James p hogan, p.21
Starry, Starry Ghost, page 21
CHAPTER 1
SNAIL MAIL
“Isla, you’ve got snail mail!”
Isla Verde looked up from her desk. She was in the middle of reading about different leaves on the island of Sol. There were so many types of plants that Isla thought the island secretly made space for more to grow.
Putting the book down, Isla swirled around in her desk chair.
“You’re always a welcome break, Mama,” Isla said. “I wonder if it’s my new magnifying glass.”
“I don’t think it would fit in this.” Mama placed two envelopes on Isla’s desk. “One for you and one for Fitz. Take a look while I finish making lunch.”
As Mama left, Isla’s gecko best friend leaped up from his nap. “Mail from snails is the worst! Remember that one time we brought them apples, and they sent us back an envelope full of leftovers?”
Isla shivered. How could she forget the soggy envelope? “Those leftover apples had seen better days. But I don’t think Mama meant that kind of snail mail. These letters were delivered by someone on foot.”
Fitz sniffed the air. “These don’t smell like old apples.…”
They studied the envelopes. One was bright pink and had Isla’s name written on it in big, glittery letters. The other one was much smaller and had Fitz’s name spelled out with stickers.
“Who would send us such bright, glittery envelopes?” Isla asked, winking at Fitz.
“I’m no detective,” Fitz replied. “But I think I know who they’re from.…”
At the same time, they exclaimed, “Tora!”
“Let’s open them!” Fitz said.
Isla opened his first and then hers. Even more glitter spilled out from inside the envelopes as they took out invitations. They read:
Fitz whistled, shaking some glitter off his feet. “She sure knows how to sell a party. Even though I don’t know what an eggs-tra-va-gan-za is… do you?”
Isla spelled it out for him on a piece of paper. “It’s ex-tra-va-gan-za. It means a huge party!”
Fitz tapped his chin. “So, there won’t be any eggs involved?”
“Unfortunately, no,” Isla said. “At least, I don’t think so.”
Isla had never been invited to a sleepover before. Not unless you counted the night she tried sleeping outside with the fireflies. Fireflies liked to put on light shows. She’d tried to stay out as late as possible, but Mama thought it was better for Isla to sleep in her own bed.
“Now that’s a lot of sparkle!” Mama popped back into Isla’s room.
“We’re invited to the biggest party of the year! No big deal.” Isla waved a hand as if it were nothing.
“Do you think this party could use a fresh batch of quesitos?” Mama pulled a plate of her famous twisted pastries from behind her back.
“Did you say… quesitos?” Fitz nearly floated into the air as he drooled. “Perfectly glazed, beautifully crunchy, and sweetly flaky?”
The mouthwatering scent swirled around them.
“Oh yeah.” Isla sighed dreamily. “There’s nothing like sugar to bring people together.”
“I’ll take that as a yes.” Mama winked.
CHAPTER 2
SOMETHING TO WEAR
Tora’s invitation said that all Isla needed to bring was herself and fun pajamas.
The first part was easy. They were neighbors, after all.
But fun pajamas? Isla wasn’t sure she had anything in her closet that was Tora-level fun. Where Isla thought mud stains were a sign of a day well spent, she knew Tora wouldn’t consider that to be fabulous.
Isla paced in front of her closet. “I have good news and bad news.”
Fitz watched from the nightstand. “I think I’ll take the good news first, please. That way, we start off strong!”
“You’re a very smart gecko,” Isla replied. “The good news is that the walk to Tora’s is less than a whole minute.”
“Easy for a long-legged human to say,” Fitz huffed. “But go on.”
Isla pulled open her closet doors and cried out, “The bad news is that I don’t own anything glittery!”
A couple of stuffed animals tumbled down from a shelf. Then some vines twirled down from somewhere else.
“Huh.” Isla poked the leaves. “I didn’t even know something was growing in here. Nature really is amazing.”
Fitz looked at all the things in Isla’s closet. “I’m sure you have something.”
They searched together. There was clothing meant for getting messy, hand-me-downs, and even a few old snacks that weren’t Isla’s.
She dangled a banana peel between two fingers. “This isn’t mine, is it?”
Fitz chuckled nervously. “I was storing that for the winter.”
After a few minutes of digging, they sat on the floor next to piles of clothes.
“I vote for shoving all of this under the bed,” Fitz said, pointing with his tail. “We can’t have a clear mind with this mess around us.”
Isla followed the direction of Fitz’s tail point. There, under the bed, she noticed something she’d forgotten. “Wait! I think there’s hope after all, you brilliant gecko!”
She hopped over Fitz and reached under her bed. With one mighty tug, Isla pulled out a small trunk.
“What’s that dusty old thing?” Fitz asked, letting out a sneeze.
“It has my old costumes in it.” Isla popped open the lid. “I can’t believe I forgot about this!”
“You mean we made this mess for nothing?” Fitz groaned.
“I wouldn’t say that,” Isla replied. “Now we get to put on a fashion show.”
“Now you’re talking!” Fitz said.
First, Isla tried on a pirate outfit. “Argh, matey! What about this one?”
