"Andrea!" Andie turned from her science book to see her grandmother standing in the door of her room.
"What's up, Grandma?" she asked.
"Just making sure you got your studying done," the older woman remarked.
Andrea nodded her head and replied, "Pretty much so. I'll be done in a few minutes."
"That's fine," her grandmother said. "Better be getting ready for bed soon. You want to get a good night's sleep for the test tomorrow. Say, Andie, you didn't say much at dinner. Is everything all right?"
"Sure, Grandma," Andrea fibbed. "Guess I'm just worried about the test tomorrow."
As Grandma headed for her bedroom, Andrea put up her science book and got ready for bed. She hated lying to her grandmother or her mother, but she knew all they'd do would be to call the school and complain, and then the school would do something useless like put out a memo. And then, of course, Stiles and Harper would make things even worse for all the kids in the school.
Andie lay down on her bed, leafing through her new Powerpuff Girls comic book. She couldn't get the events of that afternoon out of her mind. "Why do those two losers have to mess up our lives?" Andie thought. "Ours and everyone else's at Glenwood, that is." Andrea hoped Natalie's soccer practice had gone better than her studying had.
The worst part about it was that Betty Harper had been a pretty good friend to Andie before this school year. Then she had had a growth spurt over the summer, and when school started back up she had fallen in with Stiles. Andie noticed that her former friend didn't bully her personally most of the time. Of course, she thought, that didn't excuse how she treated Nattie...
Andie flipped through her comic. "Wouldn't it be great to have super powers like Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup," she thought. "I could sure teach Derek Stiles a thing or two!" Of course, she realized, the Powerpuff Girls are Kindergartners and she wasn't quite THAT short! But then, it wouldn't be so bad if she had all those wonderful abilities. Andie chuckled as she realized, the way her luck had gone, she'd probably be a really short Powerpuff Girl and the other three would stand head and shoulders above her!
Andrea looked at her comic book one more time and sighed. It would be so terrific to be a Powerpuff Girl, even if she was really little.
"Did I hear someone about to make a wish?" a tiny voice peeped. Andie looked up and gasped. There was a little, grey-haired old woman hovering beside her! She was perhaps three inches tall, dressed in a pink lace dress, with glittering butterfly-like wings on her back and a silver wand in her hand.
"What-- I mean, who are you?" asked Andie.
The tiny woman pulled out a card and replied, "My name is Florina, and I am your (reading from the card) 'vertically-challenged supernaturally-empowered female emergency caregiver'."
Andie reeled at the mouthful the miniature woman had just read. "Is that anything like a fairy godmother?" she asked.
The woman sighed as she tossed aside the tiny card. "Ah, life was so much easier before the King Fairy got on his 'political correctness' kick," she replied. The fairy floated to the head of the bed and continued, "I believe I heard you almost making a wish, my dear Andrea. Is there something I could grant you, child?"
Andie replied, "I didn't think I said anything! Not out loud, at least..."
"Oh, perhaps not, my dear," Florina replied. "But wishes have a voice of their own, and I heard yours loud and clear. Of course you might say my hearing is attuned to such things, whether they are spoken or not."
Andie stared at Florina. She had read fairy tales when she was younger, of course, but it had been years since she had believed in creatures such as fairies. This was all so corny! But if this little old lady was offering her wishes, Andie wasn't going to pass the opportunity by! "You mean I can wish for anything I want?" she asked.
"You may wish for anything you desire," Florina replied. "But remember, even magic has its limits. If you wish for something too great, I may have to place a limit on it for the request to be granted." The fairy godmother looked at Andie's comic book and suggested, "I see you like the Powerpuff Girls. Would you like to visit them and have an adventure with them?"
Andie's eyes grew wide. "I'd love to!" she exclaimed.
Florina held up her wand. "Then close your eyes," she said, "and in the blink of an eye you shall join them."
"Just a moment!" Andie said quickly. "As part of my wish, I want to be a Powerpuff Girl myself!"
Florina gave a little gasp. "Andrea, dear child," she said, "that is a very tall order! If I were to do that, I would indeed have to limit the wish to grant it at all! Are you certain this is what you want?"
Andie wasn't going to let the chance pass her by. It didn't matter if she could only stay a few hours, or even just one hour; it would be worth it to be a Powerpuff Girl, no matter how short her stay was. She turned on the charm as she said, "Oh, Florina, I want this so very badly! Please, dear fairy godmother, grant me this wish, I beg of you!" (Andie could barely stifle a laugh at the sheer hokey sound of her own request!)
Florina looked at her for a moment, and then smiled warmly. "I shall grant your wish as best I can, my dear," she said.
Andie gave a gleeful squeal. "Thank you! Thank you!" came her reply.
Florina raised her wand and said once again, "Now close your eyes, and in the blink of an eye your wish shall be granted!" Andie closed her eyes as Florina had told her to do. She heard a jingling, chime-like sound that she took to be the wand as Florina waved it. Suddenly, Andie felt as if she was spinning like a top! The world seemed to disappear around her as she lost all consciousness.
