Peter did nothing to Makenna on the way to the dance. At one point, he stopped because an ambulance with its lights flashing passed by.
Peter watched it and thought to himself, That's going to be Makenna's ambulance in less than three hours that's never going to reach the hospital. He carried on driving.
While Peter drove, Makenna sighed and texted Jessica. She then lowered her phone and blew on the passenger's window. When she ensured Peter wasn't looking, she lifted her index finger and wrote out Tracey's name. Under it, she added Please help me.
After Makenna wrote her message, she stared outside, and images of Tracey flashed through her brain.
Peter finally arrived at Makenna's school. He pulled into the parking lot and parked his car. He then got out and came over to Makenna's side.
Peter opened the door and took Makenna's hand, dragging her out of his car.
Makenna's feet hit the parking lot's concrete, and she gulped, searching the area.
Other teenagers, dressed up, passed by Peter and her as they entered the school from the front door. Some had dates. Others just came with their friends. The dance was being held in the gym.
Makenna headed toward the front door, but stopped and stared at it.
Raeven soon poked his head out of her purse, and his eyes landed on the school building. "Ooh," he whispered, "fancy."
Hearing him, Makenna tilted her head and whispered, "Raeven! Get back in there!" She quickly pushed him back inside and closed her purse. She then stared at her school again.
Makenna's teeth chattered. She wrapped her arms around her and thought about running, but then she remembered that she had to be there and that Raeven was with her. He would protect her, hopefully. However, he was only a bat.
Through the crowds of teenagers, Makenna searched for Jessica.
Behind her, Peter leaned against the hood of his car, holding a walkie-talkie to his lips. "Check, check," he whispered, ensuring Makenna wasn't looking. "Commence Operation: Catch the Fairies, Dad. Makenna and I are here. All we're missing now is Tracey."
His dad had also come to the dance. He had parked his car behind the school building, out of sight, and was patiently waiting for Peter's message about him reaching the dance. Cody was dressed in all black. He wore sunglasses and carried his own walkie-talkie.
Soon receiving Peter's message, he said, "Good on ya, Pete," into his walkie-talkie. "So far, so good. If what you say is true about Makenna being a fairy, then by sunset, she should pop her wings."
"She should, and she will," Pete said back. He checked again to ensure Makenna wasn't watching.
She wasn't. She was too busy staring at the ground.
In his car, Detective Cody gripped the steering wheel and asked Peter, "What about Tracey? We're missing him."
"Don't worry, Dad," said Peter. "This is all going according to plan. Tracey will come. I know he will. He would never leave his precious treasure in the hands of Peter Nelson, right? The trap is set. We'll use that worthless fairy scum as bait to get Makenna. Then, once we have both of them, we'll get out of here."
"Sounds good," Cody said back. "I'll search for Tracey. I know I'll recognize him by his green and purple. Not to mention, I'm sure those wings will look fabulous. You go ahead, son, and take Makenna inside. I'll call you again when Tracey arrives."
"Don't worry, Dad," repeated Peter. "We're going to catch these fairies and prove that fairies really do exist. I swear to it."
Cody actually had no idea that Peter was planning on murdering Makenna. He thought he was there to help him get famous. He turned off his walkie-talkie and lowered it to his side. He then reached into a bag that sat on the seat beside him and pulled out his binoculars.
Cody rested his left hand on the steering wheel and, with his right, peered into the sky with his binoculars.
Peter, still leaning against the hood of his car, slipped his walkie-talkie into his back pocket and cleared his throat. Then, approaching Makenna, he took her shoulder and asked, "Are you ready, Makenna?"
Makenna gulped. "I guess," she nervously spoke, meeting Peter's eyes.
Peter smirked. He peered over his shoulder and nudged Makenna forward, toward the entrance of the school.
Before long, Makenna and Peter pushed through the school's front doors and disappeared inside.
***
Back at Makenna's house, Mrs. Delling had dismissed Caleb to his room to work on his science project, but had fallen asleep in an armchair with a newspaper over her face.
Up in his room, Caleb had set up a miniature chemistry lab. Glass vials, flasks, and tubes were spread out over his desk, and he wore a pair of safety goggles. His science project involved making a safe and usable soap. Caleb used his newfound fairy powers to aid him. He wore a long, puffy-sleeved, white shirt, long white pants, an orange, belt-like sash, and brown shoes. In his hand, he held a beaker containing homemade soap.
Caleb examined his creation and blew on it, rubbing the beaker. His experiment steamed, which was precisely what Caleb wanted.
Bubbling from tubes and other chemistry supplies was heard all over his workspace.
Turning on a straight face, Caleb brought the beaker close to it and said, "All right, let's give this a go." Focusing on his soap, Caleb held his left hand over the beaker and rubbed his thumb and index fingers together. Small, orange sparkles escaped them and drifted into his creation.
