‘I will,’ Issy declared. The piece of music was perfect for her. She wondered if that was why the dragons had chosen it.
‘Look at the frost fairies,’ Sophy said. The ice dance seemed to have had a big effect on them. They were now whizzing around, little sparks of magic jumping from their wands as they pointed them at the material. Sequins appeared instantly, beads attached themselves and dresses magically began to appear.
‘Do your dance now!’ urged Issy.
Sophy pressed the buttons for the piece of music she had chosen for the competition – it was a beautiful, lilting piece of music that made Issy think of a river running down a mountain. Sophy had chosen moves that were difficult, but she had clearly practised a lot and could do them all now. She was a beautiful skater to watch; every movement seemed to hold so much feeling. The only time she faltered was near the end, where Issy was expecting her to do a double jump and she didn’t. She did a single flip before finishing her routine with a beautiful slow step sequence.
Issy clapped. ‘That was great! Though you could have done a double jump instead of the single.’
‘I know,’ said Sophy. ‘I was originally going to do a double flip, but I’ve fallen on it a few times when I’ve been practising… A single’s safer.’
‘But who wants to be safe?’ said Issy. ‘Don’t be silly. I bet you can do it.’
Sophy looked uncertain.
‘You can,’ Issy urged her. ‘Go on, try again. If you get it wrong, you get it wrong. But it’s better to try.’ She skated to the music box and asked the dragons to play the music again. ‘Just go for it!’
And Sophy did. She skated the rest of the dance as perfectly as she had the first time and then, as she reached the final part of the routine, she threw herself into the jump, turning round twice in the air. She landed it with just the smallest wobble. Issy cheered.
There was the sound of clapping from the frost fairies. Sophy finished the routine with her step sequence and then looked round as Cobweb and Flaxie came flying over. ‘That was a great jump, Sophy!’ Flaxie said.
Sophy looked very pleased. ‘Thanks.’ She glanced at Issy. ‘I’ll definitely keep it in. How are the costumes going?’ she asked the fairies.
‘Much better. Your dancing is really helping. Can you carry on?’
Issy and Sophy grinned at each other. ‘Of course we can!’
The girls skated for an hour more, taking it in turns and then teaching each other their dances. By the end of it, the frost fairies had finished the costumes! ‘All we’ve got to do is deliver them to the dorms!’ said Cobweb in delight.
‘And then we can go to bed,’ said Flaxie.
The older fairy flew over. ‘Thank you so much, girls,’ she said to Issy and Sophy. ‘Without your help we’d have been working all night.’
‘I don’t understand why you didn’t just ask people to come and skate,’ said Issy. ‘Everyone would have wanted to help get their dress finished and, besides, we all love skating!’
‘Ah, but the magic wouldn’t have worked then. It only worked because you wanted to help us – and not just because we asked you to. That’s the way it is in this land.’ The fairy smiled at them. ‘You’ll find out more about that in time.’
‘You mean, when we find out more about the Ice Princess?’ said Sophy eagerly.
‘Yes. Now go and get some sleep. You have a competition tomorrow!’
Issy and Sophy went up the stairs together, the frost fairies flying ahead of them with the glittering costumes. The girls stopped as they reached the landing. ‘It’s been really fun tonight,’ Issy said.
‘Yeah,’ Sophy agreed, her eyes warm and friendly. ‘You’re not at all like I thought you were.’
‘What do you mean?’ Issy asked.
‘Well, I thought you didn’t care about magic.’
‘But I do!’
‘I know that now.’ Sophy looked at her curiously. ‘So why do you mess around so much in lessons?’
‘I don’t really – it’s Jo who does,’ said Issy. ‘She’s not into magic.’
‘I don’t get why you’re friends with her,’ Sophy said.
‘She’s nice,’ Issy said loyally. ‘And fun.’ She didn’t add even though she can be a bit annoying at times because she never liked it when people were mean about their friends behind their backs. ‘I do like her, but she is different from me.’ She went on quickly, ‘It’s so silly. I’ve been wishing there was someone here who liked magic, who I could be friends with, and I didn’t think of you. You just seemed really quiet and serious.’
‘I guess we both got it wrong,’ said Sophy.
Issy hesitated. ‘Can we be friends now?’ she blurted out hopefully.
