Chapter 1

The Job Offer

Professor Valerie Frizzle was very excited. She had just received a rather exciting email. She stared at it for a few short seconds as it looked very different to any other email she ever received. The Professor closed her eyes and went on to click to view it "Please be a yes, please be a yes" the Professor whispered to herself with her left-hand fingers crossed. Valerie was one of those people who gets excited about anything no matter how good or bad the outcome was.

1 Week ago, she had gone for a job interview with a rather unusual college. It had a magical vibe to it which she really was keen to explore. She was a woman of many talents one being teaching. She also loved to learn and exploring. How did she end up with a job interview at this school? Well, there are a few things you need to know about Professor Valerie Frizzle. She was no ordinary woman…..

Born and raised in the USA into the Frizzle family who loved and supported her in anything she chose to do. The Frizzle family were fun, exciting, hardworking, inventive & talented family. All bearing heads of red hair frizzy or straight. That's properly who they got their last name! Though Valerie was very independent she loved to share her ideas and quirkiness with others especially to kids and teens. Before she become a Professor (PHD) she was an elementary school teacher. Science being her best subject. She made sure that her students received the best education and would always manage to somehow know what they are thinking. She didn't like to snoop but it helped her to see if the kids were struggling with something, so she knew when to step in to help them. Valerie even dressed for the occasion bearing dresses with pictures of what the class was studying along with matching earrings that sometimes lit up and even shoes! Her students would often comment on her fashion sense saying it's weird, crazy, outrageous but she didn't care. She loved her sense of fashion but one other thing she was known for as a teacher was there was always something magical about her. Valerie would take her students on field trips, but not ordinary field trips like to the museum or to the zoo. Hers were a lot more deep but still educational. She would be the person behind the wheel of the school bus with the class pet lizard and best friend "Liz". When the class would get on the school bus after she would summon them to get onboard "To the Bus" she would say and they were all go single file excited to see what adventure was install for them. The kids would often comment how the bus's front head lights and bumper would often resemble a face. She would then often operate the bus by driving, pulling a lever or pressing a button after saying out oud her well known catchphrase "Take chances, make mistakes and get messy!" and magical things would start to happen. That bus was not ordinary, somehow it was a magical bus that would become anything you could ever dreamt of, shrink into the size of an atom and even time travelled. A proud top-secret invention by Valerie herself with the help of her younger sister Fiona Frizzle and a few members of the Frizzle family. Though she had a few friends who knew about the Magic School Bus and what it could do.

She had been studying to become a professor secretly during her few last years of elementary school teaching. Finally, with all the hard work achieved she had the opportunity to become one, which happened one summer break. Valerie had to make a sad goodbye to her class, but she knew that they would be in the good hands of her sister. Leaving the Magic School Bus and Liz behind for more adventures.

She and her new pet Goldie the Golden Lion Tamarin Monkey were now on their next adventure. The pair had been exploring new worlds beyond our Earth finding that there are a lot more worlds in the universe than we already know. One of course she stumbled on accidently and next thing she knew she was applying for a job in this new world.

Now then about this new world she managed to find. She was exploring one day with the help of her magic motorcycle on Earth in the Amazon Forest and were she stumbled across some winged creatures. Can you guess what they were? Yes fairies! Valerie was exploring when she heard some rusting and chatting. She hid in amongst some trees and got worried about seeing 7 young adult females all dressed in camping gear wandering around the forest. She was a little concerned as she was unable to see an older adult. Valerie turned towards Goldie who had climbed up a tree for a better view "Good idea Goldie!" she whispered to the monkey as she climbed up the tree too. She managed to place herself on to a branch with Goldie and got out her binoculars "They will not know we are up here" she said to Goldie who was also looking down at the girls. "Cannot hear what they are saying through, better get out my Magic Sound-A-Phone!" Valerie said with excitement as this was the first time, she got to use the device. Foraging in one of her pockets she pulled out a horn looking device that suddenly magically grew. How? She was never one to reveal her secrets. Valerie turned on a green button on the Sound-A-Phone and placed it towards her ear "Ah that's better!" she said. Goldie wanted to listen too she placed herself on to Valerie's lap for closer listen.

