Makenna managed to make it home, even though her wings were exhausted. She landed in a heap on her front steps and plopped onto her front, groaning. Then, lifting her head, she mumbled the Sunset Delay spell to herself. "Hidden in the shadow. Across the vast meadow. Blending in the ghetto. Hiding the wings shadow." Makenna's transformation went poof in a weak blast of blue and pink fairy dust. She now wore her mathlete costume again.
Makenna sighed and took her now shorter hair out of the pigtails that flopped down over her shoulders. For some reason, it felt good to be a human again. She mumbled, "Home," to herself and grabbed a strand of hair. Makenna nervously twirled it. She struggled to her feet and added, "Well, here goes," while focusing on the front door. Makenna wasn't ready but knew her parents would hammer her when she entered her house.
Makenna sighed again. She then rested her hand on the front staircase's railing and started up them.
Mr. Delling, Mrs. Delling, Caleb, and Tony waited for Makenna inside. All four of them were in the kitchen.
Mr. Delling and Caleb hovered over Mrs. Delling. She sat on the countertop and nervously chewed her nails.
Mr. Delling patted her shoulder and tried to smile but couldn't bring himself to.
Caleb kneeled to Tony, who sat at his heels, and stroked his head.
Before long, the family members heard the front door opening, and there came Makenna's voice. "Mom, Dad, Caleb, I'm home!"
The family members gasped. They sprinted out of the kitchen and hurried to the front hallway.
"Makenna!" Tears appeared in Mrs. Delling's eyes. She sprinted to Makenna and pulled her in a tight hug. "You're home! When we received that call from Dr. Medford, we were just—but you're home!"
"Makenna!" Mr. Delling hugged her right after Mrs. Delling.
Once they disconnected, Makenna stroked Tony and hugged him and Caleb. She needed to get as many hugs as she could muster.
While hugging, Caleb whispered to his sister, "Makenna, I was worried about you."
"I know." Makenna squeezed him harder and rubbed the back of his head. "But don't worry anymore, Caleb. I'm back. Sorry, it's been a horrible day."
Mr. Delling searched the area for a bit and turned on a bewildered expression. Approaching his daughter, he nervously asked, "Makenna, where's Tracey? Did the paramedics take him to the hospital?"
Makenna shook her head—"No"—and let Caleb and Tony go. However, Caleb fell onto his front and latched onto her leg. Ignoring him, Makenna added, "We couldn't have EMS take him away. He's a fairy! Therefore, I flew him to the shipwreck on North Beach, where I met Selene."
Caleb gasped.
"She took care of him," Makenna explained. "She decided to keep him overnight. She told me to pick him up tomorrow after school and fly him back to Merlin's Island."
"Selene?" Mrs. Delling asked. A question mark appeared above her head. "Whose Selene?"
Caleb unlatched himself from Makenna's leg and stood. "Mom, Selene's the wisest, oldest fairy in the world. She visits a Metamorphic Fairy in their dreams and explains to them how they're doing with their test. She's basically the mother of all fairies."
"Mother of all fairies," Mrs. Delling sarcastically spoke. "Of course." She shook her head and turned away.
Caleb opened his mouth to ask Makenna a question, but Mr. Delling beat him. "What happened, Makenna? What happened to Tracey? Do you think we could see him?"
Makenna felt a lump in her throat. This would be hard to explain.
Her father soon took her by the arm. "Do you want to sit down to talk about it?"
"Please." Makenna stumbled.
Mr. Delling led her into the living room, followed closely by Tony, Caleb, and Mrs. Delling, and sat her on the couch. He and Mrs. Delling sat on either side of her, and Mrs. Delling took her hand, comfortably rubbing it. Caleb stopped at Makenna's side and sat on her knee.
There was silence.
Finally, Mrs. Delling said, "Tell us what happened, Makenna," in a kind voice.
