New Girl

by Titania Woods

  As she drifted back down to the platform, the school’s butterflies fluttered into the Great Branch, carrying oak-leaf platters piled high with seed cakes and fizzy nectar. A bright blue butterfly served the Peony table, dipping its wings gracefully.

  Twink slowly helped herself to a cake. All around her, the others were talking excitedly to Kiki, telling her about last year’s exhibition.

  ‘How exciting!’ breathed Kiki. ‘We never did anything like that at Emerald Leaf. Everyone was too busy seeing who could be the snobbiest.’

  The other girls laughed.

  ‘And Twink won the prize for best flier in the school,’ put in Sooze. ‘Didn’t she, Mariella?’ She smiled innocently at the pointy-faced fairy, who had been extremely miffed that she hadn’t won the prize. Mariella made a face at her.

  ‘Did you, Twink? That’s fantastic!’ Kiki’s smile was wide and genuine. ‘Your parents must have been really proud.’

  ‘Mm, I suppose,’ muttered Twink. Oh, stop pretending to be so nice, she wanted to shout. You don’t care at all, really!

  Suddenly she realised that the others were staring at her. Bimi looked stricken, and Kiki had a hurt, puzzled frown on her face. ‘Anyway, let’s talk about this year,’ Twink said quickly. ‘What are we going to do?’

  To her relief, they all started talking and swapping ideas and the moment passed. But that evening in the second-year wash branch, Bimi came over as Twink was scrubbing her arms with a mossy sponge.

  ‘Twink, what’s up with you?’ Her pretty face was flushed and upset. ‘You were so rude to Kiki at dinner tonight!’

  .

  .

  ‘I wasn’t rude.’ Twink concentrated on her washing, not looking up.

  ‘You were,’ insisted Bimi. ‘She was only trying to be nice!’

  ‘Well, who asked her to?’ burst out Twink. She threw her sponge into a bucket with a splash. ‘You seem so – so entranced with her, Bimi. Just because she’s new, and has a famous mother!’

  Bimi’s mouth dropped open. She closed it with a snap. ‘That has nothing to do with it! She’s nice, that’s all. Twink, why are you acting this way?’

  ‘What way?’ Twink met Bimi’s gaze with a scowl. Across the branch, she could hear the shrieks and splashes of a water fight going on, and Sooze shouting, ‘Take that!’

  ‘Like –’ Bimi stopped suddenly. Her wings went still as she peered at Twink. ‘You’re jealous,’ she said in amazement. ‘Just because I’ve made a new friend!’

  Oh, so they were friends already! Twink grabbed a peppermint twig from the rack on the wall. ‘I am not! I don’t care who you’re friends with – only I think you could choose someone a little better than Kiki, that’s all.’

  ‘What’s wrong with Kiki?’ The look of surprise on Bimi’s face was almost comical.

  ‘What isn’t!’ cried Twink. Her voice trembled. ‘She puts on this act of being all humble and nice, but you can tell how much she loves being the centre of attention. It’s sickening the way you were all fawning over her at dinner. And she was lapping up every second of it, too!’

  Bimi stared at her, her blue eyes wide. Twink turned away and rubbed her teeth with the twig, glaring into the dewdrop mirror. Deep down, she knew she was being unreasonable, but she couldn’t help it. Was she supposed to like Kiki, when the new girl was stealing her best friend?

  ‘You know, Twink, this is really unfair.’ Bimi sounded close to tears. ‘It’s perfectly all right for you to go off with Sooze whenever you feel like it, but if I have another friend, you get your wings all in a twist!’ She flitted out of the branch, her silver and gold wings flashing in the steam.

  Twink stared at her reflection in the walnut-shell bucket. It was true that she’d gone off with Sooze on occasion, but that had been different – Sooze had never tried to steal Bimi’s best friend, the way Kiki was doing!

  And besides, it’s true what I said, she thought sullenly. Anyone with eyes in their head could see that Kiki loved being fussed over. Wringing out her sponge, Twink threw it in the bucket. Her reflection vanished in a splash.

  The fairies were still talking eagerly about the exhibition the next afternoon in the second-year Common Branch – a long, comfortable branch filled with cosy mushroom seats and desks. A cluster of fire rocks sat at its centre, giving off a welcome heat in the autumn chill.

