Power Play (2 page)

Pix had been listening as well, and she shrugged as she helped herself to a seed cake. ‘Well, Madge was only a Fourth Year when she started as Games Fairy.'

Twink realised in surprise that she was right. ‘Yes, but –' She stopped, and shook her head. ‘Honestly, this is silly! It's up to the team, not me.'

‘Well, I know who
I'd
vote for,' said Bimi firmly. ‘I think they're right, Twink. It should be you, not Vera or Romi.'

‘I'm not listening any more,' laughed Twink. ‘Now come on, everyone, let's change the subject.'

But as the conversation moved on to other things, Twink found her thoughts returning to who would be the new Games Fairy. It was ridiculous, of course – why would the team vote for her, instead of one of the older girls? Even so, Twink found herself drifting into an exciting daydream with herself as the new team leader.

Now stop it
,
she scolded herself as she poured fresh dew into her acorn cup.
It's up to the team, and that's that!

.

Chapter Two

After dinner, the Fledge team remained behind once the Great Branch had emptied, sitting together at the Lilac Branch table. Miss Shimmery took a seat with them, folding her rainbow wings neatly behind her back.

‘I'm sure you all know what this meeting is about,' she said. ‘Does anyone have any thoughts as to which of you should be the new Games Fairy?'

Twink and the others glanced at each other. Though a Fledge team normally had eight members – six players plus two reserves – there were only five of them present. Several team members had left along with Madge the previous term, including a fairy called Mia, who had moved away. It was a shame, thought Twink. Mia would have been the perfect Games Fairy!

‘Well?' prompted Miss Shimmery after a moment.

Romi, a fifth-year fairy with short purple hair, looked like she wanted to say something, but didn't. Suddenly Twink realised that Vera was gazing at her with a speculative smile. All at once the older fairy raised her hand.

‘Yes, Vera? Do you have any ideas?' asked Miss Shimmery.

Vera nodded. She was a sixth-year student with long golden hair, and now she flipped it back confidently as she addressed the others. ‘Yes. I nominate Twink!'

Twink's jaw dropped open. ‘
Me?
'
she gasped. ‘But I'm only a Fourth Year! Why not you, Vera?'

She knew the moment she said it that Vera would never agree. Though she was wonderful on the Fledge field, Vera was always moaning about having to work too hard, and had complained about Madge's strictness whenever the Games Fairy's back had been turned. Being the Games Fairy herself was the last thing she'd want to do!

Sure enough, Vera shook her head. ‘No, I want to enjoy myself on the Fledge field this year, not take on more work! Besides, it's better for it to be a younger student, so that you'll have the team for several years instead of only one.'

Twink's heart began to thud as she realised Vera was right. She looked around the table. ‘Well . . . what do the rest of you think?'

‘I think
I
should be the Games Fairy, not you!' burst out Romi. Her cheeks flushed as she glanced guiltily at Miss Shimmery. The HeadFairy made no comment. ‘I nominate myself,' went on Romi. ‘No offence, Twink, but I'm a better player than you.'

‘I never said you weren't,' protested Twink, stung. ‘I know you are – you're bigger and stronger than me.'

Zayna, who was Vera's best friend on the team, leaned forward. ‘No, be fair, Romi – you're a better Guard, but not a better Stealer. Twink's the best of any of us at that.'

Cassi, a fifth-year fairy with white wings, nodded. ‘And besides, being the Games Fairy isn't about who plays the best, it's about who can
lead
us the best – isn't it, Miss Shimmery?'

‘Indeed,' said Miss Shimmery. She smiled at them over her sparkle specs. ‘Well, so far we have two nominations to consider: Romi and Twink. Would anyone like to put another name forward?'

Silence fell. Romi frowned, tapping her wings together.

‘Very well, the vote for the new Games Fairy will be between those two,' said Miss Shimmery. She handed out pieces of rose petal, along with some snail-trail pens. ‘Please write down your choice, and then fold your petal over and pass it back to me,' she instructed.

Twink's mouth felt dry as she uncapped her pen. Hardly daring to breathe, she quickly scribbled down her own name, and then folded the petal tightly and handed it to Miss Shimmery.

Once all five petals had been returned to her, Miss Shimmery carefully unfolded each one, reading it silently. Twink's pulse pounded as she watched. Had the others voted for Romi after all? She could hardly blame them if they had – Romi really
was
the better player, no matter what Zayna had said.

But after she had opened all five petals, Miss Shimmery smiled warmly at her. ‘Congratulations, Twink – you're the new Games Fairy! Would you like to say a few words?'

Feeling as if she were in a dream, Twink stood up. The rest of the team was beaming at her – apart from Romi, whose mouth was in a tight line.

‘Um . . . thank you!' stammered Twink, gripping the edge of the table. ‘I never expected this, I really didn't. I'll do the best job I can for you, I promise!'

‘You'll be brilliant!' said Vera with a grin. ‘Come on, everyone – three cheers for our new Games Fairy.'

The team clapped their wings together as they loudly
hip-hip-hooray
ed
her. Romi joined in with the others, though it was clear her heart wasn't in it. Twink felt her cheeks turn pink.

