Flunked (Fairy Tale Reform School, #1)(2)

“Oh well.” I sigh. “I’ll have to find something else to get. Thanks!”

“Good luck.” The mini royal wraps the boa around her neck twice. It looks like a giant snake ready to squeeze her. “Pink must be my color,” she says as the other girls crowd around her.

“It is!” The others fluff her hair and play with the boa like they are professional royal stylists getting her ready for a ball that evening.

“Try it with your hair up,” I suggest, and the other girls nod.

Blondie removes the clip from her hair.

Yes.

I watch what Blondie does next like it’s happening in slow motion. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for. The mini royal drops the glittery golden clip on a table with half a dozen pairs of earrings and forgets all about it.

At least I’m hoping she forgets all about it.

That clip is the reason I’m here. I’ve been following Blondie and her gaggle of friends around all afternoon, waiting for a time to lift it. It has to be worth ten gold coins, at least. Maybe more. Dragon’s tooth products are rare in the kingdom of Enchantasia, and smuggling in goods from other kingdoms has gotten harder now that Princess Ella has cracked down on crooks. Yeah, that Princess Ella, otherwise known as Cinderella. She and the other princesses—Snow White, Rose (a.k.a. the expert sleeper), and Rapunzel—all reign over our kingdom together like one big, happy family.

Yeah, right.

I hear the princesses have their own issues co-ruling, but their issues can’t compare to those of us in the village—the trolls, ogres, gnomes, fairies, and other creatures that are lumped into the commoner category. Money is tough to come by. I could buy a lot with that one clip Blondie has carelessly tossed aside.

I stare at the clip wistfully, then notice Neil out of the corner of my eye. He’s looking at me again. I know better than to make my move yet. I walk to another table and pretend to be interested in magic wand holders. Like I would ever carry a sparkly, pink wand holder. Eww.

I notice Blondie pulling up her hair with a ribbon and the girls clapping.

“Much better!” one says and gives her own curls a flip with her hand.

I’ve always wondered how girls like that get anything done with hair so high-maintenance. Do they spend all day combing their locks? Have to sleep with rollers in their hair? The advertisements for Rapunzel’s new hair-care line say her shampoo helps you do away with all that primping. That’s why my ten-year-old sister, Anna, wants Rapunzel’s shampoo. But I say, what for? At Enchantasia Trade, where I go to school, doing your hair would be a total waste. When you go to shoemaker classes like we do, there is not much need for luminous hair.

Blondie spins around and squeals. “I’m going to get the boa to wear to Petra’s thirteenth birthday party.”

A snort escapes my lips. Thirteenth birthday party. I won’t be having one of those. I’ll be lucky if Mother has time to make me a cake with all the hours she puts in with Father at the shoe shop. Uh-oh. All the girls turn and look at me. So does Neil. I start to cough. “Sorry. I think one of the feathers from your boa flew into my mouth.”

Blondie turns to Neil and frowns. “Your boas shed?” She quickly unwraps the one around her neck. “Umm, I think I’ll pass then.”

“I can assure you,” Neil says, his stare at me darkening. “My boas do not shed.”

That was foolish of me. If Blondie walks out of this shop with her clip, I’ll have a tougher time snagging it. People drop things in a place like Combing the Sea all the time. Buying daisies at Everything’s Rosy? Not so much. I need to fix this. Time for a distraction.

“Actually, I don’t think it was a feather I swallowed,” I say, squeezing into the conversation. “These boas definitely do not shed. My cousin has had a feather skirt from here for years, and it still looks like she just bought it.”

“Feather skirt?” Blondie’s eyes light up. “Oh, I have to have one of those. Neil, do something with this.” She drops the boa on the floor and runs to the other end of the store. That’s so like a royal.

“I call it first to wear to Laurence’s!” says a tall girl with a big nose.

“No fair!” The group heads to the tiny apparel department in the back corner of the shop, and Neil’s eyes glow like the gold coins he’ll soon be getting. Skirts are way more expensive than boas. See? Neil’s lucky to have me. I’m making him money!

I inch my way back toward the table and pick up a crystal hairpin lying next to my clip. I turn it over a couple of times and gaze at it like I’m considering buying it. The girls are still talking about that silly birthday party. I wonder what it would be like to have nothing to worry about other than what filling to pick for my birthday cake.

My hand dangles over the clip.

“Are these made with ostrich feathers?” the tall girl asks Neil.

Closer, closer…

“Ostrich feathers are totally in right now!” Blondie chimes in.

I cover the clip with my hand. It’s warm beneath my fingers.

Almost there…

I slide it into the sleeve of my brown jacket with one quick motion.

Success!

I head to the door, making sure to reach up and hold the bell on top so it doesn’t jingle when I exit. Then I’m out and heading down the alley next to the shop before anyone even notices I’m gone.