Fledge Star

by Titania Woods

  Hardly able to see for the tears, Twink flew away as fast as she could. Not the Great Branch! She couldn’t bear to sit there with the whole school sniggering at her. Darting through the stream of fairies heading for breakfast, Twink jetted downwards towards the library.

  The tall room was empty this early in the morning. Its narrow shelves touched the ceiling high overhead, and long windows let in the sunlight.

  Swooping into the room, Twink perched on one of the spotted mushroom seats and drew her knees to her chest, burying her head in her arms. It was so unfair! How could Sooze laugh at her? What sort of a friend was she, anyway?

  It’s not her fault, said a little voice inside of her. It’s yours, for falling asleep!

  ‘Twink?’

  She looked up. Bimi hovered in front of her, her expression worried. ‘Are you all right?’ she asked.

  Twink shrugged and wiped her eyes. ‘Oh, of course! Why shouldn’t I be?’

  .

  .

  Bimi sat down beside her, rubbing her silver and gold wing against Twink’s lavender one. ‘It was really mean of Sooze to laugh like that.’

  ‘She’s right, though,’ said Twink bitterly. ‘It was funny. Especially to the Sparklelight team! I really let everyone down, didn’t I?’

  Bimi looked uncomfortable. ‘You didn’t mean to. Besides, who knows . . . maybe you wouldn’t have tagged the Stealer even if you had seen Madge’s signal.’

  ‘But that’s the point – I didn’t even see it!’ burst out Twink. ‘Madge won’t ever trust me again. The whole team probably hates me!’

  Bimi started to reply, and then stopped. ‘Well . . . not getting any sleep wasn’t the cleverest thing to do before a match,’ she said finally, playing with her sash. ‘But now you know better, so –’

  ‘Oh, thanks a lot!’ cried Twink, jumping up. ‘You just couldn’t let it drop, could you? You have to be so right all the time!’

  Her voice echoed around the high, empty room. Deep down, Twink knew she was being unreasonable – none of this was Bimi’s fault. But suddenly it didn’t matter.

  Bimi clapped her wings together in exasperation. ‘Well, you shouldn’t have stayed up so late! I know you were just worried about learning the set pieces, but –’

  ‘But it’s my fault that we lost – right?’ Twink folded her arms over her chest as she hovered.

  Bimi let out a breath. ‘Oh, Twink, I don’t want to argue! Can’t we just –’

  Twink didn’t wait to hear the rest of it. She skimmed from the room as fast as she could, banging the heavy door shut behind her.

  ‘Stay still, you wretched flea!’ shouted Madge. But the insect was in a playful mood, jumping from post to post with wild abandon. Landing on the tallest, he waggled his antennae at Madge and then leapt away again as she swooped down on him, red-faced.

  Twink and Mariella hovered at the edge of the field, watching as Madge tried to set up the practice game.

  ‘Did . . . um . . . did the others say anything about me in the changing branch today?’ whispered Twink to Mariella.

  Her wings felt stiff as she waited for Mariella’s answer. She had been keeping herself apart from the rest of the team ever since the Sparklelight match, too nervous of their reaction to risk talking to them.

  The pointy-faced fairy shrugged. ‘Nothing much. Don’t worry about it.’

  What did nothing much mean?

  Twink bit her lip and glanced at the rest of the team, hovering a little way away.

  ‘Ha – got you!’ Madge grabbed the Flea and flew with him to the centre post, plunking him down into place. The Flea turned its back on her, looking sulky.

  ‘But what did they actually say?’ Twink whispered as she and Mariella took their places. They were both playing on the Stealer team this game, hovering with the others in a circle around the Guards until Madge gave them the signal to begin.

  Mariella gave her a troubled look. ‘Well . . . it was just Mia. And a couple of the others.’

  ‘Yes, but what did she say?’ cried Twink in agony.

  Mariella sighed. ‘She said that you’re an even worse player now than before. I really wouldn’t pay any attention to her, Twink,’ she added hastily. ‘She’s not worth your time!’

  Twink swallowed hard, fighting tears. Had friendly, blue-haired Mia really said that? But she knew it must be true. By now the rest of the school seemed to have forgotten about the Sparklelight match, but the team still hadn’t spoken to her, not once. She knew they must wish she had never made the team.

