Sister Secrets

by Titania Woods

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  ..

  For Antonia MacPhee –

  Glitterwings’ first and best fan

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  Contents

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  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Imprint

  .

  Chapter One

  Twink Flutterby felt like singing as she and her mother skimmed over the top of the hill. How wonderful to be flying in the spring sunshine, with a brand new school year at Glitterwings Academy ahead of her!

  Down below, Twink’s little sister Teena was riding on Brownie, the Flutterby family’s mouse. It was Teena’s first term at Glitterwings, and Twink thought she looked just as excited and nervous as Twink had once felt.

  But at least Teena had an older sister to show her around. Twink felt very grown-up all of a sudden. It was her third year at Glitterwings, and she knew Teena would be looking up to her and asking for advice.

  ‘Here we are!’ said Twink’s mother cheerfully as Glitterwings Academy came into view.

  The massive oak tree stood in a field of yellow wild flowers, its new spring leaves green and curling. Tiny golden windows wound their way up its trunk, and the ornate double doors at its base stood open in welcome.

  Good old Glitterwings, thought Twink. Oh, it was glimmery to be back! Then, remembering how she’d felt on her first day, she swooped down close to Teena.

  ‘Just think,’ she whispered in her sister’s pointed ear, ‘tomorrow you’ll be sprinkled with fairy dust, and you’ll be able to fly!’

  Teena grinned at her. ‘I know – I can hardly wait.’

  Twink and her mother touched down on the front lawn. Crowds of returning students hovered about the tree like brightly coloured butterflies, shouting and calling to each other. Others stood chatting with their parents or checking in with their year heads. Teena, still perched on Brownie’s glossy back, looked wide-eyed at the busy scene.

  ‘Oh, Glitterwings is so lovely in springtime,’ sighed Twink’s mother, gazing up at the tree. ‘I think it’s my favourite term of all.’

  Twink gave Teena a nudge. ‘Get used to this – she says it every term!’ she hissed.

  .

  .

  Twink’s mother overheard her and laughed. ‘All right, clever-wings! Come along, Teena, let’s tell Mrs Lightwing you’re here. Twink, could you sort yourself out while I see to Teena?’

  ‘Of course!’ said Twink, pleased that her mother thought she was old enough to check in on her own.

  She flew across to the third-year check-in area, beside one of the tree’s roots. Her new year head was a tall, slender fairy called Miss Twilight. She had silver hair and purply-grey wings, and was the most exotic-looking teacher Twink had ever seen.

  ‘You’re in Violet Branch this year,’ Miss Twilight informed Twink, ticking her off on a clover-leaf list. Her cobweb robes shimmered with tiny moonstones. ‘And I’m going to be one of your teachers, so we’ll be seeing a lot of each other.’

  ‘Oh, which subject?’ asked Twink eagerly.

  ‘It’s a new one,’ said Miss Twilight with a mysterious smile. ‘Miss Shimmery will be announcing it later!’ She turned away to check in another student.

  What could the new subject be? Lost in thought, Twink flew back to find her mother and Teena. She stopped short as she caught sight of a young first-year fairy waving goodbye to her parents. The fairy had bright purple wings, and orange hair!

  Twink gaped. She had never seen orange hair on a fairy before – and this fairy’s hair wasn’t just orange, it was a brilliant, blazing orange, like firelight!

  As Twink watched, the fairy dropped her hand with a sigh, and then noticed Twink observing her. A scowl creased her face. She snatched up her oak-leaf bag and stalked off.

  Guilt pinched Twink’s conscience. She hadn’t meant to make the other fairy feel bad! Flying quickly over the grass, she landed beside her. ‘I’m sorry I was staring,’ she said earnestly. ‘It’s just that I’ve never seen hair the colour of yours before.’

  The fairy’s cheeks reddened. ‘Isn’t it awful?’ she burst out. ‘I’m the only fairy I know with orange hair.’

  ‘It’s not awful at all,’ said Twink in surprise. ‘It’s really pretty – it’s so different!’ And it was: it framed the young fairy’s face like dancing flames.

  But the new girl grimaced in embarrassment. ‘I don’t want to be different. Everyone’s always staring at me. I hate it!’

