The massive oak tree looked exactly as it had in the crystal, its leaves ablaze with reds and yellows. Hundreds of tiny golden windows twisted gracefully up the oak tree’s trunk, and the grand double doors at its base stood open in welcome.
Just as Twink had seen the day before, groups of brightly dressed fairies hovered about the tree, swapping stories of their summer holidays. Twink’s stomach felt cold as they drew closer. Was there a fairy with curly lilac hair among them?
‘Here at last!’ grinned Bimi’s father as they landed. He dropped their bags with mock relief. ‘Now, you girls have a good term. Twink, be sure to write to your parents and let them know you got here safely.’
.
.
‘I will,’ said Twink shyly. ‘And thank you and Mrs Bluebell for having me to stay with you – I had a wonderful time.’
‘We enjoyed having you,’ smiled Bimi’s father. ‘Bimi’s always spent too much time on her own; it’s good for her to have a friend to stay.’
Would she and Bimi still be friends after this term? Twink swallowed hard, wondering if she could somehow ask Mr Bluebell about crystal fortunes. Did they always have to come true?
‘What is it, Twink?’ Bimi’s dad raised a friendly eyebrow.
‘Er – nothing,’ said Twink hastily, colouring up. ‘Thanks again, that’s all!’
‘Bye, Dad,’ said Bimi, clasping him affectionately around the neck. ‘See you at the end of term!’ A few moments later Mr Bluebell was skimming away over the hill, waving over his shoulder.
Bimi gave Twink a quizzical look. ‘What were you going to say to my dad?’
‘Nothing!’ said Twink, smiling widely. ‘Um, I suppose we’d better get checked in. Where’s Miss Sparkle?’
Bimi started to say something else, and then stopped with a sigh. ‘There she is,’ she said, pointing to their year head – a serious-looking fairy with gauzy white wings you could almost see through. ‘Come on.’
Picking up their bags, they flitted across to where Miss Sparkle stood on one of the tree roots. She ticked them off her clover-leaf pad without a smile.
‘Miss Sparkle, do you know if Kiki Moonglow has arrived yet?’ Bimi’s pretty cheeks reddened slightly. ‘She’s a new second-year student . . . our mums are friends, and my mum told me to watch out for her.’
‘I see.’ Miss Sparkle still didn’t smile, but her dour expression lightened slightly. She consulted her clover pad. ‘Yes, she’s here. She’s going to be in Peony Branch as well.’
‘Oh, she’s in our branch! How funny!’ burst out Bimi.
Twink couldn’t say anything. It felt as if she had turned to stone.
‘She’s just over there saying goodbye to her mother, if you want to go over,’ continued Miss Sparkle. ‘I’m sure she’ll be glad to see some friendly faces.’
Dreading what she might see, Twink looked over to where Miss Sparkle had pointed with her wing. A fairy with long, curly lilac hair and purple wings stood on the lawn nearby, talking to an older fairy who was clearly her mum.
A chill swept over Twink. It was her! The fairy from the crystal.
‘Ooh, yes, that’s Mirabel Moonglow!’ said Bimi. ‘Come on, Twink, let’s go and say hello.’
Feeling like she was in a nightmare, Twink flitted slowly along behind Bimi. Her friend was too excited to notice the expression on her face – which was just as well, since Twink knew that her smile must look more like a sickly grimace.
‘Hello, Mrs Moonglow!’ said Bimi as she landed. ‘Do you remember me? I’m –’
‘Bimi!’ exclaimed the woman. ‘Of course I know you; you look just like your mum.’
.
.
It was easy to see that Mrs Moonglow used to be a model, thought Twink, hovering uncertainly to one side. She was very tall, with wavy purple hair and shimmering violet wings. Her leafy green dress swirled gracefully about her.
‘Bimi, this is Kiki, my daughter,’ went on Mrs Moonglow, putting her hand on the curly-haired fairy’s shoulder.
‘Hi!’ said Kiki. Close up, Twink could see that the new girl had a sprinkling of freckles across her nose. She wore a stylish rose-petal dress, and had a bright, friendly smile.
‘Hi, Kiki – welcome to Glitterwings!’ said Bimi, touching wings with her. ‘I’m sure you’ll like it much better here than at Emerald Leaf. I’ve heard that the fairies there are horrible.’