They both listened and managed to pick out a few things that they were saying. Valerie's ears pricked up when she heard Alfea and Head Mistress Fara-something "Hmmm they sound like they are from a school of some sort" she whispered to Goldie. Suddenly they both heard one of the girls scream out what sounded like "Winx Believix!". "Winx Believix, what's that?" Valerie wondered, then in a few short seconds there was a rainbow of light coming from where the girls were standing. The light was so bright that it caused her eyes to squint. She could sense there was some magic-ness to it that she wanted to explore it more but before she knew it the light had disappeared "Oh, well that didn't last long". Valerie then went to look upon the girls to see if they were ok however something amazing had happened. She had to take a double look "Cannot be possible…this cannot be possible Goldie!" she stated to the monkey. They had changed! From what she could see all 7 girls were now wearing different outfits, had new hairstyles and…..wings! "No certainly not they cannot be fairies" she whispered to herself, as soon as she said that the girls leaped off from the ground and stated to fly off "Have you just seen what I have seen Goldie? Fairies are real!" she told Goldie with an excited voice almost falling out of the tree. When they disappeared out of site, she climbed down from the tree with Goldie on her back and walked back to her motorcycle. The motorcycle wasn't too far from where those girls were. She wanted to follow them, but she then could hear her phone ringing "Oh dang!" so she attended to the call. Upon sitting on the bike, she found same sparkly dust on the dashboard. It was her sister Fiona wondering when she was going to be home. She gathered some of the dust and popped it into a zip-lock bag to study it.

Valerie returned home that day with magical transportation and started research on fairies, Alfea and Head Mistress Fara-something, nothing was coming up. After a few weeks, she flicked on the news. Those girls that she saw in the Amazon were now famous real live fairies and they were getting the whole world to believe in them "Well I believed the first time I saw them!" she stated to herself. They called themselves the Winx. Valerie decided to so a few more tests on the sparkly dust she found on her bike. She lightly dusted some dust on a glass shard "What are you?" she asked it as if it could talk. Valerie even used some magic from her Magic Motorbike and the Magic School Bus to find out what it was but no luck. "Thank you for trying Bike!" she said as she thanked the vehicle, who she treated like a human being "Oh I wish I knew that this dust was, it looks like fairy dust but also find out what Alfea is and who this Fara-something is". Suddenly the dust started to sparkle more and a bright vortex like light started to around Valerie "Is this your doing Bike?" she asked the magical bike. The expression on the bikes face was clueless as it was trying to tell her that it had nothing to do with it. Goldie quickly jumped onto Valerie's shoulder "Well Goldie, think we are going for a ride!". The magical vortex seemed to be taking Valerie and Goldie somewhere but where? "Hold on tight to me Goldie" Valerie asked the monkey. "Wahoo!".

From that day on everything had changed, she, Goldie and her magic bike were transported to a mysterious forest that that a beautiful looking building in the middle of it. It was pink and blue with large towers, that looked very much like a castle. She wanted to get a closer look before suddenly she was interrupted by a small flying creature "Oh!" it looked like a mini seahorse with wings "What a cute little creature!" she said. Valerie wanted to the try and catch it before she looked up into the sky and saw bigger flying objects "Fairies? Now I must be dreaming! Have I been transported to fairy-land ha ha!" she said as she chuckled. She observed and they looked very much like those Winx fairies she saw in the Amazon. Goldie who was still hanging on to her owner saw them too and signalled that they should go and investigate. "Good Idea Goldie" she said to the Monkey as she got out a Porter-Shrinker (where she was keeping it remains a mystery) and shrunk the motorbike. She then popped it into one of her hidden pockets. Goldie was worried that Valerie was going to shrink her too as she hated being shrunk but thankfully Valerie didn't "Just remain on my shoulder Goldie, that's a good girl" Valerie said as she tickled the monkey under her chin.

