The Secret of the Scarlet Stone (A Gabby Girls Adventure Novel, Book One) (3 page)

This was a fact that she could live with very happily; after all, back in the day, her grandmother was a well-renowned ballerina in one of the most famous companies in the country. She traded in her ballet shoes many years ago and was now the owner and director of a major New York ballet company that was recently hailed as one of the world’s best.
 

Grandma Celeste smiled. “Oh, stop being such a kiss-up and go eat your breakfast,” she joked, pulling playfully on the cherry lollipops that stuck out from the top of Gabrielle’s ponytails. “But before you go, let me see how good you look in your uniform.”

Gabrielle scrunched up her face as if she were in pain. “Oh, please. I look absolutely awful in this uniform!” she wailed loudly.

Grandma Celeste smiled as her brown eyes looked at Gabrielle in her crisp, pleated caramel-colored skirt, stiff beige blouse, and dark gold cardigan. “Oh, just stop complaining! You look like a respectable young lady for once.”
 

She gently ran her wrinkled fingers across the large ornate beige and gold emblem that was stitched onto the cardigan. “Oh, my goodness, this brings back so many good memories of my days at
Vineswell
Academy. What I wouldn’t give to be a young
Vineswell
girl again,” she exclaimed wistfully. “But most importantly, I’m so happy to see you in something other than those awful tight blue jeans. I mean, those jeans are so tight, you can barely bend your knees in them. And for the life of me, I can’t figure out why you insist on wearing them practically every day. You have a closet full of clothes and you wear those horrible jeans every single day.”

She looked at Gabrielle suspiciously. “Young lady, I hope you didn’t pack them,” she scolded.

Gabrielle poked out her lips sourly. “But, Grandma, they’re my lucky jeans. Besides, you know this uniform is just not my style. I mean, look at me. I look like a preppy nerd,” she complained.

“Now what in the world would make you think those dreadful jeans are lucky?” her grandmother asked.

Gabrielle rolled her eyes with exasperation. “Because I was wearing them when I was picked as the principal dancer for only the biggest dance recital of the year,” she boasted loudly.

“Give me a break! Luck had nothing to do with it. You were picked as the principal dancer because you just happen to be very talented, just like your mother and me, I might add,” Grandmother Celeste boasted.

“Oh, Grandma, stop giving me such a hard time.”

“Oh, Gabi, stop being such a big whiner,” she mocked playfully. “Besides, you’re just angry because for once in your life, you actually look like a girl instead of a messy tomboy.
Now, no more yapping.
Just go eat your breakfast. It’s probably cold by now.”

Gabrielle reluctantly walked away then abruptly turned around with a puzzled look on her face. “Grandma Celeste, can you answer one question for me?”

Grandma Celeste’s soft brown eyes narrowed curiously.
“Of course, Gabi…anything.”

“How do you always know what I’m going to do, sometimes even before I make up my mind to do it?” Gabrielle asked quickly.

Grandma Celeste’s eyes twinkled mysteriously. “Whatever do you mean?”

“Like, when I’m about to slide down the banister. I mean, you’re always in another room or in another side of the house, but somehow you always know when I’m about to slide down. For the life of me, I just can’t figure out how.”

Grandma Celeste chuckled loudly. “Well, that’s such an easy question to answer. It’s my gift, Gabi—the
gift to see exactly what you plan to do even before you think
about doing it.”

Gabrielle gave her a puzzled stare. “Huh?
Gift?
Oh, Grandma Celeste, stop kidding me.”

“Ah, but it’s true,” her grandmother responded mysteriously.

Gabrielle’s face scrunched with puzzlement. “But I don’t under—,” she blurted out.

The old woman placed a finger across Gabrielle’s lips to silence her. “For now, no more questions on that subject. It’s your job to figure it out. Now, run along. Mrs. Downey has made your favorite breakfast and she’ll be spitting mad if you let it get cold.”

Gabrielle gave her a long stare. “But I still don’t understand.”

Grandma Celeste smiled knowingly, gently shoving her toward the dining room.
 

Gabrielle huffed with frustration, ultimately shrugging her shoulders in defeat as she ran into the dining room.

Once in, she skipped over to the huge oval oak table, scraping the heavy oak chair loudly against the wood floor as she hurriedly pulled it out. Plopping down into the chair, she smacked her lips hungrily as she looked at the steaming plate in front of her. On the plate was a pancake with a smiley face made from strawberries and whipped cream, with raisins as eyes.

“Yummy…
I’m absolutely loving
it,” Gabrielle exclaimed happily. She grabbed her fork and dug eagerly into the pancake, chomping loudly.

Minutes later, she popped the last delicious morsel into her mouth. Yanking the crisp, white napkin from her lap, she wiped her lips.

Mrs. Downey, a pleasantly plump, dark-eyed woman, hurried through the open door of the dining room. She smiled warmly as she gestured towards Gabrielle’s now-empty plate.

“So, Miss Gabi, I can see from your clean plate that you enjoyed your breakfast,” Mrs. Downey chirped happily.

“Yes, thank you, Mrs. Downey. You’re absolutely the best,” Gabrielle exclaimed. “I’m sure going to miss eating your pancakes.”

The woman walked over, fondly fluffing Gabrielle’s ponytails. “Excuse me, young lady. Is that all you’re going to miss around here?” she asked with mock anger.

Gabrielle giggled loudly. “Well, of course I’m going to miss you, too.”

Mrs. Downey placed her hands on her ample hips, scrunching her face mischievously. “Well, that’s better. Now, run along…as usual I have to clean up the mess that you’ve made.”

