Sister Secrets

by Titania Woods

  Bimi looked dazed. ‘But – that’s cheating.’

  Ivy’s eyebrows shot up. ‘No, it’s not. We never take exams for each other. It’s only for a joke – and hasn’t it been glimmery?’ Her green eyes sparkled. ‘Especially seeing Pix try to work it out! She doesn’t know whether she’s coming or going.’

  A startled laugh escaped Twink despite herself. ‘Ivy! Is that how you – I mean, how Jade always knows all the answers? Because she’s taken the class before?’

  ‘Partly,’ said Ivy with a grin. ‘But she really is very clever, too.’

  Bimi clapped a hand over her mouth as she giggled. ‘Oh, poor Pix! She’s been going mad.’

  ‘Well, don’t say anything,’ said Ivy. ‘Everyone will realise what’s going on soon enough, and we want to have fun for as long as we can. Especially Jade. She’s usually so serious that it’s a real laugh for her!’

  .

  .

  ‘We won’t tell – will we, Twink?’ promised Bimi.

  Twink nodded. ‘Your secret’s safe with us, Ivy! Though I don’t know how we’ll keep from laughing the next time Jade knows all the answers in class.’

  Then her smile faded as her thoughts returned to Teena. ‘So you think – you think it was really Teena I saw?’ she said slowly.

  ‘Definitely,’ said Ivy. ‘Think about it – you only saw her in shadow, and the back of her head. So how did you know it was Zuzu?’

  ‘Because . . . she was wearing Zuzu’s hair clasp,’ said Twink feebly. Oh, it seemed so obvious now! No wonder the fairy hadn’t turned to face her. It had been Teena!

  ‘There, you see?’ said Ivy. ‘She knew you’d think she was Zuzu, because she was supposed to be Zuzu – and then your mind filled in the rest!’ She bounced up from the table. ‘Anyway, I’m meeting Jade at the tuck shop. Remember your promise, you two, all right?’

  Twink and Bimi agreed – and then glanced at each other worriedly as Ivy flew from the library.

  ‘So it was Teena!’ breathed Bimi. ‘But why would she do such a thing?’

  Twink’s chest felt tight. ‘I bet Zuzu put her up to it – and Summer, too, for that matter. Zuzu probably planned the whole thing! And Teena went along with it.’ Pulling the petal towards her again, Twink started scribbling lines as fast as she could.

  ‘But Twink, you don’t know that,’ protested Bimi. ‘I think you should talk to Teena, and find out what really happened!’

  Her best friend had a point. Twink looked down, playing with her snail-trail pen. ‘All right, I’ll talk to Teena,’ she said finally. ‘Maybe – maybe there’s some explanation.’

  But she didn’t believe the words, even as she said them. Teena had pretended to be Zuzu just to get Twink into trouble. Hurt anger stuck like a stone in Twink’s throat. How could her sister explain that?

  ‘Oh no!’ gasped Teena in dismay. ‘Is that why you didn’t follow me into Snowdrop Branch? We didn’t know what had happened!’

  ‘So it was you,’ said Twink bitterly. It pained her to have Teena admit it, even though she’d known it must be true.

  The two sisters were hovering outside the main entrance to the tree, where Twink had caught up with Teena after Flight class. Teena nodded, hugging her petal bag. ‘It was only meant to be a joke, Twink!’

  Twink stared at her, hardly able to believe her ears. ‘A joke? To have Mrs Lightwing catch me?’

  ‘No!’ cried Teena. ‘We didn’t know she would. We just thought you’d come in the window after me, and then you’d see that Zuzu wasn’t even there, and you’d realise –’

  ‘What?’ burst out Twink. ‘That she’s a really bad influence on you? Because she is, Teena – I’ve never known you to act this way before!’

  Teena’s eyes grew wide. ‘But – but I didn’t do anything really bad,’ she whispered. ‘Neither did Zuzu. We just wanted to show you that –’

  Deep down, Twink knew she should listen to what her little sister had to say. But then she thought of Zuzu’s smug, cheeky face, and she felt on fire. Oh, Zuzu must be having a great time sniggering at Twink now! And here was Teena defending her.

  ‘Well, don’t worry, Teena – I’ve had enough of trying to help you!’ she interrupted coldly. ‘You and your precious Zuzu can stay friends, for all I care!’