  ‘We want ours to be the most glimmery exhibition ever!’ said Jax, a fairy with spiky green hair from another branch. ‘We’ve got to show those Third Years that we’re the best.’ She pounded her fist into her hand.

  Lola, her best friend, nodded. ‘How about a fairy cabaret?’ she suggested brightly.

  ‘No, let’s do a play!’ shouted someone else.

  ‘But what if you can’t act?’ pointed out Pix. She was sitting perched on the fire rocks, writing down everyone’s ideas in a petal pad. ‘I think we should do something that includes everyone.’

  Twink sat to one side with Sooze and Sili, trying to look interested as everyone called out suggestions. All the girls from Peony Branch were dressed in their new peony petal uniforms, made for them that morning by Mrs Hover. Bimi’s and Kiki’s dresses were the exact same shade of pink, noted Twink glumly.

  The two fairies sat together near the fire rocks, their wings almost touching. Bimi was obviously avoiding Twink – they’d hardly spoken since the scene in the wash branch the night before. Twink grimaced and looked away. Fine, let her be that way if she wanted!

  ‘I’ve got an idea!’ cried Mariella suddenly. The other fairies looked at her in surprise. Mariella hardly ever joined in – she usually sat sneering on the sidelines. But now her pointed face was flushed with excitement.

  ‘It’s perfect!’ she went on. ‘We’ll have a fairy fashion show – and Kiki can be in charge, because she knows all about it!’

  .

  Chapter Four

  A fashion show! An enthusiastic murmur swept through the Common Branch.

  ‘Nobody else will be doing that,’ said Jax with satisfaction. ‘I vote yes! But why does Kiki get to be in charge?’

  ‘Because her mother –’ Mariella faltered when she saw the warning look on Sooze’s face.

  ‘What about her mother?’ asked Jax in bewilderment.

  ‘I think Mariella should be in charge,’ put in Kiki quickly, her cheeks on fire. ‘It was her idea.’

  ‘Mosquito Nose?’ Sooze gaped at Kiki in horror. ‘You don’t know what you’re saying!’

  ‘Kiki, why don’t you just tell everyone?’ suggested Bimi in an undertone. ‘No one will treat you differently; we’re not like that here.’

  Ha! Twink pulled her knees up to her chin, hugging herself. And of course Kiki would tell everyone, she thought. She could probably hardly wait!

  ‘Well . . . all right,’ said Kiki. She took a deep breath and addressed the branch. ‘My mother’s a fashion designer, that’s all. And she used to be a model. So I suppose I do know a little bit about fashion shows, but –’

  ‘Her mother’s Mirabel Moonglow!’ burst out Mariella. She shot up into the air, bobbing up and down. ‘She’s in all the petal mags, she’s really, really famous, and –’

  ‘And we’re NOT GOING TO MAKE A FUSS ABOUT IT,’ bellowed Sooze, standing up and propping her hands on her hips. ‘Are we, Mosquito Nose?’

  Mariella drifted back to the floor again. ‘No,’ she said sulkily, folding her wings behind her back. ‘I was just saying, that’s all.’

  ‘But Kiki, that’s great!’ Jax scraped her hands excitedly through her short green hair. ‘You’ll know everything we should do – of course you should be in charge.’

  ‘But I don’t want to be in charge!’ Kiki fluttered her wings in alarm. ‘I’ve only just got here!’

  ‘Well, what better way to get to know everyone?’
said Pix with a grin. ‘I think Jax is right, Kiki.’

  Enthusiastic agreement echoed through the branch.

  ‘Oh, Kiki, please say yes!’

  ‘We wouldn’t know what to do!’

  ‘I bet you’ve got loads of brilliant ideas!’

  ‘Well . . .’ Kiki hesitated, looking flustered. She glanced at Bimi, who gave her an encouraging smile. ‘I’ve always liked watching my mum work . . . and I suppose I do have a few ideas for how we could put a show together . . .’

  ‘Hurrah!’ burst out Sooze. She shot up in the air and did a somersault, her pink wings flashing. ‘We’ll have the best exhibition ever!’

  .

  .

  ‘But I’ll need an assistant,’ said Kiki. ‘There’s going to be loads to do!’

  ‘I’ll be your assistant,’ offered Bimi. ‘I’d love to help!’

