Wish Upon a Superstar Read online

  With special thanks to Valerie Wilding

  For Zac Littley

  Cover

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Poem

  Map of Astral-on-Sea

  Introduction

  1

  Strawberries and Sparkles

  2

  Roxy Gold!

  3

  A Star at Starwatcher Towers

  4

  An Accident

  5

  Kara

  6

  Trouble in Whimsy Woods

  7

  Fairies!

  Make Your Own!

  Lucky Stars #6: Wish Upon a Gift

  Read more Lucky Stars books!

  Also Available

  Copyright

  Lucky Star that shines so bright,

  Who will need your help tonight?

  Light up the sky, and thanks to you

  Wishes really do come true. . . .

  Hello, friend!

  I’m Stella Starkeeper, and I want to tell you a secret. Have you ever gazed up at the stars and thought that they could be full of magic? Well, you’re right. Stars really are magical!

  Their precious starlight allows me to fly down from the sky. I’m always on the lookout for boys and girls who are especially kind and helpful. I train them to become Lucky Stars — people who can make wishes come true!

  So next time you’re under the twinkling night sky, look out for me. I’ll be floating among the stars somewhere.

  Give me a wave!

  Love,

  Cassie Cafferty was the only early-morning customer at Farmer Greg’s “Pick Your Own” fruit farm. Hundreds of ripe red strawberries still dotted the lush plants, but her basket was full.

  Cassie picked one last giant berry and popped it in her mouth. So juicy!

  At the checkout, Farmer Greg said cheerily, “Hello, Cassie. Wow, you have enough strawberries here for everyone in Astral-on-Sea!”

  “Mom’s making strawberry shortcake as a treat for the guests at Starwatcher Towers,” said Cassie.

  “She must be awfully busy running the bed-and-breakfast every day,” said Farmer Greg.

  “You’re right,” said Cassie with a smile. She paid and took her basket. The scent from the sun-warmed fruit was sweet. “Mmmm!” she said. “The guests will love these. Thanks!”

  Cassie walked along the edge of Whimsy Woods. There were a few dog walkers around, but otherwise she had the path to herself. She swung her basket cheerfully as she went, being careful not to drop any strawberries.

  Suddenly, something in the woods caught Cassie’s eye. She peered among the trees. Sunlight streaked the leaves, but farther in among the shadows, there was . . . yes! It was an orb of silver light, like a fallen star.

  Cassie smiled. Could that light be Stella Starkeeper? she wondered. She hoped it was!

  As Cassie pulled a branch aside, the charms on her silver bracelet tinkled. Stella Starkeeper had given her the bracelet a few weeks ago, on her seventh birthday. But it was no ordinary charm bracelet. It held a magical secret!

  Each charm on Cassie’s bracelet gave her a special power. Whenever she helped make someone’s wish come true, she received a new charm. Once she had all seven, she would become a Lucky Star! So far, Cassie had five charms. The little blue bird gave her the power to fly, and the crescent moon helped her talk to animals. With the pink butterfly she could stop time, and with the purple flower charm she could make things appear.

  Cassie’s newest charm was a cute cupcake, but she and her friend Alex still hadn’t figured out what power it had. Alex was the only other person who knew about the magical charms — aside from Stella, of course. He was staying at Starwatcher Towers for a few weeks with his parents and his puppy, Comet. He and Cassie had already become good friends!

  Cassie watched the silver light dance farther into the trees.

  “It’s leaving!” she gasped. “I have to see if that really is Stella!”

  She chased the light, but it moved too fast. Cassie realized that she needed the bracelet’s magical power if she wanted to catch up. She concentrated hard on her bird charm. Her wrist tingled! Sparkles swirled from her charm bracelet, then spiraled around her.

  Cassie rose off the ground and flew after the light. She moved quickly through the trees, holding her basket of strawberries close so it wouldn’t get caught on a branch.

  The light darted along the deserted main path through Whimsy Woods. It was headed straight toward the town’s outdoor movie theater!

