Operation Tenley

  The last thing she remembered was walking toward the school exit and that knock on her head.

  She got herself up on shaky legs and peeked around the corner. Through the kitchen window, she saw Mrs. Tylwyth lifting groceries out of her trunk.

  Mrs. Tylwyth!

  Pennie watched her struggle with her bags. One of them dropped onto the driveway. She needed help. Pennie shuffled over and opened the front door.

  “Oh!” Mrs. Tylwyth took a step back. “Well, hello there,” she smiled. “Are you feeling better?”

  “Yes, thank you.” Pennie looked down at the groceries. “Can I help you with those?”

  “Oh gracious, no. Don’t be silly. You’re the one who fainted. Please go back in and sit down. I went to get some groceries, you look like you haven’t eaten in, well … I hope I’m not sounding too forward. How long have you been a classmate of Tenley’s exactly?” Mrs. Tylwyth was trying to sound casual, but her brow betrayed her. She stole a look at Tenley’s high-tops as she walked past Pennie and into the kitchen.

  “I don’t go to Hadley Middle School, Mrs. Tylwyth.”

  When Mrs. Tylwyth turned around, she had a quizzical look on her face.

  “What did you say your name was?”

  “Pennie.”

  “And your last name?’

  “Just—” she mumbled. “One?”

  “I knew it!” Mrs. Tylwyth rushed up to her. “You wouldn’t happen to know Gertrude Justwan, would you?” She winked.

  “Gerty?” Pennie asked. Of course she did. Gerty was Tenley’s nanny. She had taken care of Tenley whenever Mrs. Tylwyth was working at the antique store.

  “This is so wonderful!” Mrs. Tylwyth pulled Pennie into a bear hug. “I couldn’t tell when I first saw you, because of course you were lying down asleep in the nurse’s office by the time I got there. I came as soon as Mr. Frimpy called me. Then that nice high school boy helped us get you into the car so I could bring you back here and put you on the couch. Do you remember walking into the house? You were still terribly exhausted, I’m afraid. But anywho. You have the same ears!” She tugged at them.

  “I do?”

  “Yes! Now don’t tell me you’ve never been told you look like Gerty before. Spitting image. Let’s go tell Tenley; she’ll be tickled.”

  “I’m not sure Tenley wants to see me.”

  “You came all the way here,” Mrs. Tylwyth protested. “Of course she wants to see you. Now that we know who you are. Gerty’s daughter!” She grabbed Pennie’s hand and dragged her up the stairs.

  Mrs. Tylwyth knocked softly on Tenley’s door. “Tenley, I’ve got some exciting news!”

  Pennie braced herself.

  “Pennie is Gerty’s daughter!”

  Tenley’s door swung open. “Gerty’s daughter?”

  Mrs. Tylwyth turned to Pennie. “Has Gerty moved back to California then?”

  Pennie had to think about this. The last time she saw Gerty was when she was here, taking care of Tenley in this house. “No I haven’t seen her in … well … she’s gone.” Pennie looked down solemnly.

  Mrs. Tylwyth slapped her hand over her mouth. “You don’t mean?” She pulled Pennie in tightly. “You poor thing. The last time I heard from her she was opening a gift shop in the Keys. I’m embarrassed to say I thought she said her daughter’s name was Annabel, but there’s no mistaking this hair. Exactly the same as Gerty’s. Right ,Tenley?”

  Tenley narrowed her eyes at Pennie. “So you’re really not trying to get nominated for ANMIT?”

  “No,” Pennie mumbled into Mrs. Tylwyth’s chest.

  “You can stay with us for as long as you’d like.” Mrs. Tylwyth released her. “Tomorrow, I’ll register you at the middle school.”

  “I’m only here for a short stay.”

  “And you can sleep right here with Tenley,” Mrs. Tylwyth ignored her. “I would do anything for your mother. She was a wonderful woman.” Her eyes filled with tears. “She took such good care of my Tenley. And now I get to return the favor.”

  “Mrs. Tylwyth, I really appreciate it, thank you. I’m just staying for a day or two though.”

  Mrs. Tylwyth was hearing none of it. “We’ll have to write Mr. Tylwyth and tell him the happy news.” She winked at Tenley, then squeezed Pennie’s hand and walked out the door.

