Dahlia and the Garden of Light - Chapter 11: Chapter 11
You are reading Dahlia and the Garden of Light, Chapter 11: Chapter 11. Read more chapters of Dahlia and the Garden of Light.
• Science Class
“Okay, watch this,” Amy whispered as she hovered her vinegar cup dangerously close to the baking soda volcano.
“Don’t—” Dahlia began.
Too late. Fizz erupted across the table, making the other kids squeal.
Amy grinned. “Operation Foamquake is a success!”
Dahlia sighed but laughed as she handed Amy a handful of paper towels. She glanced at her own bean plant, which was already a full sprout with tiny leaves.
“Did yours grow again?” the teacher asked, inspecting it.
Dahlia smiled sweetly. “Must be my good-luck hands.”
Amy leaned over and whispered, “More like magic garden girl.”
Dahlia nudged her playfully. “Shhh, agent Bubblebolt.”
• Lunchtime
“Wanna trade?” Amy held up a slightly smushed peanut butter sandwich.
Dahlia opened her fancy lunchbox with delicate raspberry tarts and lavender cookies. “Deal. You need dessert and I need… a sandwich that sticks to the roof of my mouth.”
They laughed, taking bites and chatting between chews.
Across the table, a boy sat alone with just a plain apple. Dahlia nudged Amy.
Amy nodded. “Discreet drop?”
“Operation Snackshare initiated,” Dahlia replied. She slipped one of her extra tarts into a napkin and slid it onto his table when he wasn’t looking.
The boy looked around, confused but delighted.
• Secret Missions
Each morning, Amy handed Dahlia a tiny folded slip of paper.
Today’s read: “Mission: Count how many times Ms. Brant drinks coffee. Suspected caffeine powers.”
They watched from the back row. “That’s three cups already,” Dahlia whispered.
“I knew it,” Amy muttered. “She’s definitely part cyborg.”
Another day: “Memorize three license plates. Just in case of alien abductions.”
Dahlia, using skills Eliot had taught her, reported back later. “Blue SUV: 47B-M1K. Silver van: 229-GRP. Red car with glitter dice? Plate’s gone. Suspicious.”
Amy leaned in close. “You're the coolest weirdo I’ve ever met.”
Dahlia smiled, tucking that compliment into her heart like a rare flower.
• Quiet Time
Under the old oak tree, they laid on their backs, clouds drifting overhead.
“Do you think clouds get tired?” Amy asked dreamily.
“I think they nap all the time,” Dahlia replied.
Amy sat up, twirling a crushed dandelion. “Mine always look messy. Yours always look like they were made by a flower princess.”
Dahlia picked a small sprig of forget-me-not from the grass and wove it into a crown. “I don’t make them prettier. I just… listen to what they want to be.”
Amy stared. “That’s a weird answer.”
“It is,” Dahlia said, placing the crown gently on Amy’s head, “but it’s true.”
Amy beamed. “We’re gonna be best friends forever, right?”
“Forever and ever,” Dahlia promised.
“Okay, watch this,” Amy whispered as she hovered her vinegar cup dangerously close to the baking soda volcano.
“Don’t—” Dahlia began.
Too late. Fizz erupted across the table, making the other kids squeal.
Amy grinned. “Operation Foamquake is a success!”
Dahlia sighed but laughed as she handed Amy a handful of paper towels. She glanced at her own bean plant, which was already a full sprout with tiny leaves.
“Did yours grow again?” the teacher asked, inspecting it.
Dahlia smiled sweetly. “Must be my good-luck hands.”
Amy leaned over and whispered, “More like magic garden girl.”
Dahlia nudged her playfully. “Shhh, agent Bubblebolt.”
• Lunchtime
“Wanna trade?” Amy held up a slightly smushed peanut butter sandwich.
Dahlia opened her fancy lunchbox with delicate raspberry tarts and lavender cookies. “Deal. You need dessert and I need… a sandwich that sticks to the roof of my mouth.”
They laughed, taking bites and chatting between chews.
Across the table, a boy sat alone with just a plain apple. Dahlia nudged Amy.
Amy nodded. “Discreet drop?”
“Operation Snackshare initiated,” Dahlia replied. She slipped one of her extra tarts into a napkin and slid it onto his table when he wasn’t looking.
The boy looked around, confused but delighted.
• Secret Missions
Each morning, Amy handed Dahlia a tiny folded slip of paper.
Today’s read: “Mission: Count how many times Ms. Brant drinks coffee. Suspected caffeine powers.”
They watched from the back row. “That’s three cups already,” Dahlia whispered.
“I knew it,” Amy muttered. “She’s definitely part cyborg.”
Another day: “Memorize three license plates. Just in case of alien abductions.”
Dahlia, using skills Eliot had taught her, reported back later. “Blue SUV: 47B-M1K. Silver van: 229-GRP. Red car with glitter dice? Plate’s gone. Suspicious.”
Amy leaned in close. “You're the coolest weirdo I’ve ever met.”
Dahlia smiled, tucking that compliment into her heart like a rare flower.
• Quiet Time
Under the old oak tree, they laid on their backs, clouds drifting overhead.
“Do you think clouds get tired?” Amy asked dreamily.
“I think they nap all the time,” Dahlia replied.
Amy sat up, twirling a crushed dandelion. “Mine always look messy. Yours always look like they were made by a flower princess.”
Dahlia picked a small sprig of forget-me-not from the grass and wove it into a crown. “I don’t make them prettier. I just… listen to what they want to be.”
Amy stared. “That’s a weird answer.”
“It is,” Dahlia said, placing the crown gently on Amy’s head, “but it’s true.”
Amy beamed. “We’re gonna be best friends forever, right?”
“Forever and ever,” Dahlia promised.
End of Dahlia and the Garden of Light Chapter 11. Continue reading Chapter 12 or return to Dahlia and the Garden of Light book page.