The following week, I took an afternoon off to accompany Geoff and his family to the station, where he would embark on a twelve-hour journey to the kingdom of Citria.

We had been apart a lot in our long friendship, but this time felt different . . . more final, somehow. After all, we were done with school. If things went well and Geoff decided to stay up in Citria, what would stop him? What would keep me from losing my best friend?

Geoff burst into laughter when he answered the door and saw my face. "I'm just going to knight school, not a witch's bramble trap. Don't look so depressed."

"I'm excited for you. Really, I am," I insisted.

He slung an arm around my neck. "Look, don't be jealous. I'll send you a postcard, okay?"

"Geoffrey, stop gloating. It's not polite," his mother said, poking her head out of the kitchen door. She was beautiful, with her son's sandy hair and eyes, and she was also very big, being part ogress. "Morning, Noelle. Want a scone?"

I craned my neck to look at her. "No thanks, Mrs. Oakdale, I had a late breakfast."

Geoff's dad bustled down the hallway with a suitcase. "Hi there! Come to help us see Sir Geoffrey off?" He ruffled his son's hair affectionately.

"Dad!" my friend protested, trying to smooth it back down.

"Oh, there won't be a princess alive who won't fall for my boy," Mr. Oakdale boasted. "What do you think, Noelle?"

"Sure, Mr. O. Whatever you say," I answered, grinning.

When all of Geoff's belongings had been lugged out to the cart, his parents climbed in front and he and I got in back with the luggage. Mr. Oakdale clucked to Fat Chester and we began rolling down the road at a leisurely pace.

"So, do you think you're ready for knight school?" I asked.

Geoff beamed. "I've been practicing the sword every minute. Of course, I don't have an actual one yet. I've been using the axe Dad chops wood with."

"And giving me heart palpitations every time," his father added.

"First week, we're just going to start on the soft stuff," Geoff rambled on. "You know, sitting in a classroom, looking at books, boring stuff like that. We have to learn about the rules of chivalry and maybe a bit of history."

"I think it sounds cool," I told him.

"Nah, the cool part is when we get to joust. Well, first we have to learn how to ride horses and all that, but then we get to hold mock tournaments and try to kill each other."

"This is really very soothing for me to hear, Geoffrey," Mrs. Oakdale said in a wry voice.

"Oh, don't worry, Mom. We won't actually die or anything," he assured her. "That part will happen when we get to the dragons."

She turned and rolled her eyes at me. "I feel so much better now."

"Dragons are all over the place, you know, Noelle." No one needed a geography lesson from Geoff, least of all me, but he jabbered on about the famous black mountains of Citria, which was known for its jewel mines. The endless leagues of caves beneath its peaks were just chock full of fire-breathing lizards to be battled, from the way he told it. "It's going to be the most fantastic experience of my life!"

"You know, you're actually going to have to work," his mother pointed out. "Protecting the royal family and all. It's not a party."

"Who says work can't be fun?" Geoff retorted. As soon as his parents began discussing something else, he elbowed me and lowered his voice. "Have you heard anything from C.A.F.E. yet?"

"No, not yet. But it's only been a week."

"Right. I bet they have to process all the paperwork." He leaned against an overstuffed suitcase, hands folded behind his head. "You'll probably hear back next week. Don't worry, it'll work out. Valentine said you were a shoo-in, didn't she?"

"I've been wondering about that," I admitted. "How could she tell? I mean, she had only known me for five minutes."

Geoff frowned. "Did she seem impressed by anything in particular?"

"Yeah. My name." I paused. "Wait a sec. You don't think it's just because I'm a Simpkins?"

He waved a hand in the air. "Who cares if it is? You're always saying you want to make it on your own steam. Well, here's your chance. It's cool if you get in because people know your mom and dad, but to stay in . . ." He nodded sagely. "You'll need to do that on your own."

"How'd you get so wise all of a sudden?" I asked, nudging him with my foot. "Anyway. What's the princess of Citria like?"

Geoff winked. "She's supposed to be quite the looker. I hear her skin is so pale, it's almost the color of snow."

"Freaky," I commented. "Is there no sun up there? Dragons block it out?"

"Very funny."

We reached our destination within the hour. The station was made up of a long wooden platform sheltered by a bright blue roof. Carriages of all kinds were parked on both sides, ranging from smaller ones for carrying private parties over short distances to larger ones that could easily seat twenty-five.

Mr. Oakdale pulled Fat Chester to a stop and we jumped down to watch the action. There was an unbelievable amount of people coming and going out of Indigo, but it seemed like most of them were just catching a connection rather than staying.

"Indigo isn't much of a tourist destination, dear," Mrs. Oakdale said, when I mentioned this to her. "Except for your folks' place, of course."

"I bet most of them are going to Irisia like me," Geoff said. "It's a five-hour ride there. That's where I'll catch my connection to Citria."

"Take a nap, read a book, and you're there in no time," Mr. Oakdale said, leading the way to the ticket booth.

The length of Geoff's trip surprised me. Finale had always looked so small on a map, with its seven kingdoms huddled together between the mountains and the sea, but I guessed there would be a lot of farmland to go through before reaching the metropolis.

