Over The Rainbow

by Meredith Badger

  ‘I suspect they’ll be keeping those scaly skins for some time,’ said Grandmother, eyeing the two lizardy-fairies. ‘That should make them think twice about breaking important Academy rules again.’

  Gabi and Nadia looked very cross, but they turned and stalked out of the library.

  Then Elly’s mum looked at her very seriously. ‘Maybe it would be best if you gave up your wings, darling,’ she said.

  ‘You could go back to South Street School and be just like all the human children,’ added her dad.

  Elly looked around. It felt like everyone had already decided that she should give up being a fairy. It was weird. She had thought that she’d be much better suited to living like a human. But now that she was being offered the chance to change, she suddenly wasn’t so sure she wanted it.

  It’s true that I’m not the best at doing spells, thought Elly, but I’ve still managed to grant wishes for Jess. Granting wishes felt good. It felt like something she was meant to do. Would she still be able to grant wishes if she gave up being a fairy?

  I always thought that skateboarding was way more fun than flying, Elly frowned to herself. But flying along with Saphie tonight was pretty cool. It’d be a shame to give up flying just as I’m getting the hang of it.

  Then she looked at Saphie. I probably couldn’t stay friends with Saph if I stop being a fairy, either.

  ‘Well, Elinora?’ said Grandmother. ‘Have you made your decision?’

  Elly nodded. ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘I’ve decided that I want to keep being a fairy.’

  For a moment, everyone seemed too surprised to say anything.

  Then Saphie threw her arms around her. ‘I’m so glad to hear that!’ she said.

  ‘Are you sure?’ asked Elly’s mum. ‘I thought you hated being a fairy!’

  Elly shrugged. ‘I thought I did, too. But you know, I actually want to be a fairy now.’

  ‘Well that is just splendid news!’ said Grandmother, beaming. Elly had never seen her look so happy.

  ‘But,’ added Elly quickly, ‘I’ll probably always do things a little differently to all the other fairies. And I’ll probably keep making mistakes. It’s just the way I am.’

  Grandmother frowned, but before she could speak, Saphie jumped in. ‘It’s good that you do things differently, Elly,’ she said. ‘Who knows – maybe you can teach the rest of us some things!’

  ‘What about school?’ asked Elly’s dad. ‘You should really go to a fairy school if you want to keep training as a fairy.’

  ‘Well, actually,’ said Elly, ‘if it’s OK with Madame Fernyfrond, I’d like to stay here at the Rainbow Academy. I get the feeling that I could learn lots of useful things here. Besides,’ she laughed, ‘I can’t wait to see what food we get on pink day!’

  ‘I don’t know,’ said Elly’s mother, looking worried. ‘We really missed you while we were away, and the house would be so empty if you stayed here as a boarder.’

  Kara clung on tightly to Elly’s neck, and did an extra-specially big dribble to show that she agreed.

  ‘Elly could come to the Rainbow Academy as a day student!’ suggested Saphie. ‘Couldn’t she catch the Fairy Flock into Rainbowville everyday?’

  Then Saphie turned to Madame and added, a little shyly, ‘Grandma, I miss my parents, too. Maybe Elly and I could be day students together?’

  Elly’s heart leapt. The Fairy Flock was the way most unlicensed fairies got to school, travelling in one big group disguised as a cloud. Usually, Elly hated it. But I could get used to the Fairy Flock, she grinned to herself, if it meant I could see Saphie and Jess everyday!

  Now everyone’s attention turned to Madame Fernyfrond.

  ‘What do you think, Emmy?’ asked Grandmother, raising an eyebrow. ‘Are you prepared to keep my grand-daughter on at your school as a day student?’

  ‘Of course!’ replied Madame Fernyfrond promptly. ‘I never had any doubts about that.’

  Elly grinned. ‘Thanks so much, Madame Fernyfrond,’ she said earnestly. ‘I promise I won’t let you down.’

  ‘And Sapphire, you and I will need to talk to your parents,’ Madame said. Then she suddenly looked very serious. ‘But, there is one condition, Elinora. An important one.’

  ‘What is that, Madame?’ asked Elly nervously. ‘I’ll do anything I can.’

  ‘You and Sapphire must untangle the rainbow,’ said Madame. ‘There are approx-imately 2642 threads in the rainbow and you will need to straighten up every single one.’

  That would be like unravelling the biggest woollen jumper in the whole world, and then putting it back together! Elly stared at Saphie and gulped. ‘2642 threads?’ she repeated. ‘That will take forever!’

  ‘Not forever. But definitely every spare moment for the rest of the week,’ smiled Madame Fernyfrond. ‘It will be a fiddly job, and very, very boring. Are you prepared to do it?’

  ‘We’d love to, wouldn’t we, Elly?’ replied Saphie, linking her arm through Elly’s.

  Elly nodded. ‘Yes, Madame Fernyfrond,’ she said. ‘It’ll be fun.’

  Then Elly’s eyes fell on something near the door. It looked like her parents had brought her bag of treasured possessions from home – including her skateboard!

  Maybe this untangling job really will be fun, she giggled to herself. At least I’ll have Saphie for company!

  Just then, a bell sounded.

  ‘It’s breakfast time, fairies!’ said Madame Fernyfrond.

  ‘Let’s go and eat, Saph,’ said Elly. ‘I’m starving!’

  Elly hugged her family one more time, then headed out the door, grabbing her skateboard and tucking it under her arm as she went.

  As Elly closed the library door behind her, she heard Madame Fernyfrond say to the others, ‘You know, I have a feeling that young Elinora is going to make the Rainbow Academy proud one day. I think she has the makings of a very fine fairy indeed.’

  ‘As much as I hate to admit it,’ said Grandmother, sounding as if she couldn’t quite believe what she was saying, ‘I think you might be right!’

  It was lucky that Madame Fernyfrond and Grandmother didn’t see what happened the moment Elly was outside the room. If they had, they might not have been quite so happy. For as soon as Elly was safely out of earshot, she put her skateboard down on the ground and hopped on.

  ‘Come on!’ she whispered excitedly to Saphie. ‘Climb on board. I’ve been dying to try my skateboard out on these super-slippery floors!’

  Then she and Saphie whooshed off down the corridor.