Plot Sumary:
Twelve-year-old
Isabelle Tresdon doesn’t have a magical bone in her body – but she does have one
seriously freaky silver strand of hair.
The Silver Strand is that hair’s story. Okay,
well, it’s Isabelle’s story, sure, but she's about to figure out that she’s
nothing without that strand. Because of that hair, Isabelle can transform particles
of energy into matter. Because of her strand, she will be invited to study
magic at Mastermind Academy, a secret school inside the earth’s core. And
because of that school, Isabelle’s life will change forever. So it’s too bad
that her silver strand is about to suddenly wither and drain Isabelle’s magic
and life in just five days.
First 250 Words:
“Let me pluck your silver granny hair.” Bianca’s voice sang out over the shouts and chatter
of the school bus.
“Why don’t you just tell everyone I still
wear Barbie underwear too?” hissed Isabelle, sinking in her seat to avoid
forty-two pair of eyes staring at the girl with the freaky, silver strand.
“If anyone paid out my Christmas present to
you, I’d punch them.” Bianca flashed a
cheesy smile full of horsey teeth and punched a rough, tanned fist into her
palm.
Isabelle peered over her shoulder along the
aisle of black vinyl seats. Four rows
behind her, an eighth grade girl hung over the back of a seat, showing off to
her friends and blowing gum bubbles. One
seventh grade boy dished out dead arms to some poor kid across the aisle. The kid scrunched up his face, sucking up the
pain of the fist sized bruise forming on his arm.
Repeated elbow nudges fueled Isabelle’s
consideration of punching Bianca’s arm.
Raised on a farm, her best friend had learned to lasso a horse at age
eight and trained mustangs by ten.
Compared to being kicked, trod on or thrown off a horse, Isabelle’s punches
would have felt like a playful slap on the arm.
“Pleeaasssse.” Bianca’s pale, almost invisible eyebrows drew
together. Her blubbery bottom lip
puckered and she made a sad, puppy dog face.
Isabelle hunted for the silver strand through
honey-brown hair on the right hand side of her head. 