  Tenley groaned. “She means it when she says she’s gonna write him. As in by snail mail. They don’t have Internet on fishing rigs. It takes like two months to get a letter from him.”

  Pennie tried to look surprised.

  Tenley walked over to her desk. “I hardly even remember your mother. She only took care of me until I was, like, ten.”

  “She was nice, Tenley.” Pennie walked into the room.

  “Yeah. Sorry.” Tenley grabbed her phone and started texting. “As long as you’ll be staying here now, will you be in my nail art tutorial?”

  Pennie looked down at her hands. “Okay.”

  “Good.” Tenley smiled without looking up.

  Pennie noticed the digital clock next to the bed. It was already five o’clock. Time went so fast on Earth. “If you’ll agree to do what we talked about at school. Sign the form I need you to sign.” Pennie brought her hand to her temple. She was about to produce the hologram contract when Mrs. Tylwyth peeked into the room again.

  “Girls? How about a shopping spree? I think Pennie’s going to need some new clothes.”

  “Shopping spree! Let’s go!”

  Tenley pushed by Pennie and ran out the door.

  22

  38:10:33

  Hadley Beach

  The mall was packed.

  “This is perfect. I needed nomination clothes anyway.” Tenley hurried ahead.

  It was taxing, trying to keep up with her. Already, Pennie was out of breath and they’d only just stepped into the mall.

  Mrs. Tylwyth looked concerned for Pennie. “Tenley, could you slow down a bit?”

  Tenley was a few stores ahead and showed no signs of slowing. A posse of girls about the same age as Tenley sneered at her as she hurried by.

  “What’s with the sash?” One of them, a brunette with blond tips at the end of her long hair, scowled.

  “Is she like a beauty contestant or something?”

  “Toddlers and tiaras.”

  “Right?” another girl snorted.

  Pennie glared at them.

  Mrs. Tylwyth looked worried when Pennie wiped her brow. An old lady with an oxygen tank sped by them.

  “Let’s take a little rest, shall we?” Mrs. Tylwyth suggested.

  Up ahead, Tenley disappeared into a store. “Thanks, Mrs. Tylwyth. Maybe just until I catch my breath.”

  “You must be tired from the long trip. Florida is across the country.”

  “It was a long trip,” Pennie agreed.

  Mrs. Tylwyth led Pennie over to an empty table at the edge of the food court. Pennie dropped into a chair.

  “Now that does feel nice,” Mrs. Tylwyth sighed into her seat. A father and toddler walked by holding hands.

  “Did Gerty ever tell you that Tenley’s father’s has had a terrible time getting off work to come visit?”

  For the past twelve years? Pennie wanted to say, but instead she nodded. Even Gerty used to fall for the letters Mrs. Tylwyth wrote, painstakingly concealing her own penmanship so Tenley would believe they were from her father. “Yes, I remember her saying something about that,” Pennie said. “That’s too bad.”

  Mrs. Tylwyth looked out at the crowd of mall-goers.

  A small girl ran after her older sister and tripped. The mother swept the wailing girl up and held a tissue to her lip. “I told you not to chase your sister like that.”

  The little girl nodded through her tears and hugged her mom.

  Mrs. Tylwyth smiled at the scene. “Funny, I don’t remember Tenley ever having little accidents like that. I used to joke with her that she was born with bubble wrap arou
nd her. She just never seemed to get hurt.”

  Pennie shuffled in her seat. “I remember.”

  “You do?” Mrs. Tylwyth turned to her, frowning.

  “I mean, yeah. Because Gerty told me that, too. She told me everything about you guys.”

  Mrs. Tylwyth beamed. “Actually it doesn’t surprise me that Gerty told you all about Tenley. Those two were very close.”

  “Gerty sure did love her.”

  “Did she tell you about the time that Tenley nearly fell off her bike and broke her arm?”

  “But she didn’t break her arm. Or fall off her bike,” Pennie remembered.

  “It was close though,” Mrs. Tylwyth agreed. “To this day, we still don’t know how that bike managed to keep itself upright like that. It was like the wind caught her, which sounds crazy, I know.”

  “Crazy,” Pennie mumbled.

  “And then there was the time that a horse came this close to running her over.”

  “Horse?”

  “Let me think now, it was at some kind of event.”