‘Don’t remind me!’ laughed Kiki. ‘But Mum said your mum is always saying how much you love it here at Glitterwings, so I thought I’d give it a try.’
‘Oh, it’s the best school in the world!’ said Bimi earnestly. ‘Isn’t it, Twink? Oh, sorry – this is my friend Twink Flutterby,’ she added to Kiki and her mum. ‘We’re all going to be in Peony Branch together!’
‘Hi,’ said Twink. Her smile felt like it might crumble away into dust. ‘Yeah, it’s . . . it’s really glimmery. You’ll love it here.’
‘Well, I can see that you girls have it all under control,’ laughed Mrs Moonglow. ‘Goodbye, Kiki – have a good term!’
After Mrs Moonglow had flown away, Bimi turned to Kiki. ‘Come on, we’ll show you where our branch is, and then we can give you a quick tour of the school!’
‘Glimmery!’ Kiki picked up a bulging oak-leaf bag. ‘I’m so glad you go to this school too, Bimi. It’s great to have someone to show me around.’
‘I’m happy to do it!’ said Bimi. ‘You can ask us anything you want – can’t she, Twink?’ Bimi’s bright smile faded as she glanced at Twink, who stood to one side, biting her lip.
Twink quickly tried to rearrange her expression into something more welcoming. ‘Of course she can!’
‘Come on, Kiki,’ said Bimi, giving Twink an odd look.
The three fairies flew towards the open double doors at the tree’s base, dodging through a crowd of older fairies. Twink was silent as Bimi and Kiki chattered away. She had a sudden memory of the first day of the last term, when she and Bimi had flown into school together arm in arm.
Now Bimi was hardly even looking at her. ‘Here’s the inside!’ she said, hovering. ‘What do you think, Kiki?’
The inside of Glitterwings was like a high, high tower filled with soft golden light. Branches shot off in all directions, as far up as the eye could see. Fairies flitted in and out of them like darting birds, shouting and calling to each other.
‘Oh!’ Kiki flew in a slow circle, staring upwards. ‘Isn’t it beautiful? It just goes on for ever!’
Twink looked away. It seemed doubly cruel that not only was Bimi going to go off with Kiki, but Twink had to pretend to like her as well. I should just leave them to it, she thought miserably. What do they need me for?
‘Peony Branch is almost at the very top,’ said Bimi. ‘Come on!’
.
.
As they spiralled up the trunk, Bimi pointed out branches to Kiki. ‘That’s our Creature Kindness branch. Mr Woodleaf is so funny; he’s practically terrified of us! And that’s where we have Fairy Dust lessons. Miss Sparkle seems really grim at first, but she’s OK really . . .’
Finally they came to a branch with a large pink peony hanging upside-down over its ledge. Bimi landed with a flourish. ‘And this is our branch!’
‘Glimmery!’ Kiki peered over the side. ‘Look how far up we are!’
Twink suddenly remembered something else the crystal had shown her . . . Kiki was going to have her old bed, beside Bimi. I suppose I’ll be off to the side with Mariella, she thought sullenly, thinking of an unpleasant fairy in their branch.
‘Could I ask you both a favour before we go inside?’ asked Kiki, straightening up again.
‘Of course!’ said Bimi.
‘Sure,’ mumbled Twink. Maybe she’s going to ask if she can have my cupboard, too, she tho
ught.
‘It’s just . . . would you mind not saying who my mum is? Don’t get me wrong, I’m really proud of her,’ said Kiki quickly. ‘But sometimes fairies act strangely when they find out I’m her daughter – like wanting to be my best friend when they hardly even know me.’
Bimi gave a sympathetic shudder. ‘Don’t worry, we won’t say anything – will we, Twink?’
‘No,’ said Twink dully. She couldn’t feel very sorry for Kiki, somehow.
‘Great!’ said Kiki in obvious relief. ‘I’d rather that everyone just liked me for myself. If they’re going to like me at all, that is!’ she added with a grin.
Bimi pushed open the door, and the three fairies flew inside. Peony Branch was a long, curving branch filled with sunlight. A large pink peony hung over each mossy bed like a canopy, and cunning little bark cupboards were tucked away here and there.
