Ava's Sparkling Spell

by Vivian French

  “WOW!” I said. “I wish I could do that!”

  “But you can, my petal!” Fairy Fifibelle held up her arms and—

  It was CHAOS!!!!

  We couldn’t stop ourselves; every single one of us suddenly felt we absolutely HAD to do a cartwheel! Chairs fell over, the table rocked, the air was so thick with sparkles we could hardly see – and we were a tangle of heads and bodies and arms and legs as we crashed into each other.

  “ENOUGH!” It was Fairy Mary and she must have waved her wand because in one tiny, lickety-split second there we were, sitting down again. Our hair was sticking up on end, our cheeks were flushed, we were puffing and panting – and most of us were laughing as we rubbed our bruises. Jackson wasn’t, though. She and Melody were scowling horribly.

  “That wasn’t funny,” Jackson said. “My arm really hurts.” She glared at Olivia. “You kicked me!”

  Olivia’s sweet and kind, and the most unlikely person to hurt anyone on purpose. She looked really upset as she apologised. “I’m very sorry, Jackson. I really didn’t mean to.”

  “I’ve a good mind to go home right now this minute.” Melody pushed her chair back. “This isn’t about learning to help people. It’s just plain stupid.”

  Fairy Mary McBee gave the table a sharp tap. “My dear Stargirls, I do apologise. That was most unfortunate.” She looked across at Fairy Fifibelle, who was hovering anxiously in a corner. Even her floaty scarves were looking droopy. “Fairy Fifibelle, what were you thinking?”

  Fairy Fifibelle shook her head. “I got carried away, Fairy Mary. It’s such a useful spell, but I should never have asked Lily to do a cartwheel.”

  Miss Scritch gave one of her most disapproving sniffs. “It’s only useful when used correctly,” she said sharply. “In fact, I’d say it could be dangerous. I don’t think these girls are anywhere near ready for something so sophisticated, as anyone with any sense would realise.” And she sniffed again.

  “That is TOO much, Miss Scritch!” Fairy Fifibelle Lee positively bounced out of her corner. “I would like to make it clear that I considered the choice of spell most carefully before I came here this morning!”

  For a moment, I actually thought Fairy Fifibelle was going to shake her wand at Miss Scritch, but Fairy Mary tapped the table again.

  “My dear fellow fairies! Please! No lasting harm has been done, so let us move on. It must be time for our morning break. What would you like, girls? Hot chocolate, as usual? And I have a new recipe for a truly wonderful coffee cake… But first, can I make sure you are all feeling better? No more bumps and bruises?”

  Jackson rubbed her arm in a meaningful way and glared at poor Olivia, but she didn’t say anything. The rest of us looked hopeful. The Stargirl Academy hot chocolate is truly wonderful … although I do think the hot chocolate at Café Blush is even better.

  “Please let me provide marshmallows and chocolate flakes as a little extra treat,” Fairy Fifibelle begged. “Just to show how sorry I am for upsetting you all.”

  Miss Scritch gave her a suspicious glare, but Fairy Mary smiled happily. “Of course,” she said. “The girls would enjoy that very much. And afterwards you can continue teaching the Sparkling Spell … and I’m sure you’ll try a different approach this time.”

  Miss Scritch muttered something under her breath.

  “Did you say something, Miss Scritch?” Fairy Mary asked. “No? That’s splendid. Here we are, then!” She waved her wand and several trays floated down to the table.

  Chapter Five

  This time, the hot chocolate was better than ever. I don’t know if it was the marshmallows or the chocolate flakes or both together, but it really was delicious, and Fairy Mary’s coffee cake was so incredible that every slice was gone in minutes. There weren’t even any crumbs; Scrabster sniffed hopefully in between the chair legs, but there was absolutely nothing for him.

  “If Café Blush sold this cake they’d have queues out of the door,” I thought, and I put up my hand. “Excuse me, Fairy Mary, I don’t suppose I could have the recipe for your coffee cake, could I?”

  “Of course you may,” Fairy Mary said. “Remind me before you go home.”

  Emma giggled. “We shouldn’t have eaten it all! We could have copied it with the Copying Spell!”

  Fairy Fifibelle Lee shook her head. “It wouldn’t work, my darling; it only works with people.”

  Lily’s eyes opened very wide. “So will we be able to copy each other? Like, have two Madisons?”

