The Naughtiest Unicorn and the School Disco

For Justin – RLO

For Pip and Lori – LB

For Tilda – David O’Connell

Cover and interior illustrations by David O’Connell

Special thanks to Rebecca Lewis-Oakes and Liz Bankes

Text first published in Great Britain in 2019 by Egmont UK Limited

The Yellow Building, 1 Nicholas Road, London W11 4AN

Text copyright © 2019 Egmont UK Ltd

Illustrations copyright © 2019 David O’Connell

First e-book edition 2019

ISBN 978 1 4052 9481 2

Ebook ISBN 978 1 4052 9482 9

www.egmont.co.uk

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library

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Contents

Cover

Dedication and Copyright page

Title Page

Map

Chapter One: Back to Unicorn School!

Chapter Two: The School Disco Committee

Chapter Three: Glitter Fever . . .

Chapter Four: Quest Countdown

Chapter Five: The Crystal Maze Mine

Chapter Six: Glitter Slime Gorge

Chapter Seven: To the Rescue!

Chapter Eight: Disco Disaster

Chapter Nine: Friends Together

Chapter Ten: Dave Does Disco!

DAZZLING DISCO QUIZ

UNICORN JOKES

Back series promotional page

It was a cloudy Tuesday afternoon and Mira was dancing around the kitchen with her cat, Pickles. Mira’s older sister, Rani, rolled her eyes as she finished the after-dinner washing-up (her chore for that week), and flicked water at them as they twirled past the sink.

‘Bleurgh!’ spluttered Mira as a washing-up bubble landed in her mouth.

Rani dried her hands on a tea towel and snatched Pickles off Mira. ‘My turn! Right, Pickles, you can be my unicorn,’ she said. ‘I need to practise my moves for the school disco.’

As Rani and Pickles swept past her, Mira had to admit that Rani was an annoyingly good dancer. Rani and her unicorn Angelica were annoyingly good at lots of things. The trophy shelf in their living room was full of all Rani’s medals and trophies from winning loads of Unicorn School quests and competitions. Mira had just two medals so far.

Mira and Rani both went to Unicorn School. It was a magical place where pupils were matched with their Unicorn Best Friend Forever (UBFF) and had all kinds of brilliant quests and adventures!

It was almost time to go back to Unicorn School and Mira was BEYOND EXCITED to see her UBFF Dave. He wasn’t exactly how she’d imagined her perfect unicorn to be . . . he could be a bit naughty. And greedy. And he fell asleep in all of their lessons. But they had so much fun together. And the disco was going to be the most fun EVER. She couldn’t imagine anything better in the entire world than spinning round the dancefloor with Dave!

Later that night Mira lay in bed, too excited to sleep. She took out her diary from her bedside table and started thinking about all of the awesome things she was going to do with Dave. And with Darcy and Raheem – her two human best friends at Unicorn School.

Thinking about Dave made Mira smile. He always made everything super fun, often in unexpected ways. Sure, he sometimes had to be bribed with snacks to do things. And sometimes he caused a teeny, tiny bit of havoc. And he held the Unicorn School record for farting in class. But he didn’t mean to be naughty. Dave was Mira’s UBFF and she loved him.

Mira tucked her diary back in the drawer and fell asleep.

Mum usually took Mira and Rani to the Magic Portal where they could travel to Unicorn School – but today Dad was driving them and they had to explain everything to him. He even nearly forgot to take them to the supermarket to buy treats for their unicorns! (Most unicorns liked carrots and hay, but Dave liked doughnuts best of all.)

‘Stop, Dad!’ yelled Mira. They were about to drive right past the Magic Portal in the leisure centre car park! Dad made an emergency stop as Mira hung out of the car, waving to her friend Raheem.

Rani refused to be seen dead (her words) with Mira at Unicorn School, so Mira had arranged to go through the portal with Raheem. He was just finishing the ten Rules of Safety song with his dad, but did wave back.

Dad was under strict instructions to take a picture of them before they went through the portal. Rani would only pose for a fraction of a second, but the photo of the back of her head would have to do.

‘Bye, Dad!’ Mira blew him a kiss through the car window and made sure she had her bag of unicorn treats. ‘Ready, Raheem? Why have you got your eyes closed?’

‘I always feel sick going through the portal,’ Raheem said. ‘So I’m doing my calming breathing.’

Mira grabbed his hand and pulled them both through the bushes. No matter how many times she went through the portal, it never stopped being absolutely completely magical.

First, her toes started to tingle, then her legs and arms, and then rainbow light burst all around them and they were WHOOSHING through the air before landing with a soft thump on the landing haystack in the middle of the Grand Paddock at Unicorn School.

‘Wow,’ breathed Mira as she looked around. It was autumn and all the leaves in the Fearsome Forest were turning gorgeous shades of red and gold. Children were arriving in a steady stream on the landing haystack and running to find their UBFFs. The unicorns were grazing and playing in the paddocks and fields around Unicorn School. Mira could see their breath puffing in the chilly air as she looked around for Dave.

‘Ta-daaaa!’ a voice sang out behind them on the haystack. Their friend Darcy launched off the haystack and did a spectacular spin in her wheelchair, ending with her arms in the air. ‘Did you miss me?’

Mira laughed and ran over for a hug. ‘Of course I missed you. That was awesome!’

Darcy flicked her fluffy blonde hair back over her shoulder. ‘I know,’ she said. ‘I’ve been practising my moves for the disco. I started a feet-and-wheels dance troop at my other school, because I was kicked off the Murderball team. They said I was too aggressive or something. Anyway, dance is WAY more my thing.’

‘What’s Murderball?’ asked Raheem cautiously.

‘It’s like rugby but in wheelchairs. And more dangerous,’ Darcy replied, looking around for her unicorn, Star.

Raheem looked a little bit lost for words. ‘Shall we go and find our unicorns?’ he said.

Star and Brave were grazing in the Grand Paddock and cantered over as soon as they spotted Darcy and Raheem. Mira couldn’t see Dave.

‘Is that him?’ asked Darcy, pointing to a giant pile of straw by the side of the fence. Some of the Unicorn School teachers were standing around it, poking something on the top of the straw pile with a stick. Mira looked closer and saw that it was a small unicorn curled up, fast asleep.

‘Wake up!’ yelled the PE teacher, Miss Hind.

‘How is he still asleep?’ muttered another teacher, shaking his head.

‘He’s been up there for sixteen hours!’ said their class teacher, Miss Glitterhorn.

Dave farted loudly in his sleep.

Mira gave a huge smile. There was her UBFF. And she knew JUST how to wake him up!

Mira reached into her pocket. ‘Dave!’ she called. ‘I’ve got a super special treat for you!’ Mira pulled out a strawberry lace and waved it in the air.

Up on the straw pile she was sure she could see Dave’s nostrils twitching. Then he gave a loud snort, and sat bolt upright. His ears pricked up, his nose twitched and he looked down at Mira.

Dave launched himself off the top of the straw, bounced off Miss Hind’s head and landed in a heap just in front of Mira. Miss Hind muttered crossly to herself but the other teachers just seemed relieved that Dave was finally awake.

Dave snaffled the strawberry lace and licked Mira’s face. She giggled and pulled another strawberry lace out of her pocket.

Dave slurped up the treat, then farted happily. Just then the school bell rang, calling the pupils and unicorns inside. It was time for Unicorn School to begin!