Olivia's Twinkling Spell Read online

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  For Isabella, with love

  TEAM STARLIGHT

  TEAM TWINSTAR

  Dear Stargirl,

  Welcome to Stargirl Academy!

  My name is Fairy Mary McBee and I’m delighted you’re here. All my Stargirls are very special and I can tell that you are wonderful too.

  We’ll be learning how to use magic safely and efficiently to help anyone who is in trouble, but before we go any further I have a request. The Academy MUST be kept secret. This is VERY important…

  So may I ask you to join our other Stargirls in making The Promise? Read it – say it out loud if you wish – then sign your name on the bottom line.

  Thank you so much … and well done!

  Fairy Mary

  The Promise

  I will never speak of Stargirl Academy to others outside these cloudy walls, whatever they ask and whatever they offer. This I solemnly promise, for now, always and for ever.

  The Book of

  Spells

  by

  Fairy Mary McBee

  Head Teacher at

  The Fairy Mary McBee

  Academy for Stargirls

  A complete list of Spells can be obtained from the Academy. Only the fully qualified need apply. Other applications will be refused.

  Twinkling Spells

  Twinkling Spells are the most powerful of all the Spells taught at the Fairy Mary McBee Academy for Stargirls, and should be used with extreme caution. Any student found using a Twinkling Spell incorrectly will be asked to leave the Academy immediately.

  The only Twinkling Spell available to students at Stargirl Academy is the Choosing Spell, also known as the Direction of Choice

  WARNING: though apparently simple, this spell can have extremely far-reaching consequences.

  Hello … I’m very pleased to meet you. My name is Olivia Isabella Jones, and I think you might have met some of my friends at the Fairy Mary McBee Academy for Stargirls. I do hope you have, because they’re wonderful!

  Being chosen to be a Stargirl is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I’m on my own quite a lot, because Mum’s always busy feeding my baby brother, or giving him baths, or changing his nappy. Sometimes Sophie comes round, or I go to her house, but she often has to look after her little brother Pete.

  Sophie’s a Stargirl too; I don’t think I’d have ever gone to the Academy if it wasn’t for her. I’d never have dared to go through the huge front door, but she dragged me inside.

  That’s typical of Sophie! I’m quite shy, and I worry about things, but she doesn’t. When the very first Tingle came and we disovered that it meant the Academy was floating nearby, and we’d be having lessons in spells and magic, Sophie was thrilled to pieces. I was a little bit excited – but I was worried as well. I thought my mum would be horribly anxious if she found I was missing … but the head teacher, Fairy Mary McBee (she’s SO lovely!), promised it would be all right. She told us that we’d get back home at exactly the same moment as we’d left, so nobody would ever know we’d been away. And I’m not worried any more. I just look forward to when the next Tingle arrives…

  Love, Olivia xxx

  Chapter One

  I never thought a Tingle would come when I was away from home. Mum had dropped me off at Auntie June’s house; she was taking my baby brother to the clinic, and Auntie June had asked me over to play with my cousin Hannah. I love Hannah; she’s younger than I am, but we get on really well. She’s got an older brother called Harry, but I don’t think he likes me much. Hannah says he doesn’t like any girls, and he’s really mean to her when Auntie June isn’t looking.

  I was surprised that Hannah didn’t open the door when I knocked. Normally she’s hanging around waiting for me to arrive, but it was Auntie June who let me in. She gave me a hug, and then she said, “I’m SO pleased you’re here, Olivia. Hannah’s upstairs. She’s meant to be doing her weekend homework, and she’s having trouble with it.” She shook her head. “She doesn’t find school easy, you know. Not like you and Harry. I hoped she might do better when she changed schools. She started brilliantly – she’s well above average with her reading, apparently – but now they keep telling me she’s not trying. I asked Harry to help her, but she wouldn’t let him into her room. I’m sure she’ll want to see you, though.”

  I nodded, and hurried up the stairs. I could hear Hannah crying before I’d even opened the door. “Hannah!” I called. “It’s me! Can I come in?”

