Olivia's Twinkling Spell
Page 4
Miss Fanshaw slowly shook her head. “Well I never. I would never have guessed. What a very clever girl you are, Hannah. Do you really know the whole of George’s Marvellous Medicine by heart?”
Hannah nodded.
“And you did all the voices, too!” Miss Fanshaw actually smiled. “Well, well. I know EXACTLY who I want in the next school play! Don’t worry! I’ll give you lots of time to learn your words … and Mr Pole will help you too.” She gave Hannah an approving nod. “Off you go! Tell Mr Pole that I owe him an apology for not spotting that you had a problem before now. You had me completely fooled … well, well. And now I’d better let Mrs Wheeler know you’ll be joining the Special Readers’ group.” And Miss Fanshaw walked away, still shaking her head in astonishment.
I couldn’t help thinking that Hannah was owed an apology too, but she didn’t seem to mind. She was skipping as she and Vinnie headed across the hall to the classroom opposite, and I heard her laughing at something he said.
“Excellently done,” said a booming voice as the Merrywood Junior School Sports Cup flew high in the air and did a celebratory wave before landing back on its plinth. “But we mustn’t stay any longer. Time’s running out.”
As Fairy Prim spoke, the school bell rang to signal the end of break. There was the sound of hurrying feet, and we had to leap out of the way as the doors swung open and the school poured in. It was hard work fighting our way back to the playground, but Fairy Prim marched in front, and nobody seemed to notice they were being pushed to one side by an invisible presence. I had my feet trodden on, and judging by the muffled squeals so did my friends, but we got out eventually. The playground was empty as we ran to the Travelling Tower and rushed inside – and that was when I began to feel sick. I’d just remembered. We had to make that horrible journey all over again…
Chapter Eleven
Weirdly, it wasn’t nearly as bad going back. Fairy Prim called up a Dreaming Spell, so we slept peacefully until the TT arrived back at Stargirl Academy. We woke with a start to find Fairy Prim looking rather ashamed of herself. “Done a bit of damage on landing,” she explained. She was right; we could all see the long crack that stretched across one of the Travelling Tower’s glass walls. “Never mind. I’ll ask Miss Scritch to see to it.”
“Can’t you do it, Fairy Prim?” I asked, and she shook her head.
“Not one of my strengths.” She winked at me. “Besides, think how happy it will make Miss Scritch.” And she laughed her huge booming laugh as the TT door opened wide.
Fairy Mary and Miss Scritch were waiting for us in the sitting-room. The fire was crackling, and it looked wonderfully warm and cosy. Scrabster, Fairy Mary’s old dog, was curled up on the rug, and he wagged his tail enthusiastically as we walked in.
“Well?” Fairy Mary looked expectantly at Fairy Prim. “How did our Stargirls get on today?”
Fairy Prim beamed. “I suggest they show you their necklaces.”
Of course that had us scrabbling to look … and there they were.
SIX shining stars!
“We’ve done it!” Madison shouted, and she gave Lily a massive hug. “We’ve got all six stars! We’re Stargirls! PROPER Stargirls!”
Ava was dancing up and down with Emma, and trying to get Sophie to dance too. “Will we have a party?” she asked. “What happens now?”
But I was watching Melody and Jackson. They were looking pleased, but not ecstatic.
“Five,” Jackson said quietly. “Five stars.”
“Come on, Olivia!” Ava tried to grab my hand. “What’s wrong? Don’t you realise? We’ve done it!”
“I think Olivia has something to say,” Fairy Mary said. “Am I right, Olivia?”
I swallowed, and nodded. “Yes. Of course I’m pleased to be a proper Stargirl, but…” I hesitated. What would Team Starlight think of what I was going to say next? “I’m really REALLY sorry, but I don’t want to celebrate until Melody and Jackson have their six stars too.” I saw Jackson staring, and I made myself go on. “I know they think I’m silly, but they still did everything they could to help Hannah. And besides, we’ve done everything together up until now, so it just seems all wrong to celebrate without them…” My voice died away.
There was a silence, and then Sophie came to stand beside me. “I agree with Olivia,” she said.
“Me too,” said Emma.
Ava nodded. “And me.”
“Me and my big mouth,” Madison groaned. “Of course you’re right, Olivia.”
Lily sighed. “You’re more of a Stargirl than any of us,” she told me. “Isn’t she, Fairy Mary?”
And then the last thing I’d ever EVER expected happened. Jackson began to cry, and Melody leapt forward and hugged me. “We don’t deserve you to be nice to us,” she said. “Not after the things we’ve done. But thank you. Thank you very much.”
“Melody’s right,” Jackson sniffed. “Thanks, Olivia.”
Fairy Mary smiled. “So are we agreed? We’ll celebrate properly when we have EIGHT new Stargirls?”
“Yes,” we said.
Jackson pulled out her hankie and blew her nose. “Will Team Starlight be coming with us on our mission to get our sixth star? Or do we have to go on our own?”
Fairy Mary raised her eyebrows. “What do you think, Team Starlight?”