  ‘But you don’t understand!’ wailed Teena, her eyes bright with tears. ‘It was my idea, not –’

  Twink didn’t hear. She had already flown back into the school, her pink hair whistling behind her.

  Teena hovered by herself, staring after Twink. She couldn’t blame Twink for being angry about the lines, but she hadn’t even given Teena a chance to explain! She’d just stormed off without listening.

  Shakily, Teena wiped her eyes. Well, if Twink had had enough, then she had, too! She needed something to take her mind off things – and all at once she knew just the thing.

  .

  .

  Swallowing hard, Teena gazed up at the top branches of the tree. She couldn’t see it from here, but she knew the star-gazing platform was up there, waiting for her.

  A sudden idea popped into Teena’s head, and she caught her breath. Why had she wasted so much time trying to get to the platform from inside the school? All she had to do was climb out of the Snowdrop branch window, and fly right to it!

  Her hands felt clammy, and she wiped them on her skirt. Though she hadn’t admitted it to Zuzu, the thought of actually going up there made her a bit nervous. Was it really dangerous, like Miss Shimmery had said?

  Then Teena remembered Twink’s angry face, and her resolve hardened. Well, she didn’t care. She would go up there, no matter what – and that very night, too!

  ‘Twink? Twink, wake up!’

  ‘Um?’ Twink stirred drowsily, cuddled into her petal duvet.

  ‘Twink! Please wake up; you’ve got to!’ The fairy shaking her sounded close to tears.

  This time the words reached her, and Twink sat up in bed, blinking. What was going on? What time was it? Then she saw who the fairy at her bedside was, and she stiffened.

  ‘Summer! What are you doing here?’

  The younger fairy’s tear-stained face gleamed in the moonlight. ‘It’s – it’s Teena and Zuzu,’ she choked out. ‘They’ve gone up to the star-gazing platform, only that was ages ago, and they’re not back yet!’

  In the next bed, Bimi propped herself up on one elbow, listening.

  Twink snorted. ‘Oh, right! And I suppose when I fly up there, it won’t be Teena and Zuzu at all, will it? Then Mrs Lightwing will catch me, and –’

  ‘No!’ said Summer. ‘It’s true, I promise! She’s been wanting to go up to the star-gazing platform for ages, and tonight she said she was going no matter what, and then they both went, because –’

  ‘Hang on – you mean they’re really up there?’ cried Twink. Fear shivered through her as she recalled Miss Twilight’s description of star-struck fairies.

  Summer nodded, gulping hard. ‘Can’t – can’t you help, Twink? We’re all so scared – we don’t know why they’re taking so long –’

  Twink leapt out of bed. Grabbing her dressing gown, she pulled it on with shaking hands. ‘Bimi, go and get Miss Twilight!’ she said urgently.

  Bimi was already out of bed, shrugging into her own dressing gown. ‘I’ll be as quick as I can!’ she said, her face pale. Her bright wings glinted as she sped from the branch.

  ‘Sooze!’ hissed Twink, gliding down from the loft space. ‘Sooze!’

  ‘Mmf?’ muttered Sooze, lying on her stomach.

  Twink shook her shoulder. ‘Sooze, wake up! You’ve got to help. It’s that cousin of yours – she’s taken Teena up to the star-gazing platform! Bimi’s gone to get Miss Twilight, but we’ve got to hurry!’

  .

  Cha
pter Eight

  At first the star-gazing platform had been fun.

  Once Zuzu saw that Teena was determined to fly up there, she’d taken a deep breath and insisted on joining her – because what if it really was dangerous? Her twin shouldn’t be going alone if that were the case.

  So, pushing aside her fears, Zuzu had squirmed out of the Snowdrop Branch window after Teena. Spreading her wings, she bobbed in the air, feeling exhilarated by the warm spring night despite herself.

  ‘Isn’t this glimmery?’ Teena whispered over her shoulder as they fluttered upwards. There was a full moon, looking like a huge, silvery eye peering through the tree’s branches.

  Zuzu had to agree. Her heart sang as they reached the top of the tree. She’d never flown so high before! It was dizzying and exciting and wonderful, all at the same time.

  ‘There it is!’ hissed Teena.

  Following her best friend’s pointing finger, Zuzu’s pulse skipped a beat. The star-gazing platform lay just below them, like a circular raft floating atop a sea of branches.

  Teena touched down on the centre of the platform, looking happily around her. ‘Oh, isn’t it wonderful! I can hardly wait to get everyone up here for a midnight feast.’

