Faire Exchange: Chapter 2

Zoe meets the new girl

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What was the new kid's favorite sport? That's what Zoe wanted to know. She was in Ms. Ivory's class instead of Mrs. Horn's, so she couldn't ask until the girls went to gym class.

Zoe's favorite sport was soccer. She played on the school team, read magazines about it, watched games online. She'd heard there was a new professional club in town that played in the stadium on the southside, and couldn't wait to check it out. Her older sister and little brother were obsessed with American football, especially the rivalry between the Tide and UT, but there were so many starts and stops and so many obscure rules. It had nowhere near the elegance of soccer.

When Mrs. Horn arrived at her classroom with the new kid, everyone in Zoe's class cluttered around the door for a look. Zoe was at the back of the crowd, so she couldn't see too clearly. What were they talking about? Ears? Purple? Cape? Zoe still didn't even know what country the new kid was from. Did she show up in some kind of cultural costume? As for the ears, she'd seen adults around town who'd stretched their earlobes out with those loop things. Did they let children do that where the new kid was from?

Ms. Ivory called the kids back to their seats and started English class. Everybody seemed as confused by what they saw as Zoe was to hear about it. Ms. Ivory seemed to want to move on altogether, as if a girl in a cape and stretched earlobes was something totally common and expected.

Zoe tapped Marta's shoulder. "What's she look like?"

"I don't know… like… somebody out of Lord of the Rings."

The picture in Zoe's mind cracked. A hobbit with ear loops? "What do you—"

"Girls, be quiet," Ms. Ivory said. "Everybody get out your copies of Mixed-Up Files, and we'll start reading together."

So Zoe had to wait. She'd find the new kid, and by the end of the day they'd be the best of friends. Poor girl was probably pretty lonely out here.

Then finally, they let out for gym, and Zoe grabbed her bag as fast as she could.

The first thing she saw in the hall wasn't the new kid, but the rest of the girls in Mrs. Horn's class. They all had sunken, exhausted faces, and walked with dragging feet. Other girls from Ms. Ivory's class streamed out around Zoe, all hoping for a glimpse of the new kid as she emerged from the Mrs. Horn's room.

Zoe fought to keep up. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Lord of the Rings didn't even begin to cover it. Pointy ears! Purple hair! This girl was an elf!

The girls of Ms. Ivory's class howled with delight at the new girl and swarmed around her. Everyone was asking her questions at once.

A hand clapped on Zoe's back. Fiona Renn, from Mrs. Horn's class, hissed, "Stay away."

Zoe recoiled, and kept trying to approach the new girl. At the same time, the girl managed to maneuver away from the crowd. Zoe adjusted her ponytail and darted toward her. "Hi, I'm Zoe. What's your name?"

"Lady Rina." She didn't pause, didn't look at Zoe.

"Oh… okay, Lady Rina. What's your favorite sport?"

Rina's ears twitched, and a quizzical look turned up on her face. "Sport?"

"Uh yeah, you know, like ball games, races, stuff like that?"

"Well, my father used to take me to the chaerials…"

"Chaerials?"

"Aerial chariot races. But I got bored with them."

"No way! That sounds amazing!" Zoe still couldn't tell how much of this was real. Elves, magic… it was all too much. "We don't have anything like that here. I like soccer, myself. Do you have soccer where you're from?"

"Never heard of it."

"Right, maybe they call it football over there."

Lady Rina shook her head, still quizzical.

"Okay. We can show you how to play at recess. Did you not bring any clothes for gym class?"

"Clothes? I have clothes." Rina tugged at her collar. "This was designed by Nazmut Jira herself. Is it not good enough?"

"Well, you have to have gym clothes to play."

"The adult back there said I could sit and watch."

"Oh. That's too bad. I love gym class. It's a lot of fun."

Fiona grabbed Zoe again. "I told you, stay away!"

Zoe shook her off. What was everyone's problem? So what if Lady Rina looked and acted funny? Everybody needed a friend.

All the girls except Lady Rina and a few others filed into the locker room to change. Someone here might have had a spare shirt and shorts, but if Mrs. Horn told Lady Rina it was okay, Zoe couldn't argue.

All around her, Zoe heard stories about what Rina had done during first and second period. The flying origami actually sounded pretty cool, and she didn't mind if one of Jeremy's friends got that flower on his nose. Jeremy always made some kind of stupid face at Zoe whenever he looked at her. Rina should have flowered him instead.

Zoe felt electrified just thinking about it. Not only was magic real, but a kid in her school could use it! And she was right outside! For the first time in Zoe's life, school felt positively enchanted.

So then why did Mrs. Horn's class act like they were cursed? How could people react this way to actual magic?

Zoe got out and slumped her head when she saw the net raised up in the middle of the gym. She never liked volleyball as much.

Lady Rina was in the bleachers, seated primly with her hands folded over her knees. With her were Rachel Welter and Nadia Xu, who'd both forgotten their gym clothes. Rachel was in Mrs. Horn's class, and kept her distance from Lady Rina.

Ms. Simpson started the game.

Zoe did what she had to. She kept her arms out, ready to bounce the ball back, but in past games, she could never seem to knock it over the net. Most of the time, the best she could do was pass it to someone who could.

Her team got a few points, and the other team got a few. Zoe couldn't get rotated out soon enough.

The ball flew over the net, over Molly's head, toward Zoe. She backed up, wrapped her hands together, stretched her arms out. She could do this. She could do this!

The ball stopped.

It just hung there in midair, still rolling, but not going anywhere.

Everyone turned their heads to the bleachers. Rina's hand was glowing.

Zoe had to gasp. Actual, real, in-person magic!

Rina wiggled her finger.

The ball slammed into Zoe's face.

The hit left an aching burn on her cheek. She'd been hit by volleyballs before—accidents always happened—but this was no accident! She staggered off to the sideline, rubbing her face with both hands, while Rina laughed in the bleachers. What on earth was wrong with her? This wasn't funny. It really hurt!

The ball was still hanging in place.

Suddenly it launched into the air, and the girls on Zoe's team scrambled around, simultaneously hoping and not hoping it would come to them. Before anyone knew it, the ball bounced on thin air to the other team. It flew around in twists and loops before someone managed to hit it. The ball arced over the net, but in a weird corkscrew pattern.

Then it swung down and smacked Brenda Brackett square in the stomach. She doubled over and fell to her knees. Zoe clutched her own belly in sympathy.

"That's enough!" The cry came from Nadia. "You're ruining—"

With a twitch of her finger, Rina sent the ball rocketing toward Nadia, who ducked just in time. The ball swerved upward, and back toward the game.

"Wh-What's going on?" Ms. Simpson said. "It's Tsarina, right? You have to stop!"

But Rina simply laughed, as she turned today's game of volleyball into a one-on-everybody game of dodgeball.

The ball even came after Zoe again a few more times, and she had to drop to the floor to stay out of its way. Even when someone grabbed the ball, it just moved on and dragged her with it.

By the time the bell rang, half the girls, including Zoe, had run into the locker room to hide.

Zoe had never been so happy for gym class to end.

Thanks to Rina, she might never enjoy it again.