Cassie Comes Through Read online

  ALSO BY SHANA MULDOON ZAPPA AND AHMET ZAPPA

  Sage and the Journey to Wishworld

  Libby and the Class Election

  Leona’s Unlucky Mission

  Vega and the Fashion Disaster

  Scarlet Discovers True Strength

  ALSO BY AHMET ZAPPA

  Because I’m Your Dad

  The Monstrous Memoirs of a Mighty McFearless

  DON’T MISS

  A Wisher’s Guide to Starland

  COMING SOON

  Piper’s Perfect Dream

  Copyright © 2016 by Shana Muldoon Zappa and Ahmet Zappa

  Artwork © 2016 Disney Enterprises, Inc.

  Cover design © 2016 Disney Enterprises, Inc.

  Excerpt from Star Darlings: Piper’s Perfect Dream copyright © 2016 by Shana Muldoon Zappa and Ahmet Zappa.

  All rights reserved. Published by Disney Press, an imprint of Disney Book Group. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher. For information address Disney Press, 1101 Flower Street, Glendale, California 91201.

  ISBN 978-1-4847-1433-1

  For more Disney Press fun, visit www.disneybooks.com

  Contents

  Title Page

  Also by Shana Muldoon Zappa and Ahmet Zappa

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Starling Academy: Student Reports

  Introduction

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Epilogue

  Glossary

  Acknowledgments

  Preview of Star Darlings: Piper’s Perfect Dream

  About the Authors

  To our beautiful, sweet treasure, Halo Violetta Zappa. You are pure light and joy and our greatest inspiration. We love you soooo much.

  May every step upon your path be blessed with positivity and the understanding that you have the power within you to manifest the most fulfilling life you can possibly imagine and more. May you always remember that being different and true to your highest self makes your inner star shine brighter.

  Remember that you have the power of choice….Choose thoughts that feel good. Choose love and friendship that feed your spirit. Choose actions for peace and nourishment. Choose boundaries for the same. Choose what speaks to your creativity and unique inner voice…what truly makes you happy. And always know that no matter what you choose, you are unconditionally loved.

  Look up to the stars and know you are never alone. When in doubt, go within…the answers are all there. Smiles light the world and laughter is the best medicine. And NEVER EVER stop making wishes….

  Glow for it….

  Mommy and Daddy

  And to everyone else here on “Wishworld”:

  May you realize that no matter where you are in life, no matter what you look like or where you were born, you, too, have the power within you to create the life of your dreams. Through celebrating your own uniqueness, thinking positively, and taking action, you can make your wishes come true.

  Smile. The Star Darlings have your back. We know how startastic you truly are.

  Glow for it….

  Your friends,

  Shana and Ahmet

  Starling Academy:

  Student Reports

  NAME: Clover

  BRIGHT DAY: January 5

  FAVORITE COLOR: Purple

  INTERESTS: Music, painting, studying

  WISH: To be the best songwriter and DJ on Starland

  WHY CHOSEN: Clover has great self-discipline, patience, and willpower. She is creative, responsible, dependable, and extremely loyal.

  WATCH OUT FOR: Clover can be hard to read and she is reserved with those she doesn’t know. She’s afraid to take risks and can be a wisecracker at times.

  SCHOOL YEAR: Second

  POWER CRYSTAL: Panthera

  WISH PENDANT: Barrette

  NAME: Adora

  BRIGHT DAY: February 14

  FAVORITE COLOR: Sky blue

  INTERESTS: Science, thinking about the future and how she can make it better

  WISH: To be the top fashion designer on Starland

  WHY CHOSEN: Adora is clever and popular and cares about the world around her. She’s a deep thinker.

  WATCH OUT FOR: Adora can have her head in the clouds and be thinking about other things.

  SCHOOL YEAR: Third

  POWER CRYSTAL: Azurica

  WISH PENDANT: Watch

  NAME: Piper

  BRIGHT DAY: March 4

  FAVORITE COLOR: Seafoam green

  INTERESTS: Composing poetry and writing in her dream journal

  WISH: To become the best version of herself she can possibly be and to share that by writing books

  WHY CHOSEN: Piper is giving, kind, and sensitive. She is very intuitive and aware.

  WATCH OUT FOR: Piper can be dreamy, absentminded, and wishy-washy. She can also be moody and easily swayed by the opinions of others.

  SCHOOL YEAR: Second

  POWER CRYSTAL: Dreamalite

  WISH PENDANT: Bracelets

  NAME: Astra

  BRIGHT DAY: April 9

  FAVORITE COLOR: Red

  INTERESTS: Individual sports

  WISH: To be the best athlete on Starland—to win!

  WHY CHOSEN: Astra is energetic, brave, clever, and confident. She has boundless energy and is always direct and to the point.

  WATCH OUT FOR: Astra is sometimes cocky, self-centered, condescending, and brash.

