Term-Time Trouble Read online

  The other fairies’ portraits were even funnier. Pix’s showed a serious-looking fairy surrounded by looming piles of books, while the fairy in Mariella’s painting had a sweet, pleasant expression – and a much shorter nose than in real life.

  ‘I don’t see what’s so funny,’ complained Mariella when the other girls howled.

  ‘No, you wouldn’t,’ sniggered Sooze. Oddly enough, thought Twink, Sooze’s portrait was the only one that had come out halfway normal.

  Mariella tossed her hair. ‘Let’s see yours, Lola,’ she commanded. ‘I bet that’s really something to laugh at.’

  Lola’s face paled. ‘Oh – no, it’s not that funny, really.’

  She hastily wiped her birch bark clean before anyone could see. Mariella scowled.

  ‘What about your portrait, Jax?’ asked Sooze, fluttering her wings innocently. ‘I bet it’s really glimmery.’

  ‘None of your business,’ snapped the spiky-haired fairy. Taking her birch bark off her easel, she rolled it up and tucked it away in her petal bag. She stared at the rest of the class defiantly, daring them to say anything.

  ‘Ooh, that must be a really interesting one,’ grinned Sooze.

  ‘No one has to share who doesn’t want to,’ said Mr Prism. ‘That’s enough for today, girls. We’ll have another crack at self-portraits next time.’

  What a funny lesson! thought Twink as she put her things away. Who would have thought there could be so many different ways for fairies to see themselves?

  As the magpie’s call rang through the school, Jax jetted off, the first to leave the branch. Twink glanced after her, curious despite herself.

  And what had Jax’s portrait been like?

  That afternoon in the Common Branch, Twink flitted to her favourite mushroom desk and started setting out her things – a work petal for Fairy Dust class, a mustard seed for Flower Power, her pen . . . hang on, where was her pen?

  ‘I’ve forgotten my snail-trail pen!’ she complained, peering into the depths of her pink petal bag. ‘I must have dropped it up in the branch when I popped in to comb my hair.’

  Bimi looked up from her mustard seed, her blue eyebrows drawn together with the effort to make it sprout. ‘Would you like to borrow mine?’

  Twink shook her head. She was very attached to her pen; it was the one Bimi had given her for her birthday last year. ‘No, it’ll just take me a wing beat to get it. I’ll be back in a minute!’

  Skimming out of the door, Twink flew upwards, darting quickly around chattering clusters of fairies. She looked wistfully at a pair of upper-year fairies wearing sparkly shorts and bright petal waistcoats. How glimmery to get to wear your own clothes after lessons each day – and what a shame that you had to wait until you were practically elderly to do so.

  Reaching Peony Branch, Twink landed with a hop on its ledge and skipped inside. ‘Oh!’ she cried, pulling up short. ‘Lola, what are you doing here?’

  The thin little fairy spun about to face her, wide-eyed. ‘I – I forgot something,’ she stammered. ‘So I came back to get it, but – but oh, Twink, look!’ she wailed. She pointed to her mossy bed.

  .

  .

  Twink gulped. Lola’s petal duvet had been ripped to bits. It hung in limp, tattered ribbons from her bed, as though it had been attacked with a rose thorn.

  ‘Someone must really hate me,’ sobbed Lola. Her wings shook as she covered her face with her hands. ‘No one else’s duvet was even touched! But why me? What have I done wrong?’

  Twink rubbed her lavender wing against Lola’s pale blue one. ‘You haven’t done anything wrong,’ she said. ‘Don’t worry, Lola – we’ll work this out and put a stop to it. It won’t happen again, I promise!’

  But looking at the mangled duvet again, Twink felt a cold sliver of fear. It was all very well for her to make promises . . . but, to tell the truth, she had no idea what to do.

  .

  Chapter Five

  Returning to the Common Branch, Twink gathered a few of the other Peony Branch fairies around her. They huddled at the back of the branch while Twink filled them in.

  Pix’s face was grave. ‘I’m afraid this pretty much proves my suspicions.’

  ‘What suspicions?’ asked Twink nervously. She had a feeling that whatever Pix said, she wasn’t going to like it much.

  Pix tapped her yellow wings together. ‘Well, first of all, I’ve thought for some time that the culprit has to be someone from our own branch. Whoever it is just knows too much to be an outsider – where our homework is kept, whose bed is whose, and so on.’