Fitz shook his head. “Not the treasure we’re looking for. Next!”
Next, Isla tried on a very round, very yellow bee costume. “Here’s a honey-sweet look. Buzz, buzz!”
Fitz yawned. “You’re buzzing me to sleep.”
Isla then became an astronaut. Then a race car driver. There was even one costume that made Isla look like a cupcake.
“I have a feeling you’ll like this one,” Isla called out. She hopped out from behind a dresser, hands on her hips. “Ta-da!”
“Oh… my… gecko.” Fitz clapped.
Isla wore an orange onesie fashioned to look like a gecko!
“Some of the scales have glitter.” Isla wiggled around to show off the sparkly scales that ran along the back.
Fitz posed alongside her. “Wear that to Tora’s sleepover, and you’ll be the coolest gecko there! Besides me, of course.”
“Best geckos for life!” Isla and Fitz did a fist bump.
Isla smiled at herself in her mirror. Now that she had the perfect outfit, nothing could go wrong.
CHAPTER 3
ONE MORE SURPRISE
Ding-dong!
“I love doing that,” Fitz said. He pressed the doorbell to the Rosas’ door a few more times.
“You do it well, good sir.” Isla held the tray of quesitos in her hands. “Let’s not break it, though.”
Fitz stood straight on Isla’s shoulder just as the door flung open.
Out came the one and only, the queen of pink, the empress of glitter… Tora Rosa! As always, Isla’s newest friend and neighbor was dressed from head to toe in pink—this time in a ballerina costume.
“Whoa!” Isla said. “Those are the coolest pajamas I’ve ever seen!”
“You both look gecko-tastic!” Tora squealed. “That pastry tray looks delicious. It will go perfectly on our dessert table.”
“Dessert table?” Fitz asked. “Did I hear that right?”
“I think you’ve got this gecko’s attention.” Isla laughed.
Tora led the way inside and into the living room.
The Rosas had gone all out for the special sleepover extravaganza. There were balloons, streamers, confetti, and music playing from multiple speakers. The dinner table was covered with a pink tablecloth and had all sorts of delicious, sugary treats on it.
“Where did all of this come from?” Isla gasped. She placed her tray next to a stand with very glittery cupcakes.
“Dad and I baked most of the things here. That glitter? It’s the special kind you can eat,” Tora said proudly. “But we also placed an order with Señora Honey over at the market bakery.”
“Señora Honey is the best!” Isla agreed. “She can whip up just about anything in minutes.”
“Come on, the tour’s not over yet!” Tora showed Isla the theater room where they’d be watching movies, then the kitchen with boxes of pizza, and the backyard with a fire pit to roast s’mores.
Isla was very impressed.
“There’s one more surprise!” Tora sang.
“I sure hope it’s another dessert table,” Fitz said dreamily.
“She’s upstairs in my room.” Tora motioned for them to follow.
Isla and Fitz looked at each other. She?
CHAPTER 4
PRINCESS ELLA
Isla and Fitz followed Tora to her bedroom.
The Rosas’ hallway was lined with lots of family pictures. Tora, of course, was in the center of them all. She really, really liked photo shoots.
“I’m excited to see your room for the first time,” Isla said. “If it’s anything like you, I’m sure it’ll be very—”
“Behold!” Tora pushed open her bedroom door.
“Pink,” Isla finished. Her mouth dropped open.
Stepping into Tora’s bedroo
m was like stepping into the pages of a fairytale book. Strings of twinkling lights hung from the corners of the room. There was a vanity with lots of bows, a table stacked with fashion magazines, and a rack with plenty of poufy dresses.
Isla’s bedroom smelled like earth, like Sol. Tora’s smelled like a rose garden.
“It’s like the color pink exploded in here,” Fitz whispered.
Suddenly, a flash of purple made Isla jump. “You must be the famous Isla Verde!”
A girl ran out of Tora’s large closet and shook Isla’s hand excitedly. “I’m Ella Louise Garcia, but you can call me Ella. I was just picking a tiara from Tora’s closet. What do you think?”
A gold crown glimmered on her head.
“Very royal,” Isla declared. “Nice to meet you, Ella! Or should I say Princess Ella?”
Ella nudged Tora on the arm. “Okay, I like her.”
Fitz sank back shyly into Isla’s curls. “I’ll be in here if you need me.”
Isla knew what he was thinking. What if Ella thought he was icky, just like Tora had the first time they’d met?
No, Isla thought. A friend of Tora’s was a friend of hers. It wasn’t fair for Fitz to stay hidden.
“Actually, there’s someone else joining the party,” Isla said. “Ella, meet my best friend, Fitz.”
His head popped out from Isla’s curls, and he waved a tiny hand. “Hello.”
Isla knew that all the two girls could hear was a click clack sound when he talked.
“Your best friend is a gecko?” Ella tilted her head.
Isla and Tora shared a nervous look.
“It’s like talking to a dog or kitty,” Tora explained. “People do it all the time.”
But Ella didn’t need any convincing at all. “Aww!” she squealed. “Can I hold him?”
Isla looked at Fitz for permission. Fitz nodded, and she happily passed him over into Ella’s hands.
