Olivia and Snowflake

by Julie Sykes

  Olivia touched her red hair, wishing she could have a blue and gold streak to match Snowflake’s mane. Snowflake nuzzled her leg. “We’ll bond soon,” she said. “There’s still time.”

  For Jessica Broom

  and April Marshall

  “Stay very still,” Olivia whispered to Snowflake as the pair of them hid behind the marble statue of a flying unicorn.

  “Should we go now?” asked Snowflake eagerly. The December air was icy and Snowflake’s breath froze in little clouds as she spoke.

  “Not yet,” said Olivia, her green eyes on Isabel, who was patrolling in front of the apple tree that the girls were using as base in their game of tag. “We need to wait until Isabel and Cloud get distracted.” Her hand flew to her mouth. “Oh no! I think I’m going to… Aaaatishooo!”

  “There they are!” yelled Isabel.

  “Go, Snowflake!” shrieked Olivia. Snowflake leapt out from behind the statue, the sunlight making the gold and blue stars on her white coat shine. She charged towards the apple tree, swerving nimbly around Cloud. Olivia’s red hair flew out behind her as Snowflake tried her hardest to get to base, but Scarlett and Blaze, who were also catchers in the game, came galloping up from the right-hand side. Scarlett’s arm was outstretched. Snowflake tried to get past Blaze, but Blaze was one of the fastest unicorns at Unicorn Academy and Scarlett’s hand lightly tagged Olivia’s arm.

  “Got you!”

  Isabel whooped. “Way to go, Scarlett!”

  “Sorry, Snowflake,” Olivia apologised as they came to a stop.

  “It doesn’t matter,” whinnied Snowflake, shaking her long mane. “It’s fun whether we’re the catchers or the people hiding!”

  Isabel looked round. “Come out! Come out! Wherever you are!” she sang to their three friends, who were still hidden.

  Olivia caught a glimpse of multicoloured mane behind a rose bush. “Sophia and Rainbow are over there!” she cried. “Catch them!”

  The game continued until all of the girls from Sapphire dorm had been caught. “I need a rest!” said Olivia, fanning her face.

  “Me too,” said Layla, trotting up on Dancer.

  “Play for a little longer, pleeease?” begged Scarlett. “It’s our last weekend before the graduation ball. There won’t be time to play next week and then after that we’ll all be going home.”

  The six girls from Sapphire dorm sighed. They had started at Unicorn Academy almost a whole year ago. In that time they had all been given their own unicorn to love and bond with and they’d had loads of exciting adventures together.

  “It’s going to be so strange not being here any longer,” said Ava, looking round wistfully.

  “I’ll be here still,” Olivia pointed out. “Snowflake hasn’t discovered her magic yet and we haven’t bonded so I won’t be allowed to graduate.”

  Bonding was the highest form of friendship. When a person and their unicorn bonded, a strand of the person’s hair turned the same colour as the unicorn’s mane, showing they were friends for life. From that moment on, it was their duty to help protect Unicorn Island – the beautiful land where they all lived. Olivia’s friends all had a colourful streak in their hair – Sophia’s was multicoloured like Rainbow’s mane, Ava’s was purple, Isabel’s was silver and blue, Scarlett’s was red and gold, and Layla, who had bonded with Dancer most recently, had an indigo, orange and pink streak.

  Olivia touched her own red hair, wishing she could have a blue and gold streak to match Snowflake’s mane. As if sensing her sadness, Snowflake turned and nuzzled her leg. “We’ll bond soon,” she told Olivia. “There’s time before graduation.”

  “Yes, there’s still ten days!” said Sophia. “We’ll help you to find Snowflake’s magic so we can all graduate together.”

  “We’re not leaving you here with horrible Valentina, Delia and Jacinta,” said Scarlett. “They haven’t bonded with their unicorns yet either.”

  Olivia felt a warm tingly feeling rush through her. Her friends were the best, and if anyone could help her then they could! “Thanks. But look, it won’t be so bad if I don’t graduate with all of you. My little sister, Matilda, is starting in January so at least I’ll know someone.”

