Midnight Feast (6 page)

‘Mariella!' finished Bimi, her blue eyes flashing.

‘Did you see her?' Twink clutched Bimi's arm as they hovered beside the shelf.

Bimi grimaced. ‘No, but it
had
to be her. I've been thinking about it. She must have swapped my petal note for one with a different time, and copied my handwriting. It would have been the perfect way for her to get back at me, after I told everyone that I didn't like her in Flight class the other day!'

Twink nodded. ‘I think so, too. But we have to get proof, so the others will believe us.'

Quickly, she told Bimi about her plan to get Lola on her own. ‘We should pretend that we're still not talking,' she added. ‘Or else Lola will know something's up, and she'll never tell me anything.'

‘That's a good idea,' agreed Bimi. The swirls of silver and gold on her wings glinted as she fluttered thoughtfully. ‘But, Twink, will you even be
able
to get Lola away from Mariella? Those two stick together like pine sap!'

Twink's jaw tightened. ‘I'll try,' she said. ‘If Lola is on her own for even just a second, I'll grab her!'

.

Chapter Six

But this turned out to be easier said than done. After a few days of trying to get Lola alone, Twink was ready to give up in despair. Just as Bimi had said, Lola stuck to Mariella's side like sticky sap. The two fairies seemed to do everything together – flying to class, going to the library, hovering together at break.

Finally Twink's luck turned in Flower Power class one afternoon, when Miss Petal looked over Mariella's homework with a frown. ‘Mariella, this buttercup doesn't look at all well. Didn't you spend
any
time trying to heal it last night? Stay behind and see me after class, please!'

Twink exchanged a furtive glance with Bimi. This could be her chance!

Suddenly the magpie cry that signalled the end of class rang through the school. With a sulky look on her face, Mariella fluttered up to Miss Petal's desk.

The rest of the Daffy Branch fairies headed to their Creature Kindness class, halfway down the trunk. Twink's wings hummed as she raced to catch up with Lola. The pale fairy looked startled as Twink flew up beside her.

‘Hi, Lola!' said Twink cheerfully.

‘Um . . . hi.' Lola stared at Twink with distrust written plainly on her thin face.

‘That was a great class, wasn't it?' continued Twink in a rush. ‘I just love Miss Petal. She's so glimmery!'

Lola shrugged, still looking wary. ‘She's OK.'

Twink glanced over her shoulder. No sign of Mariella yet, thank goodness! She lowered her voice. ‘Listen, Lola, you know the other night, when – when the rest of us had a midnight feast?'

Lola sniffed. ‘You mean the one that Mariella and I weren't invited to!'

Oh, wasps
, thought Twink. This wasn't going well at all. She took a deep breath. ‘Yes, but – but I wanted to ask you something.'

A guilty look came over Lola's face. She hovered with her arms crossed over her chest. ‘What?' she asked in a wavering voice.

Twink flew closer to her. ‘Well – you know Bimi's cricket clock –'

‘What about it?' demanded a voice. Mariella! The pointed-faced fairy flew up beside them. Her eyes narrowed as she looked from Lola to Twink and back again. Lola gulped.

‘Nothing,' muttered Twink. ‘I'm just . . . glad that we found out what Bimi's really like, that's all.'

‘Yes, isn't she awful?' Mariella flipped back her silvery-green hair smugly. ‘But then,
I
could have told you that ages ago.'

Oh! Twink's fists clenched as she watched Mariella link arms with Lola and fly away. That may have been her only chance, and she was no nearer to clearing Bimi's name than before.

She flew to one side as a chattering stream of Sixth Years streamed past, all looking very grown-up in their tight flower dresses.
I
know
Mariella did it
, she thought.
I just have to get her to admit it, somehow!
But how? Mariella would never confess on her own, and the only person she ever confided in was Lola.

Maybe that was it! Twink's heart thumped as an idea came to her. She flew on to class, deep in thought as she worked out a plan. Yes, that just might work!

‘What's up, Opposite?' Sooze appeared beside her, pink wings fluttering as she did a quick somersault in the air. ‘You look awfully serious!'

They had reached the Creature Kindness branch. ‘Sooze, I've got to talk to you!' whispered Twink as they hovered beside the ledge.

‘All right,' laughed Sooze. ‘Talk away!'

‘I know you don't believe me about Bimi,' said Twink in a low voice. ‘But I think I have an idea that will prove it to you. Will you go along with it?'

Sooze was instantly serious . . . or at least as serious as Sooze ever was. She nodded. ‘Of course I will. But I don't think you're going to prove anything to me, Twink. I really don't!'

Twink whispered quickly, outlining her plan. Just as she finished, Mr Woodleaf appeared in the doorway, his dark green wings flapping nervously. ‘Girls? Hurry up, now – class is starting.'

Sooze winked at Twink. ‘I'll do it!' she said.

Flying into the branch, the two girls took their mushroom seats. A sad-looking woodlouse sat on the table at the front, its grey antennae drooping.

‘Now then,' said Mr Woodleaf, clearing his throat. ‘Ahem . . . today we're going to discuss . . . ahem . . . how to cheer up woodlice.'

He spoke in a half-mumble, looking away from the girls. Twink sighed. She had been so looking forward to this class, but Mr Woodleaf seemed terrified of them!

Still, at least she had a chance to set her plan into action. Carefully tearing a petal from the notebook Zena had given her, Twink wrote WE KNOW WHAT YOU DID TO BIMI on it. Folding the note into a tiny square, she passed it to Sooze when Mr Woodleaf wasn't looking.

