New Girl by Titania Woods

need lots of flash and sparkle.’
    â€˜That’s what I think, too,’ said Bimi. Twink had noticed that she spoke up much more often these days, eager to put her opinion in. ‘We put Kiki in charge, Sooze, so let’s do what she says. She knows all about fashion shows.’
    A ripple of assent ran across the branch. ‘Besides, fairy dust flares might smudge the dresses,’ pointed out Mariella. ‘Especially if you’re in charge of them, Sooze.’
    Sooze huffed out an irritated breath. ‘Honestly, you’re all so boring! If you’d just let me try it, then you’d see –’
    â€˜ No , Sooze,’ laughed Pix. ‘The majority has spoken! Now come on, it’s time for lights out – Mrs Hover will be up in a minute.’
    The fairies chatted to each other as they climbed into their mossy beds. Twink pulled her petal duvet up around her pointed ears. No one paid any attention to her, or even appeared to notice her silence.
    Her other friends had had enough of her, too, it seemed. They were used to her being an outsider now – someone who kept to herself, and didn’t join in.
    But maybe that’s all going to change, thought Twink, screwing her eyes tightly shut. Maybe Miss Sparkle can give me a crystal spell that will put things right again. Oh, I hope she can!
    The next morning after breakfast, Twink knocked shyly on Miss Sparkle’s door. ‘Come in,’ the voice called again. This time Miss Sparkle sat waiting as Twink entered, her white wings folded neatly behind her back.
    â€˜Take a mushroom,’ she said, motioning. ‘Now, what do you need to know?’
    Twink sat down, feeling very small suddenly. She took a deep breath. ‘Well – you see, I – I stayed with Bimi over the last holidays, and –’ Haltingly, her story came out: going to the crystal caverns, what Bimi’s father had said, and how she had sneaked back to look into the mysterious crystal.
    Miss Sparkle raised an eyebrow. ‘You shouldn’t trust crystal visions, Twink. They’re not very reliable.’
    Twink’s eyes widened. ‘But it was reliable!’ she cried. ‘It showed me awful things, and they’ve all come true.’ Choking over the words, she told her year head exactly what she had seen. Her cheeks burned as she described the images of Bimi and Kiki.
    Something almost like a smile crossed Miss Sparkle’s face. ‘That’s exactly what I mean. Those sorts of crystals are called trickster crystals, Twink. You see, it didn’t show you what had to be – it showed you what might be, but only because you were foolish enough to look into it in the first place.’
    Twink bit her lip in bewilderment. ‘I don’t –’
    .

    .
    Miss Sparkle shook her head. ‘My dear, it’s very simple. If you hadn’t looked into the crystal, what would have happened when Kiki came to school?’
    â€˜I . . . I don’t know,’ said Twink. She tried to think. ‘I suppose I would have wanted to help her at first, the same as Bimi. But she’s awfully stuck up, even if the others can’t see it . . .’ she faltered under her year head’s keen stare.
    â€˜ Is she?’ Miss Sparkle demanded. ‘Or is that just what you think because you looked into the crystal, and felt jealous of her before you even met her?’
    Miss Sparkle’s words struck Twink like a lightning bolt. She thought of Kiki’s wide smile, and bright, friendly eyes. Suddenly she felt like an idiot.
    â€˜I – I suppose she’s not really stuck-up,’ she mumbled. ‘But –’
    â€˜But nothing!’ said Miss Sparkle briskly. ‘You see, if you hadn’t looked into the crystal in the first place, you’d probably have liked Kiki, and you all could have been friends – isn’t that right?’
    Twink gaped at Miss Sparkle, her mind spinning.