Fledge Star (8 page)

Twink's thoughts spun. ‘You – you made me nervous on
purpose
?'

Mariella nodded, nudging the Flea's cage with her pixie boot. ‘But Madge gave you a second chance, so I tried to get you to leave by telling you everyone was talking about you . . . only it didn't seem to work. Then when Madge took you off the team, I knew you'd just get Sooze or someone to help you practise, and then you'd be back again, taking all the moves away from me as usual! So I decided it was the perfect chance to gain your trust and make you leave for good.'

Twink stared at her, unable to speak. Mariella's cheeks burned bright red as she continued. ‘So – so I offered to help you practise myself. And then I told Lola I was playing a joke on you, and that she had to pretend I was keeping a secret from you. She wasn't very pleased when she found out it wasn't a joke!'

Twink felt as if Mariella had punched her. ‘But I – I thought that we had sort of got to be friends . . .' She trailed off.

‘I suppose you're going to fly off and tell everyone now, aren't you?' Mariella demanded. Her eyes looked red and swollen. ‘Then you can get
me
thrown off the team.'

‘No, I wouldn't do that,' said Twink quietly. ‘Mariella, you're a good player, too, you know. And – and don't you know what an awful trick that was to play? It was terrible, thinking that everyone hated me!' She clenched her fists, remembering.

Mariella winced, and nodded. ‘I know. I – I'm sorry. I really am, Twink.'

And all at once Twink believed her. Mariella, who had been a trial to live with since the first moment Twink had met her, was actually apologising. Twink let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding.

‘All right,' she said softly. ‘I forgive you.'

The two fairies stared at each other. In the silence of the empty Fledge field, a bumblebee bobbed past, humming to itself. Finally Mariella made a face. ‘Well . . . what happens now?'

Twink lifted a shoulder. ‘We'll both stay on the team, I suppose. And maybe we'll never be friends off the Fledge field, Mariella, but can't we at least try to get along on it? I think we play together pretty well, when we try!'

Mariella nodded slowly. ‘Yes, OK. Deal.'

On impulse, Twink held out her hand. Mariella hesitated, and then shook it firmly. Suddenly she smiled. ‘Come on, let's go to the party – I'm dying for some fizzy dew!'

.

.

That night in the second-year Common Branch, Bimi and Twink sat on the window seat together, looking out at the star-filled sky. ‘I
knew
she was up to something!' said Bimi, shaking her blue head. ‘Well, you're a lot nicer than I am, Twink. I'm not sure I
could have forgiven her for such a mean trick!'

Twink glanced across the branch at Mariella. She stood flushed and radiant at the centre of a group of admirers, describing the final move of the game once more. And for once, she wasn't putting on airs or acting stuck-up – she just seemed happy.

Even so, Twink smiled to herself as she saw Sooze sitting crouched at a mushroom desk with her hands over her ears! Not everyone wanted to hear about Mariella's triumph, that was clear. But some fairies did . . . and that seemed to be enough.

‘I feel sorry for Mariella,' Twink admitted, playing with the edge of her peony dress. ‘She just wants to be admired, but she always goes about it in the wrong way. She's really not so bad, Bimi. Or at least, I don't think she is deep down.'

Bimi gave her a sideways look. ‘Is that why you let her catch the Flea?'

Twink's wings clapped together in surprise. ‘How did you –'

Bimi laughed. ‘I know the way you fly, Twink! You could have got the Flea easily. So why did you do it?'

Twink sighed and dropped her chin on her hand, gazing out at the large oak leaves rustling in the evening breeze. ‘I don't know,' she said. ‘She just . . . seemed to need it more than me.'

‘You're daft,' said Bimi affectionately, tucking her arm through Twink's. ‘Nice, but daft!'

‘Thanks – I think.' Twink grinned at her best friend. It had been such a wonderful day! She was back on the team again, she had scored a point in front of the whole school . . . and she and Mariella had even reached a truce of sorts.

‘Oh, look how tired that star looks,' said Bimi suddenly, pointing at the night sky. ‘We can practise making a shooting star!' She laughed at Twink's puzzled expression. ‘You weren't paying attention in that lesson, were you? Too busy with your strategy book!'

She explained what Mrs Starbright had taught them. Twink sat up straight, excitement tickling her wings. ‘OK! Let's try it.'

The two fairies focused hard on the feebly shining star.
It's all right for you to leave if you like,
thought Twink, furrowing her forehead in concentration.
You can turn to star dust and come back as a new star!

‘Ooh!' she gasped, clutching Bimi's arm.

The star had become a jubilant arc of light, tracing its way across the glittering sky. Down . . . down . . . and then gone, with a final, joyful sparkle that seemed to wave goodbye.

‘That was so beautiful,' murmured Bimi.

Twink nodded wordlessly, and the two friends smiled at each other. Pulling her knees to her chest, Twink leaned against the bark wall and gazed about the Common Branch. Contentment spread through her like warm honey.

Yes, today had been wonderful . . . but really, the most wonderful thing of all was being a second-year student at Glitterwings Academy – the most glimmery school in the world!

.

.

The End

.

Bloomsbury Publishing, London, Berlin, New York and Sydney

First published in Great Britain in 2008 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

36 Soho Square, London, W1D 3QY

Text copyright © Lee Weatherly 2008

Illustrations copyright © Smiljana Coh 2008

The moral right of the author has been asserted

This electronic edition published in August 2010 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

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A CIP catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 978 1 4088 1347 8

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