  Landing beside her, Zuzu peered at the nine crystals that glowed around them. Their light seemed weird and unearthly, and Zuzu bit her lip. ‘Teena, we won’t stay long, will we?’

  ‘No, of course not! I just wanted to see it.’ Sitting cross-legged on the floor, Teena smiled up at the stars.

  Sitting beside her, Zuzu felt herself relax. It was wonderful to be up here with her best friend, with the crystals gleaming so brightly. Her thoughts began to drift as she gazed at them. Why had they made her nervous? They were so pretty, like lanterns . . . like white fire . . . like shining gems . . .

  All at once Zuzu blinked, starting awake. How long had they been up here? It seemed like just a heartbeat, but the moon had moved – hadn’t it? She shook her head dazedly, feeling rather frightened.

  Suddenly Teena started to giggle.

  ‘What is it?’ asked Zuzu. A smile grew across her own face, though she wasn’t sure why.

  Teena laughed harder, clutching her ankles and rocking back and forth. ‘Oh!’ she spluttered. ‘It’s so funny! I’m – I’m a flower!’

  ‘A flower?’ Zuzu stared at her as the bright light from the crystals shone around them. But somehow the notion didn’t seem so strange. She and Teena could be flowers, she realised. Why, their legs were just like stems! And their wings just like petals!

  Zuzu began to laugh. ‘What – what kind of flower?’

  ‘I’m a daisy!’ shrieked Teena. ‘And you – you’re an apple blossom!’

  This seemed the most marvellous thing Zuzu had ever heard. She jumped to her feet. ‘Look at me!’ she said, spreading her arms. ‘I’m an apple blossom, dancing in the wind!’

  Teena joined her, and in no time at all the two fairies were capering about the platform, fluttering their wings and giggling.

  ‘Ooh!’ cried Teena, stopping short. ‘Do you know what flowers can do?’

  ‘What?’ asked Zuzu eagerly.

  ‘We can float on the breeze!’ announced Teena. She sprang on to the platform railing, swaying a bit. ‘Come on, Twin! Let’s float down to the ground! Flowers don’t even need wings!’

  ‘Float?’ The idea was delightful. Zuzu jumped up next to Teena, peering downwards. Then she frowned. What looked like a whole forest of branches lay between them and the ground.

  ‘But . . . won’t we hit a branch?’ she asked doubtfully. She had a vague feeling that there was something wrong with their plan, though she couldn’t imagine what. Something . . . something they hadn’t thought of . . .

  ‘Of course not!’ Teena’s eyes sparkled in the crystal light. ‘Flowers drift. We’ll drift right around them.’

  ‘Oh!’ said Zuzu, greatly relieved. That explained it. She grinned. ‘Well, what are we waiting for?’

  Teena grasped her hand tightly. ‘Come on, then – on the count of three!’

  The two friends stood side by side, holding hands as they teetered on the slender railing. ‘One,’ they chanted. ‘Two . . .’

  .

  Squeezing quickly through a window, Twink and Sooze sped upwards, dodging leaves and branches as they flew.

  Fear pounded through Twink like a raging waterfall. Oh, what if something had happened to Teena? She’d never forgive herself for not looking after her sister better.

  ‘Come on, Sooze, faster!’ she called as they neared the top of the tree.

  ‘Oh, wasps – look!’ shouted Sooze, pointing.

  Twink held back a shriek. There were Teena and Zuzu, standing on the railing of the star-gazing platform – with their wings folded behind their backs!

  ‘What are you doing?’ yelled Sooze frantically. ‘Get down, the pair of you!’

  Zuzu blinked, wavering. Suddenly she cried out and flung her arms around Teena. Teena struggled with her, arms flailing. The two fairies stumbled, and Twink gasped. Zuzu was clearly star-struck – and was trying to push Teena over the edge of the platform!

  Her pulse roared through her brain. ‘Get away from my sister!’ she screamed.

  Jetting to the platform, she snatched Teena off the railing and into the air. Dimly, she was aware of Zuzu falling backwards as Teena squawked in surprise, kicking and squirming in Twink’s arms. ‘Let me go! Let me –’

  ‘Stop it!’ yelled Twink. She swerved narrowly past a branch, trying to land them both safely. ‘Teena, we’ll –’

  Crash! The two fairies were thrown apart as they slammed into a branch. Twink slumped against the rough bark. Oh, her head!

