Operation Tenley (11 page)

Makayla brushed her off. “You’re not even going to get that stupid nomination.”

Tenley’s face darkened.

Pennie recognized that look. “Oh no,” she said, reaching down for her tool belt, which wasn’t there. “Tenley, don’t—”

But Makayla was already on the ground.

“
Tenley
,” Pennie grumbled. No one else, not even Makayla herself, could have suspected Tenley had knocked her down. The rogue gust of wind disappeared just as silently as it had come.

“Time out.” Coach Lesnit blew her whistle and waved the squad over to the bleachers, where she pulled out a big cardboard box.

No one noticed Pennie on the bleachers above them.

“I’m not much of a bragger, but you’re looking at a National Fencing Champ.” Coach Lesnit poked her thumb into her chest. “What that means is, you’re dealing with an expert. Fencing doesn’t just require skill, it requires
patience
. Something your generation is lacking entirely. So today, we’re going to try it. Who’s excited?”

The girls scoffed. “That’s like
ancient,
” one of them said.

Coach Lesnit scanned the room. “Volunteers? You.” She pointed to a skinny girl. “You look like you could be an athlete if you ate a steak every once in a while.”

The skinny girl walked to Coach Lesnit, who began fitting her with gear, leaving ample opportunity for the girls to pull their phones out of their bras and start texting.

Pennie scooted down the bleachers and slid in beside Tenley.

“Are you
kidding
me?” Tenley slid away.

“Hey, quiet over there.” Coach Lesnit glared. “Girls in the first row, come over and help me.” She turned back to the skinny girl, who looked terrified now.

“I saw what you just did out there,” Pennie whispered.

Tenley frowned. “Yeah. I
didn’t
get a shot of me scoring.”

“No. What you did with wind.”

Tenley flinched. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Yes, you do. You know exactly what I’m talking about. And you’ve got to stop.”

“You’re crazy.”

“You’re in danger.”

Tenley crossed her arms. “Why don’t you go spread your weirdness on someone else.”

“You still suck your middle finger at night.”

Tenley’s cheeks fell.

“You do,” Pennie said.

Tenley looked down at her phone. “If you leave now, I won’t turn you in to the principal.”

“And you know what else you do? You write a note to your father asking him to come back from Alaska.”

“Wow,” Tenley said after a pause. “That must have been
really
hard getting into the school files and reading up about me.” She flicked her eyebrows at the pink leggings Pennie had kept on under her gym shorts. “And anyway, I know you’re trying to freak me out so
you
can be nominated for ANMIT. You probably even transferred here because you didn’t get the vote in your last school district.”

Pennie exhaled. This was going to be harder than she thought.

“You never send them to him, though, the letters.”

This time, Tenley’s cheeks flamed. She looked up from her phone. “I’ve lost two followers. Do you know what a follower is?” she asked Pennie. “A
vote.
A follower is a vote. I need to be out there, mingling. Not sitting here with you.” She narrowed her eyes at Pennie and pursed her lips. Her face darkened.

“No!” Pennie warned her. “Don’t do it. If I go flying through the air, everyone will see.”

Tenley looked down at the court. Pennie was right; a few girls were staring up at them.

Pennie lowered her voice. “You have to stop using your wind element.”

Tenley looked away.

“Tenley? Did you hear me? You can’t just blow things away when you feel like it.”

“Fine!” she said.

“Really?” Pennie asked, surprised.

Tenley didn’t respond.

“Okay. That’s great.” Pennie leaned back, relieved. “We can sign the form at your house.” She yawned. “Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to close my eyes and take a little nap.”

“
Stalker!”

“Who just yelled?” Coach Lesnit spun around with her hands on her hips.

“
She
did!” Tenley pointed at Pennie.

The coach scowled at her. “I knew you were going to be trouble. It’s always the wimpy ones.” She pointed to the door. “Principal’s office. Now.”

Pennie shook her head at Tenley. “You’re running out of time,” she whispered, stepping off the bleachers and shuffling toward the exit.

Alone in the locker room, Pennie struggled out of the PE clothes. She dozed off for a few seconds before lacing up the second pink sneaker. The air was excruciatingly heavy now.

She stepped out of the locker room and into the hallway, where Dan Ringer was standing with a teacher.

Her vision began swirling again.

This trip to Earth was nothing but a dream. A very heavy dream.

A smile crossed Pennie’s lips just as she felt a knock on her head.