  The two weeks since the match had felt very lonely to Twink. She’d apologised to Bimi after the incident in the library, but things hadn’t really felt the same between them since. And because she was still too angry with Sooze to be on good terms with her either, Twink had been spending a lot of time on her own. In fact, she spoke more to Mariella now than practically anyone else!

  .

  .

  Madge blew her reed whistle, and the practice game started. The Flea took off from his post, the Guards hot on his heels. Pip, a fourth-year student with bright green hair, flitted past. Too late, Twink twisted in the air, trying to tag her – but her fingers closed over empty air.

  Twink’s wings burned. Everyone must be thinking that she couldn’t play well even when she was awake! Keeping her eyes fixed determinedly on the Flea, Twink swooped around a post at top speed.

  ‘Oof!’ she cried as she collided with another fairy. She realised it was Mia, and wanted to sink into the ground.

  Mia rubbed her wing with a grimace. ‘Ouch! Are you –’

  ‘Sorry,’ mumbled Twink. She jetted quickly away, not waiting to hear Mia’s response.

  The rest of the game seemed a nightmare that would never end. Certain that the team must be sneering at her every wing stroke, Twink fumbled each move she tried. Finally, when she caught the Flea but then dropped him again, Madge blew her whistle piercingly.

  Twink hovered, red-faced, as the Flea bounced nimbly away. Madge flew up and propped her hands on her hips, her large green wings stirring the air.

  .

  .

  ‘What’s up with you, Twink?’ she demanded. ‘You’ve been playing like you’ve got a bag over your head lately! Are you still not getting enough sleep?’

  Twink winced and looked down, fiddling with the hem of her oak-leaf team uniform. She had been so proud the first time she put it on! Now it just seemed like a bad joke.

  ‘I don’t know,’ she said. ‘I just . . . feel sort of nervous.’

  Madge sighed. ‘Well, I gave you another chance, but it’s not working out, is it?’

  Twink felt as if Madge had dunked her in an icy pond. ‘What do you mean?’ she stammered.

  ‘I mean you’re off the team!’ snapped Madge. ‘You’re going to have to try out for me again before I’ll let you back on – and I’ll only hold your place for a couple of weeks, so you’d better get your act together quickly!’

  Twink saw Mia and the others glance at each other, and struggled to hold back tears. ‘But – but what about the Forestglow match this Saturday?’ she whispered. ‘Vera’s still out with her wing –’

  Madge shook her head. ‘Sorry, Twink, but I can’t depend on you, not the way you’ve been playing. You’re off, I said – now go on, flap off!’

  Back in the changing branch, Twink showered and changed as quickly as she could, desperate to be away before practice was over and the rest of the team came in. She could hardly blame Madge, she supposed – but oh, how humiliating! And after everything the team had been saying about her, too!

  Twink’s fingers trembled as she tied her sash about her waist. Clapping her oak-leaf cap on to her head, she grabbed up her petal bag and started to skim from the branch.

  ‘Oh!’ She fluttered
backwards as Mariella flew in. Her cheeks caught fire. ‘I’ve got to go,’ she muttered, and tried to push past the other fairy.

  ‘Twink, wait!’ Mariella grabbed her arm and pulled her into one of the bark partitions, banging the door shut behind them. ‘Listen, I’ve got an idea,’ she whispered.

  ‘Didn’t you hear Madge?’ Twink choked out. ‘I’m off the team! And – and Mia and everyone else must be completely thrilled!’

  Mariella shook her silvery-green head as the other fairies started fluttering in. ‘Who cares what they think?’ she hissed. ‘Didn’t you hear Madge? All you’ve got to do is try out for her again, and you’re back on the team!’

  Twink shrugged, trying to hold back tears. ‘I know – but –’

  ‘And I’m going to help you do it,’ continued Mariella. ‘We’ll practise like mad until you get your confidence back!’

  Twink felt her mouth fall open. She snapped it shut again. ‘You – you want to help me practise? But why?’

  Mariella gave her an earnest nudge. ‘Because I want to help, that’s why! Come on, Twink – we’re on the team together. Why wouldn’t I want to help you?’