Immediately after they touched the lye, coconut oil, tea, and so on, the experiment blew up in Caleb's face.
He groaned and coughed. With his free hand, he wiped smoke off his face and choked out, "Nope. That won't work." Caleb again coughed.
Once he recovered from the explosion, he decided to try a new power. He picked up a second beaker—that soap was made from palm oil and coffee, instead of coconut oil and tea. And like the previous beaker, he brought it close to his face.
However, just before Caleb sprinkled his new power onto his second creation, somebody knocked on his door.
Confused, Caleb asked himself, "Who could that be at this hour?" Clearing his throat, he glanced at his door. "Come in." He peered at his beaker again and kept it within eye range.
The door to his room opened, and, appearing in the doorway, with Gina resting on his shoulder, was Tracey. He gripped his upper right arm, clenching his teeth. He sweated like a fountain. His hair and ninja-style tunic-like shirt were soaked.
In a weak voice, Tracey shakily choked out, "Ca-Caleb." His eyes landed on his chemistry lab.
Recognizing his voice, Caleb lowered the beaker and turned his head toward Tracey.
At the sight of him, his eyes widened, and he quickly pulled the goggles off his eyes. "Tracey!" He set the beaker and goggles down and faced him. "What are you doing up here? You're supposed to be resting."
"I know," Tracey feebly spoke, rubbing sweat from his forehead. "However, I can't, Caleb. I've got to save, Makenna, and I was wondering if you could help me."
"What do you mean by 'save Makenna?'" Caleb questioned. He approached Tracey and rested his hand on his soaking chest. "You're soaking wet, dude." He felt Tracey's forehead. "You're burning up. You need to lie down."
"No," Tracey refused. "Not until I save Makenna. Caleb, you don't understand. Peter Nelson is planning on killing her."
"Killing her?" Caleb exclaimed. He took Tracey's arm and lugged him over to his bed.
Gina flapped her wings.
Caleb sat Tracey down and reached for his tunic-like shirt, saying, "What makes you think that? Take off that wet shirt, Tracey, before you catch a chill. Geez."
Gina leaped from Tracey's shoulder and landed beside him.
Caleb pulled Tracey's tunic-like shirt off, and the tank top he wore under it was revealed. Caleb clutched his arms and said, "You're soaking, dude. You must have a fever of at least 103°F. If not, higher!"
"My life can end," Tracey told him. "I don't mind dying, but Makenna can't. She's only fourteen. Caleb, please help me. Even if Peter's scheme doesn't work, she's still at a high risk of dying tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" Caleb wondered. "What do you mean, Tracey? Are you meaning to tell me that Makenna's losing the ability to live?"
"Yes." Tracey nodded.
Caleb soon grabbed a blanket and hopped onto his bed. Approaching Tracey's back, he sat on his heels and wrapped the blanket around him. "Don't worry, Tracey, we're going to get you to the hospital as soon as we can. Tell me, what's going on? Why is Makenna's life ending?"
Tracey took his hand, and Caleb comfortably rubbed it. With his other hand, he reached for his burning forehead.
Dropping his hand from his forehead, Tracey asked Caleb, "Caleb, lately, have you noticed that you've been having fairy powers and Makenna's been looking a little pale?"
Caleb nodded. "Yes. It's been amazing, Trace! Just yesterday at school, I totally ruined a girl's headdress with the Paintus Completeness spell! What are you trying to tell me? This is remarkable! Before you know it, Makenna and I will be fairies together!"
"That's what you think," said Tracey, "but it's not true. The truth is, Caleb, Makenna's powers are being drained and handed off to you. While you're getting stronger, she's getting weaker."
Caleb gasped. "What? So, you're saying that I'm becoming a fairy instead of Makenna?"
Tracey bobbed his head.
"But why?" Caleb wanted to know. "I don't understand!"
"As you should know since you've done your research..." sleepily elucidated Tracey. "Makenna is a Metamorphic Fairy."
Gina rested her chin on his leg and slowly blinked.
Tracey pet her and continued: "All Metamorphic Fairies are tested to see if they really deserve their wings. Are you following me, Caleb? Have you read about this?"
Caleb was honest. He shook his head and voiced, "I've heard of it, but I never really understood what it meant. Please, Tracey. You've got to lie down."
"No," he refused. "If I lie down, Caleb, I'll fall asleep. By the time I wake up—that's as if I wake up—Makenna's life will already be over. Please, you've got to help me."
"You're sick, though!" Caleb argued.
"I know," said Tracey. "I know I'm sick, Caleb, but I've got to do this. I want to die honorably. I don't want to die as a chicken."
"You're not going to die," Caleb spoke, clutching Tracey's shoulder. "Don't say things like that, Trace. Don't worry, I'll help you save Makenna."
"You will?" asked Merlin's apprentice.