Makenna nodded. Sighing, she explained, "Oh, Mom, Dad, Caleb, and Tony, it was scary. During the Spirit Week activity after lunch, Tracey just collapsed. I followed Mrs. Edith, Dr. Medford, and Mr. Gheesling to Mrs. Edith's office. Dr. Medford came in and told us that he had called EMS. I knew Tracey needed a hospital, but couldn't go to a human hospital!" Her voice started to break. Mrs. Delling squeezed her hand tighter. "I managed to convince them, though, that Tracey and I were fairies because, for some reason, while I was in the nurse's office, I got my second transformation," Makenna continued.
Her family members' eyes widened, especially Caleb's. "You did?" they asked at the same time.
Makenna nodded and continued the story. "I don't know how I got it, though. I don't even think I deserve these new wings yet. Anyways, I knew Selene could help Tracey, so I flew him to the shipwreck." She sniffed, and tears rolled down her cheeks. "You do not want to see him. He's a mess. Maybe we should've let the paramedics get him. He's got a high fever and hurt his arm for some reason. Selene sedated him. He has to wear an oxygen mask—he's having trouble breathing! You do not want to see him. What's wrong with him is that he's lost over 70% of his magic. Something's causing him to lose his life energy. Selene's keeping him overnight and most of tomorrow so she can figure out what.
I don't know if he's going to be okay. He's in terrible, terrible shape. You do not want to see him." By then, Makenna was sobbing.
Mrs. Delling hugged her, and Caleb hopped off her knee, saying, "It's true. Magic determines a fairy's life energy. It's a lot like blood. You die if you lose too much. It sounds to me that Tracey may be cursed or under a spell. I don't know what, but it's caused him to lose a lot of magic."
Caleb's words made Makenna feel only worse. Snuffling, she asked, "Mom, can I go to bed?" and peered into her mother's eyes.
She released her and nodded. "Sure. Do you want anything to eat?"
"No, thank you," Makenna softly spoke. "I'm not hungry, Mom. I just want to be left alone tonight."
"All right, then," Michelle said. "See you tomorrow, Makenna."
Makenna nodded but didn't speak. She got off the couch and headed toward the staircase toward her room. Reaching them, she grabbed the railing, and her family members watched as she jogged up them and disappeared upstairs.
When Makenna entered her perfume-scented room, she sobbed so hard that she gasped. She shut the door and pushed against it. Then, she searched her room, and her eyes landed on her bed and a wooden stool beside her desk.
Makenna tightly clenched her fists, and they glowed blue. The image of Tracey sedated in Selene's home with the oxygen mask on him was planted in her brain, and she couldn't make it leave her. She doubted she would be able to sleep tonight. Makenna didn't even want to go to school the next day. She just wanted to be with her friend.
Yelling in frustration, she hurried toward her desk and stuck out her toe. Makenna kicked the stool beside it, and it flew into the wall. It hit it so hard that one of its legs broke off. Makenna didn't bother to pick it up, though.
Instead, she yelled, "I'm so sorry, Tracey!" and flopped down on her bed, burying her face in the pillow. Her voice was now muffled. "This is all my fault. If only I were strong enough. Then I could've protected you from the Octopus Man. But no! I failed! Thanks to me, you're in the condition you're in now! Argh!" Tightly clenching her fist, she punched her bedspread. "This stinks! I hate this! I hate this! I hate being a fairy! I just want my normal life back! None of this would've happened if I hadn't popped real wings! Argh!"
For a long time, Makenna sobbed and sobbed and sobbed. She cried until she couldn't produce any more tears, and now exhausted, she immediately fell asleep.
Soon after she did, Mrs. Delling entered her room carrying a tray that had some dinner on it. When she saw that Makenna was asleep, she set the tray down and slowly approached her.
Mrs. Delling lifted the covers and pulled them over Makenna. Then, ruffling her daughter's hair, she kissed her cheek and whispered, "Everything's going to be okay, Makenna," in her ear. She kissed her one last time. Then, she tiptoed to the exit and shut her lights off. Grabbing the doorknob, Mrs. Delling said, "I promise," and carefully shut the door.