  Twink stared at her in amazement. Mariella, offering to help? But then again . . . why not? She had been nice these last few weeks – and so sympathetic over how the rest of the team were treating Twink! There was really no reason for Twink not to trust her.

  ‘I . . . yes, all right!’ said Twink. She managed a wavering smile. ‘Thanks, Mariella.’

  ‘That’s more like it,’ grinned Mariella. ‘Don’t worry, Twink – we’ll have you back on the team in no time!’

  .

  Chapter Seven

  ‘So, ah . . . springtime is a very busy time,’ mumbled Mr Woodleaf, peering nervously at his class. ‘Creatures such as . . . er . . . amphibians, especially, depend on us.’

  Twink sighed. Another year with Mr Woodleaf in Creature Kindness, and he seemed just as terrified of them as ever!

  Propping her chin on her hand, she gazed out of the window towards the Fledge field. Her wings tingled at the thought of zooming about the posts with the team again. And maybe it wouldn’t be too much longer before she could.

  She looked across the branch to where Mariella sat whispering with Lola. Who would ever have thought that the pointy-faced fairy would be so helpful? But true to her word, Mariella had been practising with Twink every afternoon for days now, going over and over the moves with her. Twink could feel her confidence flooding back. Why, she might even be back on the team in time for the Forestglow match tomorrow!

  Twink started as Mr Woodleaf heaved a large walnut bucket full of water on to his mushroom desk. What was he doing? She and Bimi exchanged perplexed glances.

  Mr Woodleaf ran a hand through his dark green hair. ‘Right, ah . . . I have a very worried tadpole here.’

  A tadpole! The class stood up, craning to see. Twink’s eyes widened as she spotted a large, dark shape swimming about inside the bucket, with a long tail flicking behind it.

  Mr Woodleaf cleared his throat. ‘You see, ah . . . tadpoles don’t always want to become frogs.’

  Reaching into the bucket, he gently lifted the tadpole partly out of the water. The class oohed in sympathy as they saw the wide-eyed expression on the little creature’s face. It looked completely petrified!

  Mr Woodleaf set the tadpole free again, and it hurriedly dived back under the water. Mr Woodleaf gloomily wiped his hands on a bit of mossy sponge.

  ‘He feels safe in the water, you see. We have to help him want to be a frog, or else he’ll stay stuck as a tadpole for ever.’

  Pix’s hand flew up into the air. ‘Sir, should we sing him a song, like the frightened ladybirds we helped back in the first year?’

  Mr Woodleaf nodded. ‘Yes, but a very different sort of song. Frogs do their own singing, you see – so to make him want to be a frog, we need to, ah . . . croon to him in his own language.’

  Throwing his head back, Mr Woodleaf let out a loud, ‘Ribbit! Croak-croak-ribbity-ribbit!’

  Twink burst out laughing before she could stop herself – but it didn’t matter, as everyone else was laughing as well!

  Mr Woodleaf’s cheeks reddened. ‘Ah . . . yes, well . . . let’s hear you all do it. If we can make him want to be a frog, then our magic will speed up the transformation for him. All together, now! Try to follow the tune.’

  Stifling her giggles, Twink struggled to master the ribbiting sounds. They were harder than she’d thought! Soon the Creature Kindness branch was echoing with ribbits and croaks. Mr Woodleaf conducted them with his hands, humming under his breath.

  .

  .

  In the bucket, a rippling appeared on the surface of the water. A dark, round head peeked up over the rim.

  ‘Keep singing!’ hissed Mr Woodleaf, still waving his hands about madly.

  Her eyes glued to the tadpole, Twink croaked and ribbited louder than ever. The little creature blinked at them. A broad smile appeared across its face as it swished its tail about.

  Then all at once, the tadpole began to grow a pair of hind legs. And then a pair of front legs grew, and the long tail began to shrink! Twink gasped as the tadpole’s gills disappeared. Catching herself, she started to sing again.

  With a splash, the tadpole leapt out of the bucket and squatted, dripping, on the desk. As the fairies sang with all their might, its skin changed from glossy black to bright green. Its eyes widened and turned gold. Finally the transformation was complete. It was a baby frog!