They walked closer to the building and could see young teenage girls around as well as a few older looking adults. One even looked like a small leprechaun "Ok, I must be dreaming" Valerie mumbled. They came to a beautiful looking gate that was shaped like fairy wings and noticed a sign outside "Alfea College for Fairies", "Goldie! I think we have found what Alfea is….its a school for fairies!" she happily shouted to Goldie who almost fell off her shoulder. All Valerie wanted to do now is explore that school that she had found but was unsure they allowed visitors. The gate opened which made her jump and some girls who must have been the students were entering in. She made a step forward and was amazed by her new surroundings. It wasn't long until she came across a tall looking woman with short brown hair with triangle shaped glasses holding a clipboard "Excuse me my I help you? Are you here for a tour of the school?" she asked. Valerie was confused at first as she knowingly wasn't here for a tour although she would have loved too "I'm so sorry my name is Valerie Frizzle and we think we're lost!" Valerie said with open honesty. "Oh really?" the woman said sliding her glasses down her nose taking a good look at her "Are you a magical creature?", "I'm sorry, I beg your pardon?" Valerie answered stunned. The woman continued to stare at Valerie until Valerie delivered an answer "Well you must be since you got through the barrier" the woman said. Valerie was confused "Barrier?" she asked in confusion. Suddenly another woman appeared behind the glasses wearing women with updo grey-white hair also wearing glasses "Oh Griselda, who do we have here?" she asked happily. "I'm sorry Headmistress, we were just getting to the bottom of it, her name is Valerie" Griselda answered. Valerie lit up as she was honoured to meet the Head Mistress of this school and immediately introduced herself in a honest manner raising her hand for a handshake "It's an honour to meet you Head Mistress and Griselda, my name is Valerie Frizzle and I'm an Independent Research Professor PHD from Earth and I'm not sure how my pet monkey Goldie and I got here!". The Headmistress introduced herself as Faragonda and explained that Griselda was Deputy Headmistress and Head of Discipline. Faragonda seemed fascinated by Valerie and asked her to come to her office. They spoke for a long time and Faragonda was willing to help Valerie return home. Valerie told Faragonda about seeing the Winx while exploring the Amazon Forest and that she has been fascinated by fairies ever since. Faragonda also loved the idea that Valerie was a professor "So you say that you found some dust and the next thing you know you and your pet monkey ended up here?" she asked "Yes ma'am, but I will be honest with you I'm not a magic creature as your colleague tried to ask me" Valerie answered. Faragonda got up from her chair and went to the window "So your human but I detect that you have some magic within you?" she asked Valerie. Valerie smiled and Faragonda noticed that her earth shaped earrings suddenly glowed "How did you do that?" Faragonda asked "Let me show you, let me show you my magic" Valerie told the Headmistress.

Coming back to the present Valerie remembers that day very well, she was even magically returned home along with Goldie. It wasn't long until she was called back in for a job interview which she hoped she aced. She remembers wearing a plan violet long sleeved dress with a black blazer with a brooch of a colourful dragonfly given to her by her mother along with a pair of black heels and small dragonfly dangly earrings. She hated wearing black but since it was a job interview, she wanted to look professional. Now it was either make or break as she stared at her laptop computer screen. Goldie climbed up onto one of her shoulders and nuzzled her owner "Yes Goldie, I think its time too" Valerie said lovingly to her pet monkey. She took a deep breath and opened the email with a double click and began to read:

Dear Valerie,

We are delighted to inform you that you have been accepted to become our Professor of Human Science here at Alfea College for Fairies.

We hope that you accept this job offer as an experience of a live time as you will be the first ever human to have taught here at Alfea.

Your enthusiasm, & passion, personality and knowledge will be a grand addition to our teaching staff.

Here at Alfea we also like to encourage our staff to learn about anything they wish to know about anything in our world of the Magical Dimension and to grow.

You will be expected to start teaching on the first day of term in 2 week's time beginning the new school year. You will also be offered a room to stay in free of charge during the school year. All staff are to come a few days prior to settle in before class start.

We look forward to hearing back and hope that you accept this wonderful offer.

Yours Sincerely

Head Mistress Faragonda

"Oh my goodness! This is wonderful news Goldie!" Valerie said to the monkey excitably. Valerie felt she didn't have time to lose but to accept the job as she missed teaching. She had spoken to her sister Fiona who immediately agreed that it would be an opportunity of a lifetime, but she would miss her older sister. It also took a bit of convincing to Fiona that fairies were real along with other magical creatures. Valerie went to email back the Head Mistress to happily accept the job offer and then let out a deep breath out as her earrings now question marks glowed. She then looked out a nearby window at her magical motorbike and winked at it. The motorbike winked back somehow knowing that a new adventure was upon them.

Hope you have enjoyed this first chapter. I hope to add more chapters soon.