  Fairy Fifibelle laughed. “That’s not what I meant, either. Oh, silly me! But it’ll be clear as day once you start practising.”

  I could tell by the way Miss Scritch was stabbing her wand at the mugs and making them thump onto the tray that she was still cross. When she sent the trays flying off to be washed they went so fast I didn’t even see them go, but I did hear an ominous crash in the distance. Fairy Mary raised her eyebrows, but she didn’t say anything.

  “Now, my darlings.” Fairy Fifibelle Lee settled herself in a chair at the end of the table. “Let’s begin. Lily, would you pick up your pencil, twist it round and then put it down again? Thank you. Now, Emma, use your star finger to point at Madison. Concentrate very hard, and imagine her picking up her pencil exactly the way Lily did.”

  Melody frowned. “You didn’t point your finger.”

  For a second, Fairy Fifibelle Lee looked annoyed, but she managed to give Melody a smile. “Dear, darling girl! Always so observant! But I am a Fairy Godmother with many, many years’ experience. You are just beginning. Emma, my sweet, do carry on.”

  Emma screwed up her eyes and pointed her star finger at Madison.

  Nothing happened.

  “Let me try,” Jackson said. She stared at Madison, her star finger outstretched. Three sparkly blue stars floated round Madison’s head, and she gave a funny little gulp and picked up a pencil. She twisted it exactly the way Lily had done, then put it down.

  “WOW!” Madison said. “That was really REALLY weird! I couldn’t help myself!”

  Jackson looked pleased. “Some people have a gift for magic.” She glanced at Emma. “And some don’t.”

  Emma bit her lip. “I bet I can do it,” she said, and she pointed her star finger at Olivia. A moment later, Olivia was twisting a pencil round just as Madison and Lily had done and – just for a moment – sparkles were shining in her hair.

  “THERE!” Emma beamed. “See? I did it!”

  After that, we all tried to make each other copy different things, and sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn’t. I managed to make Olivia giggle exactly the way that Sophie does, and Lily magicked me and Madison into sneezing an enormous, sparkly WOOCHOO!!

  “Can I try?” Olivia asked, and she made Emma sneeze three times in a row.

  But I couldn’t make anyone sneeze at all. “Well done, Olivia,” I said. “You’re much better at this than I am.”

  Jackson heard me, and she leant over and whispered in Melody’s ear. Melody nodded, and pretended to fall off her chair with a scream and a bump, but when Jackson pointed her finger at Olivia, nothing happened. Jackson tried again and again, until at last Fairy Fifibelle noticed.

  “What are you trying to do, dear heart?” she asked.

  “Nothing,” Jackson said sweetly. “Just a little experiment.”

  Melody looked surprised. “Come on, Jackson. You were trying to make Olivia fall off her chair, but you couldn’t do it.” She turned to Fairy Fifibelle. “WHY couldn’t she? Jackson’s brilliant at spells!”

  Fairy Fifibelle put her head on one side. “Perhaps Jackson can tell us why?”

  “I’ve absolutely no idea,” Jackson said, and she looked at her star finger. “OH! What’s happened? What’s happened to my finger?”

  Jackson sounded so upset that Fairy Mary came hurrying. “Have you hurt yourself, dear?” she asked.

  “My star isn’t shining any more,” Jackson told her. “Look!”

  Fairy Mary stopped smiling. “Wh
at were you trying to do, Jackson?” she asked, and there was a chill in her voice that made me very glad she wasn’t talking to me.

  Jackson opened her mouth, closed it again and stared at the floor.

  Fairy Mary looked at the rest of us. “Can any of you suggest a reason why Jackson’s star has faded? And why she couldn’t make the Sparkling Spell work?”

  I think we all knew the answer, but we didn’t like to say. There was a nervous silence before Jackson said in a small voice, “I suppose it’s because I was being mean. That’s why my star’s faded.” She looked up at Fairy Mary. “But it will come back, won’t it? I didn’t mean to hurt Olivia.” She rubbed her arm. “Even though she did kick me.”

  Fairy Mary was still looking serious. “That was an accident. You’ll have to be more thoughtful in future, Jackson. My Stargirls are carefully chosen, but you do have to earn your place here too.”

  Jackson turned to Olivia. “Sorry.”

  “That’s OK,” Olivia said. “I really, REALLY didn’t mean to hurt your arm.”