  The fairies glanced uneasily at each other. Twink’s stomach lurched. Someone from their own branch? The thought was too awful for words!

  ‘So,’ went on Pix, ‘once I started to put together all of the empirical evidence, I found –’

  ‘Ooh, wait! I know, I know!’ burst out Sili with an excited squeal. ‘It’s Mariella, isn’t it?’

  Pix looked put out. ‘Well, let me explain my –’

  Bimi’s face was pale. ‘I hate to say it, but I think Sili’s right. If it’s someone in our branch, then it must be Mariella. Because – because it all started when Lola wouldn’t dance with Mariella, remember? And then today, she wouldn’t show Mariella her portrait.’

  Pix blinked. ‘Yes, but it’s not Sili who worked it out! I’ve suspected it for –’

  Sooze smacked her forehead with her palm. ‘Mariella! Oh, of course! And here I thought it was –’ She broke off. ‘Well, never mind. Sili, I bet anything that you and Bimi are right. Something’s going on between those two! And Lola’s things always seem to get the worst of it, don’t they? Her peony was damaged the worst, and the torn homework was mostly hers.’

  ‘Yes, I was just getting to that –’ started Pix.

  ‘And don’t forget the paint splashed on the beds,’ put in Zena. ‘Lola’s bed got the worst of that, too. And now her duvet’s been shredded! I agree with Sili. It must be Mariella.’

  If the situation hadn’t been so serious, Twink would have burst into laughter at the look on Pix’s face. Instead she bit her lip, remembering Mariella’s voice saying, ‘Best friends don’t have secrets, Lola!’ Perhaps she had decided to teach Lola a lesson . . . yet something about it didn’t feel right to Twink.

  ‘I – I don’t know,’ she said slowly. ‘It doesn’t seem very like Mariella, somehow.’

  ‘Which part doesn’t?’ demanded Sooze. ‘The sneaky part or the nasty one?’

  Twink grimaced. ‘All right, I know she’s not very nice! But still, she’s never done anything like this before. When Mariella wants to get at someone, she – she spreads rumours, or sends anonymous notes, or –’

  Sooze flapped her hand. ‘So? She’s branched out! Honestly, Twink, I wouldn’t have thought you’d be on Mariella’s side – the number of times she’s done things to you!’

  ‘I’m not on her side,’ retorted Twink hotly. ‘But –’

  ‘Actually, Twink, I’m afraid it has to be Mariella,’ put in Pix. ‘I wasn’t just basing my suspicions on sloppy reasoning, you know.’

  ‘Sloppy what?’ A confused frown creased Sili’s forehead.

  Pix ignored her. ‘Hasn’t anyone noticed when the pranks take place? It’s always during afternoon study time – and the only one of us who’s not here in the Common Branch then is Mariella! She’s got that extra Creature Kindness session, and you know what Mr Woodleaf is like. If she asked to go for a drink of dew, she could be gone for ages without him even noticing!’

  Twink swallowed. Pix was right: Mr Woodleaf wasn’t the most observant of teachers, particularly if one of his beloved animals needed attention. It wouldn’t be at all difficult for Mariella to slip back to Peony Branch during his sessions.

  ‘Well, that proves it!’ Sooze ju
mped up from her mushroom seat. ‘I reckon we should give her a taste of her own fairy dust. Rip her petal duvet into pieces, and see how she likes it.’

  ‘No!’ burst out Twink. She lowered her voice. ‘We can’t do that, Sooze.’

  ‘Of course not!’ Bimi’s cheeks were flushed with distress. ‘We have to go straight to Miss Shimmery, and tell her what’s going on.’

  Twink hesitated, and then shook her head. ‘No, I – I don’t want to do that either, not just yet. She wants us to handle things on our own. She said so.’

  Dropping back on to her seat, Sooze folded her arms across her chest. ‘Well, what do you suggest, Noble Leader? Shall we just ask Mariella nicely to stop?’

  Twink reddened at the sarcastic tone. Her Opposite was great fun when it came to playing pranks, but not much help at all when it came to anything serious.

  ‘I don’t know,’ she said tightly. ‘If it really is Mariella, then she needs to be stopped, but – but we need to be completely sure that it’s her.’