  The girls stopped singing and cheered, beating their wings together. As the magpie’s call pierced through the school, signalling the end of lessons, Mr Woodleaf picked up the frog with a shy, pleased smile.

  ‘Well done, girls! Ah . . . your homework tonight is to write a report about how to change tadpoles into frogs. Don’t forget to include the tune!’

  Twink quickly gathered up her books, humming to herself. Creature Kindness was their last lesson of the day. She could hardly wait to get on to the Fledge field again!

  ‘Another practice with Mariella?’ asked Bimi casually, not looking at her.

  Twink nodded. ‘That’s right.’

  ‘Oh,’ said Bimi, lifting a wing.

  Twink hesitated with a petal book in her hand, not sure what to say next. Bimi had been acting funny about her practice sessions for days now. ‘What’s wrong?’ she asked finally.

  Bimi made a face, flapping her bright wings. ‘Oh, I don’t know! It’s just strange that Mariella’s being so nice, that’s all.’

  Twink shook her head as the others started flitting from the branch. ‘I know, but Mariella’s different when we play Fledge. Honestly, Bimi, she’s helped me loads already! We’ve spent hours and hours practising together.’

  ‘Mmm. And what is she getting out of it?’ Bimi drew her blue eyebrows together sceptically.

  Twink let out a breath. Oh! Bimi was acting so right again. It was just like when she had told Twink to go to sleep instead of studying the set pieces for the match! She shoved the petal book into her bag.

  ‘We’re both on the team, that’s all,’ she said stiffly. ‘Teammates help each other – I wouldn’t expect you to understand!’

  The Flea leapt from post to post, sailing high in the air with every jump. Twink narrowed her eyes as she swooped after it. Timing her attack just right, she twisted to change direction – and then lunged upwards! The Flea gave a surprised squeak, and struggled in her arms.

  ‘Got you!’ cried Twink triumphantly. ‘Mariella, look! I got him!’

  Mariella’s smile looked a bit strained. ‘Glimmery.’

  Still holding the struggling Flea, Twink skimmed across the field to Mariella. ‘I think I’m ready to try out for Madge!’ she cried excitedly. ‘Don’t you? The Forestglow game
is tomorrow – Madge will be so relieved to have me back on the team!’

  Mariella took the Flea from Twink and put him back in his cage. ‘Yes, I – I suppose.’

  Twink stared at her. ‘What do you mean?’

  Mariella smiled. ‘Nothing. Forget I said anything. I think that’s enough practice for today, don’t you?’ Grabbing up the cage, she skimmed quickly off towards where Lola waited for her on the sidelines.

  ‘But –’ Twink frowned in confusion, and then flitted after her.

  Mariella and Lola were in a huddle on the sidelines, whispering together. As Twink drew closer, their voices carried across the grass.

  ‘You mean you haven’t told her?’ demanded Lola.

  ‘Shh! No, I haven’t!’ hissed Mariella back.

  Lola shook her head. ‘Well, I really think you ought to –’

  ‘Tell me what?’ asked Twink as she flew up beside them. Bewildered, she looked from one to the other.

  Mariella scowled. ‘Nothing! Lola, flap off!’

  The thin little fairy gave a haughty sniff. ‘Fine! But you know I’m right.’ She flitted away, her pale blue wings wavering in the sunlight.

  Twink’s hands felt clammy. ‘Um . . . what is she right about?’

  ‘Nothing, I said!’ Mariella’s eyebrows drew together. ‘Oh, Twink, just forget about it, can’t you? I don’t want to hurt your feelings!’

  Twink stared at her. ‘Hurt my feelings? How?’

  Mariella flushed. ‘Well, there’s something I know, but – but I don’t want to have to tell you.’ Her eyes filled with tears. ‘But now that Lola’s let the moth out of the bag, I suppose I have to tell you, don’t I?’

  ‘Tell me what?’ Twink shook Mariella’s arm as they hovered. ‘Mariella! What is it?’

  ‘All right.’ Mariella sniffed, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. ‘I – I didn’t want to tell you this, but – well – I don’t think you should go back to Madge about being on the team.’

  Though it was a warm spring day, Twink suddenly felt like an icicle had dropped between her wings. ‘Why not?’