  “You are going to graduate,” declared Isabel. “And we are all going to meet up regularly. I know we live far away from each other but we can sleepover at each other’s houses. My room is tiny but it’s so warm in my part of the island that we can sleep outside in hammocks.”

  “My room’s small too, but Dad lets me sleep in one of the empty greenhouses when I have a sleepover,” said Ava, whose parents ran a plant nursery.

  Olivia’s stomach squirmed as everyone described their houses and what fun they’d have all squeezing in for sleepovers. She had a secret she still hadn’t told her friends, despite knowing them for almost a year. Olivia’s home was like a palace, with twelve bedrooms, an indoor swimming pool, and a tennis court and lake. But although Olivia’s parents were rich they didn’t spoil their two daughters. They believed in working hard – they both had jobs and the girls were expected to help out at home with the tidying and washing up.

  Olivia hadn’t told the others about her home and family. When she’d first met them, she hadn’t wanted to mention it because she didn’t want it to sound like she was showing off, and then it had somehow got too late to tell them and she had ended up keeping it a secret. Whenever any of the others asked, she just changed the subject. It had seemed easier that way, but it was going to cause problems if her friends wanted to visit her house.

  “What’s your place like, Olivia?” asked Isabel curiously. “Where will we sleep when we come to yours?”

  Olivia forced herself to laugh. “Let’s see if I graduate first. Now, I’m going to go back to the stables. I promised Snowflake I’d practise plaiting her mane and tail with rainbow ribbons for the Graduation Ball, didn’t I, Snowflake?”

  Snowflake hid her surprise. “That’s right,” she agreed.

  Olivia stroked Snowflake’s neck, grateful she’d backed up her fib.

  “I’ll come with you,” offered Layla. “I love plaiting Dancer’s mane, and you can tell me about your family. I didn’t even know you had a little sister.” She smiled at her. “I guess I never asked though.”

  Olivia’s tummy twisted. In the last few months she had become good friends with quiet, clever Layla but she didn’t want to tell her about her family. “Sorry, Layla. But do you mind if I just go back with Snowflake?”

  Layla blinked. “Oh. OK.”

  “I really want to spend some time with her on our own. It might help us to bond,” said Olivia quickly.

  Layla nodded but Olivia could see the hurt in her eyes and she felt guilty as she rode away. She didn’t say a word to Snowflake. The unicorn waited until they were on their own and then turned her head and gave Olivia a quick look. “What’s the matter?”

  “I feel horrible because I just hurt Layla’s feelings but I don’t want her asking about my family. Oh, Snowflake, what am I going to do if everyone wants to come to my house next year?”

  Snowflake was the only one who knew the truth about Olivia’s home life. “Couldn’t you just tell them about your parents? I’m sure none of them will treat you any differently.”

  “But they might!” said Olivia. “Look how much they laugh at Valentina.” She pictured snooty Valentina from Emerald dorm. “Her family is very rich and everyone hates her.”

  “That’s only because Valentina is spoilt and unkind,” said Snowflake. “You’re not like that at all. You should tell them the truth.”

  Olivia hesitated. Even if Snowflake was right and her friends didn’t judge her, it didn’t change the fact she’d been keeping secrets from them all year. They wouldn’t
like that at all. No, she couldn’t risk it. She couldn’t bear it if they decided they didn’t like her any more.

  “Let’s talk about something else,” she muttered.

  “But—”

  “No!” interrupted Olivia. “And you have to promise me you won’t tell anyone.”

  “Of course I won’t,” said Snowflake, shocked. “I wouldn’t do anything to make you unhappy.”

  To Olivia’s relief she saw they had reached the stable block. “Oooh, isn’t it lovely and warm in here,” she said, leading Snowflake inside. A trolley rumbled past laden with a bucket of sky berries. Olivia scooped up a handful and offered them to Snowflake. “I bet you’re hungry after all that galloping around.”

  Olivia was sure Snowflake wanted to say more but to her relief her unicorn just sighed and ate the berries.

  “I’ll go and get some ribbons from the storeroom. I’m going to plait the prettiest rainbow ever in your mane.”