  Twink held back a smile. The fairy sounded almost exactly like Twink’s best friend, Bimi. Bimi had dark blue hair and silver and gold wings, and was extremely beautiful – but she hated being stared at, too, and had been very prickly when she and Twink had first met.

  Impulsively, she offered her wing. ‘I’m Twink,’ she said. ‘I’m in the third year.’

  The fairy touched the tip of her wing to Twink’s. ‘I’m Summer,’ she said, and smiled. ‘Because when I was born, my mother said my hair was like a summer sunset!’

  ‘It is!’ laughed Twink. ‘You’re a first-year fairy, aren’t you? I’ll tell my sister, Teena, to look out for you. She’s just starting school here, too.’

  Summer’s face lit up. ‘That would be glimmery!’ she said. ‘I’m in Snowdrop Branch – I hope I get to meet her soon.’

  .

  .

  Just then Mrs Lightwing, the first-year head, flitted over. ‘Summer, there’s a bird squad about to take some fairies up to Snowdrop Branch – you’d better go along with them, and choose your bed. Hello, Twink,’ she added with a smile.

  ‘Hi, Mrs Lightwing,’ said Twink. She had been a bit afraid of Mrs Lightwing when she first met her, but had learned to like the gruff, no-nonsense teacher a great deal.

  As Summer ran off Twink looked around for her mother and sister, and spotted them a short distance away. Mum was chatting to Miss Petal, the Flower Power teacher. Twink started across to them, eager to tell Teena about Summer.

  But before Twink could reach Teena, another first-year fairy skipped across to her younger sister. ‘Look, we’re twins!’ she cried. ‘We’ve both got pink hair and lavender wings!’

  The new fairy’s long pink hair was pulled back with a clasp instead of worn loose, and her lavender wings were a touch darker than Teena’s – but otherwise the two fairies looked very much alike.

  ‘Ooh, we really are!’ said Teena with a delighted grin.

  ‘We’ll have to be friends, then. Twins for ever!’ laughed the other fairy, linking her arm through Teena’s.

  Twink blinked, hovering in place. Why, it was just like the first time she’d met Sooze! Sooze, a madcap fairy who Twink had been friends with since her first term, had declared herself Twink’s Opposite when they first met, because of her lavender hair and pink wings.

  ‘Twins for ever – that sounds familiar!’ said a voice.

  Turning, Twink saw that Sooze herself was fluttering beside her. ‘Hello, Opposite!’ she said, her violet eyes dancing. ‘Isn’t that your little sister?’

  ‘Hi, Sooze,’ returned Twink with a grin. ‘Yes, she’s called Teena – it’s her first term here.’

  Sooze chuckled. ‘Well, guess what – her new “twin” is my cousin Zuzu! Isn’t that funny? It looks like they’re going to be friends, just the same as we were.’

  ‘Glimmery!’ exclaimed Twink. But as
she glanced at Teena and Zuzu again, she felt a slight pang of foreboding. Friends, just the same as we were . . . What if that turned out to be true?

  For although Sooze had been an exciting best friend at first, she hadn’t turned out to be very dependable. In fact, when Twink had had so much trouble learning to fly, Sooze had quickly got bored with the problem, and had wounded Twink’s feelings deeply.

  Twink bit her lip. The last thing she wanted was for Teena to get hurt.

  ‘Um . . . is Zuzu very much like you?’ she asked, trying to sound casual.

  Sooze’s eyebrows rose in surprise. ‘I suppose so – I never really thought about it. Anyway, she’s loads of fun. Oh, look, there’s Sili. See you later, Twink!’

  Twink winced as Sooze flew off. She knew all too well what Sooze’s idea of ‘fun’ was! If Zuzu was even half as bad, then Teena would soon find herself being dragged into all sorts of scrapes.

  Teena caught sight of her then, and the two young fairies came running over. ‘Twink, this is Zuzu!’ said Teena, beaming. ‘And guess what? We’re both going to be in Snowdrop Branch.’

  ‘That’s right – we’re the terrible twins, together for ever!’ put in Zuzu, leaning her pink head against Teena’s.

  ‘Oh,’ said Twink weakly. ‘That’s great.’