  SCHOOL YEAR: Second

  POWER CRYSTAL: Quarrelite

  WISH PENDANT: Wristbands

  NAME: Tessa

  BRIGHT DAY: May 18

  FAVORITE COLOR: Emerald green

  INTERESTS: Food, flowers, love

  WISH: To be successful enough that she can enjoy a life of luxury

  WHY CHOSEN: Tessa is warm, charming, affectionate, trustworthy, and dependable. She has incredible drive and commitment.

  WATCH OUT FOR: Tessa does not like to be rushed. She can be quite stubborn and often says no. She does not deal well with change and is prone to exaggeration. She can be easily sidetracked.

  SCHOOL YEAR: Third

  POWER CRYSTAL: Gossamer

  WISH PENDANT: Brooch

  NAME: Gemma

  BRIGHT DAY: June 2

  FAVORITE COLOR: Orange

  INTERESTS: Sharing her thoughts about almost anything

  WISH: To be valued for her opinions on everything

  WHY CHOSEN: Gemma is friendly, easygoing, funny, extroverted, and social. She knows a little bit about everything.

  WATCH OUT FOR: Gemma talks—a lot—and can be a little too honest sometimes and offend others. She can have a short attention span and can be superficial.

  SCHOOL YEAR: First

  POWER CRYSTAL: Scatterite

  WISH PENDANT: Earrings

  NAME: Cassie

  BRIGHT DAY: July 6

  FAVORITE COLOR: White

  INTERESTS: Reading, crafting

  WISH: To be more independent and confident and less fearful

  WHY CHOSEN: Cassie is extremely imaginative and artistic. She is a voracious reader and is loyal, caring, and a good friend. She is very intuitive.

  WATCH OUT FOR: Cassie can be distrustful, jealous, moody, and brooding.

  SCHOOL YEAR: First

  P
OWER CRYSTAL: Lunalite

  WISH PENDANT: Glasses

  NAME: Leona

  BRIGHT DAY: August 16

  FAVORITE COLOR: Gold

  INTERESTS: Acting, performing, dressing up

  WISH: To be the most famous pop star on Starland

  WHY CHOSEN: Leona is confident, hardworking, generous, open-minded, optimistic, caring, and a strong leader.

  WATCH OUT FOR: Leona can be vain, opinionated, selfish, bossy, dramatic, and stubborn and is prone to losing her temper.

  SCHOOL YEAR: Third

  POWER CRYSTAL: Glisten paw

  WISH PENDANT: Cuff

  NAME: Vega

  BRIGHT DAY: September 1

  FAVORITE COLOR: Blue

  INTERESTS: Exercising, analyzing, cleaning, solving puzzles

  WISH: To be the top student at Starling Academy

  WHY CHOSEN: Vega is reliable, observant, organized, and very focused.

  WATCH OUT FOR: Vega can be opinionated about everything, and she can be fussy, uptight, critical, arrogant, and easily embarrassed.

  SCHOOL YEAR: Second

  POWER CRYSTAL: Queezle

  WISH PENDANT: Belt

  NAME: Libby

  BRIGHT DAY: October 12

  FAVORITE COLOR: Pink

  INTERESTS: Helping others, interior design, art, dancing

  WISH: To give everyone what they need—both on Starland and through wish granting on Wishworld

  WHY CHOSEN: Libby is generous, articulate, gracious, diplomatic, and kind.

  WATCH OUT FOR: Libby can be indecisive and may try too hard to please everyone.

  SCHOOL YEAR: First

  POWER CRYSTAL: Charmelite

  WISH PENDANT: Necklace

  NAME: Scarlet

  BRIGHT DAY: November 3

  FAVORITE COLOR: Black

  INTERESTS: Crystal climbing (and other extreme sports), magic, thrill seeking

  WISH: To live on Wishworld

  WHY CHOSEN: Scarlet is confident, intense, passionate, magnetic, curious, and very brave.

  WATCH OUT FOR: Scarlet is a loner and can alienate others by being secretive, arrogant, stubborn, and jealous.

  SCHOOL YEAR: Third

  POWER CRYSTAL: Ravenstone

  WISH PENDANT: Boots

  NAME: Sage

  BRIGHT DAY: December 1

  FAVORITE COLOR: Lavender

  INTERESTS: Travel, adventure, telling stories, nature, and philosophy

  WISH: To become the best Wish-Granter Starland has ever seen

  WHY CHOSEN: Sage is honest, adventurous, curious, optimistic, friendly, and relaxed.

  WATCH OUT FOR: Sage has a quick temper! She can also be restless, irresponsible, and too trusting of others’ opinions. She may jump to conclusions.

  SCHOOL YEAR: First

  POWER CRYSTAL: Lavenderite

  WISH PENDANT: Necklace

  You take a deep breath, about to blow out the candles on your birthday cake. Clutching a coin in your fist, you get ready to toss it into the dancing waters of a fountain. You stare at your little brother as you each hold an end of a dried wishbone, about to pull. But what do you do first?

