7 No Work! Just Play!

7 No Work! Just Play! Violet had to think fast. If Brittany found out about Sprite, he wouldn't stay a secret. Brittany was in charge of the second-grade newspaper. She'd put Sprite on the front page! And Violet did not know what would happen if other people found out about Sprite. They might be afraid. They might put Sprite in a jar. Or in a zoo! So Violet grabbed Sprite and shoved him into the pocket of her hoodie.

"Violet? What are you doing in the mall fountain?" Brittany asked again. "Hi, Brittany," Violet said. "I'm just, uh... uh..." "Going for a swim!" Sprite whispered. "Going for a swim!" Violet repeated, without thinking. "Ha ha," Brittany said. "Very funny, Violet." Violet blushed. "Just kidding," she said. "I, uh, dropped something in here." "Oh," Brittany said. She looked at her friend strangely. "You'd better get out of there. I think there are bugs in that fountain. I saw one flying near your head before."

Violet gasped. Brittany must have seen Sprite! But she thought he was a bug. "Bugs, right," Violet said. "Don't worry. I'll be fine." "I've got to go," Brittany said. "I've been waiting forever to get someone to help me in the shoe store. The workers are acting really weird today." Brittany went back to the shoe store across from the fountain. Violet crouched behind the fountain. She pulled Sprite from her pocket.

Sprite frowned at Violet as he smoothed out his wings. "What did you do that for?" he asked. "It was very cramped in there." "I did it so no one would see you," Violet said. "We should try using the dust again. We have to find Pix." "I think he's here," Sprite said. He pointed to the shoe store. The workers weren't helping customers. They were playing catch with a shoe! Angry customers yelled at them. But the workers didn't care. They kept on playing.

"Pix must have tapped them on the head," Sprite said. "He's moving fast. Soon he will have everyone in town under his spell!" "We should look for him," Violet said. She stood up just as a woman's voice blared over the loudspeakers. "This is the mall manager," the woman said with a giggle. "The mall is closed! No work today! Just play!"

"I think we're too late," Violet said. "Pix has already caused trouble! Everybody here wants to play instead of work."