Caleb nodded. "Yes. What's Peter planning on doing to her, though?"
"Nuts," Tracey mumbled. He reached for his ninja-style shirt and picked it up.
"Nuts?" wondered Caleb.
"Yes, Caleb. Peter's planning on exposing her to nuts, and I know how allergic Makenna is to them. She told me. Besides, sunset's coming soon."
Caleb gasped. "She's going to pop her wings! Nuts? We've got to hurry, Tracey!" He thought back to the time when Makenna had an anaphylactic reaction not so long after Tracey saved her from the crab dock's overlook. He remembered how scary it was. Caleb did not want that to happen again!
He helped Tracey pull on his tunic-like shirt and hopped off the bed. Taking his sweaty arm, he pulled him to his feet and said, "Easy, Tracey, easy."
Tracey closed his eyes and fell backward, but Caleb caught him.
Gina soon landed on the fairy's shoulder and gave his cheek a gentle peck.
"Are we going to fly on Gina?" Caleb asked Tracey.
"Yes," he feebly answered. "Let's head outside first, though." He did not open his eyes.
Caleb refused to let his arm go. He dragged Tracey to his door and said, "Here's the door." He and Gina helped Tracey into the hallway, and they stopped at the top of the staircase. "Oh snap," Caleb said when he saw the stairs. "Okay, stairs, Tracey. How did you get up here in the first place?"
He heard Gina in his head. "I flew him up here."
"Ah," said Caleb. "All right, let's be careful, Gina. I don't want Tracey to fall." He took a deep breath and studied the stairs. "Here we go." Caleb carefully led Tracey down them.
However, because he was so sweaty with his fever, his arm started slipping.
When Caleb felt that, he tightened his grip.
They managed to reach the base of the staircase without Tracey falling, and Caleb heard his mother snoring from the living room. He snuck by her, as quiet as a mouse, and he, Gina, and Tracey approached the front door. Caleb silently opened it and stepped outside to the late afternoon air.
Caleb closed the door with his shoe, and his eyes landed on the next flight of stairs. "Oh, great. We only have one flight of stairs left, Trace. We can do this."
Moving around and the journey down the stairs had made Tracey loopy again. Suddenly, he begged, "No! I don't want to go down the stairs! I want my bed!" He sounded like he was crying. His voice was broken, and he kept his eyes closed.
Caleb lifted his hand. Pressing it against Tracey's forehead again, he said, "Oh, Tracey, you're only getting worse. Hang on, we're going to take you to your bed as soon as we rescue Makenna and she earns her third transformation. The reason why you feel absolutely awful right now is that you refused to eat and take the medicine Mom provided you with. The previous pain medicines, the ones you took at Merlin's Island, have worn off."
"Ugh," Tracey moaned, his head falling forward. He sank to the ground, but Caleb pulled him up.
Glancing at Gina, he told her, "All right, we're ready, Gina. Tracey, it's time for us to perform the Shrinking Spell."
However, Tracey was too weak. He couldn't perform the Shrinking Spell. Therefore, Caleb had to shrink him. He succeeded. He shrank both him and Tracey down, and they together landed on Gina's back.
She squawked and peered back at them.
"And we're off!" Caleb yelled. He felt awesome riding on the back of a bird. He had always wanted to do it.
Gina flapped her wings and squawked one last time. She then shot forward, Tracey and Caleb on her back, and vanished into the sky.
***
Peter and Makenna had just made it to the gym, and Makenna gasped at what she saw. The gym was hopping! From the ceiling hung a large disco ball, and a banner that read Happy Spirit Week! adorned the space. The gym was filled with students, food, punch tables, and music.
Makenna actually felt a little excited when she saw everything. "Come on, Pete!" she announced, grabbing his hand. "It looks like fun!"
She pulled him into the gym, and Pete said, "Whoa!"
Makenna lugged him to the heart of the gym and found Jessica just left of the disco ball in a gorgeous, glittering, pink and lilac dress. She looked beautiful, and Jimmy Carter was beside her.
At the sight of him, Makenna gagged and asked, "Him?" under her breath. "Why is it always him?" She manned up and, clearing her throat, called, "Jessica!" waving.
Jimmy and Jessica turned, and Jessica called, "Makenna!"
Makenna approached them, glaring slightly, and asked Jimmy, "What are you doing here, Jimmy Carter?" She shooed him away. "Shoo."
Jimmy refused to leave, not with Peter Nelson standing there.
"No, thank you, Fairy Girl," he said. "I'm quite comfortable here."
Makenna growled. "Leave, Jimmy."
"No." He crossed his arms.
Peter soon approached Makenna from behind and gripped her waist. "Why don't we get a drink, Makenna?" He tightened his grip and sniffed her hair.
