Double Trouble (2 page)

Lampella? Ali shook her head. “I don't think so.”

“Well, if school's going to be such a drag, it's a shame you can't just stay home,” Little Genie said. She sat on the edge of Ali's desk, swinging her legs and looking thoughtful. “Hmmm.”

Suddenly, the bedroom door opened. Quick as lightning, Little Genie dived into the open pencil case, zipping it up behind her.

“Ali?” Her mom came into the room,
looking puzzled, “Who on earth were you talking to?”

Ali thought fast Maybe this was her chance to get out of going to school! “I was just trying out my voice,” she said weakly, pretending to cough. “I've got a really sore throat.”

Mom raised her eyebrows. “Open up,” she said.

Ali opened her mouth wide and her mom peered inside.

“It doesn't
look
red,” she said briskly. “You'd better get dressed and come and have breakfast or you'll be late.” She went over to the door. “Oh, and don't forget your science book,” she added. “You can do some last-minute studying for your test.”

Ali's shoulders sagged as her mom went out It had been worth a try, but her mom was hard to fool.

“Help, Ali!” called a tiny voice. “I'm stuck!”

The pencil case was twitching wildly from side to side like a fluffy pink worm. Ali rushed over to the desk. Genie's pajamas had got caught in the zipper Ali tugged gently until the pencil case opened.

“Phew!” Little Genie panted as she stuck her head out “Thanks.” She grinned at Ali. “So your mom didn't fall for it?”

“No,” Ali admitted. “She never does.”

Little Genie's ponytail swung back and forth. “Maybe I can help,” she suggested. “After all, I can still do magic without the wishes.”

“Do you think that's a good idea?” Ali asked doubtfully. She really did want to stay home, but she couldn't help thinking that Genie's magic might end up getting her into real trouble.

“Of course it's a good idea!” Little Genie cartwheeled across the desk and grinned up at Ali. “Now let me see.…”

She snapped her fingers, sending silver sparks shooting upward. Immediately a book appeared on the desk. It had a purple cover, and its pages were edged with silver.

“A Genie's Big Book of Sickness Symptoms,”
Ali read aloud.

Little Genie flipped open the large book and leafed through. Then her face lit up. “Ah, this should do the trick!”
she said. She pointed at Ali and began to mutter some magic words.
“Oola, moola, pooh, pill, please make Ali look really ill.”

Ali waited, holding her breath. She glanced down at herself, wiggling her fingers and toes to see if anything had changed. She didn't
feel
different.

“There you are!” Genie beamed triumphantly. “Now you can stay at home today.”

“But I feet exactly the same,” Ali began. Then she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror that hung over her chest of drawers, “Genne!” she yelled, rushing over to the mirror to take a closer look “What have you done to me?”

Genie looked confused. “I thought you
wanted
to look sick” she said.

“Yes, but not like this!” Ali gasped. Her face was covered with enormous purple spots. “It looks like I've got a tropical disease. My mom will take me straight to the hospital if she sees me!”

“Okay.” Genie shrugged. “Let's try something different, then.” She flipped through the book again and began to chant another spell.

Ali anxiously watched her reflection
in the mirror. She breathed a sigh of relief as the bright purple spots began to fade. But then she noticed that her face was looking a bit orange. She gazed down at her hands and feet. They looked orange too. A few seconds later she was bright orange all over.

“There you go!” Genie declared, looking very pleased. “Orange fever is a
very serious genie illness, you know. You're lucky you haven't got any of the other symptoms—”

“Yes, but it's not a
human
illness!” Ali interrupted her “Genie, this isn't going to work,” she groaned. She wanted to stay home and watch TV, not be rushed off to the doctor! “Make me look normal again—please!”

Little Genie frowned. “But then you'll have to go to school,” she pointed out.

“That's better than looking like a giant, orange!” Ali whispered loudly. As Genie muttered another spell, Ali watched her skin go back to normal. Then she turned to Genie, who was slumped beside the spell book. “Never
mind, Genie,” she said comfortingly. “You did your best”

“I'm sure there's other things I could have tried,” Genie said with a pout, closing the book. The pink sand in her magic watch sparkled in the sunshine, catching Ali's eye. A few pink grains of sand were beginning to drift through the hourglass.

“Genie, look!” exclaimed Ali. “The sand is moving. That means my next three wishes have started!”

Genie glanced down at her watch. “Far out!” she said. “And I know
exactly
what you should wish for”

“What?” Ali asked.

“Why don't you wish for me to look like
you
?” Genie announced, bouncing
up and down. “Then you can stay home and I can go to school in your place.”

