Keeping Fantasia: The Third Book of the Fantasia Series

Chapter 128: Kapow!

Chapter 128: Kapow!

Wendy paced like a wolf.

Edna Mode watched.

Finally, she lost patience.

"Sit down dahling! You walk, walk, walk so much, it will put ruffles in my hem!"

Wendy very much doubted that. Edna was wearing a metallic dress with razor-sharp pleates. Nothing short of a silver-smith could ruffle those hems. She was also sporting a bedazzled blaster-like contraption, which Wendy thought peculiar, but somehow it completed the look.

"Sorry..." Wendy sat beside Ariel. She stared at the Tinkertell Talk Show dressing-room doorway.  "Just a little tense."

Actually she was very tense. Shadow's assault on Gwen had been harrowing. Gwen had spent the entire day locked in her room. Wendy desperately wanted to go home. Just being present seemed the right thing to do.

But instead, she had to endure an asinine evening with Tinkerbell...on live-television.

The interview itself didn't intimidate Wendy. She was prepared for the usual Tinkerbell obscenities, which would likely include her appearance, her shadow-working, and her unlikely relationship with Peter.

Wendy was all too aware that she would be the target, so she preemptively  decided to field Tinkerbell's insults with silence. If she didn't say anything, she wouldn't fuel the pixie's fire.

However, that might not be enough. Wendy was afraid that their children, Gwen and Jak in particular, might be swayed by Tinkerbell's comments.

Wendy consulted the clock. Twenty minutes until the interview.

Bitterly, she sighed. "The sooner this is over the better."

Ariel smiled sympathetically. She - in stark contrast to Wendy – was slouched in her chair, trident between her knees, and cool as a clam. Tinkerbell didn't scare her and she was totally ready to cut a bitch.

"Don't worry chica – it'll be over soon. Once Fantasia sees how awesome we are, they'll realize Tinkerbell is full of crap."

Wendy angled a brow, but didn't respond.

"And good news..." Ariel wiggled her phone. "Mom and Melody are at your brother's house. Looks like they met Gwen and it didn't go poorly."

Wendy felt her phone vibrate. It was a bubbly text from Michael assuring her that Mamma Sarah had arrived with Melody, everyone had been properly introduced, he loved her so much, and everything was fine.

"Well..." Wendy lowered her phone as King Arthur and Prince Bran entered the dressing-room. "Thank heavens they're sugar coating it."

** *** *** *** *** *** *** ** *** *** ***

John Darling rapped on Gwen's door three times.

"Gwen – do – lyn! Come out this instant!"

Gwen opened her eyes. She'd been curled in bed all day, trying to recover from the shadow working incident. Thus far, she'd only succeeded in not throwing up. All other tasks seemed insurmountable: studying, exercising, packing her belongings...

Gwen surveyed the room. Uncle Michael had brought a stack of cardboard moving boxes, all of which remained unfilled where he'd left them. Aunt Lilo had offered to help her pack, but the offer went south.

"Just go." Gwen had begged into her pillow. "Please."

The Pelekai's didn't push. Aunt Lilo was chill and Uncle Michael didn't like confrontation, so Gwen was left alone.