  “The pony rides!” Pennie said, immediately regretting it. Was Mrs. Tylwyth going to believe Gerty told her all of this?

  Luckily, Mrs. Tylwyth appeared to be lost in her memories. “Pony rides, that’s right. One got loose and ran straight for her. She was only about four years old. It stopped a few inches in front of her and then just, zip, practically flew backwards. That was strange.”

  “Yeah. Really strange.”

  “There was the time in Super Toys, too. As soon as we got there, torrential rain came out of nowhere. It was like a mini hurricane right over the store. Later we learned it had only sprinkled everywhere else. Anyway, while we were waiting for the storm to pass I couldn’t find Tenley. The manager called the police and they finally found her tucked away behind a shelf of Barbies, taking every one out of their boxes. She had gone through almost all the boxes by the time we found her. Did Gerty tell you about that?”

  Pennie nodded. A sticky feeling started in her stomach. How could she have let Tenley be so reckless with her element? Turning a slight rainfall into a hurricane over the store so she could play with all those Barbies. It seemed so innocent at the time.

  “It’s as if Tenley has always had some sort of Fairy Godmother watching out for her.” Mrs. Tylwyth giggled. “Silly thought, I know.”

  “Very silly,” Pennie said quietly. The Fairships were right. Tenley could have been discovered by Mother Nature dozens of times by now. Pennie had only ever wanted to see her client happy and using her element always managed to do that. Growing up without a father was hard; the least Pennie could do was let her have a bit of fun with her power. But she’d gone too far.

  “Pennie, dear. Did you hear me?” Mrs. Tylwyth was staring at her. “I was saying that Gerty did a good job raising you.”

  “Mom!” Tenley waved from a kiosk in the middle of the mall. Tranquility Stones for your Water Fixtures was on the sign. Shiny stones were piled up high.

  “Coming!” Mrs. Tylwyth got to her feet. “Ready, Pennie dear?”

  Pennie struggled to stand. When she got back to Fair City, she was going to have to start working out at the Asteroid gym.

  “Mom, wouldn’t this look great in my nail tutorial?” Tenley held out a smooth oval rock with WISDOM etched into it. “I could hold my hand over it like this?” She petted the rock. “Or I could use this?” She picked up another rock. This one read, THINK.

  “Think?” Mrs. Tylwyth chuckled. “What’s tranquil about that?”

  The brunette with the blond tips walked around from the neighboring kiosk. Her posse of girls appeared behind her with the same snarky grins on their faces. “Almost too good. Am I right? An ugly mom and a loser sister for the beauty queen wannabe.”

  Tenley’s face drained. She turned to the girl, gripping the Think rock so hard her knuckles were white. “What did you just say about my mom?”

  Pennie reached out for Tenley’s shoulder. “Put the rock down.”

  Tenley pulled away, keeping her eyes trained on the girl who stood taller and crossed her arms. “What’s your talent gonna be, wannabe? Texting?”

  Tenley blinked at the girl, considering.

  “Tenley, give me the rock,” Pennie said.

  “How about we come back another time, honey?” Mrs. Tylwyth suggested.

  “Did you hear what she just called you, Mom?”

  “I didn’t hear a thing. Let’s go.” Mrs. Tylwyth started for the exit.

  “Better follow Mommy,” the girl snickered.

  Pennie stepped closer to Tenley. “She’s not worth it. Don’t risk your chances of getting nominated. Everyone in here has a cell phone. You don’t want to see yourself on the Internet like this.”

  After a beat, Tenley looked down at the rock. “You’re right. I’m not losing ANMIT over that mutant.”

  She placed the rock back down on top of the pile and started after her mother.

  Pennie watched the posse of girls high-five their leader before she turned away in the pink high-tops and followed Tenley.

  Just as they reached the exit, the girl shouted, “See ya, losers. And your mom is ugly!”

  That was it. Tenley spun around, pursed her lips, and blew out a fast hard breath before Pennie could stop her.

  The Think rock lifted into the air and idled for a split second before hurling toward the girl, narrowly missing her head and shattering a glass window behind her.

  Mayhem ensued. Alarms went off and security guards rushed out of doorways.

  “Oh my word.” Mrs. Tylwyth put her hand on her cheek. “What happened?”

  Pennie fumed.