  Pix shook her head. ‘Twink, it is her. I’ve already explained –’

  ‘I know!’ Twink took a deep breath. ‘But . . . I’m just not totally convinced.’

  Oh, this was dreadful! All of her friends were staring at her in amazed disbelief. Even Bimi looked uncertain. But Twink was supposed to be in charge. She couldn’t go along with something that she wasn’t sure about, could she?

  ‘We need proof!’ she said desperately. ‘And then once we have proof, we’ll go to Miss Shimmery.’

  ‘Proof?’ Sooze’s violet eyes began to sparkle. She glanced at Pix. ‘Are you thinking what I’m thinking?’

  Pix nodded, rubbing her chin. ‘We’ll have to set a trap for her.’

  .

  .

  ‘Exactly!’ Sooze shot up into the air. ‘Brilliant work, Opposite! This is going to be the most glimmery fun ever – catching Mosquito Nose in the act!’

  As the others burst into eager chatter, Bimi caught Twink’s eye and gave her a small, sad smile. Twink smiled back, relieved that at least one fairy understood how she felt. Nothing about being in charge seemed very ‘fun’ to her. In fact, she thought she’d give anything at all not to be.

  *

  ‘Fairy Trail Powder!’ announced Sooze the next morning. They were in the second-year bath branch, giving their wings a good scrubbing. ‘I got a batch of it from Winn – Mosquito Nose won’t stand a chance.’

  Twink winced at the mention of Sooze’s older sister. Somehow, things always seemed to go wrong when one of her spells or potions was involved!

  ‘Are you sure?’ she asked doubtfully. Choosing a fresh rose petal, she started to dry her arms.

  Pix grinned as she wrung out her mossy sponge in the walnut bucket. ‘It’s perfect! All we have to do is sprinkle some on Mariella’s pixie boots without her noticing, and then wherever she goes, it’ll leave a trail! We’ll be able to see exactly what she’s been up to.’

  ‘And the best part is, we’re the only ones who’ll be able to see the trail,’ put in Sooze. ‘Only fairies who know about it can see the magic.’

  ‘But that’s glimmery!’ gasped Twink. ‘That means all we have to do is keep putting it on her until something else happens to Lola. Then we’ll know for sure if –’ She broke off. Sooze was shaking her head.

  .

  .

  ‘No, there’s just enough for one dose. It only lasts a few hours, and Winn said this is the only batch she’ll be able to do for us – she had an awful time getting hold of the mangle-weed.’

  Twink frowned as she hung her petal up to dry. ‘But then how will we know when to use it? We can’t predict when the pranks will happen – if we could, we’d have stopped them before now.’

  ‘We’ll have to time it carefully, that’s all,’ said Pix. ‘Keep an eye out, you two. If you spot Mariella and Lola quarrelling – there’s our chance!’

  That afternoon during Sparkle Art, Twink gazed glumly at her latest self-portrait. The Twink gazing back at her looked more worried than ever, and the badge on her chest had grown to the size of a dandelion flower. Now it read: Peony Branch Head – Ugh!

  Mr Prism, passing by, shook his head sympathetically. ‘Looks like you’ve got a lot on your mind.’

  Twink sighed. ‘I’ll never get a normal-looking portrait!’

  Mr Prism chuckled. ‘“Normal” is in the eye of the beholder, Twink. But once you feel differently about things, your portrait will look different, too.’

  Like that will really happen, thought Twink. She couldn’t imagine ever feeling differently about being in charge! She started to take her portrait down from the easel.

  ‘No, Mariella! Stop it!’

  Twink’s head snapped up as she looked across to where Lola sat beside Mariella. The pointy-faced fairy was holding the moss sponge out of Lola’s reach. ‘Show it to me, Lola! What are you hiding?’

  ‘Nothing!’ cried Lola. Her arms were stretched across her self-portrait, shielding it. ‘It’s come out wrong again, that’s all – please let me wipe it away.’

  ‘Girls, girls!’ Mr Prism hurried to intervene as the branch fell silent. ‘What’s going on?’

  Mariella’s face reddened. She threw the sponge down. ‘She won’t show her painting to anyone. Not even to me – her best friend!’

  ‘Well, that’s her choice,’ said Mr Prism mildly. ‘Will you let me see your portrait, Lola? I’d like to very much, if you don’t mind.’