Sophy smiled. ‘Definitely.’
Issy felt very happy. ‘Cool! I’ll see you tomorrow then.’
Sophy nodded. ‘All ready for the competition.’
Excitement rushed through Issy. Now she had some music she liked, she couldn’t wait!
Chapter Eight
Competition Day!
‘Wake up!’ Issy felt someone shaking her shoulder. She opened her eyes and saw Jo leaning over her. ‘Our costumes are here!’
Issy sat up, yawning. She felt worn out after the night before, but as it all came flooding back and she remembered what had happened – how she and Sophy had helped the frost fairies and how they had made friends with each other – she felt her spirits lift and the tiredness slip away.
‘Look!’ said Maisie, waving a silver skating dress under her nose.
‘This is yours,’ said Milly, holding up a red dress for Issy to see.
‘I know.’ Issy took the beautiful deep-red dress with the chiffon skirt. ‘I saw it last night.’
‘Last night?’ Jo echoed in surprise. ‘What do you mean?’
Issy told them what had happened – everything apart from her conversation with Sophy on the staircase. She kept that to herself. She wasn’t sure how Jo would feel about her being friends with Sophy.
Looking at Jo now, she wondered how she felt about her. Should she be in a mood with her still? No, Issy decided. Her time here was too short to fall out with people. And even though Jo could be annoying, they shared a dorm and she was fun to be around. And I’ve got Sophy now as well, Issy realized. A warm glow spread through her at the thought.
The others were astonished to hear about the night before. ‘Why didn’t you wake us up?’ demanded Jo.
‘It just kind of happened,’ said Issy.
‘It’s brilliant you helped,’ said Milly.
‘And that all our costumes are ready,’ said Maisie, starting to try hers on. ‘I can’t wait to skate in mine!’
The morning was free for the girls to practise for the competition. When Issy got to the rink in her costume, she saw Sophy there, getting her skates out of her locker. For a moment, Issy felt almost shy, but then Sophy turned and saw her and a smile lit up her face.
Issy ran over. ‘Hi! Last night was cool, wasn’t it?’
‘Very,’ agreed Sophy.
‘Your dress looks lovely,’ Issy said. Sophy was wearing a blue velvet dress with silver sequins on the bodice.
‘So does yours.’ Sophy smiled. ‘Shall we warm up together?’
‘Definitely!’ As Issy got her skates out, she felt like singing. She had the feeling that for the first time in ages she might have made a really special friend. A best friend, she thought and suddenly it seemed like a very good thing after all.
Issy practised all morning. The happiness inside her made her feel as if she was sparkling when she was skating, and now she had the right music, Issy knew she had a great routine.
After lunch, the girls did their hair. They were also allowed to wear make-up for the competition. Issy put on some glittering silver eyeshadow a
nd mascara to darken her eyelashes. Then she added a bit of lipgloss and a dusting of glitter across her cheekbones. Her hair was pulled back in a bun and she wore sparkling silver clips in it. Finally she changed into her red dress and tan tights.
Issy looked in the mirror and smoothed down the floaty skirt. This was it! She took a deep breath. The competition was about to begin!
The three skating teachers were the judges and they sat behind a big table. Other ice sylphs filled the seats round the rink. After each girl had skated and been given a mark, the frost fairies flew up and formed the mark in the air. As Issy waited for her turn, she felt nerves and excitement racing through her.
She paced around as she watched Milly’s slow, elegant routine and Maisie’s lively, theatrical one. She saw Jo making some mistakes in hers, but laughing them off. Curly-haired Niamh raced around and fell over three times, but jumped up every time and just carried on, not caring. Vanessa skated in a very show-offy way, but without really being in time to the music.
Finally it was Sophy’s turn. She skated her routine beautifully, moving perfectly with the music, her hands and arms held in a lovely line, all her moves full of expression and feeling. When she got near the end, Issy held her breath and then burst into applause as Sophy managed to jump the double flip. She’d done it perfectly!
‘Well done!’ cried Issy as Sophy finished and came off the ice, her eyes shining.
‘That was brilliant, Sophy,’ said Niamh. ‘And look!’ she said as the frost fairies showed Sophy’s mark. ‘You’re in the lead!’
