.
“Is that mouse wearing a dress?” goatee guy asks.
Betty is too busy running toward the wand to answer.
I strain my neck to see the wand barrel toward Farrah and the fireplace. And … it makes it! She jumps on it!
There’s a huge burst of yellow sparkle and Farrah stretches into her normal self.
Goatee guy gasps and drops me, and once again I plummet to the ground. Ouch. I’m getting tired of all this plummeting.
“Farrah, is that you?” Prince Jordan asks.
“Hey, Jordy,” Farrah says. “Good to see you again. You’re looking well.” She holds the wand up in the air and spins aroundand around and around. A splatter of yellow sparkle flies around the room.
Everything changes at once. I feel like I’m on that Tilt-A-Whirl again and I’m stretching, stretching, stretching until I look down at my legs and realize I’m no longer mouse-Abby.
I’m person-Abby once again.
Yay!
Jonah and Cinderella have morphed back as well.
Yay and yay again!
And then there’s the sound of cracking glass.
“OWWW!” Beatrice screams.
Her feet have doubled in size, and the glass slippers have cracked right open because of the pressure.
“This is not the girl I danced with,” says the prince. “I fear you’re trying to trick me. Our shoe doesn’t even fit, and neither does the other one! Come on, Gary, we’re leaving.”
“No, wait!” Betty exclaims, a wild look in her eye. “I have another daughter you can marry. She’s running around here somewhere….”
“Mother, I’m right here,” Kayla says, stretching back into her human form.
“Can someone please tell me what’s going on?” Prince Jordan demands.
“I’d be happy to,” I say. “You’re right. Beatrice is not the girl you danced with. Her mother stole Farrah’s wand, turned us all into animals, and zapped her daughter’s feet so they’d fit in the glass slippers.”
“So then who do the shoes belong to?” His gaze falls on Kayla. “Is it you? I know you. We talked at the ball, right? You made me laugh.”
She hesitates, but then shakes her head. “Yes, I
Similar Books