A big grin spread across Ali's face. “That's a
brilliant
idea,” she said. “Let's do it quickly before my mom comes back”

Genie nodded, her ponytail bobbing. “Go on then, Ali,” she urged. “Make the wish.”

Ali closed her eyes. “I wish that Little Genie looked like me!” she declared.

A cloud of glittering pink smoke whirled around the room. Ali couldn't see a thing when she opened her eyes. She coughed and waited impatiently, wondering if she was going to get what she'd wished for. With Little Genie, you never quite knew!

Ali peered through the smoke as it
began to clear. Little Genie wasn't sitting on the desk anymore. She was standing on the carpet, full size like Ali. But she didn't look at all like Genie.

Instead, Ali was looking at herself!”

“Oh!” Ali was so shocked, she took a step backward and sat down with a thump on the bed. It was like standing in front of a mirror. Little Genie looked
exactly
like she did, right down to her blue and white striped pajamas.

“Isn't it great?” Little Genie said. Even her voice was the same as Ali's. “Now you can have a nice day at home and I can go to school!”

“Do you really think you can pretend
to be me for a whole day?” Ali was worried. She suddenly began to wonder if this was such a good idea.

“Of course I can,” Genie replied. She pushed her shoulder-length brown hair off her face, the way Ali always did, and smiled at her.

Ali smiled back. Genie sounded so confident, she had to believe her. And that meant a whole day off from school—no science test and no pretending to be a tree! She was really lucky to have her very own genie!

“Come on, Ali,” Mom called up the stairs. “Hurry up or we'll be late.”

“Quick, Genie.” Ali grabbed a pair of jean shorts and a white shirt.
“Get dressed before my mom comes in and sees
two
of us!”

“It's not very colorful,” Genie grumbled as she pulled the shirt over her head. “Can't I wear my usual clothes?”

Ali shook her head. “My friends would think I was crazy if they saw me in one of your sparkly outfits. No offense,” she added, just in case Genie's feelings were hurt.

In a few minutes Genie was ready. Ali thought Genie looked perfect She wondered if her teacher, Mrs. Jasmine, would notice.

Ali picked up her backpack and handed it to Genie. “You'd better go downstairs,” she said. “I just hope you can convince Mom you're me.”

“Of course I can,” Genie promised, heading for the door “She won't suspect a thing”

“And, Genie,” Ali whispered, “don't do
any
spells at school!”

“Don't worry,” Genie said solemnly. “I'll be careful. You know that if anyone finds out about me, I have to go back into my lamp forever”

Ali nodded. Little Genie had to be kept a complete secret. Ali hadn't even been able to tell her best friend, Mary Connolly, about her.

“Well, here goes!” Little Genie waved at Ali and skipped out of the bedroom.

Ali tiptoed after her. Little Genie looked, sounded, and acted just like her but Ali was still nervous. Was Genie
really going to be able to fool her mom? After all, she knew Ali better than anyone!

Genie bounced down the stairs, humming to herself. Ali followed her quietly and stopped about halfway down. Peering through the railings, she could just see through the kitchen door. Her heart thumped as she watched Genie walk down the hallway and into the kitchen.

Mom was sitting at the table, drinking a cup of tea while she read her newspaper She glanced up as Genie went in. Ali waited, holding her breath.

“Hi, Mom,” Genie said with a broad smile. “What's for breakfast?”

“Frosty Flakes,” Mom said. “And don't take too long, honey. We're already running
late.” She looked at the clock. “Dad left with Jake already.”

Ali let out a huge sigh of relief. Her mom hadn't noticed a thing! She really thought Genie was Ali.

Genie sat down at the table. Ali watched as she poured some Frosty Flakes into a bowl. Then she picked up her spoon and dug in. Ali groaned softly. “The milk, Genie!” she whispered, even though she knew Genie couldn't hear her.

Genie took a big mouthful of dry Frosty Flakes and immediately began to cough.

Mom looked over at her. “Are you okay?” she asked. “You shouldn't eat dry cereal.”

Genie managed to swallow. She
looked around uncertainly, then picked up the big carton of orange juice that sat on the table.

“No, Genie!” Ali whispered as loudly as she dared. “We have milk with cereal— not Orange juice!”

But Little Genie didn't hear She was just about to pour the orange juice over her cereal when Ali's mom put down her newspaper “Ali, what are you doing?” she cried, grabbing her arm. “That's orange juice, not milk,”

“Oh!” Little Genie looked flustered for a moment. “Sorry, Mom. I was so busy thinking about the science test, I didn't realize.”

Ali couldn't help smiling. Genie had got out of that one! Even her excuses
sounded like Ali's. Meanwhile, Genie started eating. She looked a bit surprised by the loud crunching noise the cereal made. Ali guessed genies didn't normally eat Frosty Flakes.