Magic Reindeer: A Christmas Wish (6 page)

Marie looked at the floor, horrified. She couldn’t believe her mum had just done that! Of course Chris would say no.

‘Yeah – sounds great! Thanks, Mrs Zaleski. That’s OK with you, isn’t it Marie?’ Chris asked.

‘Yes, of course.’ Marie felt a shy smile starting to spread across her face. ‘I hope they’ve got some honey cake. You’ll love it. And there’s this amazing milkshake…’

Later that day, as she lay on her bed reading a book of animal stories, Marie was still thinking about what a good time they’d all had. Starshine was beside her.

‘Can you believe it? Mum really liked Chris. She even asked him to drop into our house over the Christmas holiday. And he said he would!’

Starshine yawned and stretched out his little legs. ‘I like Chris too.’

Marie nodded slowly. Chris was much nicer outside school. For the first time, she wondered if she might have found another friend.

Chapter
SEVEN

Rehearsals for
A Christmas Wish
took place over the next week. Marie and the other kids playing lead roles worked hard at learning their lines and practising their songs.

‘I’m going to be on stage almost all the time. I hope I can remember everything,’ Marie whispered to Starshine. She reached out and stroked his soft white fur as he stood on her desk in his toy disguise.

His big chocolate-brown eyes sparkled at her. ‘You will be very good. I am looking forward to the play.’

Marie smiled fondly at her magical friend. ‘I’m a bit nervous, but I’m looking forward to it too!’

Shannon appeared beside her desk. ‘I can’t believe I lost the best part in the play to a kid who brings fluffy toys to school!’ she said with disgust. ‘And now she’s
talking
to it! How pathetic is that!’

‘There’s nothing wrong with liking soft toys.’ Marie put her arms round Starshine protectively.

‘Yeah – if you’re about four years old!’ Shannon’s lip curled as she stood there with her hands on her hips.

Before Marie could think of a reply, Chris called out. ‘I’ve got a teddy bear my mum bought me when I was a baby. So I guess that makes me pathetic too, doesn’t it?’ he said, flashing Marie one of his cheeky grins.

‘That’s, er, different. Everyone knows teddy bears are cool,’ Shannon said, flustered. ‘Anyway, why are you taking her side? I thought family was supposed to stick together. You’re
my
cousin – in case you’ve forgotten.’

‘I know that, but Marie’s new in class. There’s no need to pick on her,’ Chris said.

‘I’m not!’ Shannon snapped back sulkily. ‘What about
her
? She thinks she’s dead clever for pinching my part!’

‘Just leave it, Shannon,’ Chris said, rolling his eyes. He got up and sauntered across the room to a piece of cardboard shaped like a manger, which he was helping to paint.

‘Yeah! You’re right. She’s not worth it!’ Sticking her nose in the air, Shannon flounced after him.

Marie sat in stunned silence. Shannon and Chris were cousins? She hadn’t realized they were related because they had different surnames.

‘How stupid am I for even thinking that Chris wanted to be my friend?’ she whispered to Starshine. ‘He was just pretending to be interested in learning Polish, so he and Shannon could tease me even more!’

Starshine’s little ears drooped. ‘I did not think Chris was a mean person.’

Marie didn’t either, but she wasn’t sure any more. Feeling tears prick her eyes, she blinked them away angrily.
Who needs friends in class anyway
? she fumed silently.
She already had the best friend anyone could ever have in her magic little reindeer
.

Marie slipped out into the garden with Starshine that evening. White frost sparkled on a bush near the patio and their breath steamed in the cold air.

With an eager little snuffle Starshine turned back to his normal size, although he remained invisible. He reached out to nibble a couple of leaves from the bush.

‘It is very strange to live in a world without snow,’ he commented, chewing.

‘It was snowing when Mum and I left Poland,’ Marie said. ‘I hope we get some here. A white Christmas would be wonderful.’

‘I should be delivering presents all over the world with the other White Crystal Reindeer,’ Starshine said wistfully. He looked up into the night sky, which was dotted with millions of stars. Suddenly he stiffened.

Marie followed his gaze. There, spreading towards the horizon, was a trail of faintly glowing silver and gold hoof-prints.

‘My herd! They have been here!’ Starshine bleated excitedly.

