Daisy Takes Charge (2 page)

A
ll through lunch, while Nen and Efa chatted and Maggie picked at her food, Daisy made plans for how she would help Maggie prepare.

The salad was delicious but Daisy hardly noticed, barely stopping to chew in order to finish as quickly as she could.

‘Come on, Maggie,' Daisy urged. ‘With only today and tomorrow, we really need to get started.'

Maggie glanced down at her almost-full bowl. ‘May I be excused? I'm too jumpy to eat right now. I'll eat double at dinner.'

‘I'll hold you to that,' warned Nen as Efa waved Maggie away.

Looking worried but excited, Maggie flew to her bedroom.

‘Where are
you
going?' asked Nen as Daisy moved to follow.

‘I'm going to help Maggie get ready.'

‘Maybe you shouldn't bother her,' said Efa. ‘Maggie is very nervous right now and she may not have much patience for her little sister.'

‘I'm not going to bother her, Dad, I'm going to help her,' Daisy explained.

‘I see,' said Efa with a knowing look. ‘Well, don't say you weren't warned.'

Daisy shook her head as she flew to her sister's room. Parents could be so dense sometimes.

Maggie was at her writing desk, furiously scribbling notes onto a piece of paperbark.

‘I've been thinking all through lunch,' said Daisy, striding purposefully over to her. ‘And I know exactly what to do.'

Maggie stopped writing. Her shoulders slumped and she let out a great sigh. ‘Please don't interrupt me, Daisy,' Maggie implored. ‘I have so much to do and so little time.'

‘I know,' said Daisy. ‘That's why I'm making you a timetable.'

Maggie started to write again. ‘Whatever! Just do it somewhere else, okay?'

‘Excellent!' Daisy headed back towards the door. ‘Don't worry about a thing, Maggie. I'll have you organised in no time.'

There was no desk in Daisy's room so she headed to the study. Efa was there, working on his healing potions. ‘Got kicked out already, did you?' he grinned.

‘Not at all,' said Daisy, grabbing a pile of paperbark, an inkpot and a quill. ‘I have an important job to do.'

With Efa's chuckles ringing in her ears, Daisy flew down to the kitchen table. Having just finished his lunch, Vu buzzed over to join her. He chittered a question.

‘I'm creating a timetable for Maggie. But first I have to list all the things she'll need to do,' said Daisy as she began to write.

Vu chittered that Maggie would need food and sleep, and time with her ladybird, Nelli.

‘Good thinking,' said Daisy, adding them to the list. ‘Though I might make Nelli your job tomorrow. You can play together while Maggie practises. Then Nelli won't get lonely.'

Daisy wrote a list of times on another piece of paperbark. ‘We could have a flying race at sunrise, to get Maggie's heart pumping and wake her up then space out her rehearsals throughout the day.'

With Vu's help, Daisy organised and changed, reorganised and shifted around the timetable. It needed to be perfect, as Maggie had no time to waste.

Much later that afternoon, Daisy looked at the page with satisfaction.

‘We've done it, Vu!' Daisy beamed. ‘Let's go and show Maggie.'

Daisy and Vu raced to Maggie's room, almost crashing into her as she flew out of her doorway.

‘Here's your timetable, Maggie,' Daisy beamed. ‘Vu and I worked all afternoon to make it perfect.'

Maggie's eyes widened in dismay to see her whole day mapped out. But with Daisy's excited face in front of her and understanding how much work her sister had done, Maggie knew she couldn't disappoint her.

‘Okay, Daisy,' she sighed. ‘We'll give it a try.'

‘T
ime to wake up!' Daisy bellowed the next morning as Maggie lay snoozing.

‘It's still dark,' Maggie moaned, hiding in her hammock under the covers.

Daisy took her wand from the sheath on her belt and waved it over Maggie. ‘Cuddly blankets warm and snug, release my sister from your hug.'

Maggie grabbed at her blankets but they lifted into the air, twisting out of her grip to hover near the ceiling.

‘That was cruel,' Maggie growled as she reluctantly got up.

Daisy tossed Maggie the green and orange dress that Aunt Acacia had made during her last visit. ‘Come on, Maggie,' Daisy coaxed. ‘Think of that momentous prize!' She dodged away from Maggie's swipe, stepping lightly out the door. ‘I'll meet you in the kitchen,' she grinned.

Daisy was hanging the timetable on the kitchen door when Maggie appeared. ‘Now we can refer to it as we come in and out,' she explained.

Maggie grimaced. Although she wasn't a dreamer like Daisy, she was very much a free spirit and hated to be constrained by other people's rules.

‘Don't look like that,' said Daisy. ‘It'll be fun. I promise you.'

‘What about Nelli?' Maggie asked. ‘She'll get lonely without me.'

‘Taken care of,' said Daisy. ‘Vu's keeping her company today.'

She headed outside, gesturing for Maggie to follow. ‘Exercise is really good for your lungs and will make you a stronger singer. I'll race you to the waterfall. Are you ready?'

Daisy noted with satisfaction the determined look in Maggie's eyes. She knew that, despite her grumbling, Maggie wouldn't be beaten by her little sister without putting up a fight.

Daisy counted, ‘One, two, three, go!'

The two fairies leapt into the air, their wings beating furiously as they surged above the undergrowth to the open spaces between the trees. At first they were side by side. Then Maggie pulled ahead.

Daisy beat her wings harder, closing the distance between them, but Maggie was only toying with her. Maggie had been flying for three years, while for Daisy it had only been a few weeks. There was no way Daisy could keep up. With a whoop of delight, Maggie shot off through the trees.

Daisy arrived at the waterfall to find Maggie relaxing on the rocks, her feet dangling in the water.

‘Up you get,' said Daisy. ‘You could have been halfway home by now.'

‘I was waiting for you,' Maggie protested.

‘There's no time for waiting,' Daisy scolded. ‘Didn't you see the timetable?'

‘You can be really bossy sometimes,' said Maggie. ‘You do remember that I'm the older sister?'

‘Yes,' said Daisy. ‘But today, I'm the one in charge.' With a grin, she took off through the trees. ‘Last one back makes breakfast.'

As Daisy made breakfast, Maggie grumbled about being restricted to nuts and seeds.

‘Heavy foods slow you down,' said Daisy.

‘All right, boss,' said Maggie, finishing her meal. ‘What's next on the list?'

Daisy checked the timetable. ‘Instrument practice,' she said. ‘Have you decided which one you'll play?'

‘I thought I'd go with the gum leaf,' Maggie replied. ‘It looks simple, but it's harder than you think, and really great for toe-tapping dance tunes.'

‘I guess it's into the forest with you then?' Daisy asked.

‘Yes, I'll need to collect some fresh leaves.'

Daisy wagged her finger at her sister. ‘Be back by midday.'

Maggie rolled her eyes. ‘What will you do without me to boss around?'

Daisy winked at her. ‘Oh, I'll be busy. I might even have a surprise for you when you get back.'

Maggie eyed her suspiciously. ‘Why don't I like the sound of that?'