  Harry popped out of his room. “She’s just making a fuss,” he said. “She’s got to write a story and she says she can’t. I told her she was stupid, so now she’s crying. GIRLS!” And he disappeared again.

  I thought, “BOYS!”

  Hannah was lying on her bed, but she sat up as I came in, and I saw her eyes were puffy and red. “What is it?” I asked as I sat down close beside her.

  Hannah sniffed. “Nothing,” she said. “I was being silly.”

  There were loads of screwed-up bits of paper all over the floor. I picked one up, but as I began to straighten it out, Hannah snatched it from my hand. “Don’t,” she said. “It’s rubbish!”

  “Why?” I asked.

  “Because it IS.” Hannah tore it into tiny little bits. “It’s rubbish rubbish rubbish.”

  I watched as she flung the bits in the waste-paper basket. “Can I help?”

  “No.” Hannah rubbed at her eyes. “It’s fine.”

  It obviously wasn’t, but I couldn’t say anything. Instead I flicked over a couple of pages of the book on the bedside table. “Is this any good?”

  Hannah made a funny gulping noise. “I don’t know. Mum bought it for me. She says the books I like are too babyish.”

  I was surprised. “My mum lets me read what I want.”

  “You’re lucky.” Hannah made a face. “But you’re clever, and I’m not.”

  “Yes, you are,” I told her. “Auntie June told me you were brilliant when you started at your new school.”

  Hannah’s lip quivered, and I thought she was going to cry again, but she didn’t. Instead she took the book and closed it before creeping very close to me. “If I tell you a secret,” she whispered, “do you PROMISE you won’t tell anyone? Not my mum, or your mum, and especially not Harry?”

  I nodded. “I promise. Cross my heart and hope to die.”

  Hannah took a deep breath. “I can’t read. Not properly. They gave me a test when I first got to Merrywood Juniors, and it was a book I knew by heart, so it was fine – and then we went on reading it in class, and I did OK. But then we finished it, and I don’t know the new one. I get the words wrong all the time and people laugh at me and call me names and Miss Fanshaw keeps saying I’m not trying and I DO try … oh, Livvy, I really really REALLY do…” And then she was crying again, crying her eyes out—

  And that was the moment when I got the Tingle. It was so sharp it made me jump, and I had to pretend I was coughing. I didn’t know what to do. Poor Hannah was sobbing into her pillow, but I’d had the call to go to the Academy … and then I thought that maybe that was a GOOD thing. If the Golden Wand pointed at me, I’d get to choose who to help. And if it didn’t point at me, but at one of my friends instead, maybe I could tell them how unhappy Hannah was and I could persuade them that making things better for her would be a Very Good Deed.

  PING! The Tingle came again, and it was even sharper than before. I patte
d Hannah’s back. “Don’t cry, Hannah. I’ll help you…”

  “How?” Hannah rolled over and stared up at me. “Nobody can. Not ever.”

  “I will,” I promised. “Wait here. I’m just going to get some tissues.” I shot out of her room, down the corridor to the bathroom … and when I opened the bathroom door I found myself in the hallway of Stargirl Academy.

  Chapter Two

  Even though I knew I’d get back to Hannah at exactly the same moment I’d left her, I couldn’t help wondering, “What if I don’t?”

  “You look as if you’re worrying about something, Olivia.” It was Miss Scritch, the deputy head. She was standing watching me, and although she can be scary, this time she was looking quite friendly.

  “Oh!” I said. “My cousin’s ever so unhappy. I’ve left her crying in her bedroom, and I was thinking, ‘What if I’m late back?’”

  “You won’t be.” Miss Scritch was reassuringly firm. “Now, hurry along to the workroom. We’ve a lot to do. Remember, this could be the day when you win your final star!”

