Term-Time Trouble (6 page)

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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 acorn 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!'

Just then Bimi and the others appeared, flitting out from the Common Branch. Bimi glanced curiously at them. ‘Are you coming back to Peony Branch with us, Twink?'

Twink shook her head, and watched glumly as they all skimmed away up the trunk. She was glad she hadn't said anything about the trap. It didn't seem to have been a success so far!

‘Well, let's follow the trail from the start,' said Pix after a pause. ‘Maybe she sneaked out of a window and doubled back to Peony Branch that way.'

The three friends plunged into a dive, weaving through the crowds of flying fairies. When they got to the Sparkle Art branch the golden trail was still there, hanging lazily in the air. A group of fourth-year fairies flew through it, oblivious to its presence.

The trail led them to the various branches where they had all had their afternoon classes, and then on to the Creature Kindness classroom, where Mariella had the extra session on her own. Twink's heart thudded as she saw that the golden ribbon went into the branch, and then out . . . and then back in again.

‘She must be in there now!' she whispered. ‘But look, we were right – she definitely left at some point –'

She broke off as Mariella herself came skimming out of the branch. She pulled up short when she saw them, clearly unaware of the glittering trail that spooled from her pixie boots with her every move. ‘What are
you
lot doing here?' she demanded.

Sooze shrugged. ‘We missed you,' she said. ‘We had to come and find you.'

‘Very funny!' snapped Mariella, and zoomed away up the trunk, the golden trail sparkling after her.

Keeping out of sight of Mr Woodleaf, Twink peered quickly into the Creature Kindness branch. ‘Nothing strange there,' she said. ‘Come on – let's see if she went out of a window somewhere!'

.

.

The three fairies darted down the trunk. But the gleaming trail led them only to the tuck shop, and then to the fountain of fresh dew that pattered at the base of the tree. Mariella seemed to have wasted as much time as she could of her study session, but she hadn't gone to Peony Branch.

The fairies looked at each other in dismay. How
could Mariella have resisted playing another prank when she had been so furious with Lola? It didn't make any sense! And now they wouldn't get another chance to follow her.

Sooze folded her arms over her chest. ‘Well, I still don't see why we need
proof.
We all know she's the one who's been doing it –'

‘We just do,' said Twink shortly, not wanting to start the argument again. ‘We'll have to find some other way to catch her. Come on, let's get back to Peony Branch. At least nothing else has happened to Lola!'

Twink knew she was wrong the moment they flew back into their branch. Something else
had
happened to Lola. The scrawny little fairy lay huddled and sobbing on her bed. Jax sat beside her, patting her back, while Mariella stood to one side and scowled. The rest of Peony Branch hung about helplessly, looking shaken.

The torn pieces of Lola's self-portrait were scattered viciously across the floor. It looked like someone had ground a savage heel into several of the scraps, obliterating them completely.

Twink's wings turned to ice. Oh, no! It had happened
again.
And since it couldn't have been Mariella – then
who
?

‘What happened?' she asked Bimi in a low voice.

Bimi's eyes were wide and worried. ‘We came here straight after study time, and found Lola's portrait like this. It
had
to have been done during afternoon study – and all of us were together in the Common Branch then! Except –' She glanced guiltily at Mariella.

‘No, it wasn't her,' said Twink. She explained about the Fairy Trail Powder. ‘We know exactly where she's been – she didn't come back here during study time.'

‘You did
what
?' screeched Mariella. She stamped her foot, sending a flurry of golden sparks spinning about the room. ‘How dare you? You think
I've
been doing these things?'

‘Oh, calm down, Mosquito Nose,' said Sooze tiredly. ‘We know it wasn't you now.'

‘Oh! You – you – oh!' Clearly unable to think of something bad enough to call them, Mariella gave a final furious shriek and flounced from the branch, with the golden trail still swirling after her. There was a silence.

Zena looked baffled. ‘But – then who could it be? Who would want to do this to Lola?'

Sooze's mouth was set in a grim line. ‘I think
I
know, actually. It's what I thought right from the start. Listen, everyone. This sort of thing has never happened to us before, has it?'

Twink stared at Sooze, wondering what she was getting at. On the bed, Jax looked up, her eyes suddenly narrowed.

‘I don't think –' started Pix.

Sooze held up her hand for silence. ‘Think about it! We've all been together right from our first term, and nothing like this has
ever
happened. And then someone new arrives
–
'
she pointed at Jax, ‘and suddenly we're scared to come back to our branch because of what we might find!'

Twink saw Sili and Zena glance at each other, and could tell that Sooze's argument had struck a chord with them. She herself didn't know what to think. The spiky-haired fairy kept so much to herself, and was so unfriendly . . .
could
it be her?

‘But Sooze, when would she have done them?' pointed out Pix. ‘She's been in the Common Branch with the rest of us during the study times!'

‘Yes, I'd like to hear that myself,' said Jax coolly.

Sooze flapped her wings. ‘I don't know! Maybe she's picked up some tricks in one of her other schools that we don't know about – a mirror spell or something. Who knows? But it's her, I'm telling you. It must be!'

Jax stood up, her fists clenched at her sides. ‘And what have I got against Lola, exactly?'

Sooze glared at her. ‘Maybe you just like picking on fairies weaker than yourself. How should
I
know why you do things?'

‘Well, you seem to know all the rest of it!' snapped Jax. She glanced at the others. ‘What about you lot? Do
you
think I'm guilty?'

Nobody spoke. Sili and Zena stared stonily back at Jax, clearly convinced by Sooze's logic. Bimi bit her lip uncertainly, and even Pix looked torn.

‘I see,' said Jax coldly. She looked at Twink. ‘And what about you?'

.

.

Twink hesitated, remembering the dance class – ages ago now, it seemed – when she had heard Jax's thoughts, and had thought that the spiky-haired fairy was sad. But Jax had been so furious when she tried to talk to her afterwards! Maybe Sooze was right.

‘I – I don't know,' she said miserably. ‘It
could
be you, I suppose. But we don't have any proof –'

‘Oh, you and your proof!' scoffed Sooze. ‘Without Jax, there's no trouble – with Jax, trouble! What more proof do you need?'

Lola had sat up on her bed, her tear-stained face stricken. ‘I – I don't think it's Jax,' she said in a small voice. ‘She was really nice to me when I found my portrait torn up.'

‘Yes, but she
would
be, don't you see?' said Sooze impatiently. ‘She's hardly going to laugh at you and confess that it was her!'

Twink saw Lola's face turn pale, and felt a rush of pity for her. Poor Lola! The suggestion that Jax had been putting on false sympathy was obviously a dreadful one for her.

This whole situation was dreadful, in fact. And as much as Twink hated it, she knew that she was the only one who could end it.

She took a deep breath. ‘Sooze, this has to stop,' she said firmly. ‘We don't have any proof, and it's wrong to accuse Jax this way.'

There was a startled silence. Sili and Zena both looked slightly shamefaced, while Bimi and Pix nodded.

Twink went on, not paying attention to any of them, ‘And Jax, if it
is
you, then I'm warning you now: we've had enough trouble to last us a lifetime, and we're not going to put up with it any more. I'll go straight to Miss Shimmery if anything else happens, and let
her
deal with it.'

The branch was so still that you could have heard a mouse cough. Twink looked around her, meeting everyone's eyes one by one. ‘Do you all understand?'