Sooze sat beside Mariella. The pointed-faced fairy was leaning her head on her hand, her lacy green wings drooping with boredom.

Quick as a butterfly, Sooze tossed the note into Mariella's clover-leaf bag. Mariella yawned, not noticing a thing. A second later, Sooze was watching with innocent interest as Mr Woodleaf explained how to cheer up a woodlouse by tickling its tummy.

.

.

‘You see, you just . . . ah . . . turn it over on to its back, and give it a good tickle, like this . . .' The woodlouse looked aggrieved as Mr Woodleaf flipped it over and ran his fingers across its stomach.

The class stifled a giggle. The woodlouse looked almost ready to cry.

‘Sir, maybe it's not ticklish!' said Pix. The class erupted into laughter. Even Mr Woodleaf managed a smile.

‘Ah . . . well, it doesn't always work,' he admitted ruefully, scratching his head. ‘Sometimes you have to, ah . . . sing to them . . .' To the class's delight, he started crooning loudly to the woodlouse. The creature perked up immediately, waving its antennae in time with the tune.

Twink hardly noticed.
When would Mariella find it?
Her wings felt clammy as she watched the pointed-faced fairy out of the corner of her eye.

Finally Mr Woodleaf instructed them all to take notes, and the class obediently reached into their bags for pens and petals. As Mariella took out her petal pad, there was a tiny
plop.
The folded petal had fallen out of her bag on to the mossy carpet. Mariella gazed at it blankly, and then picked it up.

Twink's pulse pounded as she watched her unfold it. Mariella's face turned pale, and then bright red. Wings trembling with agitation, she glanced around the branch with narrowed eyes. Twink looked down, pretending to be involved in her note-taking.

Oh, please let it work
, she thought, gripping her pen. They had break next. If Mariella stormed off in a huff with Lola, she and Sooze could follow her and try to overhear what they said.

The moment the magpie sounded at the end of class, Mariella leapt up from her mushroom. Sure enough, she grabbed Lola's arm and dragged the smaller fairy quickly from the branch.

‘Hurry!' Twink hissed to Sooze. ‘We have to follow them!'

The two girls grabbed their things and sped out of the branch. ‘Which way did they go?' cried Twink, looking wildly around her. They wouldn't get another chance if they lost them now!

‘Down!' said Sooze, pointing. ‘Look, they're heading for the library!'

Aiming themselves like arrows, the two fairies went into a steep dive, whistling through the air after Mariella and Lola. Sooze laughed. ‘Even if this doesn't work, it's been glimmery fun so far!' she called.

Twink didn't answer. Nothing about it was fun, as far as she was concerned! She had to prove that Bimi was innocent, or the others would never want to be friends with her again.

Ahead of them, she saw Mariella and Lola swoop into the library. She grabbed Sooze's arm as they neared the library's ledge, slowing her down.

‘We have to look casual,' she said. ‘They can't notice us, no matter what!'

Mrs Stamen, the librarian, gave them a friendly smile as they flitted into the high-ceilinged room. ‘Looking for something in particular, girls?'

‘Er . . . no . . . just looking!' stammered Twink. They fluttered quickly away before Mrs Stamen could ask any more questions. Twink gazed around the library, her forehead creased. Where
were
they?

‘Up there!' whispered Sooze, pointing. ‘Look, they've gone behind that shelf near the ceiling!'

Glancing up, Twink saw the green flash of Mariella's wing as it disappeared behind one of the top shelves. ‘Come on!' she said.

The two girls took off, weaving their way around the shelves as they flew higher and higher. The tall, narrow windows of the library flashed in the sunshine. Sooze gave an exaggerated shudder. ‘I'm glad that Sili and Zena will be cleaning those, and not us!' she whispered.

.

.

‘Listen!' hissed Twink, clutching her arm. They had come to the shelf on the other side of Mariella and Lola.

The two girls pressed their pointed ears against the bookcase. Mariella's voice came clearly, sharp and menacing.

‘Well, if
you
didn't tell anyone, then how did they find out? Come on, Lola, out with it. You know I saw you talking to Twink earlier! You told
her
, didn't you?'

‘I didn't!' whined Lola's voice. ‘Honest, Mariella – I'd never tell on you. Ouch! Stop pinching me!'

‘Well . . . I suppose it could be a bluff,' said Mariella after a short, considering pause. ‘Maybe someone's hoping that I'll be scared into confessing. Ha! They're such a wet lot. I'm glad
you're
sensible, at least.'

Lola, sensible! Twink and Sooze made a face at each other.

‘You don't think they really know anything, then?' asked Lola in her squeaky voice.

Twink's fingers tightened on the shelf as Mariella gave a sneering laugh. ‘No, how could they? The only evidence is that petal I took from Bimi's bedside, and
that's
still safe in the pocket of my nightdress.'

‘But – but shouldn't you throw it away?' quavered Lola.

‘It's safe where it is. No one will find it there! Come on, let's get going – break's almost over with, and I want to get some sweet seeds from the tuck shop.'

There was a faint rustle of wings as they flew away. Twink and Sooze pressed against the bookcase, ducking around the other side of it as Mariella and Lola appeared below them.

Sooze's face was stormy. ‘That mean thing!' she burst out once they had gone. ‘Twink, you were right. She did it, all right! Oh, just wait till I get my wings on her!'

Twink gripped her hand. ‘Then you'll back me up in front of the others?'

‘Of course!' cried Sooze. Her pink wings fluttered heatedly. ‘Oh, poor Bimi. We were horrible to her – me especially! We'll have to do something really nice to make it up to her.'