  Lola wavered, biting her lip. Finally she gave a tiny nod, and moved her arms. Spreading his wings so that no one else could see, Mr Prism gazed carefully at Lola’s painting on its twiggy easel. Lola stared down at her pixie boots, avoiding Mariella’s furious glare.

  .

  .

  The Peony Branch fairies glanced at each other with raised eyebrows. What in the world could it look like?

  Even Jax, watching from the back of the branch, seemed interested. Peering quickly over her shoulder at her, Twink thought that hers was another portrait she’d love to see! But the spiky-haired fairy was no friendlier than she had been, and kept her portraits firmly tucked away in her petal bag.

  ‘That’s extremely good, Lola,’ said Mr Prism finally. He smiled at her. ‘Are you sure you don’t want the others to see?’

  Lola’s thin face turned snowflake-pale. ‘No – no!’ she gasped.

  ‘All right.’ Mr Prism patted her shoulder. ‘But I think you should save it – it’s really too good to destroy.’

  Cheeks blazing, Lola rolled the portrait up and shoved it away in her bag. The moment class was over, she grabbed her things and jetted from the branch like her wings were on fire. Scowling, Mariella started to follow.

  ‘Mariella, I’d like a word, please,’ called Mr Prism from the front of the branch.

  Mariella stopped short. ‘But, sir –’

  ‘Now, please.’ Though Mr Prism never raised his voice, something in his tone could quell the most unruly fairy. Mariella fluttered sulkily to his desk.

  Twink longed to hear what was being said, but Mr Prism was watching, waiting for everyone to leave. Reluctantly, she gathered her things together and flew from the branch behind the others.

  Sooze had hung back, waiting for her. ‘Today’s the day, all right!’ she whispered. ‘Did you see? Mariella was fuming – she’ll play another prank against Lola for sure!’ Her pink wings flashed as she bounced in the air. ‘Ooh, I can hardly wait to catch her in the act!’

  Though Twink couldn’t share Sooze’s excitement, she knew the lavender-haired fairy was right. She nodded. ‘We’ll do it today. Do you have the Fairy Trail Powder?’

  Sooze grinned and patted her petal bag. ‘Right here!’

  .

  Chapter Six

  Sooze drew a small a
corn container out of her petal bag and took the lid off. Peering inside, Twink saw a dull yellow powder. She wrinkled her nose at it. It didn’t look very magical!

  ‘Are you sure Winn mixed it right?’ she asked.

  ‘Of course,’ said Sooze, affronted. ‘Her spells always work. Just wait, it’ll be – oof!’

  Mariella had come barrelling out of the Sparkle Art branch, and crashed straight into her. The acorn container went flying. Twink dived to save it, snatching it out of the air just in time. Phew! she thought.

  ‘Oh!’ cried Mariella, disentangling herself with a shove. ‘What are you doing hovering here, where anyone can fly straight into you?’

  ‘Well, it helps to look where you’re going!’ said Sooze wryly. ‘You’re lucky you didn’t get something spilt on you.’ She gave Twink a quick look.

  Twink’s heart pounded as she realised what Sooze meant. Hastily, while Mariella was still glaring at Sooze, she scattered the yellow powder on to the pointy-faced fairy’s pixie boots.

  ‘Just watch where you’re hovering next time!’ snapped Mariella, and skimmed away up the trunk. A golden trail followed her, like a thin, sparkling ribbon.

  ‘It worked!’ gasped Twink.

  ‘Of course it did!’ said Sooze with a grin. ‘Did you see her face? She won’t be able to resist doing something to Lola during afternoon study! Ooh, I can hardly wait!’

  *

  Afternoon study had never moved so slowly before. Twink fidgeted, unable to concentrate. Finally, the magpie’s call echoed through the school. At last! Shoving her things in her petal bag, Twink flitted quickly across to Pix and Sooze.

  ‘Ready?’ asked Sooze, her eyes shining.

  Twink nodded. ‘Come on!’

  She held her breath as they flew out into the trunk. If Mariella had flown to Peony Branch, then they should see a trail of sparkling gold passing right by them, for the branch was near the very top of the school.

  But there was nothing.

  Sooze blinked in surprise as the three of them hovered midair, with streams of chattering fairies from different years passing by. ‘But – I don’t understand! I was sure Mosquito Nose would do something else to get at Lola today!’