Practice

 

            Clunk! “Ow!” Rowena rubbed her head. She looked around to see what had hit her. A shoe sat next to her on the bench. “What the…?” Was that one of her sister’s shoes? But how did it get here in the library?

            As she sat pondering this question, something else hit her head with a clunk. “Oof!” That one hurt worse than the first one. She glanced at the object and knew immediately what it was.

            Rowena jumped up from her seat and ran to where the object had fallen. Gingerly, she picked it up and inspected it. Yes, this was definitely her sister’s crown. Only Stella could skillfully weave pink ribbons through anything, including her crown. But why was it here? Their father, the king, had said Stella would be living at the magical academy for a few years until she learned how to control her magic. Although Rowena really missed her, she knew it wasn’t time for her to be back yet.

            So, why was her crown here? Another whack sounded as the other of Stella’s shoes fell from the ceiling and landed on the floor. Rowena looked to see where it had come from, but there was nothing. The ceiling was low and smooth.

            A bracelet appeared up near the ceiling and fell with a thud onto a cushion. Rowena’s mouth gaped open in surprise. What was happening? Should she run and tell the staff or maybe even her father?

            Before she could decide, a pair of shoeless feet appeared and slowly descended down to the floor. As they lowered, the rest of the body was revealed and Rowena shouted, “Stella!” Her sister hovered a few inches above the floor and then abruptly fell the rest of the way.

            Quickly regaining her balance, Stella said, “Oh, good, you’re here! I hoped you would be in the library.”

            Rowena’s eyes were wide in shock. “What are you doing here?”

            “Practicing my teleportation magic.” Stella glanced around and saw her shoes on the floor. She ran to get them and put them on. “It took me a few tries to get it right.” She grabbed her crown out of Rowena’s hands. “Apparently, it’s easier to teleport your accessories than it is yourself. You haven’t seen my bracelet, have you?”

            Rowena picked up the bracelet and gave it to Stella, along with a hug. “It’s so good to see you, sis!”

            The warm smile that Rowena knew so well lit up Stella’s face. “It’s good to see you, too. Why do you think I chose our library as a practice teleportation site?” She gave Rowena one more squeeze and stepped back. “Of course, that means that I have to go back now.”

            “Already?”

            “Yes. I’m sure they’ll tell me all the things I did wrong. But it was worth it to see you.”

            Tears filled Rowena’s eyes as she realized that her sister was leaving. “When will you come back?”

            A mischievous smile crossed Stella’s face, and she said, “As often as I practice teleportation, I’ll come see you.”

            Rowena rubbed her head thoughtfully. “Okay, but maybe don’t teleport right above the bench where I’m reading.” She grinned. “I don’t need any more bumps on my head.”