  Before long, Cassie reached the theater clearing. It was one of her favorite spots in Astral-on-Sea! A giant movie screen was set up on the far end. There were rows of benches to sit on, and a large grassy area where people could picnic. During movie screenings, snacks were sold at the kiosk that stood to one side.

  Just then, Cassie spotted the silver light twinkling in front of a poster:

  That looks interesting, thought Cassie, as she drifted gently to the ground.

  Suddenly, the silver light burst into thousands of tiny sparkles that swirled toward her. With a whizz and a fizz and a zip-zip-zip, the sparkles gathered into a column of light.

  Cassie’s heart skipped a beat as the light changed into a beautiful woman. She held a wand that was tipped with a twinkling star, and all her clothes were silver. Star-shaped buttons glittered on the cuffs of her shiny jacket, and she wore a glistening crown.

  The woman smiled and her velvety blue eyes twinkled.

  “Hi, Stella!” cried Cassie, running to hug her.

  “What a nice welcome,” Stella said in her soft, warm voice. “And what pretty strawberries.”

  “Try them!” said Cassie, holding out her basket.

  Stella chose a strawberry. “It’s heart shaped!” she said. Then she tasted it. “Mmm, delicious!” She touched Cassie’s bracelet with her wand. “You’ve earned five charms already.”

  Cassie nodded. “If I earn two more,” she said, “I’ll become a true Lucky Star, just like you.”

  “Yes, but until then, you must keep listening for someone to make a wish,” said Stella. “When you become a Lucky Star, you won’t need to wait — you'll be able to grant any wish you like, whenever you feel it’s right.” She smiled. “Do you like your new cupcake charm?”

  “It’s great,” said Cassie, “but I don’t know what power it has. Can you tell me?” she asked. “Or maybe give me a clue?”

  Stella raised her wand above Cassie’s head, and bright light shone down from it.

  It seemed like Cassie was standing in a spotlight! She twirled like a ballerina. “Do I look like a star onstage?” she asked, laughing.

  Stella smiled. “Not everybody enjoys being in the spotlight, Cassie.” She winked and popped another heart-shaped strawberry into her mouth. Then, with a wave of her wand, she vanished behind a veil of silvery sparkles.

  As the sparkles drifted away, Cassie turned toward home, thinking about what Stella had said.

  Not everybody enjoys being in the spotlight. . . .

  Was that a clue?

  When Cassie came out of Whimsy Woods, she turned onto the road that went through Astral-on-Sea and along the beach. She glanced up at Starwatcher Towers, her cliff-top home, where she imagined Mom was busy getting ready to bake strawberry shortcake. She thought Dad might be in his observatory. He was an astronomer, and he was probably making notes about the stars he’d seen through his telescopes at night.

 
From here, Cassie could see that the sun glinted off the glass roof of her own cozy bedroom. She often lay on her bed and watched the stars through the glass. But her parents didn’t know that she could also float up through the roof and fly among the stars with Stella!

  Suddenly, Cassie heard a familiar noise. “Errrgh-hee-errrgh-hee-errrgh!”

  It sounded like Bert’s donkeys! But Cassie knew that they should be on the beach, giving rides to children. What could be going on?

  Cassie hurried around the bend and saw Bert with three donkeys — in the middle of the road!

  “Move, you silly animals,” Bert was saying. “You’re blocking the road.”

  Cassie giggled. Those donkeys could be difficult! “I’ll help,” she cried.

  Bert wiped his forehead and looked up. “Thanks, Cassie,” he said. “A speedboat came too close to the beach, and Coco got scared and ran off. Of course, the others followed.” He tried to push a donkey out of the road, but the stubborn animal wouldn’t move. “Lucky no one was riding them at the time.”

  “And lucky there are no cars around,” said Cassie. She patted her favorite donkey. “Poor Coco, you’re so jumpy. No wonder the speedboat frightened you.” She held out a fat strawberry. “Here, would you like this?”