  The two girls looked even more alike than she’d first thought. Both had dark purple eyes, and were exactly the same size and height. Even so, Twink knew she could never mistake them. Zuzu’s bright, mischievous smile was just like Sooze’s!

  .

  .

  Zuzu tugged at Teena’s hand. ‘Come on, Twin – let’s go and look at the inside of the school.’

  ‘Glimmery! Bye, Twink,’ called Teena over her shoulder as the two fairies ran off.

  Twink sighed. She didn’t have a good feeling about Zuzu at all! Why couldn’t Teena have met Summer first instead? But at least the three fairies were all in Snowdrop Branch together. Maybe Teena would prefer Summer once she’d met the orange-haired fairy.

  Twink’s mother landed in a flurry of wings, with Brownie trotting behind on his lead. ‘Has Teena gone into the school already? Let’s catch up with her, so I can say goodbye to you both – my two Glitterwings girls!’ She smiled fondly.

  ‘OK,’ said Twink. ‘And listen, Mum, don’t worry about anything. I’ll take really good care of Teena this term, I promise.’

  Her mother smoothed Twink’s long pink hair. ‘Yes, I’m sure that you’ll help her out if she needs it. But she’s grown up a lot in the two years since you’ve been at school, you know! Don’t worry about Teena too much. I’d rather that you concentrated on your schoolwork.’

  Twink hesitated, wondering whether to mention Zuzu. But it had been years since her mother was a student at Glitterwings, and she might not remember how important it was to have a best friend you could really count on.

  She nodded reluctantly. ‘All right, Mum.’

  ‘That’s my girl,’ said her mother, giving her a warm hug. But as they flew off towards the school, Twink resolved that she would watch over Teena, no matter what her mother said – she had a feeling that her little sister might need it!

  .

  Chapter Two

  Soon after Twink’s mother left for home, the bird squad returned to the bottom of the tree. Teena and Zuzu mounted a pair of grey and yellow tits, perching on jaunty red saddles.

  Twink hovered to one side. ‘Would you like me to fly up to Snowdrop Branch with you?’ she offered.

  Teena looked surprised, and a little embarrassed. ‘No thanks, Twink. I don’t think any of the other girls are going up with their big sisters.’

  ‘Nobody would – wasps, how awful!’ shuddered Zuzu.

  Twink’s lavender wings tapped together in irritation, but she told herself to just ignore Zuzu. ‘Well, make sure you hold on tightly,’ she said to Teena.

  The inside of Glitterwings Academy was like a high, golden tower, with corridors shooting off in all directions. Twink remembered the first time she had flown a bird up it – she’d been scared stiff!

  ‘Twink, I have ridden on a bird before,’ pointed out Teena, her cheeks turning pink. ‘I’ll be fine.’

  ‘I know, but –’ started Twink.

  ‘Let’s get going,’ broke in Zuzu loudly. ‘Snowdrop Branch!’ she ordered, nudging her mount with her pixie boots. Twink darted back as the two birds took off in a rush.

  ‘Wheee!’ cried Zuzu, tipping her head back in the breeze.

  ‘See you later, Twink!’ called Teena. She waved over her shoulder with a grin.

  Forcing a smile, Twink waved back. Her smile faded as she watched the two birds grow smaller, spiralling up the inside of the school. Oh, wasps – Zuzu was exactly like Sooze.

  ‘Twink, there you are!’ cried a voice.

  Spinning about, Twink’s face burst into a smile. ‘Bimi!’ she squealed. The two best friends hugged tightly, bouncing up and down.

  ‘Are you in Violet Branch too?’ asked Bimi excitedly.

  Twink nodded, happiness flooding through her. Another year in the same branch together! ‘Come on,’ she said, grabbing her oak-leaf bag. ‘Let’s go and choose our beds!’

  As the two fairies flew up the tree, Twink told Bimi about Teena and Zuzu. She had expected her best friend to be as concerned as she was, but instead Bimi’s blue eyes looked puzzled. ‘Well . . . what’s the problem?’ she asked.

  Twink almost dropped her bag. ‘Bimi! Don’t you remember how badly Sooze let me down during our first term?’

