Fledge Star (5 page)

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Chapter Six

The story of how the Sparklelight match had been lost travelled quickly about Glitterwings. Twink's pointed ears burned with the whispers and comments, until she wanted to crawl away into a knothole and hide.

‘Ooh, be careful, girls,' cooed a third-year fairy to her friends the day after the game, as Peony Branch flew past them on their way to breakfast. ‘Twink might not have got enough sleep last night – she could fall right out of the air on top of us!'

Twink whirled furiously about, but the older girls were already gone, flitting away like bright, laughing birds. Suddenly Twink realised that Sooze was laughing, too! She stared at her friend in hurt amazement.

Pix poked Sooze in the ribs. ‘Sooze, hush!' she hissed.

‘I'm sorry!' gasped Sooze. She bounced in the air, clutching her sides. ‘Oh, but Twink, it really is funny – you falling asleep, right out on the Fledge field –'

‘It is
not
funny!' shouted Twink, her fists clenched.

Sooze's eyes widened. ‘What are you so cross about? It's only a game, Twink!'

Hardly able to see for the tears, Twink flew away as fast as she could. Not the Great Branch! She couldn't bear to sit there with the whole school sniggering at her. Darting through the stream of fairies heading for breakfast, Twink jetted downwards towards the library.

The tall room was empty this early in the morning. Its narrow shelves touched the ceiling high overhead, and long windows let in the sunlight.

Swooping into the room, Twink perched on one of the spotted mushroom seats and drew her knees to her chest, burying her head in her arms. It was so unfair!
How
could Sooze laugh at her? What sort of a friend was she, anyway?

It's not her fault,
said a little voice inside of her.
It's yours, for falling asleep!

‘Twink?'

She looked up. Bimi hovered in front of her, her expression worried. ‘Are you all right?' she asked.

Twink shrugged and wiped her eyes. ‘Oh, of course! Why shouldn't I be?'

.

.

Bimi sat down beside her, rubbing her silver and gold wing against Twink's lavender one. ‘It was really mean of Sooze to laugh like that.'

‘She's right, though,' said Twink bitterly. ‘It
was
funny. Especially to the Sparklelight team! I really let everyone down, didn't I?'

Bimi looked uncomfortable. ‘You didn't mean to. Besides, who knows . . . maybe you wouldn't have tagged the Stealer even if you had seen Madge's signal.'

‘But that's the point – I didn't even see it!' burst out Twink. ‘Madge won't ever trust me again. The whole team probably hates me!'

Bimi started to reply, and then stopped. ‘Well . . . not getting any sleep
wasn't
the cleverest thing to do before a match,' she said finally, playing with her sash. ‘But now you know better, so –'

‘Oh, thanks a lot!' cried Twink, jumping up. ‘You just couldn't let it drop, could you? You have to be so
right
all the time!'

Her voice echoed around the high, empty room. Deep down, Twink knew she was being unreasonable – none of this was Bimi's fault. But suddenly it didn't matter.

Bimi clapped her wings together in exasperation. ‘Well, you
shouldn't
have stayed up so late! I know you were just worried about learning the set pieces, but –'

‘But it's my fault that we lost – right?' Twink folded her arms over her chest as she hovered.

Bimi let out a breath. ‘Oh, Twink, I don't want to argue! Can't we just –'

Twink didn't wait to hear the rest of it. She skimmed from the room as fast as she could, banging the heavy door shut behind her.

‘Stay still, you wretched flea!' shouted Madge. But the insect was in a playful mood, jumping from post to post with wild abandon. Landing on the tallest, he waggled his antennae at Madge and then leapt away again as she swooped down on him, red-faced.

Twink and Mariella hovered at the edge of the field, watching as Madge tried to set up the practice game.

‘Did . . . um . . . did the others say anything about me in the changing branch today?' whispered Twink to Mariella.

Her wings felt stiff as she waited for Mariella's answer. She had been keeping herself apart from the rest of the team ever since the Sparklelight match, too nervous of their reaction to risk talking to them.

The pointy-faced fairy shrugged. ‘Nothing much. Don't worry about it.'

What did
nothing much
mean?

Twink bit her lip and glanced at the rest of the team, hovering a little way away.

‘Ha – got you!' Madge grabbed the Flea and flew with him to the centre post, plunking him down into place. The Flea turned its back on her, looking sulky.