She hadn’t even finished speaking before we’d all agreed. And if the others were anything like me, they were VERY pleased. We’d be back at Stargirl Academy, ready for another adventure … but there’d be an amazing celebration at the end!
“Then that’s settled.” Fairy Mary clapped her hands. “And I think you should have a mug of hot chocolate before hometime…”
“No, no! Allow me!” Her sister waved her little silver wand, and at once a tray floated down with eight mugs of steaming hot chocolate. A plate heaped high with marshmallows came next, quickly followed by a small tray of neatly cut cucumber sandwiches.
Miss Scritch gave Fairy Prim an enquiring glance.
“Ahem,” Fairy Prim boomed. “There’s something I need to confess about the Travelling Tower…”
And Miss Scritch laughed. Actually LAUGHED!
I enjoyed my hot chocolate, but now I knew this wasn’t my last time at the Academy, or the last time I’d see my lovely friends, I was dying to get home. What would I find?
When Fairy Mary stood up and opened the door for us, I was the first through – after I’d hugged everybody goodbye, of course. I even hugged Melody and Jackson, and they didn’t mind at all.
I thanked Fairy Prim for her help, and she patted the top of my head. “Well done, Olivia,” she said.
Fairy Mary gave her sister a sideways look. “Perhaps if you went to those classes with Olivia’s cousin, you might learn how to spell, Prim dearest.”
Fairy Prim’s laugh sent Scrabster scuttling under a chair. “Rubbish, Mary. Much more fun the way I spell things!” And the last I saw of her, she was labelling the tray, “Mugs of chocklit. To be woshed!”
Chapter Twelve
As I stepped out of Stargirl Academy I stepped straight into Hannah’s bathroom, and I listened to see if I could hear her crying.
Nothing. No sound at all.
I picked up some tissues, just in case she was crying silently, and made my way to her room. She was sitting at her table, but she jumped up when she saw me. “Olivia! DO sit down! I’ve absolutely LOADS to tell you. Guess what?”
“What?” I asked, although I hoped I knew already.
“They’ve discovered I’m… What’s the word? Dyslexic! And that’s why I’ve always had trouble reading!” She paused, and looked puzzled. “Did I tell you I had trouble? That I used to HATE school?”
“You might have mentioned it,” I said cautiously.
“Oh. I can’t remember. But I did ABSOLUTELY hate it, but yesterday all KINDS of weird things happened, and now I’m having extra help. But that’s not the best thing! Best of all is there’s going to be a school play, and it’s Alice in Wond
erland, and I’M going to play Alice!”
Hannah was bouncing up and down so wildly that if I hadn’t half-guessed what had happened, I’d never have understood what she was talking about.
“And there’s this horrible boy called Josh – he used to tease me – but yesterday at lunchtime he actually came and said he was sorry! And Phoebe and Sarah – they’re these lovely girls in my class – they said he’s never EVER said sorry to anyone before. They said he must fancy me, but I don’t think he does, because when Miss Fanshaw asked him if he wanted to be the White Rabbit, he said NO! And then he practically ran away!”
In my mind, I gave Jackson a massive vote of thanks. “I must remember to tell her next time I see her,” I thought, and then I felt happy because I was going to see her again. And all my other friends as well…
That night, as I sat in bed reading, I thought how lucky I was. My necklace was beside me, and all six stars were shining brightly – I was a proper Stargirl! But almost better than that was thinking of Hannah, and how she’d waved me goodbye with a massive smile, and how she’d told me she was looking forward to school on Monday.
“Stargirls are the BEST,” I said as I turned out my light and snuggled down. And as I drifted off to sleep, I thought I heard wonderful, peaceful music … the music Miss Scritch had magicked up when we arrived at the Academy.
“WOW!” I said dreamily, and shut my eyes – but not before I’d had one last peek at my six twinkling stars.
ANSWERS
ACROSS: 4 COFFEE CAKE, 6 RED AEROPLANE, 7 HOT CHOCOLATE, 8 CAFÉ BLUSH, 9 PETE, 10 MR APPLEBY
DOWN: 1 ARIZONA, 2 HANNAH, 3 JEEPERS CREEPERS, 5 TWINSTAR, 11 LILY
A message from Lily
Jeepers Creepers! Have you read all our adventures? Everything that happened to the six of us in Team Starlight? Well, I’ll tell you a secret. Melody and Jackson have their very own story … but I can’t tell you too much or they’ll be FURIOUS. But I can say that it happened at Christmas, and it was VERY exciting…
Lots of love, Lily xxx
PS Don’t tell them I told you!
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or, if real, used fictitiously. All statements, activities, stunts, descriptions, information and material of any other kind contained herein are included for entertainment purposes only and should not be relied on for accuracy or replicated as they may result in injury.
First published 2013 by Walker Books Ltd
87 Vauxhall Walk, London SE11 5HJ
Text © 2013 Vivian French
Illustrations © 2013 Jo Anne Davies
The right of Vivian French and Jo Anne Davies to be identified as author and illustrator respectively of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, transmitted or stored in an information retrieval system in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, taping and recording, without prior written permission from the publisher.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data: a catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 978-1-4063-5374-7 (ePub)
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