  Though Twink was still friends with Sooze – and had had some wonderful times with her in the past two years – she couldn’t help feeling a sharp stab of hurt whenever she thought of how Sooze had treated her back then, when she’d needed a best friend so badly.

  Bimi shrugged. ‘Of course, but that doesn’t mean that Zuzu would let anyone down. I think you should give her a chance.’

  ‘I suppose so,’ said Twink doubtfully, remembering Zuzu’s cheeky smile.

  ‘Besides, Teena seemed like an independent little thing when I stayed with you during the holidays,’ added Bimi. ‘I’m sure she can make up her own mind.’

  Twink shrugged. Teena might like being independent, but that didn’t mean she was always going to make good choices!

  The two friends landed on the ledge in front of Violet Branch. A cluster of rich purple violets hung over the doorway, scenting the air. Twink pushed open the door – and forgot all about Teena for the moment. Their new branch was beautiful!

  Violet Branch was a large, crooked branch filled with sunshine, with sleeping areas both on the main floor and in two loft spaces. A canopy of bright purple violets dangled over each mossy bed, and a carpet of green moss lay underfoot.

  Twink and Bimi quickly took two beds in one of the lofts, side by side.

  ‘Oh, this is lovely!’ breathed Bimi, putting her oak-leaf bag on her bed. ‘Look, we’ve got a window right over our beds!’

  ‘It’s glimmery,’ agreed Twink, looking upwards. She could just imagine gazing out at the stars as she fell asleep.

  Most of the other fairies had arrived by then as well, and there were squeals and hugs of welcome as Twink greeted old friends. Pix and Sili were in Violet Branch too, and Sooze and Kiki – and Mariella!

  Twink blinked in surprise when she saw the pointy-faced fairy. Mariella had failed her Seedling Exams at the end of their second year, and Twink hadn’t expected her to be in their class again.

  .

  .

  Mariella blushed when she saw Twink looking at her. ‘I took extra classes all through the holidays,’ she explained stiffly. ‘I passed in the end – I didn’t think I would, but I did!’

  ‘I’m glad,’ said Sooze, nudging her. ‘I never thought I’d say this, but it wouldn
’t be the same without you, Mosquito Nose!’

  Mariella pulled a face, but looked pleased anyway.

  Zena was the only one of Twink’s friends who was missing. ‘She’s in Pansy Branch this year,’ said Sili glumly. ‘Isn’t it too bad, being split up after so long?’

  Taking her place was a new girl called Ivy. Twink glanced at her curiously. Ivy had a tumble of curly light green hair, and white wings with swirling green markings. She was perched cross-legged on her bed, drawing something in a petal pad as the others chatted.

  At first Twink thought the green-haired girl seemed a bit stand-offish, but then she suddenly looked up and smiled – and Twink knew that she was going to like Ivy after all.

  With a huff and a thump, Mrs Hover, the matron, arrived, looking stouter than ever. ‘Are we all here?’ she asked, patting her bright pink hair. ‘Lovely! Come along then, girls – the opening session in the Great Branch is about to begin.’

  Skimming to the door, the Violet Branch fairies took off into the trunk, joining the long line of fairies heading downwards towards the Great Branch. Bimi grabbed Twink’s arm. ‘Look!’ she gasped, pointing.

  Twink caught her breath. The new girl, Ivy, was chatting with another third-year fairy – who looked exactly like her! Twink stared from Ivy to the other girl in confusion. If they hadn’t been wearing different leaf-dresses, she’d never have been able to tell them apart.

  The fairies swooped into the Great Branch: a long, wide space with polished wood floors and rows of mossy tables. Over every table dangled a brightly coloured flower for each of the school’s branches, so that the room looked like a cheerful, sunlit garden.

  ‘Ivy, who’s that?’ demanded Pix as Ivy joined them. The other green-haired fairy flitted over to the Carnation Branch table.

  Ivy laughed. ‘That’s Jade, my twin sister! We’re identical.’

  .

  .

  ‘Ooh, identical twins! That’s so interesting,’ breathed Sili as they all sat down.

  Ivy looked surprised. ‘Is it? I’ve always been one, so it just seems ordinary to me. I wish that Jade and I were in the same branch, though. We always were at our old school.’