  My heart leapt. Miss Scritch was right. Fairy Mary McBee, our head teacher, gave us our Stargirl necklaces on the very first day we met her, and they’re magical. REALLY magical! If we need to be invisible we tap them, and guess what? We can’t be seen by ANYONE except each other and our teachers. And there’s something else; something VERY secret and special. The school crest is on the pendant – six sparkly stars and two crossed wands –and each time we do a good deed, one of the stars lights up. All of us in Team Starlight have five shining stars now; one more and we’ll be true Stargirls. It was SO exciting I could hardly bear to think about it! I ran the last few steps to the workroom, and rushed through the door.

  My friends were sitting together at one end of the table. Melody and Jackson, Team Twinstar, were by themselves at the other end. They were looking gloomy, probably because they only have four stars each. They aren’t always terribly nice; and if I’m honest, I’m a bit scared of them, because I know they think I’m silly.

  As I came in, Melody looked up at me. “Little Miss Scaredy Pants, you’re late,” she drawled. “Did you have to go the long way round? Was there a nasty big spider on your doorstep?”

  I knew at once that Fairy Mary McBee wasn’t in the room. Melody would never have dared to say anything like that if she were. I pretended I hadn’t heard her, and went to sit by Sophie.

  Miss Scritch followed me in, but she didn’t make any comment. Instead she clapped her hands, and at once there was the sound of music. It was lovely – very calm and soothing. I could feel myself relaxing.

  Madison gave a huge sigh. “That’s SO beautiful, Miss Scritch! How did you do it?”

  Miss Scritch almost smiled. “It comes with being a Fairy Godmother,” she said. “When you’re a fully qualified Stargirl, you’ll be able to do it too.”

  We looked at each other in excitement, and Lily whispered, “Jeepers creepers! That’s AMAZING!”

  “You haven’t got your last stars yet,” Jackson reminded us.

  “And you might mess up your mission today,” Melody added. She sounded as if she wouldn’t mind very much if we did.

  Miss Scritch gave her a chilly look. “Fairy Mary and I believe that Stargirls should be generous in spirit as well as in deed,” she said.

  Melody didn’t answer, but I saw her give the tiniest of shrugs.

  Ava was looking around the workroom. The cupboards were bulging, just as always, and the shelves were still heaped high with books and bottles and jars full of the strangest things. I’ve never wanted to look too closely. Sophie once told me she thought she’d seen a jar labelled Spiders’ Breath, and I really REALLY hate anything to do with spiders.

  “I thought there was something missing,” Ava said thoughtfully. “The Golden Wand’s not here. It’s usually hanging on the wall – does that mean we can’t have the Spin today?”

  Miss Scritch shook her head. “Fairy Mary’s taken it next door. She’ll be back any minute now.”

  Even as Miss Scritch was speaking, the door from the sitting-room opened and Fairy Mary McBee came bustling in. I was pleased to see she was carrying the Golden Wand, but a moment later I forgot all about it. Fairy Mary was followed by the tallest, thinnest, spindliest woman I’ve ever seen! She was SO tall that she had to fold herself up to get through the door, and even when she sat down next to Fairy Mary her head wasn’t too far from the ceiling.

  “This,” Fairy Mary told us as we tried not to stare, “is my sister, Fairy Prim McBee, one of the finest Fairy Godmothers you will ever meet.” And she beamed at her sister.

  Behind me there was a muffled snort, followed by an explosion of smothered giggles. Melody and Jackson were collapsed over the table, spluttering with laughter. They saw us turn to look at them, and Melody did her best to stop, but she couldn’t.

  “I’m sorry!” she gasped. “But it’s really funny! Fairy Prim’s so incredibly tall and thin and Fairy Mary’s—”

  “Be silent, Melody!” Miss Scritch sounded SO angry that my stomach tied itself up into knots. “How COULD you be so rude!”

  There was a terrible frozen silence … and then Fairy Prim began to laugh.

  Chapter Three

  I’d never heard anyone laugh like Fairy Prim. She was so loud the windows rattled and three jars fell off the shelves and crashed to the floor.

  “Dear girl,” Fairy Prim boomed, her voice as loud as a foghorn, “you’re quite right! We’re ridiculous! QUITE ridiculous! We’re like a knife and a spoon – always have been.” She gave Fairy Mary a fond smile. “She’s the dumpling and I’m spaghetti! She’s the zero and I’m the number one. And when we’re together, we look like the number ten!”

