Juliet the Valentine Fairy (9780545310628) Read online

  It’s Valentine’s Day and love is everywhere,

  but I, Jack Frost, feel it isn’t fair.

  Friends and families and sweethearts, too,

  I’ve got a mean surprise for you.

  This holiday is no longer nice.

  If you celebrate, you will pay the price.

  Giving cards and gifts is a big mistake,

  These things will cause your hearts to break.

  Find the hidden letters in the hearts throughout this book. Unscramble all 6 letters to spell a special Valentine phrase!

  Cover

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Map

  Poem

  Card-Making Mishap

  Late for a Date

  Workshop Woes

  Juliet’s Story

  No-Good Goblins

  A Simple Swap

  The Red Rose Romp

  Morning Muffins

  First Stop: Florist

  Egg Sure Harden Nose?

  A Glum Fairy

  A Muddy Mess

  The Candy Heart Compromise

  Loose Ends

  Best Friends Bicker

  One More Mixed-up Message

  Cupids and Candy

  Goblin Goodies

  Teaser

  Also Available

  Copyright

  Late for a Date

  Workshop Woes

  Juliet’s Story

  No-Good Goblins

  A Simple Swap

  Kirsty Tate paced from the front hall to the kitchen and back again. She pulled aside the curtain and looked out the window. There was still no sign of her best friend, Rachel Walker. Kirsty glanced at the grandfather clock in the corner and sighed. The Valentine’s card workshop had already started. Why was Rachel so late?

  Kirsty stared out the window, hoping the Walkers’ familiar station wagon would magically appear — but she knew that she couldn’t just make magic happen. The truth was, she and Rachel knew a lot about magic! They had learned about it from their good friends, the fairies.

  The two girls had first met on a trip to Rainspell Island. There, they helped the seven Rainbow Fairies, who had been sent away from Fairyland by the wicked Jack Frost. Rachel and Kirsty made a great team. The king and queen of Fairyland came to rely on the girls whenever Jack Frost and his goblins were causing trouble.

  Kirsty was happy that the fairies could trust them, and she knew she could trust Rachel, too. She couldn’t help smiling when she spotted the station wagon turning down her street.

  As the car pulled into the Tates’ driveway, Rachel waved cheerfully to Kirsty, who hurried out to help with her friend’s bag. Rachel kissed her mom good-bye.

  “Hello, Kirsty!” Mrs. Walker said. She turned back to her daughter. “Rachel, please call and let me know what time I should pick you up on Sunday.” Rachel nodded and waved as her mom drove off.

  “I’m so glad you’re here,” Kirsty said, hugging her best friend. “I was starting to worry.” Rachel frowned and tilted her head to the side. “We’ll just put your bag in my room and go straight to the Art Center,” Kirsty continued.

  “But I thought the Valentine workshop was after dinner,” Rachel said, looking confused.

  “No,” Kirsty replied. She couldn’t help feeling a little annoyed. “But we should still have time,” she added hopefully. “Let’s tell my dad we’re ready to go.”

  The two friends dropped Rachel’s bag upstairs and headed to the kitchen. Through the window over the sink, they could see Kirsty’s father working in the backyard. Kirsty poked her head out the back door. “Dad, can you take us to the Art Center now?” she asked. “Rachel’s here.”

  Mr. Tate looked up from a pile of wood and chicken wire. “Hi, Rachel!” he called. Then he wiped his forehead with his sleeve and looked at Kirsty. “I completely forgot that I was supposed to take you girls to the class. It’s so nice out. I started making the new compost bin for your mom.” He glanced down at the pile of building supplies and furrowed his brow. “I still have a lot to do, and I’ve made a big mess. Do you think you girls could ride bikes to the Art Center?”

  Kirsty felt a frown tug at the corners of her mouth. She had left her dad a note. Why did he forget? And how would she ever make a Valentine’s card with so little time? She wanted to be angry with him, but then she looked at the blue sky and sighed. “It is very nice out for February,” she admitted.

  Rachel nodded in agreement.