Mr. Oakdale spoke to the man at the ticket booth, who told him the next carriage to Irisia would leave in twenty minutes. To pass the time, Mrs. Oakdale bought us mugs of pepperwood tea from the snack stand and we sat down to enjoy it. I was just taking a sip when I looked up and spotted Jessaline Snapp smirking at me from the platform. I choked on a mouthful of tea, prompting Geoff to thump me on the back.

"What is she doing here?" I hissed.

Geoff followed my gaze. "Oh, great," he muttered.

The Snapp-dragon sashayed over in a spotless white dress with a jaunty cap on her head. She looked so perfect, it was sickening. I peeked at her shoes and felt a small ounce of satisfaction that they were neither cute nor made by my mother. They were definitely expensive, but looked poorly made, without proper arch support or sturdy heel.

"Fancy meeting you here, Geoffrey Oakdale," Jessaline said, holding out a hand to him.

Geoff took it and froze, clearly unsure about whether or not she expected him to kiss it.

"And these are your parents. How do you do? I'm Jessaline Snapp."

"Of the Snapp Realty Snapps?" Mr. Oakdale asked, looking impressed.

"That's my family." Jessaline turned her attention back to Geoff, ignoring me. "You're on your way to Citria, aren't you? You'll catch your connection in Irisia, of course. What a coincidence! I'll be on the same carriage."

Geoffrey gave her a weak smile. I looked back and forth between them, torn between pity and amusement.

"I'm staying with my aunt until my new internship begins." Jessaline threw a satisfied glance at me. "It's so nice to be grown-up and able to leave home. I feel sorry for people who have to stay in Indigo forever."

"What internship?" Geoff asked suspiciously.

Jessaline's eyes were still on me. "This amazing one I found at C.A.F.E. I just got my acceptance packet this morning."

I froze in the act of lifting my tea to my face. Everyone's eyes were on me. Jessaline looked pleased, Geoff looked horrified, and his parents looked confused. I must have been sitting like that for quite some time, because Mrs. Oakdale leaned forward and asked if I was all right.

"At C.A.F.E.?" I choked out. "This morning?"

Jessaline beamed at me. She looked almost nice, if you didn't know that beneath her dress beat the twisted black heart of an evil crone. "Yes. I applied to be a fairy godmother, and they've accepted me. I'll start training in a week or so."

"That . . . that's great, Jessaline. Congratulations," Mr. Oakdale said. "I'm glad Geoff will have someone to talk to on the journey. The five hours will just fly by, won't they?"

"Totally," Geoff said, then mumbled under his breath, "Not." We exchanged looks of mutual despair.

One of the ticket booth attendants began shouting that the Irisia-bound carriage was ready for boarding.

"Well, time for us to go!" Jessaline sang, making a move as though to take Geoff's arm, but seemed to be stalled by the deadly expression on his face. "I'll go find seats for us. It was lovely to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Oakdale. And Noelle? Have a great summer." She sauntered away, her clogs clicking on the platform like the feelers of some smug insect.

I had no time to feel sorry for myself. Geoff's agony had to be dealt with first. I waited for him to finish hugging his parents and then gave him one myself. "She's heading for the back of the carriage. Just stay at the end of the line and sit down between two other people," I advised.

Geoff exhaled. "That's a pretty good idea. And Noelle, check your mailbox when you get home," he said significantly. With a final wave, he joined the line of people waiting to board the carriage.

"What was that about a mailbox?" Mr. Oakdale asked.

"Oh, he was just reminding me to check the mail because my parents are busy," I fibbed.

Just like that, they finished boarding, the carriage doors closed, and the horses pulled out of the station at a sturdy pace. There went my best friend on his adventure . . . and my nemesis, on hers. All I could think about as I climbed back into the Oakdales' cart was, How in the name of hammertoe had Jessaline Snapp gotten into C.A.F.E.?

The girl had never worked a day in her life. And how had she even come up with the idea? I had seen the ad in the library first and had taken it with me. And then it hit me. Hadn't I seen someone sneaking around the shelves while I was talking to Miss Jenkins? What if it had been the Snapp-dragon all along, eavesdropping on my conversation?

She must have heard the librarian telling me about Valentine, and might have even followed me to her house. That conniving sneak! But she had gotten in. She must have applied like everyone else, because I couldn't imagine anyone cheating their way into C.A.F.E.

I sat in the back of the Oakdales' cart as we headed home, watching fields go by without really seeing them. I mentally kicked myself for not checking the mail that morning. What if I hadn't gotten in? What if it was empty?

And then a thought occurred to me. What if wasn't empty? What if the letter was in there? What if Mom . . . or Dad . . .

"Mr. Oakdale, can you please make Fat Chester go any faster?" I begged. "There's something urgent I need to take care of at home."

"Sorry, kiddo, can't help you out there," Geoff's dad said cheerfully. "You know Chester likes to take his sweet time."

I sat and buried my face in my hands. Whatever was going to happen, was going to happen. If the letter was there, I would just have to explain it to Mom and Dad as best I could.

And if it wasn't? If the Snapp-dragon had made it into C.A.F.E. and I hadn't?

Perish the thought.