‘Well done, girls,' said Miss Shimmery, rising from her seat. ‘And Twink, I'm sure that you'll want to have try-outs soon for the open place on the team, plus the two reserve positions. Post a notice whenever you're ready.'

‘Yes, I'll – I'll do it before I go to bed tonight,' said Twink in a daze.

Romi stopped her as the team flitted from the Great Branch. ‘Well, I suppose the best fairy won,' she said, offering her wing to Twink. ‘I still think I'd have been a better Games Fairy, but I'll give you all the help I can.'
Because you're going to need it
,
her expression seemed to say.

‘Thanks,' said Twink drily, touching her wing to Romi's. But she was too happy to be really irritated. She wasn't quite sure how it had happened – but
she
was the new Games Fairy! She really was!

The thrill still hadn't worn off by the next morning, when the school birds delivered a pile of fresh bluebell blossoms to the Bluebell Branch ledge. Twink chose one dreamily for her new uniform, hardly paying attention as she used a pinch of fairy dust to transform it into a dress.

Bimi burst out laughing at the sight of it. ‘Oi, Games Fairy – do you really plan to wear that?'

Twink looked down in surprise, and saw that she had used the green stalk of the bluebell instead of the flower! She giggled as she changed the dress back. ‘No, I suppose not.'

Trying again, Twink paid more attention this time and created a pretty dress with a plain blue bodice and sleeves, and a skirt made of tiny bluebell blossoms.

‘That's more like it,' said Bimi, wearing a similar frock.

‘Ta-da!' called Sooze from the upper loft space. Arms out, she drifted down to the ground. The branch caught its breath at the sight of her, and then exploded into howls of hilarity.

‘Sooze! You can't wear
that
,'
squealed Mariella, peering over the edge of their loft for a better look.

‘Why not?' said Sooze. Fluttering her wings, she struck a pose. ‘It's a dress made of bluebells, isn't it?'

‘Barely!' laughed Pix.

Twink grinned as she took it in. Sooze's skirt had a long slit up one side, and layers of cascading flounces on the other. One sleeve was long and tight, the other sleeve was missing altogether – and around Sooze's neck was draped a long feathery boa of bluebells! She twirled it in one hand as she grinned at them.

‘You're all just jealous. It's a
great
dress, isn't it, Kiki?' The violet-haired fairy's mother was a fashion designer, and Kiki herself was very skilled at dressmaking.

‘Well, it's certainly different,' admitted Kiki, her eyes dancing with mirth.

The door to Bluebell Branch swung open, and Mrs Hover, the matron, bobbed heavily into the room. ‘I thought as much!' she said grimly when she caught sight of Sooze. ‘Think again, my lovely.'

‘Oh, but Hovey –' started Sooze, her eyes wide and innocent.

‘Go on, now – I want a proper dress from you in two wing beats!' Mrs Hover shook her head as Sooze flew off, still twirling her feathery boa. ‘Slits in the skirts at your age! Whatever next? Come along, girls, I've got your new timetables.'

Crowding around Mrs Hover with the others, Twink received a pink rose petal with her name on it. She scanned the silver writing eagerly.

Star Magic II (glamours continued); Advanced Creature Kindness II (medium-sized mammals and birds); Advanced Flower Power II (fields and forests); Weather Magic III (managing storm systems); Advanced Fairy Dust II (tricky transformations); Introduction to Mood Magic.

‘Mood Magic – glimmery!' said Twink with satisfaction. The art of influencing a place's mood was advanced magic, and she had been looking forward to it for ages.

‘And look, we've got three classes together,' said Bimi, peering over Twink's shoulder. She smiled. ‘It's a good thing – you're going to be spending all your time on the Fledge field now, so I'd never see you otherwise!'

Twink bumped against her. ‘Don't be silly; we'll see each other loads.'

But she couldn't hold back a grin at the reminder that she was the new Games Fairy, and it only grew wider when the Bluebell Branch fairies flew down the trunk for breakfast. The oak-leaf notice she'd put up was hanging outside the Great Branch, and there was a bright, jostling crowd of fairies hovering around it, talking excitedly.

FLEDGE TEAM TRY-OUTS

Would you like to be on the Fledge Team?

Are you a fast flyer?

Then come to the Fledge Field this afternoon –

Your Fledge Team needs you!

Twink Flutterby, Games Fairy

‘Twink Flutterby, Games Fairy,' mused Sooze. She was now wearing a dress similar to Twink's, though the skirt was a bit shorter and flouncier. ‘Mmm, that has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?'

Pix laughed as they fluttered into the Great Branch. ‘Yes, Twink, I don't like to say we told you so, but –'

‘But we told you so!' sang Sooze, linking her arm through Twink's.

‘All right, all right,' laughed Twink. Her cheeks reddened as she saw that half the school was watching her, whispering and smiling in admiration.

‘Twink, congratulations!' squealed Teena, flitting over from the Daisy Branch table to give her a hug. ‘Mum and Dad are going to be thrilled.'

‘Thanks, Tee,' said Twink, returning the embrace. ‘Do you know if Summer's trying out for the team?' Summer was a friend of Teena's, and excellent at sport.