Entry 8: October 3

Dear Diary, Today I have to go to Baghdad to help Grandma make her new batch of Pip Chicks. The Homecoming Dance is six days away, so she should be finished with my dress by now. I'm so excited to see how it turned out! Anyway, Aunt Jeannie is supposed to be at Grandma's today too, so I'm sure she'll have plenty of "tips" for how to act at the dance. I'm getting ready to leave now.

Just as I'm about to blink myself to Baghdad, I hear the loud splintering of glass and a scream downstairs. Blinking worriedly into the kitchen, I see my mom looking in shock at a pile of broken plates on the floor.

"Eric!" my dad yells furiously from his office upstairs. "What have you broken now? Another window? This one's coming out of your allowance, mister!"

"Da-ad!" Eric yells from his room. "I didn't do anything! Why do you always think it's me?"

Hearing this, my father comes downstairs anxiously to see what happened.

"Jeannie?" he asks softly when he sees my mom, still in shock from whatever happened. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"

"I- I do not know, Master," she says. Now I know something's wrong because she only calls my dad 'Master' when she's nervous. "I just tried to blink the plates into the cupboard, and. they just fell to the floor!"

"You must have overworked your powers again. Why don't you go rest on the couch for a while," dad suggests gently, with a worried look on his face.

Mom shakes her head as if to say she didn't think that was the reason, but she gives in and lets him lead her to the living room.

"Dad? I'm going to go to Baghdad now," I say quietly.

"Huh? Oh. oh yeah, well, why don't you take your brother? He hasn't seen your grandmother in a while and your mother needs some peace and quiet."

I sigh. He's obviously so distracted with my mother he's forgotten that the last thing I want to do is drag my brother anywhere, much less Baghdad. But I agree, only because I can't even remember the last time my mother's powers failed and I'm kind of worried.

Blinking into my brother's room, I tell him where we're going. He looks at me like he's about to whine and complain, so I blink us off before he can even start- one of the many benefits to having a mortal brother.

"Jeannie! Eric! What a wonderful surprise- my grandchildren are actually coming to see me!" Grandma Jeannie says when we appear in her kitchen. She always acts as if she barely ever gets to see us, even though I was here only a couple days ago, and my mother has definitely told her I'd be coming today.

"Hi! We came to help you make more Pip Chicks!" I say.

"Oh, that is wonderful. I was just about to make more myself, but it is much more fun when I have my favorite little helpers!" Eric laughs and smiles childishly, fully knowing that being one of Grandma's "favorite little helpers" means he gets to lick the bowl after she's done.

Setting to work, we soon have the Pip Chicks made- a magical batch for us genies and a regular un-magical one for Eric to take home and share with Dad, who Grandma has grudgingly learned to tolerate over the years.

While Eric licks the extra Pip Chick batter from the bowl, Grandma takes me into another room to show me my dress.

"I certainly hope you like it. I thought it would make it more special if I sewed it by hand for the most part. Your Aunt Jeannie even helped me with the design on the front." Grandma Jeannie explains, as she pulls back the little curtain to a closet.

"Oh, Grandma!" I gasp. There in the closet is the most beautiful dress I have ever seen. It is made of a red gauzy material with sequins and decorative beads sewn in a loopy design on the front, and, as decided, it is long with tiny straps and a small slit down one side.

"Well, try it on, try it on!" Grandma grins, pleased with her work. I do, and it is a perfect fit. Suddenly, the room is filled with green smoke. My Aunt Jeannie appears, smiling when she sees me, and Grandma Jeannie greets her and leaves to go check on Eric.

"Oh, good show! You look simply marvelous in that dress, dah-ling! All those Pip Chicks don't show at all on your waistline."

"Um, thanks. Grandma told me you worked on the design. It's beautiful!"

"Well, you know, it's always good to have these little skills to back up stunning physical beauty. So, where is he taking you for dinner?"

"Dinner? Oh, well, we weren't really going to go out before the dance. He doesn't have that much money, and-"

"Sweetie, if he truly likes you he will take you out for dinner. Now, tell me, what is your favorite restaurant in Cocoa Beach?"

"Um. I really like this little Chinese place called The Golden East. But Anthony hates Chinese food!"

" Dah-ling, you can make a man eat shredded cardboard if you know the right tricks. Trust me, you flirt a little, do the whole "pretty and popular cheerleader" routine and he'll take you to China itself!"

I giggle. "Ok, I will. It really would be fun to go to dinner first. Maybe I can get Kellie and her date to come along, too."

Looking disgusted, Aunt Jeannie says, "Well, sure, if you want to completely kill the romance. Do you really want your friend and some boy tagging along on your date?"

"I guess not." I sigh. "I really don't know much about this stuff, do I?"

"You have a lot to learn," she admits. "But you're farther along now then your mother ever was. I've seen you at work- your flirting skills are remarkably high for your age. You remind me of me!" She laughs her deep, throaty laugh. "By the way, why isn't your mother here? I would have thought she'd want to see her daughter in her dress as soon as possible."

"Well, when I left she wasn't feeling very well. Her powers went all weird and she broke a bunch of dishes when she tried to blink them into the cupboard. My dad made her stay and rest."

"Hmmm, well that's strange. It isn't anywhere near the Day of the Ram. And even if it were, it would be happening to me too. Was she particularly upset about anything? Maybe she got in a fight with your father?" She looks at me almost hopefully.

I roll my eyes. "No, Aunt Jeannie. They are very happy with each other as usual. I think it's probably time for me to go now."

Eric walks in then, greeting Aunt Jeannie and carrying two separate plates of Pip Chicks. "One's for Mom." He explained. "I told Grandma her powers were acting funny and she said these would make her feel better."

Saying our goodbyes and thank-yous to Aunt Jeannie and Grandma, I blink us back to the house.

I found dad reading a newspaper quietly in the living room and my mother sleeping on the couch.

"She still isn't feeling good?" I ask.

"No. She's very tired, and although she doesn't have a fever, I'm worried she might be coming down with something. Anyway, how was your visit?"

"Well, you'll have to wait to see my dress, but look what we made you!" I present him with the mortal-friendly Pip Chicks.

"Ah, my favorite!" His eyes light up as he bites into one. "I'm so glad your grandmother and I can finally tolerate each other. I don't know what I'd do if I could never have my Pip Chicks! Don't tell your mother," he leans secretively towards me, "but she can never make them like your grandmother can!"

I turn towards the couch, expecting my mother to sit up and say, "I heard that!" and pretend to be angry. But she still lies there in a sound sleep.

"I hope mom's ok," I say worriedly. Until tomorrow.

Jeannie