Miss Callisto clapped her hands, interrupting Billy. She told us to form a line.

  “Listen up, class,” she said. “We’re going to the auditorium for our dress rehearsal. We’ll be performing on stage as if it was the real night of the play.”

  How exciting is that? I thought to myself. This is going to be so much fun.

  For someone who could see the future, I could not have been more wrong…

  “Okay, everyone, let’s take it from the top of the scene!” Miss Callisto cried from the back of the auditorium.

  We were up to the part where the Wicked Witch of the West (me) captures Dorothy (the annoying Emily) and friends in her giant castle. The Witch wants to take Dorothy’s Silver Shoes because they are full of magic and power.

  Dorothy then throws a bucket of water onto the Wicked Witch, causing her to melt away.

  Instead of real water, Miss Callisto filled a plastic bucket with blue, green, and white confetti and glitter. When Emily splashed the fake water onto me, I would spin around and drop onto the ground. Then, I’d pull my black cloak over myself and lie still until the curtains closed.

  And so, we began.

  “Give me the Silver Shoes,” I cried in my witchiest voice.

  “You are a wicked creature,” Emily said while reaching for the bucket.

  A split-second later, the bucket came sailing through the air right at me. I dodged it, but it grazed off my shoulder. It really hurt, too! I rubbed my arm as the bucket landed behind me.

  “Krystal, are you all right?” Claire asked, running out from behind the scenery.

  “Yeah,” I said, looking at Emily. She didn’t seem the least bit sorry. She did it on purpose!

  Miss Callisto walked onto the stage. “Oh my goodness!” she exclaimed.

  “Clumsy me,” Emily said. She clasped her hands dramatically. “Accidents happen.” Emily reached over and put her hand on my shoulder. “You poor thing!”

  I flinched and then something happened. I caught a glimpse of the future.

  I closed my eyes and tilted my head. Emily’s touch sparked a memory. My dream about the tornado and my house landing on someone came flooding back in an instant.

  Without opening my eyes, and in a low whisper, I said, “Yes…accidents do happen.”

  BRIIIING! The bell rang. It was time for lunch. I couldn’t wait to change and put the whole nasty event behind me.

  As Billy and I sat at our lunch table, I asked, “Remember when I said something bad was going to happen to Emily?”

  “Yeah,” he said, smiling widely. Peanut butter and jelly was stuck to his teeth. “I keep waiting for this dream to come true!”

  “That’s not funny,” I said, but Billy’s face made me laugh. “I got a strong feeling when she touched me. It was just like the day she broke my pencil. Something’s going to happen today. I don’t know what it is or what to do.”

  “There’s nothing to do,” Billy said. “She’s a nasty person, and she deserves whatever she gets. Are you gonna eat that?” Billy reached over and snagged one of my carrot sticks.

  I wanted to believe Billy. What he said sounded right, but the knot in my stomach told me otherwise.

  “What would you tell her, anyway?” Billy continued. Bits of carrot sloshed around in his mouth. “Beware, Emily! My psychic powers tell me that something bad is going to happen to you, so don’t do anything for it may be your doom!”

  Before I could reply, a voice cried out behind us. “I knew it!”

  I whirled around to see…Claire. She had been standing nearby holding her lunch box. Her eyes were as wide as saucers.

  My body went numb. Billy’s mouth dropped open. The carrot stick landed on his lunch tray.

  “Oops,” he said weakly.

  “H-how much did you hear?” I stammered.

  Claire placed her lunch box on the table and sat down next to me. Looking me in the eye, she said, “Everything!”

  Chapter 8

  Break a Leg

  During recess, kids ran hollering onto the playground. Billy, Claire, and I were the last ones out. Once we were alone, Claire pulled us behind a tall tree at the corner of the schoolyard.

  She put her hands on her hips. “Okay, Ball, spill it!” Claire said. Then she pointed her finger at me. “I knew there was something special about you the first time we met. I guess you could say I have a sixth sense about these things, too.”

  Billy and I traded looks. He shifted uncomfortably. I sighed and took a deep breath.

  “Look, Claire, this is serious stuff,” I said. “If I tell you the truth, you have to promise not to say anything. Ever.”

  Claire got excited. She hopped up and down and said, “Krystal, that’s what best friends do. They trust each other, and they help each other.”

  Hearing this made me feel better. I wanted another friend to understand me the same way Billy does. And so, I decided to share my secret with Claire.

  “Here goes…” I said.

  I told my new best friend everything about my gift: my extra abilities, the dreams, the visions, and the feelings and sensations. I even told Claire about my grandma.

  “My grandma has the same gift as me,” I said. “And sometimes, when I need guidance, I ask her what to do. She’s so wise and knows so much about everything!”

  Claire stood there staring at Billy and me. Her eyes were bugging out, and her mouth was wide open. It seemed like forever.

  “Claire, say something,” I begged. “You’re starting to freak me out.”

  “Yeah,” Billy added. “You look like my goldfish, Leonidas.”

  Claire inhaled and exhaled slowly.

  “Whoa…” she finally said. “Ohmygosh!” She reached out and hugged me. “You’re the coolest person I ever met! Your secret is safe, bestie!”