‘But what did they actually say?' Twink whispered as she and Mariella took their places. They were both playing on the Stealer team this game, hovering with the others in a circle around the Guards until Madge gave them the signal to begin.

Mariella gave her a troubled look. ‘Well . . . it was just Mia. And a couple of the others.'

‘Yes, but what did she
say
?' cried Twink in agony.

Mariella sighed. ‘She said that you're an even worse player now than before. I
really
wouldn't pay any attention to her, Twink,' she added hastily. ‘She's not worth your time!'

Twink swallowed hard, fighting tears. Had friendly, blue-haired Mia really said that? But she knew it must be true. By now the rest of the school seemed to have forgotten about the Sparklelight match, but the team still hadn't spoken to her, not once. She knew they must wish she had never made the team.

The two weeks since the match had felt very lonely to Twink. She'd apologised to Bimi after the incident in the library, but things hadn't really felt the same between them since. And because she was still too angry with Sooze to be on good terms with her either, Twink had been spending a lot of time on her own. In fact, she spoke more to Mariella now than practically anyone else!

.

.

Madge blew her reed whistle, and the practice game started. The Flea took off from his post, the Guards hot on his heels. Pip, a fourth-year student with bright green hair, flitted past. Too late, Twink twisted in the air, trying to tag her – but her fingers closed over empty air.

Twink's wings burned. Everyone must be thinking that she couldn't play well even when she was awake! Keeping her eyes fixed determinedly on the Flea, Twink swooped around a post at top speed.

‘Oof!' she cried as she collided with another fairy. She realised it was Mia, and wanted to sink into the ground.

Mia rubbed her wing with a grimace. ‘Ouch! Are you –'

‘Sorry,' mumbled Twink. She jetted quickly away, not waiting to hear Mia's response.

The rest of the game seemed a nightmare that would never end. Certain that the team must be sneering at her every wing stroke, Twink fumbled each move she tried. Finally, when she caught the Flea but then dropped him again, Madge blew her whistle piercingly.

Twink hovered, red-faced, as the Flea bounced nimbly away. Madge flew up and propped her hands on her hips, her large green wings stirring the air.

.

.

‘What's up with you, Twink?' she demanded. ‘You've been playing like you've got a bag over your head lately! Are you
still
not getting enough sleep?'

Twink winced and looked down, fiddling with the hem of her oak-leaf team uniform. She had been so proud the first time she put it on! Now it just seemed like a bad joke.

‘I don't know,' she said. ‘I just . . . feel sort of nervous.'

Madge sighed. ‘Well, I gave you another chance, but it's not working out, is it?'

Twink felt as if Madge had dunked her in an icy pond. ‘What do you mean?' she stammered.

‘I mean you're off the team!' snapped Madge. ‘You're going to have to try out for me again before I'll let you back on – and I'll only hold your place for a couple of weeks, so you'd better get your act together quickly!'

Twink saw Mia and the others glance at each other, and struggled to hold back tears. ‘But – but what about the Forestglow match this Saturday?' she whispered. ‘Vera's still out with her wing –'

Madge shook her head. ‘Sorry, Twink, but I can't depend on you, not the way you've been playing. You're off, I said – now go on, flap off!'

Back in the changing branch, Twink showered and changed as quickly as she could, desperate to be away before practice was over and the rest of the team came in. She could hardly blame Madge, she supposed – but oh, how humiliating! And after everything the team had been saying about her, too!

Twink's fingers trembled as she tied her sash about her waist. Clapping her oak-leaf cap on to her head, she grabbed up her petal bag and started to skim from the branch.

‘Oh!' She fluttered backwards as Mariella flew in. Her cheeks caught fire. ‘I've got to go,' she muttered, and tried to push past the other fairy.

‘Twink, wait!' Mariella grabbed her arm and pulled her into one of the bark partitions, banging the door shut behind them. ‘Listen, I've got an idea,' she whispered.

‘Didn't you hear Madge?' Twink choked out. ‘I'm off the team! And – and Mia and everyone else must be completely thrilled!'

Mariella shook her silvery-green head as the other fairies started fluttering in. ‘Who cares what they think?' she hissed. ‘Didn't
you
hear Madge? All you've got to do is try out for her again, and you're back on the team!'

Twink shrugged, trying to hold back tears. ‘I know – but –'

‘And
I'm
going to help
you do it,' continued Mariella. ‘We'll practise like mad until you get your confidence back!'

Twink felt her mouth fall open. She snapped it shut again. ‘You – you want to help me practise? But why?'