  Dropping a kiss on Snowflake’s nose, Olivia hurried away. It was such a relief to know her secret was safe. Snowflake was totally trustworthy and always agreed to do what Olivia wanted. If only Snowflake could find her magic and bond with her in time to graduate with the others. But, said a tiny voice in Olivia’s head, if Snowflake doesn’t find her magic then you won’t graduate and your friends will never have to find out the truth.

  She frowned, and for the first time began to wonder if she really wanted to graduate with the others after all.

  On Monday morning the girls loaded fruit and fresh-baked pastries on to their plates. Big vases of white and pink winter lilies decorated the long tables. Scarlett pounced on Olivia and Layla as they sat down next to her. “Have you heard? Lessons are over from now on!”

  “What?” said Layla.

  “Yes! Billy said Ms Primrose is about to make an announcement.”

  At that very moment, Ms Primrose, their old, wise headteacher, stood up and held up a hand for silence. The students stopped chattering.

  “Good morning,” said Ms Primrose, her eyes twinkling in her wrinkled face. “This is a very special week and for most of you it will be your last at Unicorn Academy. The Graduation Ball will take place on Friday evening. It’s a tradition that each dormitory decorates one area of the academy and also puts on a show before the ball to demonstrate to the parents the skills that you and your unicorns have developed this year. Lessons are now officially over to allow you to prepare for this.”

  A loud cheer filled the dining hall. Hiding a smile, Ms Primrose pulled out a piece of paper.

  “Diamond dormitory, you will decorate the ballroom.”

  “Yay!” Billy and Jack, two of the boys from that dorm, fist-bumped each other.

  “Emerald dorm…” Valentina De Silva and her friends looked up eagerly. “You will decorate the stables.”

  “The stables?” exclaimed Valentina in disgust.

  “Yes, Valentina, the stables,” said Ms Primrose firmly. She raised her eyebrows and Valentina subsided into her seat with a glare.

  Ms Primrose continued reading aloud until finally she looked at Olivia and her friends. “This year the girls in Sapphire dormitory have been extra-special guardians, stopping several attempts to sabotage Sparkle Lake and our school. Therefore, I am giving Sapphire dormitory the lake and its surroundings to decorate.”

  Another huge cheer almost lifted the ceiling, with the whole school clapping. Almost the whole school, thought Olivia, seeing Valentina give them a death stare.

  As Ms Primrose sat down, Valentina started talking angrily to her best friends Delia and Jacinta. “I don’t want to decorate the stables! My parents are governors. I am going to demand to swap. I shall see my aunt about this.”

  “She’s not swapping with us,” said Isabel firmly. “Not after all those times we’ve saved the lake. Remember when someone tried to pollute it? Then a while later it froze over?”

  “And there was the time it nearly flooded the school. And what about those flash flies that mysteriously appeared at the end of the summer? They killed all the leaves on the trees, which almost clogged the lake up,” chipped in Scarlett.

  “So many bad things have happened here this year,” said Ava, tucking her chin-length dark hair behind her ears. “And not just to the lake – there was the time the sky-berry bushes all failed and the poor unicorns didn’t have any berries to eat.”

  “I’m glad we’ve been able to help each time,” said Layla.

  Sophia looked anxious. “Who’s going to look after things here after we’ve left?”

  “Me!” said Olivia. As she spoke, she warmed to the idea. Someone had to keep an eye on things until the person responsible for trying to sabotage the academy was caught. If she stayed on, then she could help. “If I don’t graduate, I’ll still be here.”

  “But you are going to graduate!” protested Isabel.

  “We’re going to make sure of it!” chorused Sophia and Ava, linking arms with her as they left the dining hall.

  On the way out, they saw Valentina talking with her aunt, Ms Nettles, the strict Geography and Culture teacher. Ms Nettles kept breaking off to sneeze into a tissue.

  “I don’t know why Valentina’s so steamed up,” said Ava. “The stables will be a lovely place to decorate.”

  “And why does Ms Nettles keep sneezing?” said Scarlett.

  “It’s her hay fever,” said Layla. “I bet all those vases of flowers on the tables set her off.”

  “I’m sorry, Valentina. There isn’t anything I can do,” they heard Ms Nettles saying as they passed.