"What's up, Grandma?" she asked.
"Just making sure you got your studying done," the older woman remarked.
Andrea nodded her head and replied, "Pretty much so. I'll be done in a few minutes."
"That's fine," her grandmother said. "Better be getting ready for bed soon. You want to get a good night's sleep for the test tomorrow. Say, Andie, you didn't say much at dinner. Is everything all right?"
"Sure, Grandma," Andrea fibbed. "Guess I'm just worried about the test tomorrow."
As Grandma headed for her bedroom, Andrea put up her science book and got ready for bed. She hated lying to her grandmother or her mother, but she knew all they'd do would be to call the school and complain, and then the school would do something useless like put out a memo. And then, of course, Stiles and Harper would make things even worse for all the kids in the school.
Andie lay down on her bed, leafing through her new Powerpuff Girls comic book. She couldn't get the events of that afternoon out of her mind. "Why do those two losers have to mess up our lives?" Andie thought. "Ours and everyone else's at Glenwood, that is." Andrea hoped Natalie's soccer practice had gone better than her studying had.
The worst part about it was that Betty Harper had been a pretty good friend to Andie before this school year. Then she had had a growth spurt over the summer, and when school started back up she had fallen in with Stiles. Andie noticed that her former friend didn't bully her personally most of the time. Of course, she thought, that didn't excuse how she treated Nattie...
Andie flipped through her comic. "Wouldn't it be great to have super powers like Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup," she thought. "I could sure teach Derek Stiles a thing or two!" Of course, she realized, the Powerpuff Girls are Kindergartners and she wasn't quite THAT short! But then, it wouldn't be so bad if she had all those wonderful abilities. Andie chuckled as she realized, the way her luck had gone, she'd probably be a really short Powerpuff Girl and the other three would stand head and shoulders above her!
Andrea looked at her comic book one more time and sighed. It would be so terrific to be a Powerpuff Girl, even if she was really little.
"Did I hear someone about to make a wish?" a tiny voice peeped. Andie looked up and gasped. There was a little, grey-haired old woman hovering beside her! She was perhaps three inches tall, dressed in a pink lace dress, with glittering butterfly-like wings on her back and a silver wand in her hand.
"What-- I mean, who are you?" asked Andie.
The tiny woman pulled out a card and replied, "My name is Florina, and I am your (reading from the card) 'vertically-challenged supernaturally-empowered female emergency caregiver'."
Andie reeled at the mouthful the miniature woman had just read. "Is that anything like a fairy godmother?" she asked.
The woman sighed as she tossed aside the tiny card. "Ah, life was so much easier before the King Fairy got on his 'political correctness' kick," she replied. The fairy floated to the head of the bed and continued, "I believe I heard you almost making a wish, my dear Andrea. Is there something I could grant you, child?"
Andie replied, "I didn't think I said anything! Not out loud, at least..."
"Oh, perhaps not, my dear," Florina replied. "But wishes have a voice of their own, and I heard yours loud and clear. Of course you might say my hearing is attuned to such things, whether they are spoken or not."
Andie stared at Florina. She had read fairy tales when she was younger, of course, but it had been years since she had believed in creatures such as fairies. This was all so corny! But if this little old lady was offering her wishes, Andie wasn't going to pass the opportunity by! "You mean I can wish for anything I want?" she asked.
"You may wish for anything you desire," Florina replied. "But remember, even magic has its limits. If you wish for something too great, I may have to place a limit on it for the request to be granted." The fairy godmother looked at Andie's comic book and suggested, "I see you like the Powerpuff Girls. Would you like to visit them and have an adventure with them?"
Andie's eyes grew wide. "I'd love to!" she exclaimed.
Florina held up her wand. "Then close your eyes," she said, "and in the blink of an eye you shall join them."
"Just a moment!" Andie said quickly. "As part of my wish, I want to be a Powerpuff Girl myself!"
Florina gave a little gasp. "Andrea, dear child," she said, "that is a very tall order! If I were to do that, I would indeed have to limit the wish to grant it at all! Are you certain this is what you want?"
Andie wasn't going to let the chance pass her by. It didn't matter if she could only stay a few hours, or even just one hour; it would be worth it to be a Powerpuff Girl, no matter how short her stay was. She turned on the charm as she said, "Oh, Florina, I want this so very badly! Please, dear fairy godmother, grant me this wish, I beg of you!" (Andie could barely stifle a laugh at the sheer hokey sound of her own request!)
Florina looked at her for a moment, and then smiled warmly. "I shall grant your wish as best I can, my dear," she said.
Andie gave a gleeful squeal. "Thank you! Thank you!" came her reply.
Florina raised her wand and said once again, "Now close your eyes, and in the blink of an eye your wish shall be granted!" Andie closed her eyes as Florina had told her to do. She heard a jingling, chime-like sound that she took to be the wand as Florina waved it. Suddenly, Andie felt as if she was spinning like a top! The world seemed to disappear around her as she lost all consciousness.