  You make a wish, of course!

  Ever wonder what happens right after you make that wish? Not much, you may be thinking.

  Well, you’d be wrong.

  Because something quite unexpected happens next. Each and every wish that is made becomes a glowing Wish Orb, invisible to the human eye. This undetectable orb zips through the air and into the heavens, on a one-way trip to the brightest star in the sky—a magnificent place called Starland. Starland is inhabited by Starlings, who look a lot like you and me, except they have a sparkly glow to their skin, and glittery hair in unique colors. And they have one more thing: magical powers. The Starlings use these powers to make good wishes come true, for when good wishes are granted, the result is positive energy. And the Starlings of Starland need this energy to keep their world running.

  In case you are wondering, there are three kinds of Wish Orbs:

  1) GOOD WISH ORBS. These wishes are positive and helpful and come from the heart. They are pretty and sparkly and are nurtured in climate-controlled Wish-Houses. They bloom into fantastical glowing orbs. When the time is right, they are presented to the appropriate Starling for wish fulfillment.

  2) BAD WISH ORBS. These are for selfish, mean-spirited, or negative things. They don’t sparkle at all. They are immediately transported to a special containment center, as they are very dangerous and must not be granted.

  3) IMPOSSIBLE WISH ORBS. These wishes are for things, like world peace and disease cures, that simply can’t be granted by Starlings. These sparkle with an almost impossibly bright light and are taken to a special area of the Wish-House with tinted windows to contain the glare they produce. The hope is that one day they can be turned into good wishes the Starlings can help grant.

  Starlings take their wish granting very seriously. There is a special school, called Starling Academy, that accepts only the best and brightest young Starling girls. They study hard for four years, and when they graduate, they are ready to start traveling to Wishworld to help grant wishes. For as long as anyone can remember, only graduates of wish-granting schools have ever been allowed to travel to Wishworld. But things have changed in a very big way.

  Read on for the rest of the story….

  You there, Vega?

  I’m here, Cassie. In the maze with Scarlet waiting for you!

  ???

  Didn’t you get my holo-text?

  That’s so weird. I didn’t get it. You know I hate that maze, anyway. Can we just talk now?

  Sure. I’ll add Scarlet.

  Hey, Cassie.

  Hey, Scarlet! Starkudos on your Wish Mission!

  Star salutations! It wasn’t easy, that’s for sure.

  So I just told Scarlet we found out that the flowers that were delivered to the Star Darlings are from the Isle of Misera!

  Crazy! No wonder everyone was fighting so much. But I thought that place was off-limits. Who do you think sent them? And why?

  That’s a very good question. And as a matter of fact, that’s not the only strange thing going on at Starling Academy…

  You mean the way I was kicked out of the group and replaced by Ophelia? And then had to go down to Wishworld to save her stars?

  Yes, plus I just finished Vega’s crossword puzzle…

  Star salutations! I’m impressed! So, what did you think?

  It’s pretty starmazing!

  I had to make some changes and move some answers around to get it to line up so perfectly. I’m glad you enjoyed it!

  Um, yeah, it was a startastic layout…

  but I was talking about the actual content.

  I mean, when I saw all those the clues together, it was eye-opening!

  Spit it out, Cassie!

  Think about it! Look at 3-Across, 7-Across, and sorry, your mission, too, Vega—everyone has had a problem identifying either her Wisher or the wish. And 10-Across: Leona’s private band tryout invite got holo-blasted to the entire school and our top-secret name was revealed. Or how about 8-Down: Leona’s Wish Pendant got ruined and she didn’t collect any wish energy.

  Plus me, Ophelia, the flowers…

  1) I l♥ve, l♥ve, l♥ve that my puzzle got you thinking, Cassie! 2) Wow. I was only looking at them as puzzle clues. But when you actually read them one after another, it’s pretty crazy!

  Starzactly.

  There is a lot of weird stuff going on, that’s for sure. And what about my and Ophelia’s deliberately switched grades?

  Was that ever proven?

  Well, not yet, but…

  Listen, we need to stay calm. Do you think it could just be a coincidence?

  No way!

  Well…we’ve been brought together to do something so controversial it has to be kept secret from everyone else at Starling Academy—to collect wish energy on Wishworld before we graduate. I’m afraid that maybe we’re being
sanitized.

  ???

  Okay, now I’m really confused!

  Darn you, starcorrect! I meant sabotaged!

  That’s terrible! But…by who?

  Okay, I don’t know how to say this. I know you think I can be paranoid….

  Um, well, maybe because just yesterday you were convinced that someone stole your starglasses, and they were sitting on top of your head!

  Okay, so maybe you have a point. But…

  Yes?

  Well, um, what if someone really is out to get us? What better way to do it…

  Waiting…

  …than from within? What if it is someone here at Starling Academy? Or even worse…

  What could be worse?

  What if it’s one of us…a Star Darling?