  ‘Bimi, you can’t just be an assistant!’ cried Sooze. ‘You’re the prettiest fairy in our year – you have to be one of the models.’

  Twink saw a hint of longing shine in Bimi’s eyes, and then a rush of pure panic. Bimi shook her head quickly. ‘No, not me! Being Kiki’s assistant sounds glimmery.’

  ‘I think so, too,’ said Kiki warmly. ‘We’ll have loads of fun working together, Bimi.’

  As the rest of the branch clustered around Kiki, Twink bit her lip to hold back the tears. It was even worse than she had seen in the crystal. Now Bimi and Kiki would be spending all of their time together, making plans and having fun. Soon Bimi would probably forget that she and Twink had ever been friends at all.

  ‘Twink, what are you doing over here on your own?’ asked Pix, flitting over to her. ‘Isn’t a fashion show a great idea? I can hardly wait to see what Kiki comes up with!’

  ‘Yeah, great,’ said Twink curtly. ‘Anyway, I’m sure Kiki will love all the attention.’ She grabbed up her things. She couldn’t bear to stay here another moment! ‘I’m going to bed now,’ she announced, and flew from the branch as fast as she could.

  Behind her, Pix exchanged an amazed glance with Sili and Zena. ‘What’s wrong with her?’ asked Sili, her eyes wide.

  Pix shook her head, staring after Twink. ‘I don’t know, but I hope she snaps out of it soon. She’s acting like she hates everybody!’

  ‘Autumn is a very important time,’ said Miss Petal, leaning against her mushroom desk. ‘It’s when the trees discard their old leaves and prepare themselves for winter. But fallen leaves aren’t just pretty to look at.’

  Twink sat with her chin slumped on her hand as their Flower Power teacher took a red oak leaf from the bark cupboard. Near the front of the branch, Bimi and Kiki sat together. Naturally, thought Twink. The two of them were practically inseparable these days.

  Miss Petal manoeuvred the large leaf on to her mushroom desk. Its edges draped over the sides. ‘Now, who can tell me how we use fallen leaves to take care of trees?’

  As usual, Pix’s hand shot into the air. ‘Fallen leaves contain the histories of their trees,’ she said. ‘So you can find out everything about the tree they fell from, if you know how to read them.’

  ‘That’s right,’ smiled Miss Petal. ‘Now, who knows . . .’

  Twink’s thoughts drifted to the fashion show. Plans for it had been going on for weeks now, and it was all the Second Year could talk about.

  Kiki’s first idea had been that every fairy should design her own outfit, but the others had protested. ‘No, you should do it,’ said Sooze, to a chorus of agreement. ‘I couldn’t design an outfit worth a pebble, but I bet you’d be great at it!’

  A shy smile had lit up Kiki’s face. ‘Well . . . I’d love to, but only if everyone’s really sure . . .’

  And of course everyone had insisted, thought Twink sourly. So Kiki had been busily designing outfits for them all, and now, for the last few days, there had been frequent flashes of fairy dust as she and her helpers began to make them. Everyone was dying to see their dresses, but Kiki insisted that they were a secret until they were all ready.

  And now they were. Kiki had got permission for the Second Years to practise in the Great Branch that evening, and they were going to have their first rehearsal.

  I can hardly wait, groaned Twink to herself, propping her chin on her hand. Kiki will be showing off as usual, and Bimi acting like she’s the most wonderful fairy ever . . .

  She started as Sili nudged her.

  ‘. . . Twink, would you come and demonstrate how to read the tree’s history?’ Miss Petal was saying.

  Twink gulped as everyone turned to look at her. Oh no! What had she missed?

  ‘Well?’ Miss Petal looked quizzically at her.

  Slowly, Twink flitted to the front of the branch. The red leaf seemed to be smirking at her. Perhaps if she just touched it, and tried to hear its history in her mind? A lot of fairy magic was like that – it was worth a try, anyway!

  Twink rested her hands on the leaf and closed her eyes. Tell me about the tree you fell from, she thought.

  .

  .

  A snigger ran through the branch. Twink’s cheeks caught fire as she opened her eyes. Miss Petal was tapping her wings together.