38:56:00

Hadley Beach

“Tenley? Come open the door for me, please.”

Pennie blinked her eyes open. This was not her flat in Fair City. She reached down for her tool belt. Where were her robes? Why was she wearing all pink?

“Tenley?” Mrs. Tylwyth repeated from the behind the front door.

“I’m doing my nails, Mom,” Tenley called down the stairs.

The Tylwyth couch. The Tylwyth living room. On Earth. That’s where she was. Pennie sat up.

The last thing she remembered was walking toward the school exit and that knock on her head.

She got herself up on shaky legs and peeked around the corner. Through the kitchen window, she saw Mrs. Tylwyth lifting groceries out of her trunk.

Mrs. Tylwyth!

Pennie watched her struggle with her bags. One of them dropped onto the driveway. She needed help. Pennie shuffled over and opened the front door.

“Oh!” Mrs. Tylwyth took a step back. “Well, hello there,” she smiled. “Are you feeling better?”

“Yes, thank you.” Pennie looked down at the groceries. “Can I help you with those?”

“Oh gracious, no. Don’t be silly. You’re the one who fainted. Please go back in and sit down. I went to get some groceries, you look like you haven’t eaten in, well … I hope I’m not sounding too forward. How long have you been a classmate of Tenley’s exactly?” Mrs. Tylwyth was trying to sound casual, but her brow betrayed her. She stole a look at Tenley’s high-tops as she walked past Pennie and into the kitchen.

“I don’t go to Hadley Middle School, Mrs. Tylwyth.”

When Mrs. Tylwyth turned around, she had a quizzical look on her face.

“What did you say your name was?”

“Pennie.”

“And your last name?’

“Just—” she mumbled. “One?”

“I knew it!” Mrs. Tylwyth rushed up to her. “You wouldn’t happen to know Gertrude Justwan, would you?” She winked.

“Gerty?” Pennie asked. Of course she did. Gerty was Tenley’s nanny. She had taken care of Tenley whenever Mrs. Tylwyth was working at the antique store.

“This is so wonderful!” Mrs. Tylwyth pulled Pennie into a bear hug. “I couldn’t tell when I first saw you, because of course you were lying down asleep in the nurse’s office by the time I got there. I came as soon as Mr. Frimpy called me. Then that nice high school boy helped us get you into the car so I could bring you back here and put you on the couch. Do you remember walking into the house? You were still terribly exhausted, I’m afraid. But anywho. You have the same ears!” She tugged at them.

“I do?”

“Yes! Now don’t tell me you’ve never been told you look like Gerty before. Spitting image. Let’s go tell Tenley; she’ll be tickled.”

“I’m not sure Tenley wants to see me.”

“You came all the way here,” Mrs. Tylwyth protested. “Of course she wants to see you. Now that we know who you are. Gerty’s daughter!” She grabbed Pennie’s hand and dragged her up the stairs.

Mrs. Tylwyth knocked softly on Tenley’s door. “Tenley, I’ve got some exciting news!”

Pennie braced herself.

“Pennie is Gerty’s daughter!”

Tenley’s door swung open. “Gerty’s daughter?”

Mrs. Tylwyth turned to Pennie. “Has Gerty moved back to California then?”

Pennie had to think about this. The last time she saw Gerty was when she was here, taking care of Tenley in this house. “No I haven’t seen her in … well … she’s gone.” Pennie looked down solemnly.

Mrs. Tylwyth slapped her hand over her mouth. “You don’t mean?” She pulled Pennie in tightly. “You poor thing. The last time I heard from her she was opening a gift shop in the Keys. I’m embarrassed to say I thought she said her daughter’s name was Annabel, but there’s no mistaking this hair. Exactly the same as Gerty’s. Right ,Tenley?”

Tenley narrowed her eyes at Pennie. “So you’re really not trying to get nominated for ANMIT?”

“No,” Pennie mumbled into Mrs. Tylwyth’s chest.

“You can stay with us for as long as you’d like.” Mrs. Tylwyth released her. “Tomorrow, I’ll register you at the middle school.”

“I’m only here for a short stay.”

“And you can sleep right here with Tenley,” Mrs. Tylwyth ignored her. “I would do anything for your mother. She was a wonderful woman.” Her eyes filled with tears. “She took such good care of my Tenley. And now I get to return the favor.”

“Mrs. Tylwyth, I really appreciate it, thank you. I’m just staying for a day or two though.”