  “So now you know,” Billy said. “Welcome to the club.”

  He took a step toward Claire and said in his best gangster voice, “If you tell a soul, you’ll be sleeping with my fishes.”

  “Billy, stop that!” I told him. Then to Claire, “Do you pinkie-promise you won’t say anything?”

  “Of course I do,” she said.

  We linked pinkies, forming the sacred bond of the pinkie promise.

  Meanwhile, over on the playground, another momentous event was about to take place.

  Emily had climbed up to the top of the jungle gym. She was still wearing her Dorothy costume.

  “I am Dorothy, the Queen of Oz,” she shouted at the top of her lungs. Her perfect pigtails and blue gingham dress fluttered in the breeze. “And you are all my loyal subjects.”

  Emily stood up on the highest metal rung. The other kids stopped and watched.

  “Bow down to your queen,” Emily hollered.

  “I don’t remember this part in the book,” I said to Billy and Claire. We ran over to the jungle gym.

  Looking up, I noticed that Emily’s silver shoes had smooth, shiny soles. They were not the best things to wear when standing on a metal bar.

  “Emily, I don’t think that’s safe,” I shouted.

  “If it isn’t the Wicked Witch herself. Look, everybody,” Emily said with a laugh. “She’s trying to steal my wonderful shoes!”

  Everyone turned to look at me. They started laughing too. I felt my cheeks burning hot. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, like Grandma taught me. I focused my mind toward the wind rustling through the trees.

  The wind blew harder. It whistled through the branches…just like the tornado in my dream. My skin tingled, and my eyes snapped open.

  “Look at me. I’m a star!” Emily shouted. She waved her arms up and down.

  Suddenly, a powerful gust of wind blew through the playground. Emily lost her balance and screamed. Her silver shoes slipped on the rung and sent her plummeting off the jungle gym.

  Crraaack!

  When Emily hit the ground, it sounded like a pencil snapping.

  The kids gasped and made way as the playground monitor ran over. “Are you all right, dear?” she asked.

  “My ankle!” Emily shrieked. “Is it broken?”

  The monitor carried Emily inside. We could hear her sobs echo down the hallway.

  Billy turned to us and said, “Yup. She’s a star all right. A falling star!” He laughed at his joke.

  Claire and I exchanged worried looks. “You were right,” Claire said. “You saw the future. Do you know what’s going to happen next?”

  I closed my eyes and tried to concentrate.

  It was no use.

  I turned toward Claire and said, “Reply hazy. Ask again later…”

  Chapter 9

  Accessorize!

  Later that afternoon, Billy and Claire came over to my house. We were sitting in my bedroom discussing Emily’s accident.

  “The school nurse says that Emily sprained her ankle. It’s swollen and she needs to wear an air cast over it.” Claire said. “Then her dad came and picked her up.”

  “Good riddance,” Billy replied. “I hope they went back to her home planet.”

  “This is no time for jokes, Billy,” I reminded him. “The nurse says that Emily can walk in the cast by the play’s opening night. That makes me feel hopeful.”

  “But did you hear what happened after?” Claire asked. “Susan and Kate said that Emily’s foot was so swollen and ugly it couldn’t fit into her silver shoe. She told them that there was no way she would play Dorothy wearing her air cast and to forget the whole show!”

  “But isn’t it a famous saying that the show must go on?” said Billy.

  “Without a Dorothy!?” I exclaimed. “There is no show!”

  “Bah,” Billy said waving his arm. “Paint a smiley-face on a pumpkin, slap it on a broomstick, throw a wig on it, and call it Dorothy. No one will even notice.”

  Claire and I chuckled.

  “It’ll be more pleasant than the real Emily, that’s for sure.” I said. “Now let’s get serious. There’s only one thing to do in a crisis like this. Consult the cards!”

  I got up and walked to my dresser. Picking up a small, hand-carved wooden box, I opened it and pulled out the tarot cards Grandma gave me on my birthday.

  “The tarot cards will provide guidance. They always show the right path to the future,” I said fanning them out face down on the carpet.

  Then I reached under my bed to pull out a thick leather-bound book. This helped me understand how the cards could be interpreted. (Another gift from Grandma. Isn’t she the best?)

  Billy and Claire leaned in closer. They held their breath as I picked up the first card.

  It had an image of a beautiful woman seated on a throne. She had on a long white dress and a light blue cape that draped around her feet. On her head was a light blue and white crown. There was a column on each side of the throne. One black, and the other white.

  I read the name of the card, “The High Priestess.”

  Leafing through the leather-bound book I found the chapter on the High Priestess and read aloud: “The High Priestess symbolizes Knowingness, Love, Wisdom, Intuition, and Mystical Vision. She is an interpreter of secrets and mystery and is one who holds onto the truth or reveals it. Commonly this card is associated with the card reader.”

  We silently exchanged looks as I picked up another card. “The Chariot.”

  A powerful, princely figure wearing a golden crown was sitting in a chariot being pulled by two sphinxes. One was black and the other was white.

  “Ooh, can I?” Claire asked, pointing to the book.

  “Sure,” I said.