Several of the other girls had already arrived, and were chatting to each other as they unpacked. ‘Hello, Opposite!’ called a fairy with lavender hair and dancing violet eyes. ‘Who have you got there?’
‘Hi, Sooze,’ said Twink with a weak smile. Sooze always called her ‘Opposite’, because Twink had pink hair and lavender wings – the exact opposite to Sooze. ‘This is Kiki . . . she’s new.’
‘Hi,’ said Kiki, putting down her bag. ‘What a great branch!’
‘Well, we like it,’ laughed Sooze. She came flitting over with a few of the others to say hello. Twink could tell straight away that they approved of the new girl, which just made things worse, somehow.
‘Where would you like to sleep, Kiki?’ said Bimi eagerly.
Twink saw that her and Bimi’s old beds from last term were still vacant, and she held her breath. Oh, please, she thought. Let the crystal be wrong. Let Bimi want to have the bed next to me, same as always!
‘Well, why don’t we all three sleep in a row?’ suggested Kiki, including Twink in her smile. ‘See, there are three beds together here – perfect!’
‘Great!’ Bimi flitted to the middle bed and put her things down. Kiki placed her own bag on Twink’s old bed, and the two girls began to unpack.
Twink flew slowly to the bed that was left. At least she was beside Bimi . . . but somehow it wasn’t at all as she had imagined. Bimi hadn’t even looked at her to see whether she was happy with the arrangement.
‘Where did you go to school before, Kiki?’ called Mariella from across the branch.
Mariella, a pointy-faced fairy with long, silvery-green hair, had been thoroughly horrid for most of the time Twink had known her . . . until the previous term, when she had finally been forced to face up to her unpleasant behaviour. Now she was something of a reformed character, though Twink sometimes thought she was just as unpleasant as before, only in a different way!
Kiki made a face. ‘Emerald Leaf.’
Mariella’s jaw dropped. ‘Really?’ she gasped. ‘I’d give anything to go there!’
‘Rather you than me,’ said Kiki, arranging a drawing of her family on her bedside mushroom. ‘The girls there were all stuck-up little beetles!’
The branch burst out laughing at the expression on Mariella’s face.
‘You don’t know it, Kiki, but you’re talking to the original stuck-up little beetle,’ said Sooze with a wicked grin.
‘Oh, shut up,’ snapped Mariella, tossing her hair. ‘But Kiki, your family must be awfully important for you to go to Emerald Leaf.’
Kiki shrugged. Twink saw the tips of her pointed ears turn red. ‘Not especially.’
Without warning, Mariella skimmed across the branch and picked up the drawing of Kiki’s family. ‘Are these your parents?’ she asked innocently. ‘Your mum’s really pretty.’
.
.
Kiki started to say something and stopped, colouring up.
‘Mariella, put it down!’ burst out Bimi. ‘It’s none of your business.’
‘Watch it, Mosquito Nose,’ said Sooze warningly, narrowing her eyes at Mariella.
‘Hang on, I think I recognise her,’ said Mariella, squinting at the drawing. ‘She’s not wearing that glittery make-up she wears in the petal mags, but . . . oh, I know!’ she squealed suddenly. ‘It’s Mirabel Moonglow, the fashion designer!’
.
Chapter Three
Kiki grabbed the drawing back. ‘Yes, all right,’ she said crossly. ‘But don’t go on about it, will you?’
Mariella’s eyes were like shining stars. ‘And she used to be a famous model!’ she breathed. ‘Oh, you’re so lucky! You must know so many famous fairies! You –’
Kiki let out a heavy sigh. ‘You see what I mean?’ she said to Bimi.
‘Kiki doesn’t want to be treated any differently because of who her mum is,’ Bimi told the branch. ‘She just wants to be herself.’
Pix, a clever fairy with short red hair, nodded approvingly. ‘I don’t blame you, Kiki. Don’t worry, you won’t get any special treatment from us!’
‘That means you, Mosquito Nose!’ put in Sooze, flitting across and dragging Mariella back to her own bed.
‘What?’ protested Mariella as Sooze sat her down firmly. ‘I didn’t do anything!’