“My dads both work at the Sol Island Zoo, and sometimes I get to help out. I feed this one chameleon we’ve had since he was a little thing.” Ella gently petted Fitz.
Isla brightened. “Chameleons are known to be shy, so you must be doing a great job.”
“I’m so happy everyone is becoming friends!” Tora twirled in her ballet shoes. Walking on her tippy toes to her vanity, she picked up a jar. “Now let’s get this party started with the Activity Jar!”
CHAPTER 5
THE ACTIVITY JAR
The Activity Jar was decorated with lots of stickers and was filled to the brim with small pieces of paper.
The girls sat on the floor with Fitz in the middle.
“The rules are simple,” Tora said. “We each pick out an activity and we have to do it! No take-backs!”
“No take-backs?” Fitz repeated. “Now that is some real dedication.”
“We could do rock, paper, scissors to decide who chooses first,” Ella suggested.
They played a few rounds. In the end, Ella won first place, then Isla, Fitz, and finally Tora.
Ella stuck her hand in the jar and plucked out a piece of paper. She turned it over so everyone could see. “Charades! The acting class I took last summer will finally come in handy.”
It had been a while since Isla played charades. The last time had been with a group of iguanas on the beach. Ella thought about what she wanted to act out, then raised two fingers.
“Two words!” her friends called out.
Ella spread her arms and started flapping them.
“Oh, oh!” Tora jumped in place. “You’re flying!”
Ella nodded. She opened her mouth as she silently sang. What liked to fly a lot and sing at the same time?
“What likes to fly and sing at the same time…?” Fitz wondered out loud.
As Isla was trying to come up with a response, a tiny, barely there voice called out her name. “Isla!”
“Huh?” Isla looked around. “Did you say something, Tora?”
Tora frowned. “Nope. I don’t think anyone did.”
Ella stopped pretend-flying. She joked, “Unless Fitz is suddenly speaking and only you can hear him.”
Fitz gulped. “She’s on to us!”
Had Isla imagined the voice? “So… no one heard that?”
Her friends shook their heads. Isla listened for a moment longer, then shrugged. No voice. No one calling her name.
“Sorry to interrupt your amazing acting, Ella,” Isla said, embarrassed.
“Don’t be sorry, Isla,” Tora said. “This break gave me extra time to think. Were you acting out a robin? Tweedle-lee-dee-dee-dee!”
“Nope!” Ella replied.
Isla was going to throw out her guess, but the quiet voice interrupted again.
“Isla!” it called out. It was so tiny and sounded so far away, Isla wasn’t sure if she’d actually heard anything at all. Still, she jumped to her feet.
“Yes?” she asked, peeking around the room.
Ella looked a bit worried. “Um… no one’s saying anything, Isla.”
“It’s Fabio!” Fitz cried out suddenly, hopping into the air.
“No way, it’s not that silly singing seagull,” Isla replied. Though it wouldn’t be surprising if Fabio showed up uninvited.
“Winner, winner!” Ella exclaimed. “You guessed it. I was acting as that terrible singing seagull that lives at the beach.”
“That’s not…,” Isla began. But no one else had heard her name being called. Maybe it was best to leave it alone. “You really are a good actress. It was Fitz who guessed!”
Ella looked at the gecko. “Well, however he told you, you’re a great team.”
Tora stood and fixed her tutu. “Isla, it’s your turn to pick something from the jar.”
Isla stood to dig for her activity. Pulling out a piece of paper, she unfolded it and showed her friends. “I hope you’re ready for… scary stories!”
CHAPTER 6
SPOOKY S’MORES
In the backyard, Mrs. Rosa passed out plates with marshmallows, chocolate, and crackers. Even Isla’s quesitos were brought out for a fun Sol twist on s’mores.
Mr. Rosa brought out blankets for the girls to sit on. He also passed out mini flashlights. “I hear we’re doing scary stories. You know, back in my day, I was quite the storyteller.”
Mrs. Rosa dragged him away. “Honey, I think the girls have it handled.”
The girls laughed. Fitz was already scarfing down the quesitos.
“Who’s ready to get spooked?” Tora asked, pointing a flashlight under her face.
“We are!” Isla said, taking a big bite of her gooey treat.
“Once upon a time,” Tora began, “something terrible happened in La Ciudad.…”
They all leaned in closer to listen, marshmallow on their faces. La Ciudad, the city where Tora was from, was a total mystery to Isla.
“A girl went to the mall because there was a sale,” Tora continued.
“A sale! My favorite.” Ella winked at Isla.
Isla agreed. There was nothing better than a yard sale.
“But when she arrived,” Tora went on, “ALL THE CUTE CLOTHES WERE SOLD OUT!”
Ella jolted back in surprise. “The horror!”
Tora switched off the flashlight and smiled. “The end!”
Oh. Isla wasn’t really spooked, but she went along with it.
Ella took a deep breath. “I’m ready for the next tale of terror.”
It was Isla’s turn next. Flashlight in hand, she began. “Sol is home to lots of super cool creatures. Imagine my surprise when my Abuelo and I found out that a precious bird species… was going extinct!”