Jimmy saw that and glared. Clenching his teeth, he tried to run to Peter, but Jessica wrapped her arms around him and pulled him back. "Jimmy."
Jimmy fought her, but Jessica only tightened her grip.
Peter glanced at Jimmy and asked, "What's your problem, boy? Why do you have that sour look on your face? Come on, Makenna." He led Makenna away from Jessica and Jimmy and dragged her toward a punch table.
Still holding Jimmy, Jessica said, "I know, Jimmy. You want to beat him up, but I can't let you. Do you remember our plan? We have to make it look like we're not suspicious. We'll interfere when the time is right."
"This is killing me," Jimmy growled, following every movement of Peter. "I don't like that guy."
Peter and Makenna soon reached the punch table, and Peter poured two glasses of punch.
He gave one to Makenna, who thanked him and held up his own, saying, "To life." He and Makenna bumped glasses and took a sip. Peter then suddenly said, "Whoa!" and dropped his car keys under the punch table. "Whoops, I dropped my keys. Excuse me, Makenna." He shoved his cup into Makenna's chest, which she struggled to retrieve, and got down on hands and knees.
Peter stuck half his body under the table, and Makenna asked, "Um, Pete?"
Raeven soon poked his head out of her purse, and he asked in a whisper, "Some gentleman he is, eh, Makenn? You need to start thinking about breaking up with him."
Makenna nodded and pushed him back into her purse. She then peered down at Peter.
Under the table, he spoke into his walkie-talkie. "Well, Dad? Do you see Tracey yet?"
"Not yet," answered Mr. Nelson. "Are you sure about this, Pete?"
"I am," Peter said. "Tracey will come. Trust me. He's Tracey."
"You're certain?" questioned Mr. Delling.
"I'm certain."
Mr. Delling sighed. "All right, then. I'll continue to look for him."
"Thank you, Dad. Over." Peter turned off the walkie-talkie and tucked it into his back pocket again. Then, picking up his keys, he slid out from underneath the table, held them up to Makenna, and said, "I got them."
"Peter," said Makenna, "can I—I don't know." She sighed. "Admit something to you?" She set down the glasses of punch and opened her mouth.
However, before she could begin the breakup, one of Peter's favorite songs played from the disco: "I Don't Wanna Be in Love" by Good Charlotte. "Oh, I love this song," he told Makenna, moving to the music. "Do you want to have a rock and roll showdown, Miss Delling?"
Makenna chuckled nervously. "Oh, I don't know."
"Come on!" Peter yelled. He grabbed Makenna and jerked her onto the dance floor. "Rock out with us, Miss Delling!" was his following sentence. He and a few other students, including his friend Bruce, joined him and started jamming out to "I Don't Wanna Be in Love."
Peter gestured for Makenna to join the fun, but she waved her hands and took a step back.
When "I Don't Wanna Be in Love" went into the chorus, Peter sang along with it; he didn't have a bad voice, but it wasn't as good as Tracey's.
"Everybody!" he shouted, lifting his hands. "Put up your hands, say, 'I don't wanna be in love, I don't wanna be in love!' Feel the beat now! If you've got nothing left, say: 'I don't wanna be in love, I don't wanna be in love!' Back it up now! You've got a reason to live. Feelin' good now! Don't be afraid to get down. Say, 'I don't wanna be in love, I don't wanna be in love!'"
After a bit, Makenna decided to join the dance party, since yeah, she did like to dance. She weaved her way into the crowd and stood beside Peter.
The teens clapped, danced, and sang along with "I Don't Wanna Be in Love." Makenna forgot all about Raeven hiding in her bag. She was having so much fun. Maybe coming to the dance wasn't such a bad thing after all. Peter hadn't done anything nasty to her. She was beginning to have second thoughts about breaking up with him.
The lights of the disco ball shimmered over Makenna and the dance crowd, and altogether, the teens sang along. "She calls him up; she's trippin' on the phone now. He had to get out, and he ain't coming home now. He's tryin' to forget her; that's how he got with her. When he first met her, when they first got together.'"
Makenna laughed and fell into Peter's arms.
Jimmy and Jessica watched from a distance, and Jimmy had lost his glare.
"It doesn't make sense, Jessica," he told Jessica. "Why is that boy so immobilizing to her?"
"Are you kidding?" Jessica asked, pointing at Peter. "He's Peter Nelson! He's the hottest guy in this entire school. Perhaps nothing will go wrong tonight."
"Don't think that," said Jimmy. "I've heard what Peter does to girls, and I'm not going to change my thoughts about him, all because he's making Makenna smile and dance. This is only Step 1 of his plan."
"Step one?" asked Jessica, meeting Jimmy's eyes. "What do you mean by 'Step 1,' Jimmy?"
Jimmy huffed and crossed his arms, not answering. He just listened as "I Don't Wanna Be in Love" concluded, and clapping and whistling broke out.