Term-Time Trouble (7 page)

Sooze's face was poppy-red. She opened her mouth, and then snapped it shut again.

‘Well done, Branch Leader,' said Pix softly. And from Bimi's shining eyes, Twink knew that her best friend felt the same.

Twink felt her shoulders straighten, as though she had suddenly grown a little bit taller. For the first time since she'd started school, she'd done something without caring what Sooze or anyone else thought of her – and it felt wonderful!

‘Well,
I
understand that everyone still thinks I might have done it,' said Jax bitterly. ‘It's not over with for
me
, is it? You all still think I'm guilty.'

‘We don't
know
that you are,' said Pix. ‘But –'

‘But you all think
it, and you'll think it for as long as I'm stuck at this stupid school!' Jax scowled, her blue wings fluttering angrily. ‘You want proof, Twink? Well, I think you should
have
proof.'

‘What do you mean?' asked Twink in trepidation.

Jax snorted. ‘Simple! It's someone from this branch, but you're all convinced that it couldn't
possibly
be one of you. Well, I'm not so sure! I say you should find out once and for all.'

‘But . . . how?' Bimi's forehead was creased.

‘Easy!' Jax folded her arms over her chest, challenging them all with her stare. ‘Hold a fairy dust trial.'

.

Chapter Seven

A fairy dust trial! Twink's wings chilled at the thought. The other fairies looked at each other uneasily. Yes, a fairy dust trial would decide the matter for good . . . but it was extremely powerful magic, normally forbidden to under age fairies . . .

Pix licked her lips. ‘I – I suppose I could find the spell in the library, if I sneaked into the restricted section. What do you think, Twink? Is it a good idea?'

Everyone turned to her expectantly, waiting for her to decide. Twink swallowed, unused to being asked for her opinion in this way – but to her surprise, she found that she had an answer.

‘I think we should do it,' she said softly. ‘Jax is right – we
do
all suspect her. And if she's really not guilty, then someone else
is. This will settle things once and for all.'

‘Will we
all
have to do it?' asked Sili, her eyes wide.

Twink nodded. ‘Yes, all of us – me included! It's the only way we'll ever know for sure.'

Pix looked pale, but clapped her wings together firmly. ‘All right, that's decided, then. I'll find the spell and – and we'll do it tonight, after glow-worms out.'

‘Wash behind your ears, you lot! Pix, get those wings polished, flitter-flutter – leaves and acorns, I've never seen such a bunch of slow-worms as you girls tonight!' Mrs Hover bustled heavily about Peony Branch as the fairies got ready for bed,
tsking
at their slowness.

Twink's arms felt heavy as she polished her wings and combed her hair. She didn't blame the others for dawdling. She wasn't looking forward to the trial, either.

In the next bed, Bimi caught Twink's eye and gave her an encouraging look. ‘Don't worry,' she whispered. ‘You're doing the right thing!'

Twink tried to smile, but she wasn't sure at all any more what the right thing was. But
something
had to be done – that much was certain. If only a fairy dust trial wasn't such a serious, forbidden thing!

Finally the fairies were all tucked into their mossy beds. Mrs Hover gave the branch a final scan, and nodded in satisfaction. ‘Good night, my dears. Glow-worms out!'

The glow-worms in the wooden lanterns overhead put out their lights, plunging the branch into darkness. Twink lay very still under her petal duvet, listening as Mrs Hover closed the door behind her and flew away.

When she was certain that the matron was gone, Twink sat up in bed, heart pounding. ‘Glow-worms on,' she whispered. ‘But only one – and softly!'

A faint light lit the room. The other fairies sat up too, looking wide-eyed and solemn. Nobody spoke.

.

.

Twink took a deep breath. ‘Come on, everyone. Let's get this over with.'

The Peony fairies stood in a silent line, looking ghostly in their nightclothes in the dim light. Pix took out a bag of fairy dust – the same batch that Twink had used to play the prank on Jasmine Branch so long ago. ‘I cast the spell on it earlier,' said Pix in a low voice.

Despite their gravity, fairy dust trials were simple enough: a powerful truth spell was cast on fairy dust, which was then sprinkled on someone. That fairy then had no choice but to tell the truth.

Steeling herself, Twink turned to Pix. ‘Do me first,' she said firmly. ‘Then I'll do you and the others.'

Pix nodded. ‘All right. Stand still.'

Twink stood without moving as Pix drew a pinch of the enchanted dust from the pouch. ‘Twink, are you the one who's been playing the pranks on Peony Branch?' she asked, and flung the dust over Twink's head.

The strangest sensation swept through Twink, as though the dust was worming into her mind and finding out the truth for itself. ‘No, I'm not,' she heard herself say – though she herself had no control over the words.

The feeling vanished, and Twink sagged in relief. For a moment there, she had almost felt guilty! ‘Jax, let's do you next,' she said. If the spiky-haired fairy
was
the culprit, it was best to get it over with quickly.

Jax flitted forward without hesitation. Twink took the pouch from Pix and drew out a pinch of dust. ‘Jax, are you the one who's been playing these pranks on Peony Branch?' she asked.

