Piper's Perfect Dream by Ahmet Zappa Page B

of Luminous Lake. “Could I wear this one?” she asked.
    â€œOf course,” said Olivia. Without even looking, she took the first pair of pajamas from the pile and went to the bathroom to change. It always amazed Piper that most Starlings paid so little attention to their nightwear. She guessed Wishlings did the same.
    The girls settled into their beds quietly.
That has to change; we need to connect,
Piper thought. And really, it was the perfect time. There was something about talking in the dark, right before you fell asleep, that was tailor-made for confidences.
    â€œSo,” Piper said, pulling the blanket up to her chin, “tell me about a typical day here in Greenfield. Then I’ll tell you about my days in Ladyfield.”
    â€œLadyfield?” Olivia repeated. “I thought you were from Maylefield!”
    Piper groaned to herself. Why couldn’t she keep these things straight? Sometimes she was too dreamy for her own good. “Just testing you,” Piper said. “You passed.”
    â€œOh, okay. Well”—Olivia fluffed up her pillow—“about my day. I set my alarm for six-fifteen. It’s early. I know. We don’t have to be in school until nine, but I have to—”
    â€œGive yourself plenty of time, in case you have more bad dreams and need to shake off that feeling of impending doom.”
    â€œUmmm. No. I have to go to the diner to eat breakfast.”
    Piper considered this. Olivia went to the diner before school and after school. That was a lot of time spent away from home. Could that have something to do with her wish? Most likely, yes. She should definitely look into this more.
    â€œOkay, breakfast. So then what?” Piper prompted her.
    â€œThen my friends meet me in front of the diner and we—”
    â€œDiscuss any disturbing dreams you may have had the night before,” Piper finished.
    â€œWalk to school together,” Olivia said, moving closer to the wall, putting more and more distance between them.
    But Piper had to keep trying.
    â€œAnd then school?”
    â€œSchool is just plain old school.” Now Olivia actually turned her back on Piper. “And then I head back to the diner after.”
    The diner again!
Olivia was there way too often, and it was obviously stressing her out. It sounded like she was working an awful lot. Maybe she wanted to be home instead. Maybe she wanted to join an after-school club or play a sport. Although Piper didn’t see the appeal, many Starlings did, and it was really good for them! But once again, Piper was getting off track.
Olivia, Olivia
, she told herself.
    â€œWell, I’m here now,” she said to Olivia. “I can cover for you at the diner so you don’t have to work so much. Wouldn’t that be great?”
    â€œOh, no! I love working there,” Olivia told her, sounding annoyed. “I don’t
have
to go. I go because I
want
to.” She yawned. “I’m getting kind of tired,” she said pointedly.
    Uh-oh.
All Olivia wanted to do was sleep, but Piper kept asking irritating questions. Suddenly, a thought popped into her head, and she sat up.
    â€œWhat?” Olivia said, sounding even more annoyed.
    â€œDon’t worry,” said Piper. “I won’t ask you any more questions. I just had an idea. If you like, I could show you some ways to relax. I know some techniques that may help you sleep.”
    â€œReally?” said Olivia, interested. She sat up, too.
    Piper nodded.
    â€œOkay,” Olivia agreed. “Let’s do it.”
    â€œFirst, let’s both lie back down.” It wouldn’t hurt Piper to de-stress, too. “Now we close our eyes and focus on breathing. Deep breath in. Deep breath out. Deep breath in. Deep breath out.”
    Together, the girls breathed, keeping their eyes shut tight.
    â€œNow we’re going to focus on each part of our body, to help it relax. Start with the toes on your