Twink had kept quiet through all of this, woodenly unpacking her things. Placing a drawing of her own family on her bedside mushroom, she stared down at their smiling faces with a homesick pang. She could tell already what a miserable term this was going to be.
With a rustle and a thump, Mrs Hover the matron arrived. ‘Whoo!’ she huffed, patting her light pink hair into place. ‘I certainly get my exercise, flying all the way up here! Has everyone arrived?’
She counted them quickly, and nodded. ‘Excellent! Now come along, everyone, it’s time for the opening session in the Great Branch.’
As the fairies flitted towards the door, Bimi took Twink’s arm, holding her back. ‘What’s wrong?’ she whispered. ‘You’ve hardly said two words to Kiki!’
Twink lifted a wing. ‘I don’t know. I’m just sort of . . . tired, that’s all.’
Bimi looked cross. ‘Like you were tired this morning, and last night? Twink, what’s up with you? Why can’t you tell me what’s wrong?’
‘Nothing’s wrong, I keep telling you!’ insisted Twink, pulling away. Bimi had read her mind so many times before – surely she’d know how sad and frightened Twink felt now, at the prospect of losing her best friend?
But Bimi just shook her head. ‘Fine, have it your way,’ she said wearily.
Skimming quickly away, Bimi caught up with Kiki at the door. The two fairies flew out of the branch together without a backward look.
The Great Branch was the largest branch in the school, with high, arching windows and rows of mossy tables. A different flower hung over each table for each of the branches, making the long room look like a garden wonderland.
When Twink arrived at the Peony Branch table, she saw Bimi and Kiki already sitting side by side. Her cheeks on fire, Twink hastily sat down on the first empty mushroom she saw, beside a tall fairy called Zena.
‘Hi, Zena, how were your hols?’ she asked brightly.
‘Great!’ said Zena, tucking back a strand of yellow hair. ‘We visited my cousin at Shining Lake, and I learned how to surf on the back of a fish – it was glimmery! How about you?’
.
.
At the other end of the table, Bimi and Kiki were chatting away as if they had known each other for years. Sooze and Pix leaned towards them, joining in. As Twink watched, Kiki laughed at something Bimi had said, fluttering her purple wings.
A sour taste twisted at the back of Twink’s throat. And Kiki had said she didn’t like a fuss made over her! Well, she looked as if she were enjoying it, thought Twink. And making them promise not to say who her mum was – why, she had probably been thr
illed when Mariella worked it out!
‘Twink?’ Zena raised her eyebrows questioningly.
Twink started. ‘Oh! Sorry – what did you say?’
Before Zena could reply, Miss Shimmery, the HeadFairy, took to the air at the front of the Branch and clapped her hands for attention. The Great Branch fell silent as the students all turned to face her.
‘Welcome to a new term at Glitterwings,’ she announced in her low, rich voice. Her rainbow wings caught the light as she hovered. ‘And a very special welcome to all our new girls – we hope you’ll be very happy here.’
She smiled warmly at the Peony Branch table. Kiki smiled back, and Twink made a face before she could help herself.
Noticing Zena looking strangely at her, Twink stared down at the table as Miss Shimmery made the usual announcements: no high-speed flying in the school, uniforms required from tomorrow, complete with oak-leaf cap . . .
The HeadFairy gazed meaningfully at the older years, who left their caps off at every opportunity. Good-natured groans filled the Branch.
‘And finally, I’ve some exciting news,’ said Miss Shimmery. ‘Though we had our annual school exhibition early last year, our older girls will know that it normally takes place now, in the autumn term.’
The exhibition! Twink looked up as a prickle of interest raced across her wings. Last year, there had been a massive Flying Exhibition, with obstacle courses and prizes for the best fliers. What would they do this year?
‘We’ve decided to do something a bit different this time.’ Miss Shimmery’s blue eyes held a slight twinkle. ‘Each year is to decide for itself what sort of exhibition you’d like to put on for your parents. It can be anything you like, but you’re to be responsible for every aspect of it. Then, when the parents come, there will be prizes for the best work.’
An enthusiastic buzz swept the Branch. The Peony table exchanged eager glances. A whole exhibition that they planned themselves!
‘And now, I think it’s time to eat,’ smiled Miss Shimmery. She raised an arm. ‘Butterflies commence!’
New Girl Page 2