  “I’ll pick you up afterward, and we’ll put the bikes in the trunk,” Mr. Tate said.

  “Okay — the workshop is over at 6:30,” replied Kirsty. “See you then!”

  Mr. Tate gave his daughter a warm smile and watched as she grabbed her friend’s hand and ran back inside the house.

  “You can ride my new bike,” Kirsty offered as they skipped down the garage steps. She pointed to a purple road bike with a green straw basket on the front. Once Rachel swung her leg over the bar and had one foot on a pedal, Kirsty grabbed the handlebars of a yellow bike with pink flowers on it. “This one was my cousin’s. It’s a little small, but I can still ride it,” Kirsty said. She grinned. “And I bet I can beat you there!”

  After a quick ride into Wetherbury Village, Kirsty and Rachel turned off the sidewalk and into the Art Center parking lot. Like many of the older buildings at Wetherbury College, the Art Center had a slate roof and stained-glass windows.

  “It’s beautiful,” Rachel said, climbing off her bike.

  “Our class is on the third floor,” Kirsty said, turning the key on her bike lock. The girls ran up the stairs to the classroom.

  A tall man with a shaggy red beard greeted them. “Hello, Kirsty,” he said. “And you must be Rachel.” The man nodded as he marked their names on his clipboard.

  “Hello, Mr. Snouffer,” Kirsty said. “I’m sorry we’re late.”

  Mr. Snouffer shook his head. “No worries, dear. All the art supplies are out on the tables,” he said. “You still have plenty of time to make something from the heart.”

  Kirsty and Rachel looked at each other, trying not to giggle.

  “Oh, my!” Mr. Snouffer chuckled, looking around at all the hearts on the other kids’ Valentines cards. “From the heart. That’s funny.”

  “Yes,” Kirsty said, giggling. “It is funny.” Then she walked to a table with two open seats and picked out some paper and markers. She turned to Rachel. “I want to make my parents a special card. They do so much for me, and I thought it would be nice to say thanks!”

  “Yeah, except your dad wouldn’t drive us here,” Rachel mumbled. Her eyebrows shot up as she glanced over at Kirsty. Her friend was just as surprised as Rachel was that she had said that! “I’m sorry, Kirsty,” Rachel gasped. “I really didn’t mean it that way.”

  Kirsty nodded and bit her lip. She had been annoyed with her dad, too, but she didn’t like to hear her friend criticizing him. She didn’t say anything, though, and went back to making her card.

  At the next table, two friends began arguing loudly. “You’re copying me,” declared a girl with short brown hair.

  “I was using the star stickers first!” the other girl replied.

  “No, you weren’t.” The two girls scowled at each other until one pushed her chair back loudly and stood up. “Fine, I’m changing tables,” she huffed, heading off to find a new seat.

  Almost immediately, Kirsty and Rachel heard another disagreement coming from a different table. “Stop kicking me!” A boy’s voice carried across the room.

  “Jackson? Andrew?
What seems to be the problem?” Mr. Snouffer asked.

  Kirsty glanced over and saw two boys from her school giving each other icy stares. “They’re best friends,” Kirsty whispered to Rachel in shock. “They never fight.”

  The girls locked eyes. “Do you think something funny is going on?” Rachel asked.

  “It seems that way,” Kirsty answered, raising an eyebrow.

  “You’re right!” a tiny voice sang out so only Rachel and Kirsty could hear.

  “What?” Rachel and Kirsty both said, each glancing at the other.

  “You’re right,” the small, sweet voice said again. “Something funny is going on.” After a pause, the voice became serious. “Well, it’s actually not funny at all.”

  The two girls peered around the room until their eyes fell upon a fairy! She was so small that she was hiding in a glass jar of glitter, right in front of them on the table.

  “Oh, hello!” Rachel gasped. Kirsty immediately folded a large piece of construction paper and propped it up on the table, so no one else could see their fairy friend.