The heavy chair scraped loudly as Gabrielle pushed back and jumped up. She wistfully looked over at Mrs. Downey. “I’m really going to miss you, Mrs. Downey,” she said sadly as she wrapped her arms around the woman’s ample waist.

Mrs. Downey’s dark eyes misted over with tears. She sniffed sadly as she reached down and hugged Gabrielle tightly. “I’m going to miss you, too, Miss Gabi.” Then she hurriedly
unwrapped
her arms and gently tugged at the lollipops stuck in Gabrielle’s ponytails. “Now, run along, Miss Gabi. You have a very long journey ahead of you.”

Gabrielle smiled up at her and skipped out of the dining room. She walked down the hallway and quietly pushed open the heavy oak door that led to the den.

Quietly, she walked over to the large black piano nestled in the corner, smiling as she looked lovingly at the framed photos that lined it. Adoringly, she touched each photo one by one, finally picking up the one of Grandma Celeste.

Gabrielle’s lips curled into a large smile as she looked at the well-worn photo of Grandma Celeste as a young ballerina. She just loved the way her thick, long black hair and sky-blue skirt billowed around her body gracefully as she spun around in a tight circle. Gabrielle gently placed the picture down and lightly ran her fingers over the photo of her mother as a young girl.

Her mother’s hazel-colored eyes sparkled brightly as she defiantly stuck out her tongue at the camera, all while her honey-toned arms playfully hugged the four other girls in the photo.

Gabrielle quickly spun around when she heard the familiar clicking of Grandma Celeste’s cane hitting the floor. Grandma Celeste’s eyes twinkled as she walked over to Gabrielle and glanced knowingly at the photo she had clutched in her hand.

“Look at her. You two look so much alike, it’s like you’re twins,” Grandma Celeste boasted proudly as she pinched Gabrielle’s cheek. “But she was also a handful, just like you, even down to that rebellious, stubborn attitude.”

Gabrielle smiled proudly. “My mother was not rebellious; she was just a girl with a vision that absolutely didn’t include being a follower.”

Grandma Celeste chuckled. “Yeah, yeah, yeah…call it what you want, but I know what two smart-alecks with an attitude look like,” she stated matter-of-factly.

Suddenly, she stared into space, her thoughts seeming far away. “But one day, things changed and she had to grow up very quickly…and, someday, so will you.”

“But I’m already grown-up, Grandma Celeste,” Gabrielle declared as she gently placed the photo back onto the piano and walked over to the large cushy couch, plopping down with a happy sigh. She pulled out a lollipop from her pocket and eagerly tore off the wrapper.

Grandma Celeste smiled as she watched Gabrielle sloppily licking the lollipop.
“Really?
So, I’ve got a grown woman on my hands?” she asked jokingly. Her cane clicked softly as she walked over to the couch. Reaching into the pocket of her jacket, she pulled out a beautiful gold and enamel box, slowly handing it over to Gabrielle.

“This is for you.”

Fiona strolled into the room, jumped onto the couch, and meowed delightfully.

Gabrielle smiled widely.
“A gift for me?
Thanks, Grandma,” she screamed happily as she grabbed the small box and hurriedly opened it.

Her eyes widened with surprise as she stared dumbstruck at the large pendant attached to a gold necklace that was carefully nestled inside. Mesmerized, she ran her finger across the sparkling, bright, blood-red stones set in the pendant. Out of nowhere, a sharp shock tickled the tip of her finger and she quickly pulled it away.

Grandma Celeste’s soft brown eyes twinkled mysteriously as she touched Gabrielle’s hair. “Is something wrong, Gabi?”

“Uh, no, it’s just so beautiful,” Gabrielle replied nervously.

 
Cautiously, she pulled the necklace from the box, watching as it swayed back and forth from her fingers. Suddenly her face lit up with excitement as she pointed to the sparkling scarlet-colored pendant that hung around Grandma Celeste’s neck.

“This pendant looks a lot like yours. What do you call these stones, anyway?”

Grandma Celeste smiled. “The stones are genuine rubies; in fact, the pendant that I gave you once belonged to your mother,” she said proudly. “I gave it to her when she was about your age and now it’s all yours.” She gently took the necklace from Gabrielle’s fingers, unhooked it, and placed it lovingly around Gabrielle’s neck.

With fascination, Gabrielle looked down, examining the strange scarlet pendant that lay against her chest. Her eyes narrowed to look at the intricate design of the gold circle encrusted with five rubies: a huge ruby in the center and four smaller ones encircling it.

“Uh, Grandma Celeste, there’s something awfully weird about this pendant. I mean, what are these strange symbols under the rubies?”

Grandma Celeste smiled mysteriously. “Be patient, Gabi. It will all reveal itself in time. But in the meantime, I want you to promise me one thing.”

Gabrielle looked at her eagerly.
“Anything.”

Grandma Celeste softly touched her granddaughter’s face. “Just promise me that you will never, ever take off your pendant.”

Gabrielle gave her a puzzled look. “But why can’t I take it off?”

“Because someday it just might be a guiding light in your darkest moment.”

Gabrielle hugged her tightly. “As usual, I don’t really understand what that means, but I do promise you that I won’t ever take it off. I will treasure it forever.”

“That’s my Gabi,” Grandma Celeste chirped happily as she touched Gabrielle’s hair. “Okay, now run along. We don’t want to be late. And make sure that Richard has put your luggage in the car.”

Hours later, Gabrielle sat nervously in the backseat of a black car. She smiled sadly as she looked at the large oak tree that she spent many summers climbing.