  By now we were all laughing – well, all except Miss Scritch. She was still looking frosty. She made a tutting noise and clicked her fingers at the bits of broken glass and scattered herbs on the floor. At once they swirled into the air and put themselves together again, and the three jars flew back to their shelf.

  “WOW!” Madison gave an admiring gasp. “That’s super efficient!”

  “It certainly is,” Fairy Prim agreed, and she waved her hand at the shelves. There was a strange shimmer in the air, then the bottles and jars and books began to shiver and shake before hopping up and down so fast they were a multicoloured blur. Seconds later, they’d arranged themselves into the neatest rows, each jar and bottle labelled, and the books in order of size. “Mary’s always been untidy,” she boomed. “She was DREADFUL as a child! Couldn’t find my way across our bedroom for the mess—”

  “Thank you, Prim darling,” Fairy Mary interrupted. “Shall we save the memories for later?” She gave the rows of bottles a thoughtful glance. “You may be tidy, but your spelling is still appalling.”

  Fairy Mary was right. From where I was sitting, I could read some of the labels. Cats Wisskers. Mushroom Storks. Spidders’ Breth…

  Fairy Prim gave a loud bark of laughter. “Spelling? Who cares about spelling! I’m sure Miss Scritch can sort it out with a wave of her wand.” She caught my eye, and gave me the most enormous wink. “Or Olivia could do it. She’s a wonder at spelling!”

  I stared at her. How did she know?

  “I know all about you girls!” Fairy Prim spread her arms wide as if to hug us all. “Madison. Sophie. Ava. Lily. Emma … and we must never forget Melody and Jackson!” Melody and Jackson shifted in their chairs and I saw them scowl, but Fairy Prim took no notice. She went on, “Two oddities, just like me. Sometimes the most interesting characters, I’d say … though I would, wouldn’t I? But you two have only four stars shining on your magic necklaces, while Team Starlight have five – so make sure you don’t let me down today.” And she beamed at the two of them. To my amazement, they smiled back.

  Fairy Prim nodded. “Good. Now, let’s begin.” She fished in her pocket, pulled out a little silver wand and waved it in the air. At once the room was full of the tiniest twinkling stars, and Fairy Prim’s dre
ss was covered in silvery sparkles.

  “Jeepers creepers,” Lily whispered.

  “Magic is a wonderful thing, Lily,” Fairy Prim agreed. “And the spell I’m about to share with you is a Twinkling Spell, so we need twinkles to set the scene.” She paused. “Do feel free to applaud.”

  Madison, Sophie and I began clapping, and Lily, Emma, Ava and Melody joined in.

  Jackson gave Fairy Prim a thumbs up, but she was looking puzzled. “How is making things twinkle going to help anyone?” she asked.

  Fairy Mary McBee leant forward. “Twinkling Spells are the hardest level of spell, Jackson dear … and there are several different Twinkling Spells.”

  “Oh yes.” Jackson’s face cleared. “I remember now. Like learning to float things was actually a Shimmering Spell.”

  “The spell you’ll learn today is the Choosing Spell,” Fairy Prim told her. “If someone is trying to make up their mind, you’ll be able to influence them … and that is a very powerful spell indeed!”

  “Wow!” Melody sat up, her eyes shining. “So I could get my mum to give me lots more pocket money?”

  “Absolutely not.” For the first time, Fairy Prim stopped smiling. “That is entirely the wrong kind of application. In fact, the spell might reverse, and the results could be most unfortunate.”

  Emma put up her hand. “Please, what does that mean?”

  “It means,” Miss Scritch said sharply, “that the spell goes in the opposite direction. If Melody’s mother was choosing between keeping Melody’s pocket money the same, or giving her more, she would be making a choice. If Melody was foolish enough to use the Choosing Spell to persuade her mother to increase her allowance, it’s more than likely that she would end up with nothing … and it might well be that her mother would lose her money too. Every penny!”