  “But, Auntie—”

  Ms Nettles sneezed again. “No, Valentina. I have tried to help you this year but I cannot do anything about this. Now I really must go and get some more of my hay fever medicine, and you should concentrate on graduating.” Ms Nettles hurried off and Valentina stomped back to Jacinta and Delia.

  “I’m so glad we’ve got the lake to decorate!” said Isabel as Sapphire dorm went outside and breathed in the crisp air.

  “Me too,” agreed Olivia. The magical waters of Sparkle Lake flowed up from the centre of the earth and out through its fountain. From there, rivers and streams carried it around the island to keep the unicorns’ magic strong, nourish the land and help make the island a wonderful place to live.

  In the wintry sunlight rainbows glinted above the lake and the fountain. It was beautiful but icy cold. The girls hurried inside the stables where it was warm and cosy.

  Snowflake snorted with pleasure when she saw Olivia. “I hoped you’d come. I thought you might still have to go to lessons, since we’re not ready to graduate.” Snowflake lowered her head. “I’m sorry I haven’t found my magic yet, Olivia.”

  “Don’t worry,” said Olivia. “It’s fine.”

  “But what will we do in the demonstration?” said Snowflake. “Everyone else will be showing off their magic.”

  “We can join in somehow,” said Olivia, stroking her. “Maybe we can jump through hoops of fire made by Blaze, or canter across a rainbow made by Rainbow, or pick flowers that Star makes grow.” She smiled. It sounded quite fun!

  But Snowflake heaved a sigh. “I guess. I hope my parents aren’t too disappointed in me though.”

  “Your parents?” echoed Olivia.

  “Yes, they’re coming to the ball,” said Snowflake.

  “Oh.” Olivia started to groom Snowflake’s coat. She’d been so busy worrying about her own situation that she hadn’t stopped to wonder how Snowflake might feel. It might be good for her if they didn’t graduate but it wasn’t fair on Snowflake, particularly when her family were coming to the ball.

  She sighed, feeling like she didn’t know whether she wanted to graduate or not.

  “Are you OK?” asked Snowflake.

  “Yes, of course I am,” Olivia lied.

  Later that morning the girls headed to the gardens to work out their demonstration for the parents. They were so busy talking that as they rounded a corner they almost ran into Ms
Primrose and Ms Nettles, who were standing on one of the paths. Ms Primrose was holding a basket filled with herbs. Ms Nettles looked angry.

  “Whoops! Sorry!” gasped Scarlett as the unicorns stopped just in time.

  “Girls! Whatever do you think you are doing? Please watch where you’re going!” snapped Ms Nettles. Her glasses rattled on her thin nose as she gave Blaze and Cloud a disapproving look – both unicorns had tangled manes and tails, and traces of mud on their legs. “Hmm, it’s looks to me like some of you in Sapphire dorm should put more effort into grooming and less into talking!”

  She stalked off.

  Ms Primrose shook her head. “Don’t mind Ms Nettles, girls,” she said. “She has a lot on with the Graduation Ball.” She reached into her basket and fed the unicorns some watermint leaves. “Here we are. A little treat for the Sapphire unicorns.” They snorted happily and munched up the leaves. “No, no more, I’m afraid, my dears,” she chuckled as they looked at her hopefully. “I need the rest of these herbs for my spells.”

  “What spells?” asked Layla curiously.

  Ms Primrose gave a vague smile. “This and that! These are herbs for a locking spell. I’m always working to keep the academy safe, you know.”

  “How do you make spells, Ms Primrose?” asked Ava. “I’d love to learn.”

  “It’s complicated, my dear,” said Ms Primrose.

  “You need to have a unicorn who is a spell-weaver like your unicorn, Sage, don’t you, Ms Primrose?” said Layla. “I’ve read about it. A spell-weaver puts the magic in that makes a spell work – and if you’ve got a spell-weaver for a unicorn you can make spells that do all sorts of things.”

  “Goodness, Layla, you’re very good at finding things out, aren’t you?” Ms Primrose smiled but Olivia noticed an unusually sharp note to her voice. “That is quite correct. Now, girls, are you happy you’ve been given the lake to decorate?”