She tossed the dust over Jax's head, just as Pix had done.

It settled over Jax in a glittering cloud. There was a moment of silence as the dust did its work.

‘No, I'm not,' said Jax in a slightly faraway voice.

A faint gasp of surprise rippled through the branch, and Twink let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding. So Jax really
hadn't
done it!

A moment later, Jax was herself again. ‘See, I told you it wasn't me!' She folded her arms triumphantly over her chest. ‘Maybe you'll think twice before accusing someone next time, Sooze.'

Sooze looked stunned, but recovered herself quickly. ‘All right, I was wrong!' she said. ‘But you can hardly blame me – you act like you've just sat on a nettle! And you were so secretive about that portrait of yours –'

‘Sooze, it doesn't matter –' started Twink.

‘You want to see my portrait?' Jax's wings flapped angrily. ‘Fine! Here it is!'

Springing to her cupboard, she flung open the door and pulled out a bit of birch bark. She unrolled it with a flourish. ‘There! Are you happy now?'

.

.

Twink caught her breath. Jax's portrait showed her with drooping wings and tear-filled eyes. Behind her was a series of schools, each more dismal-looking than the last. A smiling fairy couple flew away over the horizon, waving goodbye.

‘Those are all the schools I've been to,' said Jax, jabbing a finger at the painting. ‘And
those
are my parents. They've both got really important jobs, so I hardly ever get to see them – they just keep sending me to school after school. I've tried getting expelled so that I'll get sent home again, but it never works. They just find another new school for me!'

The fairies stared at her in horrified sympathy. Twink's throat tightened as she thought of her own loving family, always so supportive and kind. Poor Jax! How awful not to feel wanted.

‘Oh,
Jax –
' started Bimi, her blue eyes bright with tears.

‘Stop! I don't want you to feel sorry for me. Any of you!' Jax's chin trembled, but she lifted it proudly. ‘I just thought I'd tell you, that's all. So . . . now you know.' She rolled the portrait up again and shoved it back in her cupboard.

Sooze flitted across the branch and touched her wing to Jax's. ‘I really am sorry,' she said sincerely. ‘I was a wasp brain. Will you forgive me, Jax?'

Surprise slackened Jax's features, and then suddenly she smiled – an open, honest smile that changed her whole appearance. ‘That's all right,' she said. ‘I don't really blame you – I suppose I didn't act very friendly.'

‘That's
an understatement,' laughed Sooze. The two fairies grinned at each other.

‘Well, this is all very lovely,' said Mariella, tapping her wings together sourly. ‘But we
still
don't know who's been doing all these pranks against Lola. It could even be Sooze, for all we know!'

Her pointed face was set in a scowl. She obviously hadn't forgiven them for the fairy trail powder, even though it had proved her innocence.

‘Mariella's right,' said Twink reluctantly. ‘Get in a line, everyone. Let's get this settled once and for all.'

One by one, Twink sprinkled the others with fairy dust. Pix, Sooze, Mariella, Zena – all were innocent.

Sili was next. Twink bit her lip, unsure what to think. After Sili, only Bimi and Lola remained – and Twink knew with utter certainty that her best friend would never have played such vicious pranks.
Could
it be Sili?

If it was, Sili didn't seem worried in the least. She smiled cheerfully as Twink fumbled in her pouch for the last few pinches of fairy dust.

‘This is exciting!' she said, bouncing on her toes. ‘Go on, Twink, ask me!'

Twink asked the question, and threw the dust. Sili shut her eyes. ‘No, it wasn't me,' she said after a moment. ‘Ooh!' she squealed, her eyes flying open. ‘That's
spooky
, isn't it?'

.

.

No one laughed. Bimi's face reddened as everyone stared at her in confusion. Twink could practically see the same thought battling in all their minds – if only Bimi and Lola were left, then it must be Bimi – but how
could
it be? Bimi didn't have a mean bone in her body!

Twink looked at Lola. The scrawny fairy's face was snowflake-pale. She stood almost shaking, staring at the pouch of fairy dust.

Lola!
The thought struck Twink like a lightning bolt. She had found Lola alone in the branch that day, when her petal duvet had been destroyed. And it had always been Lola's things that got the worst of it, right from the very start. Had Lola been destroying her
own
belongings? But why?

‘Um – why don't you go next, Lola?' Twink tried to sound casual.

Lola gulped, quivering like a blade of grass. Slowly, Twink saw the same suspicion dawn on the faces of her friends. Sooze narrowed her eyes, while Pix's widened in sudden understanding.

‘Well,
that's
hardly fair!' cried Mariella. ‘Why should Lola have to go at all? It's obvious that Bimi's guilty – Twink's just trying to spare her best friend!'

‘Lola?' said Twink in a soft voice. ‘It
was
you, wasn't it? It was you all along.'

The thin little fairy burst into tears, covering her face with her wings. ‘Yes!' she sobbed. ‘Oh, please don't hate me, please don't! I just had to get away from here. I had to get away from Mariella, and it was the only way I could think of to do it!'