  As Coco tried to nibble it, Cassie took a step backward. Coco followed, stretching for the strawberry. He was just about to step out of the road when a car came around the bend and glided to a stop. It couldn’t go any farther, because the road was still blocked by the rest of the donkeys! The car was creamy white, with black windows, and it was very long.

  Wow! A stretch limo, thought Cassie. I wonder who’s inside.

  Just then, Coco trotted back to his friends in the middle of the road.

  “Oh, no!” groaned Bert, looking even more flustered than before.

  Cassie felt sorry for him. “Don’t worry,” she said. “I’ll explain everything to the driver. I’m sure he won’t mind waiting a few minutes.”

  The limo driver smiled as Cassie walked up. But before Cassie could speak, the back window opened and a pretty girl looked out. She was a little older than Cassie, and wore a red top with sequined hearts on it, skinny jeans, high-heeled boots, and a red and gold necklace. Her glossy black hair tumbled over her shoulders as she leaned forward, holding a pen and a photograph.

  Cassie recognized her instantly. She was Roxy Gold, a famous movie star! Cassie couldn’t believe it! She opened her mouth to say something, but she was so surprised that no words came out. What was Roxy Gold doing in Astral-on-Sea?

  Roxy gazed dreamily at the beach for a moment. Then she looked at Cassie and flashed her famous smile.

  “Who should I make it out to?” asked Roxy.

  Cassie realized that Roxy thought she wanted an autograph, and felt herself blushing. “Oh, um, no . . .” she said. “I mean, yes, please, but . . . I really just wanted to explain about the donkeys.”

  “Donkeys?” said Roxy, leaning out the window to see. “Oh, aren’t they sweet!” She turned to the man sitting next to her in the car. “Dad, let’s go and help.”

  “That would be great,” Cassie cried. “Thank you!”

  Roxy opened the door. “Pete,” she said to the driver, “can you wait here, please?”

  Pete grinned. “Those donkeys aren’t letting me go anywhere!”

  Roxy laughed.

  “I’ll show you Coco,” said Cassie. “He’s my favorite.”

  Together, they all tried to coax the donkeys out of the road. But clicking their tongues, patting, and calling out made no difference.

  A small crowd had started to gather nearby, staring at the limo. A little boy gasped. “Mom!” he shouted. “That’s Roxy Gold!”

  Cassie felt awfully important all of a sudden. People could see her, Cassie Cafferty, chatting with a superstar!

  She wondered if anyone she knew was watching. To her delight, behind two wildly waving girls, she spotted a curly-haired boy with a fluffy white puppy and a big bag of library books.

  “Hey, Alex!” she called to her friend.

  He was hopping from foot to foot with excitement, pointing at Roxy.

  Cassie grinned and waved him over.

  Alex’s eyes widened. He slipped through the crowd and dropped his book bag on the side of the road. “Sit, Comet,” he said.

  The puppy leaned against Cassie, wagging his tail madly.

  Roxy was busy signing autographs. “Excuse me, Roxy,” said Cassie. “This is my friend Alex. He’s going to be a scientist.”

  “Hi, Alex,” said Roxy. Then she noticed Comet. “Oh, you adorable ball of fluff!” she said, bending down and cuddling him. “Alex, you’re so lucky. I can’t have a puppy because I travel so much.”

  Alex went bright red. “Hi, Roxy,” he said shyly. “I . . . I saw you in Space Girl. You were really great. And . . . um . . . and in Tessa’s Time Machine, too.”

  “Thanks!” said Roxy. She looked so thrilled that Alex grinned the widest grin Cassie had ever seen! Roxy must be super-famous if even Alex recognizes her, she thought. He’s usually too wrapped up in his science experiments to pay much attention to movie stars.

  Finally, after what seemed like forever, the donkeys decided to go back to the beach. But Roxy was still signing autographs, smiling brightly. Every now and then, she looked longingly back at the car.

  “She must want to get going,” Cassie murmured to Alex. “I wonder if her hand hurts from signing so many autographs.”

  Alex just stared. “I can’t believe Roxy Gold talked to me,” he said. “And to Comet, too!”