  As soon as the coast was clear, the fairy fluttered out of the jar. She unfolded her wings, and a mix of craft sparkles and magical heart sparkles swirled around her. Her long, brown hair fell in waves past her shoulders, and she wore a wide-necked pink sweater and a jean skirt with two hearts stitched to the front. Her beaded necklace had a red heart pendant.

  But more than anything, Kirsty and Rachel noticed the pretty fairy’s deep, brown eyes — which were brimming with tears.

  “Kirsty and Rachel,” the fairy said, sighing. “I’m so lucky I found you! It’s the only good thing that’s happened all day.” A single tear ran down one of her rosy cheeks.

  Kirsty and Rachel looked at the little fairy with concern.

  “Oh, please forgive me,” the fairy said, perking up a bit. “I know your names, but you don’t know mine!” She brushed the extra sparkles from her skirt and bent her knees in a little curtsy. “I’m Juliet the Valentine Fairy. It’s my job to make sure that Valentine’s Day is full of love and happiness, both in Fairyland and the human world. But I’m afraid I’ve messed up everything this year!”

  “Oh, Juliet. I’m sure it’s not that bad,” Rachel said, trying to reassure the fairy.

  “Oh, but it is.” Juliet’s tone was very dramatic. “Friends and families are fighting. Sweethearts are falling out of love. People are not thinking about one another’s feelings.” She pulled out a pink tissue and sniffled. “Everything that makes Valentine’s Day special is coming apart!” She buried her face in her hands.

  “Tell us what happened,” Kirsty suggested. “Maybe we can help.”

  Juliet raised her head. “I was finishing making this year’s Valentines when I heard some beautiful music. I went outside to see where it was coming from, but no one was there. When I went back into my cottage, I discovered that all three of my magical Valentine’s Day presents were gone!” The fairy’s shoulders slumped. Kirsty and Rachel could see that it was hard for her to tell the story.

  “I grabbed my wand and raced out the back door. A band of goblins was running down the lane! I tried to stop them, but I couldn’t cast a spell because my fingers were still too sticky from the glue I’d used. As soon as I got a good grip on my wand, the spell came barreling out. But just then, Jack Frost appeared — and he cast a spell that rocketed straight at mine! The two spells collided and spun into a whirlwind of magic . . . right above the goblins.” Juliet twirled her hands around, mimicking the magical storm. “Now my presents are lost somewhere in the human world. If I don’t find them and return them to Fairyland, Valentine’s Day won’t be the same.”

  “What happens if you don’t get the presents back?” Rachel asked.

  “Jack Frost’s spell ensures that every card or present will have the opposite effect of what it should.” Juliet shook her head in disbelief. “And this time, he’s given the goblins a wand that can mix up messages. They’re using it to change the meanings of e-mails and notes. It’s a mess!”

  Kirsty and Rachel felt their hearts sink. They had already seen what could happen! Friends were fighting, and Kirsty thought about how she had been annoyed with her dad. Normally, she would have been more understanding.

  “You both need to know this,” Juliet announced seriously. “The three missing presents stand for three kinds of love. First, the Valentine’s card represents family love. Second,” the fairy said, counting on her fingers, “is the red rose. It stands for sweetheart love. And the final present is the box of super-sweet candy hearts. Those are for friendship, of course. Each present is tied with a sparkly red ribbon.”

  Both girls thought of all the special kinds of love. They couldn’t let them be ruined! “We have to do something!” declared Rachel.

  “I would love your help,” Juliet replied, giving the girls a tiny smile. “But we have to let the magic come to us, you know. Let’s be on the lookout. Jack Frost told his goblins to do whatever they had to so that we wouldn’t get the magical presents back.”

  Kirsty nodded, remembering how Fairyland magic worked. The presents needed to be back in Fairyland before the holiday would be magical again!

  “I guess you girls should just work on your Valentines for now,” Juliet said, shrugging. “At least until we find a clue . . . or until the goblins find us.”

  Kirsty took Juliet’s advice and immediately went back to making her Valentine. She wasn’t ready for a fairy adventure yet — she still had to finish her parents’ card! She reached in front of Rachel to grab more pipe cleaners and tissue paper.

