Read Online Piper's Perfect Dream by Ahmet Zappa - Free Book Online Page A

just for her to see. Immediately, she felt energized.
    A moment later, Piper felt a tingle at her wrist.
Finally!
she thought, glancing at her pendant. The bracelets were glowing faintly. Smiling, Piper peered down the street. A group of girls was approaching, and with each step they took, the pendant lit up brighter and brighter.
    The girls stopped directly in front of Piper. Her pendant flashed even stronger; the jewels sparkled fiercely. One of these Wishlings was definitely her Wisher.
    There were four girls, huddled together so closely Piper couldn’t see their faces or hear their words. It didn’t seem like happy chatter to Piper, though, with the girls talking about the cute boy in class or the latest fashion. Something was up.
    The group broke apart, and three of the girls drew away, leaving one girl standing alone. “Bye, Olivia,” the shortest one of the three called back in a commanding way. “Everything will be fine.” She tugged at the other two, and they walked quickly away.
    Maybe the short girl was the Wisher. Piper thought it was a definite possibility. But she wasn’t thrilled. The girl seemed a little bossy.
    Meanwhile, the girl left behind—Olivia—stood still for a long moment, lost in thought. Piper gazed at her. She was sweet-looking, with a round face and long dark brown hair pulled into a high ponytail. Her blue eyes were large and searching. Surely, Olivia was a deep thinker. But her eyes had dark circles beneath them, as if she was losing sleep. Piper liked her immediately.
    By then the other girls were down the block. Olivia stepped past Piper, heading into the diner, and the pendant glowed with extra intensity.
    Piper straightened her shoulders. She had found her Wisher.

Now what?
Piper wondered. Should she follow the Wisher and go inside the diner, too? She felt hesitant. The woman at the desk already thought she was strange. And while Piper never minded when other Starlings thought she was a little weird—let’s face it, not everyone liked to do downward-facing glion poses while meditating in P.E. class—this seemed different.
    Piper cared what these Wishlings thought, and she wanted to make a good impression. Maybe because they were the first Wishlings she’d ever met. And maybe, just maybe, it might help her complete her mission.
    Through the glass door, Piper saw Olivia drop her backpack behind the front desk. She gave the curly-haired woman a kiss on the cheek. Then she walked around the long counter and slipped behind it to the other side. She waved hello to a woman wiping up a spill at the other end—a “waitress,” Piper had learned—and tied on an apron. It seemed that people, not Bot-Bots, served food on Wishworld.
    Olivia works at the diner!
Piper realized. Now she had no choice but to go in again. This time, she would think carefully before she spoke.
    â€œHello,” Piper said cautiously to the woman at the desk. Now she saw the woman wore a name tag. “Alice,” Piper added.
    â€œHello again,” said Alice. “Have you figured out if you want to—”
    â€œEat?” said Piper.
    â€œStay,” said Alice.
    â€œYes, I do.” Piper leaned over, closer to Alice. She didn’t say anything; she just concentrated on connecting.
    A funny expression crossed Alice’s face. It was a wistful look, like she was remembering something from long ago. She sniffed deeply. “Rhubarb pie. Strawberry-rhubarb pie with crumb topping.” She smiled at Piper. “It smells just like the pie my mom, Rosie, used to make. I didn’t even know we were serving it today! Or that anyone else could make it the same way!”
    Rosie…the plaque on the bench…the diner name…Piper wanted to ask her more, but she had to focus on the task at hand. Adult Wishlings always smelled favorite desserts from childhood when they got close to Starlings. And those memories made them open to