Chapter 1: Help Me I Can't Swim!
"A raft? That's it! We'll take the raft. And when the whale opens his mouth…" - Pinocchio
The night was dark, the smell of sea salt filled the air, and had a freezing chill. It was a powerful storm. A storm she had never seen before. A girl with fair skin, long curly dark brown hair, and light blue eyes struggles to stay afloat. She gasps for air; only to end up with more water in her mouth during the process. She felt water going into her ears and nose, and the salt burned her eyes. She frantically moved her arms hoping she would find something to grab onto while the water came rushing.
She began to think about her father. She wondered if this was how he felt while he was saving his father. The unpredictability of the waves splashing on him with great force. The desperate search of getting back on shore. Last, that dreadful feeling of death slowly closing in on you. At least there wasn't a giant whale. But who needs one with a storm as powerful as this? Facing a whale didn't sound too bad.
She felt herself getting lifted by something that looked like a sea witch's tentacle. The teal colored tail placed the girl on the raft. The tail then disappeared and a girl with long teal hair, dark skin, and bright blue eyes surfaced. The girl coughed and shivered.
"You saved me…" She smiled at her.
"Of course...you're my friend...I love you." The girl with teal hair gave a smile back.
In her dorm, an alarm rang louder than the clocks in her grandfather's shop. Puppetta jumps out of her bed from the noise. She turned to the clock and sighed. It was just a nightmare. Or a dream. She couldn't tell yet. She's been having the same one for a few nights now; and every time she thought she had it figured out, the alarm would ring.
Puppetta turns off the alarm. She looked at the time, it was early in the morning. She had plenty of time before getting ready for class. She went over to her desk and saw a brown journal embossed with gold edges and a fancy red bookmark attached to it. It was a gift from her father. She hasn't written in it yet. She didn't see how writing would help. But it was early in the morning, and she had nothing else better to do, so she went over to her bed, sat crisscrossed, and turned to the first page. She didn't have anyone to talk to about the dream. Why not write about it?
Dear Diary, My name is Puppetta. I'm from Villaggio. I am Pinocchio's daughter. My mother's name is Twinkle. I have two brothers and one sister. My older brother is named Pinoke; he goes to Auradon University. I have a brother named Pin. He's the same year as I am at Auradon Prep, and I have a baby sister named Geppetta. She's named after my grandfather Geppetto.
I am fifteen years old. I have fair skin, blue eyes, and curly dark brown hair. My go-to outfit is a yellow blouse, a red miniskirt, and brown wedges. I like flowers, rainbows, and horses, including unicorns. I think puppies and kittens are cute too. I have a cat named Fiona. She's one of Figaro's kittens.
I love spaghetti and meatballs, ravioli, lasagna, and soft and chewy cookies. Especially if they are chocolate chip cookies or snickerdoodles. I have a collection of buttons, fabric scraps, and threads of many colors. I use them to make clothes for my dolls. I make my dolls out of wood. I get wood from the enchanted forest. I look for loose logs that I can carry. It's so relaxing walking through that forest. I heard rumors that a forest dragon lives there. I have never seen it.
I hate mornings and bullies. I hate mornings because I have to get up and go to class and face the bullies. I don't know why people bully me. Well, one reason might be that I'm not a princess. Another reason is that I'm cursed. If I tell a lie my nose will grow. Since I'm not made of wood, it can be quite painful, and it bleeds a little. One time I had forgotten to do my homework and didn't bring it to class. The teacher asked me where it was and I slipped and said I lost it. Everyone saw and laughed about my nose growing. Ever since that incident, students would place false noses in my purse, backpack, on my desk, or slip drawings of long noses in my locker. I was even grabbed and had a false nose placed on my nose. If I'm not being ignored, I'm being made fun of. Pin gets bullied sometimes too. But at least his nose doesn't grow. Why am I cursed? Am I supposed to find my true love and get kissed by him then the curse goes away? Like that is ever going to happen.
The two people who bully me the most are; Chad Charming's sister, Cindy Charming; and Audrey's sister, Andrea. I hate girls like them. They think they're so perfect, and like to put down others just to feel good about themselves. Chad and Audrey bully me sometimes too. Cindy runs a website called The Glass Slipper. It talks about crazy news. News that Snow White would be afraid to report.
Pinoke sent me a music box he made. Inside the box had unicorn earrings. He sent it to cheer me up when I told him about the bullying. I don't talk to him as much as I used to. He spends most of his time studying and helping dad at his shop. Even though my grandfather isn't around anymore, it's still called Geppetto's Workshop. Pinoke goes to Auradon University. I want to go there when I graduate from Auradon Prep.
One time I went to visit for a tour and a bunch of girls came to me asking what Pinoke liked. Apparently a lot of girls fawn over him. My father likes to mess with him by asking when he's going to get married and have children. Pinoke likes to make stuff like music boxes, figurines and toys. Crafting runs in our family.
My father plans on leaving the shop to Pinoke when he's gone. Pinoke is best friends with Doc's son Dimitri and Milo's and Kida's son Miles. Pinoke and Dimitri have been friends since their Auradon Prep years, and they recently met Miles at Auradon University.
I have a crush on King Eugene's and Queen Rapunzel's son Finn. We met in art club. He said "hi" to me one time. We talked a little bit. He did hug me a few times. I couldn't believe someone who acknowledge by existence and didn't make fun of me; and a prince of all people! I don't know if he likes me the same way. He's a prince, and I'm just a village girl. Plus I'm sure lots of girls like him, and he probably has a girlfriend...Pin and I were friends with Jiminy's and Blue Fairy's children Jimmy and Jenny Cricket. since we were little. I write letters to Luca's and Alberto's daughter Alberta. She has such an interesting story. I might write about it later. She goes to a school in Genova. I visit her every summer in Portorosso.
I fear water. My father used to tell me stories about how he saved my grandfather from Monstro the whale. I can't imagine how my father faced him with such bravery. I obviously don't have it. Every time I go to the enchanted lake I start breathing rapidly. Just seeing the water gives me anxiety. I don't think I'll ever get over my fear. Alberta tries to help me sometimes, but I can never stop freaking out when we're even a little away from the shore. Alberta gets beautiful scales whenever she touches water. It's this orange, yellow, and slightly pink color. She looks like a shimmering sunset. I wish I was a sea monster. Then I wouldn't be afraid of water.
Speaking of sea monsters, I've been having dreams where I'm drowning somewhere, but I get saved by this sea witch. When she comes out of the water her human form has brown skin; blue eyes, and her hair is the same color as her tentacles; teal. She's so beautiful. She looks like she's about the same age as me, but I never saw her at school. Maybe she goes to a different one? I think I'm friends with her. She gives me a friendly smile after she saves me. But how can you be friends with someone you never saw before? I wish I knew the girl's name. But the dream doesn't last long.
Last, I do not like Mal. She had placed a false nose on Pin as a joke. There's also the fact that she's now going to be the future queen of Auradon by spelling Ben. She knew he was dating Audrey but she spelled him so she can have power. Yet we're supposed to act like it's the greatest love story ever? Of course, I'm not on Audrey's side either. I see it as a story where everyone is the villain. Puppetta looked at the clock. It was time to get ready for class.