  Fairy Mary McBee nodded. “Thank you, Olivia. Thank you, Jackson. Oh, and Jackson…? Could you please fetch the Golden Wand? It must be time for the Spin.”

  We all watched as Jackson carefully unhooked the Golden Wand from its place on the wall and laid it on the table. It’s always a very special moment when we have the Spin; you can actually sense the magic hovering in the air. When the wand stops and points at someone, it never feels as if it’s happened by chance … that person has been chosen, even if they don’t know why.

  We pulled up our chairs and I held hands with Olivia and Sophie as Fairy Mary set the wand spinning round and round. The room grew shadowy and the wand glimmered in the darkness. There was a golden glow on everyone’s face as we waited to see where it would stop.

  “Spin, spin, spin,” Fairy Mary sang softly. “Who will choose? Who will it be? Whose destiny will change today? Spin, wand, spin.”

  The wand went on spinning for what seemed like ages, but nobody moved or spoke. A gentle humming sound filled the room as the wand twirled steadily round and round, until at last it slowed … and stopped. It was pointing at Lily.

  “JEEPERS CREEPERS!” Lily jumped up and flung her arms around me. “AVA! That’s completely and UTTERLY wonderful! You helped me when the wand chose you and now I can thank you!” She turned to Fairy Mary, her eyes shining. “It’s OK, isn’t it? If I let Ava decide who we’re going to help today?”

  Fairy Mary gave Lily a questioning look. “Are you sure? There’s nobody you want to help?”

  Lily shook her head. “Ava changed my life – she really did. I’m SO much happier now. PLEASE please let her choose!”

  Fairy Mary McBee touched the Golden Wand. It gave a little jump, spun a couple of times, then stopped for a second time … and this time it was pointing at me. Fairy Mary nodded. “The wand accepts Lily’s decision.”

  “But it’s not FAIR!” Melody growled. “Ava’s had TWO turns!”

  Jackson folded her arms. “She’s right.”

  “No, she isn’t.” Fairy Mary’s voice was quiet. “Lily has given Ava a gift.” She gave them both a long cool stare.

  Melody blushed and Jackson uncrossed her arms, wriggled in her seat, then stared at her fingers.

  “I suppose it’s OK,” Jackson said at last. “Lily can do what she likes.”

  Fairy Mary turned to Melody. “Do you agree with Jackson, Melody?”

  Melody shrugged. “Guess so.”

  “Thank you,” Fairy Mary said, and she gave me and Lily a huge smile.

  Chapter Six

  Lily squeezed my hand as the shadows faded away and the room brightened. “Who are you going to help, Ava?”

  “Café Blush,” I said at once.

  “A CAFE?” Melody gazed at me in astonishment.

  “Well, it’s really Little Val and Tallulah Sweet I want to help,” I explained. “They run Café Blush, and they need more customers so they can pay the rent. If they can’t pay the rent, they’ll have to close down.” I could feel tears pricking at the back of my eyes as I went on, “It’s not just any café, you see. I don’t know what the people who live in my flats would do without them. They’re SO kind! They let old ladies have free cups of tea, and they keep an eye on the people who are a bit wobbly on their feet, and they take in parcels and pass on messages… Oh, they’re at the very middle of everything!”

  “They sound lovely,” Emma said.

  Jackson raised her eyebrows. “If they’re so wonderful, why aren’t they heaving with customers?”

  “A new café’s opened up the road,” I said. “People must be going there instead.”

  “Does the new place sell nicer food?” Sophie asked.

  I shook my head. “No. It’s cheaper, but the cake is horrid and the sandwiches are always stale.”

  “So how do you want us to help?” Madison straightened her glasses. “Do we need to make cakes? I’m not much good at cooking.”

  “I can make ginger biscuits,” Olivia offered.

  Sophie looked doubtful. “They are a bit crunchy sometimes, Olivia. Nice, but crunchy.”

  Fairy Mary McBee stood up. “I’ll leave you girls to decide what to do,” she told us. “The Travelling Tower is ready for you, and if you need any help, Fairy Fifibelle, Miss Scritch and I will be in the sitting-room next door.”

  We watched the Fairy Godmothers walk away – well, Fairy Mary and Miss Scritch walked. Fairy Fifibelle Lee always glides.

  “So,” said Melody, folding her arms, “tell us what you’re thinking, Ava.”