And then it was Issy’s turn. She felt the nerves pounding through her, but as she stepped on to the ice, her worries faded away. This was where she belonged. She stood in the centre of the ice feeling calm but excited as she waited for her music to start. You can do it! she told herself. You really can!
The first few notes echoed out and Issy was off. She didn’t think about the audience or the fact that this was a competition. All she thought about was skating. She threw herself into all her jumps with every ounce of energy in her body.
On her final combination, Issy was so carried away she tried to turn a triple toe loop instead of a double toe loop. She didn’t quite manage it. As she stumbled on the landing and almost fell, she realized she might have just lost her chance of winning, but she didn’t care. She skated on and, as the music neared the end, dipped into her layback spin, her eyes up towards the domed glass ceiling, her arms above her, fingers touching, back arched. She spun around faster and faster until she stopped exactly on the last beat.
Everyone burst into applause. Panting and smiling, Issy skated off the ice. She might have fluffed the triple toe loop, but it had felt right to try it and she was glad she had.
As she came off the ice, Sophy hugged her and Issy’s marks went up. She was in third place, with Sophy first and Maisie second. That was the way the marks stayed when Jessica, the final skater, came off the ice.
‘You did it! You won, Sophy!’ Issy gasped. Sophy was open-mouthed in shock.
‘I can’t believe it!’
Niamh came over and hugged her. ‘Well done!’ The other girls started crowding around and congratulating her.
Madame Letsworth stood up and called for silence. ‘Well done, girls!’ she said as the girls and audience quietened down. ‘You should all be very proud of yourselves. You have all skated very well indeed. The marks were awarded for two things – accuracy and style – but we were looking particularly at how well we felt you expressed yourself on the ice. Our winner this week is Sophy, who skated a beautiful routine full of personality with very few faults. Sophy, would you like to come and collect the sapphire skates?’
Sophy skated on to the ice to the sound of clapping and cheers. Madame Letsworth handed her a beautiful pair of skates, decorated with sparkling blue sapphires. ‘Well done,’ she said, smiling at Sophy. ‘You have worked very hard this week and thoroughly deserve to win. Now, as part of your prize, you are allowed to ask the school for something. What will it be?’
Sophy thought for a moment. ‘Can we have a sledging party?’ she asked. ‘For everyone this afternoon?’
‘Of course!’ Madame Letsworth smiled and all the girls cheered in delight. ‘Go and get changed now, girls. You have worked very hard and now it is time for you to relax and have some fun!’
Half an hour later, the school gardens were ringing with the sound of shouts and laughter as the girls pulled sledges up the hill in the garden and then tobogganed down.
Every girl was there. As Issy pulled the sledge up to the top of the hill with Sophy, she looked round. Milly was sitting on her sledge reading a book. Niamh was giggling and trying to stand up on the sledge as if it was a surfboard. Cecilia was looking in a pocket mirror and checking her bobble hat was straight, while Jo and Maisie were whooshing down the slope, wicked grins on their faces as they passed a few centimetres away from where Vanessa was standing sourly, sending a wave of snow crystals flying all over her and making her yell.
‘I can’t believe we’ve only been here for six days,’ Issy said to Sophy. It felt like she’d known everyone forever.
‘I’m really glad last night happened. I can’t believe we were stupid enough not to make friends until then,’ Sophy told her.
‘We’ll make up for it now.’ Issy hoped Jo would be OK with that. She had looked a bit put out when Issy had said she was going to go on Sophy’s sledge.
‘Do you think we’ll find out more about the Ice Princess next week?’ said Sophy as they reached the top and got the sledge into position. ‘I want to know more about the dance she has to do and how they’re going to choose her.’
‘Me too. Maybe it’ll be you, seeing as you won the competition,’ said Issy.
‘But there are five more competitions to go,’ Sophy pointed out as they got on to the sledge together. ‘I hope next week’s will be fun too.’
Issy grinned. ‘I bet it will be!’ She wrapped her arms tightly round Sophy’s waist. ‘OK, are you ready?’
‘Yep!’ Sophy called.
Issy grinned. ‘Then here we go!’ She pushed off as hard as she could and they shot down the slope, their shrieks of laughter echoing up into the pale-blue sky.
Skating School: Sapphire Skate Fun Page 4
