Pumpkin Patch Princess

CHAPTER TWO: Visiting Valentine

I stopped to say hello to Miss Jenkins, who had worked at the library for as long as I could remember.

"Is your dad coming in anytime soon?" she asked. "We just got a new book with the craziest pumpkin recipes you ever saw."

"Thanks, but he's been so busy, he hasn't even had time to read the Gabby Goblin. And you know how he loves tabloids."

She chuckled. "I've been busy, too. My sister lives in Irisia half the year, so whenever she's here, we spend a lot of time together. She was supposed to stay another week, but it looks like she has to head back early. It seems C.A.F.E. can't do without her."

My ears perked up. "Your sister works at C.A.F.E.?"

Miss Jenkins beamed. "She's the assistant to Madam Anastasia Wandwood, the Head of the Council herself."

"I'm considering an internship there," I said casually.

"How fortunate! Did you see the new flier?"

"I did." I was about to take it from my pocket, but scratched my nose instead when I saw movement in the shelves. No need to reveal that I had stolen the ad in case the Snapp-dragon was lurking. "I'm thinking about writing to them for an application."

"There's no need! My sister's got a stack of them at her place." The librarian scribbled down an address. "Drop in and ask for one. But how do your parents feel about this?"

I had nearly forgotten about Mom and Dad. "I . . . haven't really told them yet."

She clucked her tongue. "Well, at least go and learn more about the job first."

The slip of paper she gave me said 111 Bluebell Lane, which was quite a distance away. But if I walked fast, I could be there and back within the hour.

I headed east out of town, where the cobblestones cut through a sea of bright yellow corn. A long, hot walk meant I would have plenty of time to think about what I was doing.

Was it selfish of me to want to see more of the world? Everyone I knew had been to other kingdoms in Finale. I had never even set foot on the borders of Indigo. Every time I suggested a vacation, Mom and Dad had excuses at the ready.

"We're too busy, honey," Dad would say.

"It's the most important time of year for sales," Mom would add. And when I pointed out that she said that all year long, she would just hand me another shoe to polish.

Well, now I'm sixteen, sick of Indigo, and old enough to do something about it, I thought.

In Finale, kids started school at age four and learned all the basics (from math and history to elementary magic) before graduating at sixteen. This summer, everyone my age was applying to internships, trade schools, and universities, and in a short while, most would be on track to start a career.

So what I wanted wasn't all that strange, really. And, I reasoned, even if I did apply to C.A.F.E., there was no guarantee that I'd get in. I imagined thousands of other kids vying for the chance to orchestrate the next royal wedding of the century.

Feeling better, I emerged onto a hilltop and gazed down at the cottages clustered at the bottom. On the horizon, I could see the silvery turrets of Indigo Castle, home to our monarch, Queen Ingrid, and her daughter, Princess Octavia. Once upon a time, I had dreamed of being a princess. But that had changed when I found out how nasty and spoiled Octavia was. I crossed my fingers that other princesses would be different, since making them happy would be my job if I landed this internship.

Down in the village, everyone went about their daily lives without a second glance at me. In front of one house, two giggling boys were giving their puppy some water. I wondered what was so funny until the puppy yelped and began flying into the air. The children went into hysterics, each grabbing a furry little leg to keep it from floating away.