Mrs. Tylwyth was hearing none of it. “We’ll have to write Mr. Tylwyth and tell him the happy news.” She winked at Tenley, then squeezed Pennie’s hand and walked out the door.

Tenley groaned. “She means it when she says she’s gonna write him. As in by
snail mail
. They don’t have Internet on fishing rigs. It takes like
two months
to get a letter from him.”

Pennie tried to look surprised.

Tenley walked over to her desk. “I hardly even
remember
your mother. She only took care of me until I was, like, ten.”

“She was nice, Tenley.” Pennie walked into the room.

“Yeah. Sorry.” Tenley grabbed her phone and started texting. “As long as you’ll be staying here now, will you be in my nail art tutorial?”

Pennie looked down at her hands. “Okay.”

“Good.” Tenley smiled without looking up.

Pennie noticed the digital clock next to the bed. It was already five o’clock. Time went so fast on Earth. “
If
you’ll agree to do what we talked about at school. Sign the form I need you to sign.” Pennie brought her hand to her temple. She was about to produce the hologram contract when Mrs. Tylwyth peeked into the room again.

“Girls? How about a shopping spree? I think Pennie’s going to need some new clothes.”

“Shopping spree! Let’s go!”

Tenley pushed by Pennie and ran out the door.

38:10:33

Hadley Beach

The mall was packed.

“This is perfect. I needed nomination clothes anyway.” Tenley hurried ahead.

It was taxing, trying to keep up with her. Already, Pennie was out of breath and they’d only just stepped into the mall.

Mrs. Tylwyth looked concerned for Pennie. “Tenley, could you slow down a bit?”

Tenley was a few stores ahead and showed no signs of slowing. A posse of girls about the same age as Tenley sneered at her as she hurried by.

“What’s with the sash?” One of them, a brunette with blond tips at the end of her long hair, scowled.

“Is she like a beauty contestant or something?”

“Toddlers and tiaras.”

“
Right
?” another girl snorted.

Pennie glared at them.

Mrs. Tylwyth looked worried when Pennie wiped her brow. An old lady with an oxygen tank sped by them.

“Let’s take a little rest, shall we?” Mrs. Tylwyth suggested.

Up ahead, Tenley disappeared into a store. “Thanks, Mrs. Tylwyth. Maybe just until I catch my breath.”

“You must be tired from the long trip. Florida is across the country.”

“It was a long trip,” Pennie agreed.

Mrs. Tylwyth led Pennie over to an empty table at the edge of the food court. Pennie dropped into a chair.

“Now that does feel nice,” Mrs. Tylwyth sighed into her seat. A father and toddler walked by holding hands.

“Did Gerty ever tell you that Tenley’s father’s has had a terrible time getting off work to come visit?”

For the past twelve years?
Pennie wanted to say, but instead she nodded. Even Gerty used to fall for the letters Mrs. Tylwyth wrote, painstakingly concealing her own penmanship so Tenley would believe they were from her father. “Yes, I remember her saying something about that,” Pennie said. “That’s too bad.”

Mrs. Tylwyth looked out at the crowd of mall-goers.

A small girl ran after her older sister and tripped. The mother swept the wailing girl up and held a tissue to her lip. “I told you not to chase your sister like that.”

The little girl nodded through her tears and hugged her mom.

Mrs. Tylwyth smiled at the scene. “Funny, I don’t remember Tenley ever having little accidents like that. I used to joke with her that she was born with bubble wrap around her. She just never seemed to get hurt.”

Pennie shuffled in her seat. “I remember.”

“You do?” Mrs. Tylwyth turned to her, frowning.

“I mean, yeah. Because Gerty told me that, too. She told me everything about you guys.”

Mrs. Tylwyth beamed. “Actually it doesn’t surprise me that Gerty told you all about Tenley. Those two were very close.”

“Gerty sure did love her.”

“Did she tell you about the time that Tenley nearly fell off her bike and broke her arm?”

“But she didn’t break her arm.
Or
fall off her bike,” Pennie remembered.

“It was close though,” Mrs. Tylwyth agreed. “To this day, we still don’t know how that bike managed to keep itself upright like that. It was like the wind caught her, which sounds crazy, I know.”

“Crazy,” Pennie mumbled.

“And then there was the time that a horse came
this close
to running her over.”

“Horse?”

“Let me think now, it was at some kind of event.”

“The pony rides!” Pennie said, immediately regretting it. Was Mrs. Tylwyth going to believe Gerty told her
all
of this?