  Cassie smiled. “She’s going to talk to us again,” she whispered as Roxy walked toward them with her dad.

  “We’ve heard about a really pretty B&B near here,” said Roxy. “If there’s room, we’d like to stay there for a while.”

  “It’s called Starwatcher Towers,” added Roxy’s dad. “Have you heard of it?”

  Cassie and Alex grinned at each other, and Cassie was sure they’d both had the same exciting thought.

  Roxy Gold is staying with us!

  “Starwatcher Towers is my mom’s B&B,” said Cassie.

  “Oh, fantastic!” said Roxy. “Could you show us how to get there?”

  Cassie nodded. “Sure!”

  Roxy opened the car door. “Jump in,” she said. “You too, Alex. And you, cutie,” she added to Comet, petting his fur.

  Cassie sank into a scarlet leather seat next to Roxy and held her strawberry basket on her knees. Alex sat beside Cassie, and Comet settled on the deep red carpet.

  Pete started the car. “Which way?” he asked.

  “Take the beach road through town, then up the hill to the top of the cliff,” said Cassie. She sat back and looked around the limo at the pretty lights and mirrors. “This is much more glamorous than how I usually get around — on a bike!” she said.

  “I’d rather be riding a bike,” said Roxy. “But the movie studios insist that I use the limo. They want me to act like a superstar all the time. Anyway,” she added quietly, “I’m always so busy filming, I’ve never had time to learn how to ride a bike.”

  “Really?” said Cassie. She couldn’t believe it! "I’ll teach you.”

  “Thanks!” said Roxy, her face lighting up. She opened a small door next to her seat. “Are you guys thirsty?”

  Cassie gasped. “A fridge in a car!”

  Roxy grinned. “And it’s full of lemonade,” she said. “Want one?” She passed drinks to Alex and her dad, too, who were busy talking about the car’s different dials and switches and buttons.

  As they sipped their lemonades, Roxy opened the window. “I love that ocean smell,” she said.

  Cassie giggled as Comet climbed onto Roxy’s lap.

  “He wants to sniff the ocea
n, too,” said Roxy. She helped the puppy up so he could look out the window. “Ooh, look — the Fairy Cupcake Bakery!” She pointed to a building as they drove past.

  “My friend Kate’s mom runs the bakery,” said Cassie. “And there’s the Pier Theater, and Bert’s cotton candy stall, and look — the fair’s still here.” She stopped. “I’m sure it’s not as exciting as the places you’re used to.”

  “Are you kidding? Astral-on-Sea looks great,” said Roxy. “I’ve already discovered that it’s a friendly place!”

  The car headed uphill. Cassie gripped her basket of strawberries as Alex’s bag of books fell off the seat. He gathered it up and pulled out a crumpled pamphlet.

  “What’s that?” asked Roxy.

  Alex smoothed it out. “It’s from the library,” he said. “A movie about local legends is being shown this afternoon.”

  “Ooh, I saw a poster about that,” said Cassie. “It’s at the outdoor movie theater in Whimsy Woods.”

  “Whimsy Woods!” said Roxy. “That sounds like a magical place.”

  Alex looked at Roxy and his cheeks turned pink. Cassie could tell he was about to speak, but she knew how shy Alex was. He'll never ask her, she thought. So she said, “Roxy, would you like to come to the outdoor movie theater with us?”

  “I’d love to,” said Roxy with a big smile. “Thanks!”

  As they reached Starwatcher Towers, Cassie’s mom opened the front door. She watched Cassie climb out of the gleaming limo, followed by Alex and Comet.

  “What in the world . . . ?” Mrs. Cafferty began in surprise, but she stopped as someone else emerged from the car.

  Cassie laughed at her mom’s amazed expression.

  “You’re Roxy Gold!” said Mrs. Cafferty, walking over to the limo. “Wow, welcome! Are you filming in Astral-on-Sea?”

  Mr. Gold shook her hand. “I’m Roxy’s dad,” he said. “We’re here for a quiet vacation, but we haven’t booked a place to stay. We wondered if . . .”