  Rachel frowned as Kirsty picked out the art supplies. She couldn’t understand why her friend wasn’t more worried about the missing presents. Didn’t she care? “Why are you even bothering with that silly card?” Rachel asked. “If we don’t hurry up and find Juliet’s presents, it won’t matter if you finish it or not.”

  Kirsty’s jaw dropped, and her eyes narrowed. “If you hadn’t been so late, I wouldn’t have to hurry,” she replied quietly.

  “Oh, girls, please don’t argue!” pleaded Juliet. “Jack Frost’s magic will work against you two, since you’re best friends. You might say and do things you normally wouldn’t — all because the Valentine presents are missing!”

  Kirsty and Rachel both looked down. They were embarrassed. Of course, Juliet was right. An upbeat attitude was the way to get the best of the goblins. They couldn’t let silly arguments stop them!

  “I want some more decorations for my card,” Kirsty suddenly announced, studying her Valentine. She stood up and walked over to Mr. Snouffer’s desk.

  Immediately, Juliet flitted to Rachel’s shoulder. “We should follow her,” whispered the fairy. “It’s best to stick together.” Rachel quickly stood up, and Juliet fluttered to her shoulder, to hide behind her hair. Rachel was relieved to be doing something other than arts and crafts, but she really wanted to be tracking down those no-good goblins!

  “Why, Kirsty,” Mr. Snouffer said, “your card is lovely.”

  “Thank you,” replied Kirsty. She’d done a lot of work on her card so far. The front had delicate tissue-paper flowers clustered into the shape of a heart, and drizzled with red and pink glitter. Inside, she had written a poem to her parents. It was a very pretty card, but Kirsty couldn’t help feeling like something was missing. “I was hoping to add a little something else,” she explained to her teacher. “Do you have any scraps of ribbon or paper from our project last week?”

  “Oh yes,” said Mr. Snouffer with an understanding smile. “You’ll find what you’re looking for in the scrap bin in the hall closet.”

  Kirsty grinned and headed across the room and out the door. Rachel followed just a few steps behind. “Wait, Kirsty!” she called, but her friend didn’t hear.

  Rachel stepped into the hallway just as Kirsty opened the supply closet
door. At once, a big box of art supplies fell on Kirsty’s head — and two goblins tumbled out of the closet! Rachel noticed that one goblin clutched a pink card with a sparkly red ribbon looped around it. The other goblin held a long, skinny wand.

  As the goblins scrambled to their feet, Rachel rushed forward to help her friend.

  “My card!” Juliet cried, pointing from her perch on Rachel’s shoulder. “That goblin has it!”

  As Rachel lifted the box off Kirsty’s head, colorful fabric and paper scraps fell to the ground. “Are you okay?” she asked, worried.

  “Yes — let’s catch those goblins!” Kirsty cried. As the girls ran down the hallway, Juliet peeked over Rachel’s shoulder and twirled her wand. Magically, the box of art materials floated back into the closet with the paper and fabric scraps safely inside.

  “The goblins are fast!” Rachel yelled, stumbling down the Art Center stairs. The heavy main door scraped open when Kirsty pushed it.

  The sky was growing dark as the sun set. The girls searched the campus sidewalks for the goblins, but they could not even hear any footsteps. It was almost like the goblins had simply disappeared!

  “But they had my Valentine’s Day card! What will we do now?” asked Juliet.

  “Don’t worry, Juliet,” Rachel said. “We’ll help get your card back.”

  “That’s right,” agreed Kirsty, walking up to a large map of the campus. “Maybe this will give us an idea of where the goblins went.”

  “It can give us more than an idea!” Juliet cried, flying off of Rachel’s shoulder. “I think this map can tell us exactly where to find them.” She straightened her skirt and lifted her wand. “Little hearts, be our guide, show us where the goblins hide.” A cluster of heart sparkles burst out of Juliet’s wand and whizzed straight to the map, landing on DARDEN HALL.