  Beside her, Teena was huddled against a fork in the branch, crying softly. Ignoring her throbbing skull, Twink crawled over and touched her shoulder. ‘Teena?’ she whispered.

  ‘What happened?’ sobbed Teena. ‘I don’t understand . . . Twink, I’m so confused!’ She flung herself into Twink’s arms, and the two sisters hugged tightly. Twink’s heart was hammering. Oh, if anything had happened to Teena!

  She smoothed her sister’s long hair. ‘Hush, it’s all right,’ she soothed. ‘I’ve got you.’

  Gulping and sniffling, Teena sat up. ‘What – what happened?’ she asked.

  .

  .

  ‘Zuzu tried to push you over the edge of the platform,’ said Twink, glaring upwards. She could hear Zuzu crying, and Sooze talking softly to her. Good! She was glad that Sooze’s cousin was so upset.

  Teena’s mouth dropped open. ‘No, she didn’t.’

  ‘She did,’ said Twink. ‘Teena, I saw the whole thing – you were both on the edge, and –’

  ‘No, I remember now!’ cried Teena. ‘It was like we were under a spell! I thought we were flowers, and that we could drift to the ground – and then Zuzu broke out of it, and she was trying to stop me.’

  Twink’s jaw tightened. She thought if she heard Zuzu’s name once more, she’d scream! ‘Teena, when are you going to stop defending her? You wouldn’t even have been up here if it weren’t for her!’

  ‘I think it’s the other way around, actually,’ announced a voice. Sooze fluttered down to Twink’s branch, her arm firmly around the sobbing Zuzu. ‘Twink, what’s been going on this term? Zu says you hate her!’

  Twink flapped her wings angrily. ‘I don’t hate her – but it’s obvious what sort of fairy she is, isn’t it? Teena never got into a wing’s breadth of trouble before, and now –’

  ‘Now what?’ Sooze stared at her. ‘You can’t be suggesting that this was Zuzu’s fault – she’d never do something like this on her own!’

  Zuzu sobbed harder, covering her face with her hands. ‘I only wanted to help – I –’

  ‘Ha!’ shouted Twink. The lea
ves trembled around them. ‘For your information, I saw her up here weeks ago, sneaking around, and –’ Suddenly Twink remembered the prank that had been played on her, and she stopped in confusion. Had it been Zuzu she’d seen that day? Or –

  ‘You’re not listening! You never listen!’ screeched Teena, stamping her foot. ‘I’m the one who wanted to come up here, not Zuzu. It was me you saw! That’s why we played the prank on you – to show you how wrong you’ve been about everything!’

  ‘You?’ echoed Twink weakly, her thoughts spinning. ‘But – but Teena, that’s not like you at all. I mean –’

  ‘How would you know?’ demanded her little sister, looking close to tears. ‘You’ve been here at Glitterwings for the last two years! You were always treating me like a baby in acorn school whenever you came home – well, I’m not.’

  Twink opened her mouth and closed it again. She couldn’t speak. She looked at Zuzu, and it felt as if a chasm had opened beneath her feet. Oh, how had she got everything so utterly wrong?

  ‘Zuzu . . . were you really trying to save Teena?’ she whispered.

  The sobbing fairy nodded, and Twink winced, aching inside. ‘Oh, Zuzu, I’m so sorry . . .’ She reached out to touch the younger fairy’s shoulder, but Sooze jerked her cousin away.

  ‘I think you’ve said enough for now, Twink,’ she snapped.

  Twink swallowed hard. In a sudden flurry of wings, Miss Twilight and Bimi arrived, and she realised dazedly that not much time had passed since they left Violet Branch. It felt like a lifetime ago.

  Miss Twilight took one look at them, and held her hands out to the younger fairies. ‘Come along, everyone,’ she said. ‘I think we all need some hot, sweet nectar.’

  To Twink’s surprise, not much was said as they sat in Miss Twilight’s office. Sooze sat scowling down at her acorn-shell cup. Bimi perched quietly beside Twink, sipping her hot nectar. She rubbed her wing warmly against Twink’s, and Twink gave her a grateful smile.

  The two younger fairies sat huddled together. The colour slowly returned to their cheeks as they drained their drinks. ‘Would – would we really have fallen if Twink and Sooze hadn’t arrived?’ asked Teena fearfully.