  “Um…” My mind was racing. What would be the best way to help Little Val and Tallulah?

  “Will we be invisible?” Emma asked. “Or will they be able to see us?”

  Madison fingered her necklace. “Eight girls arriving all at once is an awful lot. Besides, I haven’t got any money. I couldn’t even buy a cup of tea.”

  “Nor me,” Lily said.

  “We’ll tap our pendants and make ourselves invisible,” I said. “I think we should look at the other café first and find out why people are going there, rather than to Café Blush.”

  Jackson nodded. “Maybe we can put their customers off. We could float their plates up in the air, then let them drop so they all smash to smithereens!”

  Melody giggled. “Or put a Solidifying Spell on the sandwiches, so they’re so heavy they can’t be picked up.”

  “I don’t think we ought to do that.” Olivia sounded worried. “I mean, they’re not trying to get people away from Café Blush on purpose, are they?”

  Jackson and Melody looked at each other. “Honestly, Olivia!” Jackson rolled her eyes. “You’re no fun at all!”

  Olivia blushed. “I’m sorry,” she said.

  Lily leant over and gave her a hug. “You’re just kind. That’s why we like you so much.”

  Melody pulled at Jackson’s arm. “Let’s make our own plan when we get there. We don’t have to do the same as the others, do we?”

  “Good thinking.” Jackson gave Melody a high five, and they grinned at each other before turning to me. “So, shall we head for the Travelling Tower, Ava?”

  “Yes,” I said. I wondered what Melody and Jackson might get up to, but decided to worry about that later. I asked if everyone had their necklaces on.

  Madison winked at me, tapped her pendant … and vanished.

  “Can you see me?” It was Madison’s voice, and she was laughing. If I screwed up my eyes, I could see a very faint outline, but that was because I was a Stargirl. Nobody else would have known she was there.

  Lily gave a long, happy sigh. “Isn’t being a Stargirl FUN?” she said, and she tapped her pendant as well.

  “Hang on a minute!” I stared at the empty space where I knew Lily was standing. “If you all turn invisible, I won’t be able to see if everyone’s got to the Travelling Tower. I don’t want to leave anyone behind.”

  Madison and Lily laughed, tapped their pendants twi
ce, and reappeared.

  Chapter Seven

  When we’d checked that our magic pendants were ready and in working order, we set off for the Travelling Tower. We had to walk through the sitting-room to get there, and we saw Fairy Mary, Fairy Fifibelle Lee and Miss Scritch sitting close together in front of the fire. They were having a really intense discussion and hardly looked up as we filed past. Fairy Fifibelle gave us a little wave, but that was all.

  “I wonder what they’re talking about?” Emma said.

  A voice right beside us answered. “None of your business, young lady!”

  We jumped and looked round. One of the Fairy Godmothers was leaning out of her picture and shaking her finger at us. There are lots of portraits on the sitting-room walls. Most of them are portraits of the Fairy Godmothers who were at the Academy long ago, when it was Cloudy Towers. Madison and I love looking at them, although some of them are rather fierce – and the one who had spoken to Emma is definitely the fiercest.

  “Young girls!” She was positively scowling. “I don’t approve. I don’t approve at all! You’re far too young to be scurrying about on your own. I’ll be keeping an eye on you. Remember that!” And then she popped back into her frame, and you’d never ever have known she was anything more than a picture.

  “Goodness!” Emma looked SO surprised it made me giggle.

  Madison was laughing too. “I do like the fact that they care about us, even if they are a bit scary.”

  “A BIT scary?” Emma’s eyes were as round as saucers. “She’s TERRIFYING!”

  There was a muffled “TCHAH!” from the picture, and Emma grabbed my arm. “Come on! Let’s go!”

  The Travelling Tower, or the TT as we sometimes call it, is a long way away from our workroom. It’s down a whole lot of dark winding corridors, lit only by the tiniest slit windows. Madison says she thinks the corridors change from day to day, and she might well be right. As we walked, I’m sure I saw a corner straighten out in front of me. We’ve never explored the whole Academy; we just know that there are hundreds of towers. The Travelling Tower is special, though – it’s like a glass-walled lift attached to the end of the building, if you can imagine that. If we want to travel anywhere, we get inside. The cloud the Academy rests on takes us to where we need to go, and then, when we get there, the TT takes us up or down, whichever we need.