All That Glitters (Avalon: Web of Magic #2) by Rachel Roberts

said. “You were planning this all along!”
    “Believe me, no one was as surprised as I was,” Kara replied.
    Molly slid over to make room for Emily. “I just love what you did with Kara’s hair. It’s so original. Could you do mine, too?”
    “It wouldn’t be original then, would it?” Adriane smirked as she took a seat beside Emily.
    Once again, Kara found herself in the middle: Emily and Adriane on one side, Tiffany, Heather, and Molly on the other. Well, this is interesting, she mused. No nuclear explosions . . . yet.
    “Oh, I don’t care.” Molly smiled. “I think it’s so rad!”
    “Actually, it was Adriane who did my hair.” Kara glanced at Adriane and held out a hank of multicolored hair for everybody to admire again.
    Tiffany and Heather looked shocked. “What?”
    “Who’d a thunk under all that black is a fashion designer!” Kyle called out.
    “I’m not big on fashion,” Adriane said quietly.
    “That’s for sure,” Heather said out of the corner of her mouth.
    Adriane glowered, putting her hands on the table. Her loose lanyard bracelet slid down her wrist to reveal her jewel. It flashed with bright gold light.
    Heather’s eyes widened. “How did it do that?”
    “They react to light,” Emily said quickly. Trying to distract attention from Adriane’s jewel, she showed them her own rainbow jewel in its simple woven bracelet.
    “You have one, too?” Molly gazed in awe at Emily’s bright stone. “Where can we get them?’
    “These jewels are totally unique,” Kara explained, twirling her own on her silver necklace. “You can’t get one.”
    “ They have one!” Tiffany huffed.
    “All part of our plan to get attention for the preserve,” Emily told them.
    “Can we come and check it out, too?” Molly asked excitedly.
    “And get our own light-up jewels?” Heather echoed.
    “ No! Uh . . . I mean—” Adriane flushed.
    “Of course you can visit the preserve,” Emily said. “But we have a lot of work to do there first.”
    As Kara listened, she couldn’t help but be struck by the realization that her friends—Heather, Tiffany, and Molly—only days ago were totally making fun of the preserve. And now, they were, like, all over it, all because they wanted “light-up” jewels. That is so shallow, Kara thought. And she knew she’d been exactly the same way. Or maybe she still was exactly the same way.
    “The whole point is helping animals,” Emily said.
    “Just wait till you hear about the big fundraising party,” Kara told them. “We’re going to have live music.”
    “Excellent! We’re in on that!” Heather’s eyes lit up.
    Marcus glanced over. “Yeah, like who?”
    “Well . . . Linny Lewis or Sampleton Malls, maybe.”
    “Choke! That is so lame!” Joey sauntered over, brushing back a lock of dark hair from his face. “What about Toad Force?”
    “Or Smash Fish,” Adriane put in.
    Joey looked at her in surprise. “Yeah, they rock!”
    Kara almost laughed. Had Adriane actually blushed? She looked again, but Adriane was studying her tray as the boys moved off, heading back inside.
    “Hey, rainbow girl!” Kyle called over his shoulder. “Press is here!”
    Two eighth graders approached, carrying cameras and note pads. “Can we get a picture for the Stonehill Journal?”
    “Cool. Sure.” Kara stood and fluffed her hair, fanning out the bright colors.
    “Right. Awesome hair,” the older girl said, snapping a picture.
    “Thank you, it’s symbolic.”
    The girl with the camera stepped forward. “How about a group picture?”
    “Come on girls, photo op,” Kara said, pulling Emily and Adriane over to her.
    Side by side they stood, three together, Kara in the middle, rainbow hair flaring behind her. She put an arm around each girl and actually felt a connection, the bond of Ravenswood—and magic.
    TO: Daddy1
    RE: RWPS update
    Hey Daddy,
    Guess who? It’s me! We’re getting our picture in the paper, Emily, Adriane, and me for the Ravenswood