from Miss Twilightâs demonstration. âBrilliant!â said Sooze as she swooped through the doorway that led back into the trunk. âImagine all the fun weâll have with magic like that ââ
âSooze!â said Pix in alarm. âWeâre only allowed to take it because weâre supposed to be sensible by now.â
Sooze grinned. âWell, that doesnât mean weâve all turned boring, does it? There must be loads of glimmery pranks we could play ââ
Twink felt her heartbeat quicken despite herself. Nobody was quite as exciting as her Opposite! She understood all too well why Teena was attracted to Zuzu . . . but she had to make her little sister see what a best friend really was.
As Twink started down the trunk behind the others, she blinked in surprise. Why, there was Zuzu right there, half-hidden behind a knothole! The long pink hair and lavender wings were impossible to mistake.
No one else had noticed Zuzu, and ducking around a bend in the trunk, Twink peered out with narrowed eyes. What was Soozeâs cousin doing up here at this time of night? The only classroom this high up was the star-gazing platform . . . and Zuzu knew full well that she wasnât allowed on to it! As Twink watched, the pink-haired fairy darted out from behind the knothole and flew up towards the star-gazing door.
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âTwink, arenât you coming?â called Bimi, fluttering far below.
Twink winced. Not now! she thought, glancing down. When she looked back again, Zuzu was already skimming quickly away, diving down another fork of the trunk.
Frowning in thought, Twink spiralled down to where Bimi was waiting. Her best friendâs gold and silver wings glinted as she hovered.
âWhatâs up?â asked Bimi.
âI just saw Zuzu sneaking about,â said Twink slowly. âShe flew off when you called me.â
Bimi stared at her. âZuzu? What was she doing up here?â
âI donât know,â said Twink grimly. âBut I bet she was up to no good!â
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Chapter Five
âFaster!â bellowed Madge from the side of the Fledge field. âYou lot are flying like youâve got lead in your wings!â
Spurred on by the Fledge Captainâs shouts, Twink swooshed through the centre pole as fast as she could, following the Flea. There he was, jumping overhead! Closer . . . closer . . .
From out of nowhere, Mia darted in and snatched him up. âHa! Just a second too slow, Twink,â she said, holding him over her head.
Twink wiped her damp forehead with a grin. âGood move, Mia.â
Madge was shaking her head as the Fledge team flew off the field. âYouâre all going to have to do better than that before our first game!â she called.
Despite the telling-off, Twink found herself smiling as she fluttered to the changing log with the others. She was a full member of the Glitterwings Fledge team this year, and it would take more than Madgeâs grumbling to take the shine off things.
Twink had been relieved when Fledge practice started, as it helped to keep her mind off Teena. Two weeks into the school year, Teena was still hardly speaking to Twink â and she and Zuzu were as close as ever.
Twink sighed as she towelled herself off and got changed. She hadnât seen Zuzu skulking about the star-gazing platform again, but she still couldnât shake the feeling that Soozeâs cousin was trouble â and that her little sister was going to get hurt, somehow.
She closed the door to her bark locker. âSee you at the next practice, Twink,â said Mia, combing out her blue hair. âMaybe Madge will have something nice to say by then!â
âDonât count on it,â said Twink with a smile. âBye, everyone!â She flitted from the changing log, still deep in thought. Suddenly she stopped in surprise. A fairy with bright orange hair was gliding slowly around the Fledge field.
Teresa Solana, Peter Bush