  ‘You weren’t listening to a word I said, were you?’ she chided. ‘You have to stroke the leaf’s veins to get its history.’ She ran her fingers along the veins that criss-crossed the leaf’s surface. ‘Just touching it won’t do anything at all!’

  Twink’s wings felt stiff. She couldn’t look at the others. Oh, why did Kiki have to be sitting right there, watching? She must be loving this!

  ‘Zena, come and show us, please,’ said Miss Petal. ‘And Twink, remember that you can’t make assumptions about magic. It doesn’t always do what you expect, so you need to do your research.’

  Twink slunk back to her mushroom as Zena flew to the front of the branch. Bimi gave her a sidelong glance and then looked away again, tossing her hair.

  She acts like she’s glad to be rid of me, now that she’s got her new best friend, thought Twink. Tears stung her eyes as she scribbled notes in her petal pad, hardly noticing what she was writing. Oh, why did the crystal have to have been so right?

  Suddenly she sat up with a gasp. What was it Miss Petal had said? Don’t make assumptions. Yet that was exactly what she’d been doing. She’d assumed that the crystal had to be right, but – but what if it were possible to reverse its fortune somehow, so that she and Bimi were best friends again? Hadn’t Miss Petal just said she had to do her research?

  That’s it. I have to find out everything I can about crystals, thought Twink fervently. Fidgeting with impatience, she glanced out of the window, counting the minutes until the lesson ended and she could get to the library.

  After dinner that evening the second-year fairies stayed behind in the Great Branch, getting ready for their rehearsal. Kiki flew overhead, shouting directions. ‘Let’s move these tables against the walls, so that we have a nice long space down the middle. Yes, that’s right! Glimmery!’

  Twink helped with the others, though it irritated her to be taking orders from Kiki. She thought she was so wonderful, just because of her famous mum! Why couldn’t the others see how vain she was?

  But no one else seemed to. When the tables were arranged to Kiki’s satisfaction, the fairies drifted to the centre of the Great Branch, chattering and laughing. ‘I can hardly wait to see what she’s designed for us,’ said Zena, her eyes shining. ‘Did you see? She’s got a whole pile of dresses with her!’

  ‘Mm,’ said Twink.

  She glanced at her petal bag, which sat with a pile of fairies’ belongings against the wall. She’d found three books on crystal magic at the library, and was aching to have a look at them. If only she didn’t have to take part in the rehearsal!

  .

  .

  Zena
let out a breath. ‘Twink, what’s wrong with you, anyway?’ she burst out. ‘You’re so grumpy this term! You’re no fun at all any more – everyone’s noticed it.’

  ‘What?’ Twink stared at her, startled out of her thoughts. ‘I’m not grumpy!’

  But Zena had already flown away, and was talking to Jax and Lola halfway across the branch. Twink stood by herself, feeling cross and out of sorts. Was it true that everyone was talking about her?

  ‘But that’s so unfair,’ she murmured, clenching her fists. Kiki was the one who had come into their branch, disrupting everything! Why didn’t they gossip about her?

  ‘Talking to yourself again, Opposite?’ asked a voice behind her.

  Sooze! Twink whirled towards her in relief.

  ‘Sooze, you won’t believe what Zena just said,’ she cried. ‘She said everyone’s talking about me, and that I’m no fun any more!’ Twink waited indignantly for her friend’s response.

  Sooze raised a lavender eyebrow, looking amused.

  ‘What?’ asked Twink, a chill of dread settling between her wings. ‘Don’t – don’t you think she’s being really unfair?’

  Sooze shrugged. ‘No, actually I think she let you off pretty lightly. You’ve been acting like a real thistle head this term, Twink. Everyone’s saying they don’t blame Bimi for liking Kiki better.’

  Oh! Twink gaped at Sooze. It felt like she had been slapped. Sudden tears stung at her eyes, and her chin trembled.

  Sooze pulled a face. ‘Oh, dry up, Twink! It can’t be as bad as all that – just stop acting like a grumbling gremlin. Now come on, let’s go and see what our dresses are like!’ And she flitted off towards the platform, where Kiki was getting ready to speak to the excited crowd of Second Years.

  .

  Chapter Five

  Twink followed Sooze in a daze. Nobody understood at all. Standing on the edge of the crowd, she glared up at the platform where Kiki stood. This was all her fault, not Twink’s!