Read an Excerpt
New Friends
OH, WOW!” ELLA BROWN BREATHED as she looked through the big golden gates. On the other side of them was a castle made of pure glass. It sparkled like a diamond in the sunshine. Ella’s wings fluttered. The Guardian Angel Academy. It was just how she had always imagined it would be—totally perfect!
Ella checked her reflection in the shining gates. Her white halo was sitting straight, her brown, shoulder-length hair was glossy, and her green eyes sparkled. She couldn’t wait to start her very first day!
She reached for the bell, but before she could press it, the gates swung open. A long driveway led to the castle entrance, parting fields of wild flowers. Bright butterflies flew from flower to flower and the gentle sound of bees hummed in the air.
Angel-tastic! This was going to be so much fun! Ella half skipped and half flew forward, her tiny wings fluttering as they carried her along the driveway. There were bound to be lots of adventures in store at angel school. She flew up and pirouetted at the thought.
“Okay, so how do you do that?”
Ella spun around to see a very tall girl, about her own age, behind her. The girl was dressed in the same pearly white uniform as Ella but she didn’t look like your average neat and tidy angel. Her dress already had dirty splotches on it and a tangle of blonde curls was scrambling out from under her halo.
“Do what?” Ella asked, surprised.
“Make your wings work like that!” The girl peered over her shoulder at her own wings. “I’ve been trying to make mine work ever since they appeared, but they just don’t seem to. Look!” She jumped up in the air. Her wings gave a few faint flaps but didn’t manage to lift her up. “Oh, I’m useless!”
“No you’re not. It just takes practice,” Ella told her. “I just think fluttery thoughts. Imagine you’re a butterfly, swooping and gliding. . . .” Ella was picturing it so clearly that her own wings fluttered and she rose into the air. “Like that!” she giggled, floating down again.
The tall girl concentrated hard. “Okay, here goes. I’m imagining, I’m imagining . . .”
“Keep on trying. You can do it!” Ella encouraged. The other girl’s wings started to flutter faster and suddenly she shot up into the sky like a rocket.
“Whoa!” she cried in alarm, turning a loop-the-loop and coming down again, her arms flailing. She would have crashed to the ground but Ella rushed forward to catch her just in time.
“Thank you!” gasped the other girl. A grin lit up her face. “Hey, I flew! I really flew! I might not have won any points for style, but I did it—and it felt totally awesome.” She hugged Ella, almost knocking her over. “So what’s your name? I’m Poppy.”
“I’m Ella,” Ella replied.
“And is it your first day too?” Poppy asked.
Ella nodded.
“Can we be friends?” Poppy said, giving her a hopeful look.
“Well . . .” Ella paused teasingly. “Do you like adventures?”
“Oh yes!” breathed Poppy.
Ella broke into a smile. “Then we can be best friends!”
Poppy grinned. “That’s totally cherub-azing!”
Ella linked arms with her and looked up at the glittering castle. “Look out, Guardian Angel Academy. Here we come!”