  Claire started reading. “The Chariot is one of the most complex cards to define. On its most basic level, it implies a struggle and an eventual hard-won victory over an enemy or obstacle. Qualities needed to win the battle include self-reliance, discipline, bravery, and pride.”

  Then she continued, “The steeds represent powerful forces that can be controlled to achieve the goal. Because they are opposites, it is the Charioteer’s duty to use willpower and conviction to unite them.”

  “Whoa, that’s some heavy stuff,” Billy said.

  I sat quietly trying to take it all in.

  Then I turned over the final card. “The Magician,” I told them.

  The picture showed a man wearing a long red robe cinched in the middle by a golden belt. His arm was raised over his head and in his hand he held a magic wand.

  I pulled the book back toward me and started reading.

  “The characteristics defined by the Magician are Concentration, Personal Power, Creativity, Self-Confidence, and Initiative. When the Magician appears in a spread, it points to the talents, capabilities, and resources at one’s disposal. There are choices and directions to take. Guidance can arrive through one’s own intuition or in the form of those who bring about change or transformation around them.”

  I closed my eyes. Images from the cards floated around in my head. I thought my brain was going to burst.

  Finally, I made a decision.

  I sighed and said, “We have to help Emily.”

  “Yes,” Claire agreed. “You’re right. It’s the only way to save the play.”

  Billy stood up and cried, “Is this real life? Has the planet gone mad?”

  He put his hands on his head, “Why should we be nice to that brat after all she put us through? Let her suffer!”

  “Billy, the point is that we’re all in this together. If Emily doesn’t participate, all the hard work we put into this project will be lost,” Claire explained.

  “Who cares? So we don’t have to put on our silly costumes and waste our time on a Saturday,” Billy huffed. “I’d rather sit at home, watch cartoons, and eat pizza!”

  “Now you’re just being stubborn and selfish,” Claire shot back.

  “Me? Stubborn?” Billy shouted. “I’ll show you stubborn!” Billy crossed his arms and turned his back.

  “Fine!” Claire shouted back and did the same.

  I stood there as my best friends fumed.

  Suddenly, it was all clear. I had a choice to make, a path to take, and two stubborn steeds to unite.

  If I could do all that, then I would really be Krystal Ball, the Great and Powerful!

  “ENOUGH!” I shouted, jolting Claire and Billy out of their feud.

  They looked at me with eyes open wide. They may have even been a little frightened.

  “Now that I have your attention, here’s my plan,” I said. “First, we’re going to apologize to each other and work together. Like Claire said, best friends need to trust each other. We also need to be united for this to work.”

  “Well, she started it,” Billy complained.

  “I don’t want to hear it,” I said putting up my hand. I felt just like my mother. “You’re both being stubborn donkeys.”

  Claire giggled. “Donkey is such a funny word.”

  I smiled.

  Billy said, “My grandpa has a pet donkey in Greece. He’s really stubborn, and he’s named after my father!”

  Claire and I started laughing.

  “I’m sorry I called you stubborn,” Claire quietly said to Billy.

  “That’s okay,” Billy replied. “The truth is, I am! Are we friends again?”

  “Of course. Best friends!” Claire said and shook his hand.

  “Excellent,” I told them. “Now, here’s what we’re going to do...”

  I walked over to my desk. “In order for the show to go on,” I said, “we’re going to help Emily back on her feet and into those Silver Shoes.”

  “But remember how her foot looks like an eggplant now?” Billy said.

  Claire laughed again. “He’s right. And besides, why would she want help from us? We’re her enemies,” Claire said, making quotation marks with her fingers.

  “Yes, but remember the tarot cards?” I asked. “They represented each one of us. Claire is the High Priestess, Billy is the Magician, and I am the Charioteer. We need to combine our special talents to overcome this obstacle.”

  “All right, Chief Charioteer,” Billy said with a salute. “What did you have in mind?”

  “Glad you asked.” I reached into my desk. Inside were bins full of arts and crafts supplies.

  Lifting it out, I said, “We are going to improvise and accessorize!”

  “That sounds like an exciting adventure to me,” said Claire, placing an arm around Billy and myself.

  “The Wizard, the Witches, and the Wardrobe!” I exclaimed.

  Chapter 10

  On With the Show

  The next day at school, Emily hobbled in wearing the air cast on her swollen ankle. She looked more cranky than usual.

  “Good morning, Emily. How do you feel today?” Miss Callisto asked.

  “Miserable,” she responded. “I’m not doing the play. My air cast is ugly, and I look stupid!”

  The class gasped in unison. They all looked disappointed.

  It was time to put our plan into action.

  “Miss Callisto,” I said, raising my hand. “Billy, Claire, and I have a solution to the problem.”

  Emily glared at me. “Are you saying I’m the problem?”

  Instead of getting defensive, I smiled sweetly. “I know you’re worried about your foot and the cast,” I explained. “So we thought we would help you out.”

  Emily eyed us suspiciously as I carried over my arts and crafts bin.

  “What are you going to do?” Miss Callisto asked, puzzled.

  The class huddled around.

  “You’ll see,” I answered. “Will you let us help you, Emily? I promise we only want what’s best for you and the whole class.”

 

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