  “Dunno.” Tenley shrugged, steering a confused Mrs. Tylwyth out the door.

  23

  36:30:15

  Hadley Beach

  Later, after Mrs. Tylwyth’s delicious dinner of macaroni and cheese and salami sandwiches, the best things Pennie had ever tasted, Pennie agreed to help Tenley with her nail tutorial.

  “Thanks for dinner, Mom. I’m doing tribal art nails tonight.”

  “That sounds exotic,” Mrs. Tylwyth said, starting on the dishes.

  “Come on, Pennie, let’s go.” Tenley cleared her plate and hurried out of the kitchen.

  “That was the best meal I’ve ever had, Mrs. Tylwyth. Thank you,” Pennie said, clearing her plate as well.

  “Oh, don’t be silly. Tomorrow I’ll make something a little more interesting. Go on up and help Tenley. I know she appreciates it.”

  Pennie gave Mrs. Tylwyth a smile. Alone with Tenley, she’d finally get her to sign the form. “Thanks again, Mrs. Tylwyth.”

  Pennie crawled her way up the stairs. With a full belly now, fatigue was washing over her like high tide.

  Tenley was standing by the cardboard backdrop she’d made for her nail tutorials. She directed an exhausted-looking Pennie to sit in the beanbag and frowned at her. “You probably need to get in better shape before the next PE class. You’re not going to pass run day. Mrs. Arrowbad is evil. You could have a broken leg, and she’d still make you run.”

  “We need to talk,” Pennie said.

  “Not now. I’m about to start recording.” She nodded to the shoe box she’d taken the top off of. Inside was a miniature living room set. A tiny yellow rug lined the bottom and a miniature plastic chair was placed in the corner. “This is called ‘the fingernail set.’ I made it myself. Okay, so basically, I do all the talking and designing and you just place your hand on the rug and watch. I’m the only one on camera. Let me see your nails.”

  Pennie held out her hands. “We’re not doing the feet, right?” She didn’t want Tenley to see how little they were.

  Tenley pulled a face at Pennie’s fingernails. “Those are even shorter than my mom’s.”

  “They like us to keep them this way.” Some of their tools required very precise manual implementation.

  “Who’s they?”

 
“Did I say ‘they’? I meant at my old school, I used to do a lot of finger things.” She cleared her throat. “So tribal art, what is that exactly, anyway?”

  “No offense, but your nails are way too short. I’m going to have to give you acrylic tips, okay?”

  “I need to talk to you first, though.”

  Before she could tap her temple, Tenley grabbed Pennie’s hands.

  “It’ll just take like ten minutes. Hold your hands right here.”

  It was true; Tenley was a master with nails. Pennie watched her short plain fingers transform into long elegant digits.

  “Told you,” Tenley said. “Do you have to go to the bathroom or anything? ’ Cause once I start videoing I don’t like to stop.”

  Pennie shook her head.

  “Great. Shh!”

  Tenley started her commentating.

  Much later, Pennie had an elaborate tribal design on each nail.

  Tenley stopped the recording on her cell phone. Pennie had stayed quiet during the entire tutorial, wherein Tenley had been all business, keeping her comments to technique and color and contrasts.

  “You’re really good at this, Tenley.”

  “Be careful!” Tenley warned. “Don’t smudge them. Here, come here.” She waved Pennie over to the window and pushed out her screen, something she’d clearly done before. “Hold both of your hands like this.”

  “What are you doing?”

  “Just do it,” Tenley said, forcing Pennie’s palms flat and yanking them out the window.

  Tenley blew a quick breath. A gust of air swirled around Pennie’s hands. “Tenley! Stop!” Pennie pulled her hands back.

  “It’s just wind. What are you so afraid of?” Tenley put the screen in place again.

  “It’s not just wind. This is exactly why I’m here. You need to stop doing this.”

  Tenley grabbed her phone. “Okay, look. I’m sorry that for some reason I can make the wind blow. It’s weird, I know. But it’s also awesome. I’m not hurting anybody. I’m just drying my nails and stuff. So I don’t know why you have to go and get all freaked out about it.”

  “Because.” Pennie lowered her voice. “Every time you create wind, you’re putting yourself in danger.” She tapped on her temple, careful not to smudge her nails. The hologram form appeared in front of her. “You need to sign this.”