She gasped. Did that mean that he would be leaving to go after them?

‘Are… are you going to try to catch up with Moonfleet, Dazzler and the others?’ she asked anxiously.

The young reindeer shook his head. ‘No. The trail is cold and already fading. But it proves they came this way. I will watch out for a fresh trail when they return. And then I may have to leave suddenly to follow them…’

‘Oh.’ Marie felt a sharp pang as she thought of how lonely she would be without him. He was still her only friend. She realized that she would never be ready to lose him. ‘You… you could stay here with me if you wanted to,’ she said hopefully.

Starshine shook his head, his beautiful chocolate-brown eyes softening with affection. ‘That is not possible. I must return to my family in Ice Mountain Castle. I hope you understand, Marie.’

Marie nodded sadly. She swallowed hard as she decided not to think about Starshine leaving. Instead, she promised herself that she was going to enjoy every single moment she had left with him.

Starshine bent his head and nuzzled her sleeve with his sensitive nose; a cloud of his warm sweet breath spread around her.

Marie put her arm round his neck and pressed her cheek to his fluffy warmth. ‘Let’s go inside to my cosy bedroom and snuggle up together. It’s freezing out here!’

Starshine nodded, his golden antlers gleaming in the moonlight.

The next few days at school passed in a flurry of activity. Marie made sure she kept out of Shannon and Chris’s way. But she caught Chris looking at her questioningly a few times. Once he started to come over to her, but she quickly walked away.

‘I wish I could trust him,’ she confided to Starshine as they sat at her desk later. ‘But he’s probably laughing about me behind my back with Shannon. They’re always whispering together.’

‘I do not think Chris would do that,’ Starshine said. ‘Please do not be sad, Marie.’

‘Oh, I’m OK. I’m just a bit fed up, that’s all,’ she admitted. ‘I’d started to quite like Chris.’

‘You need something to cheer you up!’ Starshine decided, his eyes shining. ‘I have an idea! You were happy when you ate cake with your mum and Chris in that shop.’ His mouth curved as he showed his strong young teeth in an eager smile.

Marie felt a familiar prickling at the back of her neck. ‘Remember what we agreed about you being careful with your magic,’ she whispered warningly.

But it was too late. The snow-globe round his neck began to glow and there was a bright flash, and a fountain of bright gold and silver sparks covered the empty chair beside her.

‘Oh!’ Marie blinked, rubbing her eyes as she noticed there was a big box full of delicious-looking fairy cakes on the seat.

Starshine looked pleased with himself. ‘Now you can share these with everyone and have a good time!’

‘Wow! These are gorgeous!’ Marie felt relieved that, this time, Starshine didn’t appear to have done anything too dramatic. She eyed the yummy cakes. They had frilly paper cases and pink, yellow or white icing with glittering rainbow-coloured sprinkles.

She picked up the box and took it over to the teacher. ‘I brought these for everyone to share. Would you like a cake, Mr Roberts?’

The teacher’s face lit up. ‘That’s extremely kind of you, Marie. They look delicious.’ He took a bite. ‘Mmm, interesting flavour. Lemon and… is that sausage-flavour icing? Did you make them yourself?’

‘Er… yes,’ Marie fibbed hastily, hiding her surprise at the oddly flavoured cake. She hurried across the classroom and offered the cakes to a group of kids who were painting scenery.

As kids helped themselves and began eating there was a ripple of excitement. ‘Cool! Mine’s banana with tomato-sauce-flavour icing!’

‘Try a bit of this one! It’s cucumber with chocolate!’

Marie smiled. As usual, Starshine had meant well, but in his enthusiasm he’d managed to muddle up his magic! Luckily, everyone was having great fun sampling the weird flavours.

By the time Marie worked her way round to Chris and Shannon there were only three cakes left. Two ordinary-sized ones and a really large luscious one with extra rainbow sprinkles. Marie frowned. She was sure that the extra-big cake hadn’t been there earlier.

Glancing across at Starshine, she noticed that he wore a mischievous expression.
What’s he up to now?
she wondered.

‘Thanks for bringing these in,’ Chris said, smiling at Marie. ‘I hope they’re as good as that honey cake we had the other day with your mum.’