Pete stared after Fairy Trilling, his mouth open in disbelief. “She FLEW!” he said.
“So she did,” said Fairy Mary. “Now, things have been a little out of order today, so I suggest we try and get back to our normal routine.”
“We haven’t learned a spell yet,” Ava said. “Well, we know the armitty-charmitty one, but it’s not like the other spells you’ve showed us.”
Madison grinned. “I really like Floating and Solidifying,” she said. “They’re great!”
Miss Scritch shook her head. “Only one spell per lesson,” she said.
“But that’s not fair.” Jackson scowled. “None of the rest of us wants spots, thank you very much.”
“And that spell was HORRIBLE!” Melody was scowling too.
Sometimes I wonder why Jackson and Melody are at Stargirl Academy. They can be really helpful, but at other times they’re grumpy and cross about everything. When we first arrived, they insisted on being a team of two, and not joining our Team Starlight. I wondered if Fairy Mary might get angry with them, but she was her usual smiling self. Fairy Fifibelle Lee was smiling as well. Only Miss Scritch looked sour, but then she often does.
“The Sliding Spell will be a challenge for you,” Fairy Mary said. “There may well be different ways to use it.”
“SLIDING Spell?” We stared at her.
“It’s one of the Shining Spells,” she went on. “It works in a different way to Floating and Solidifying.” She settled herself on the nearest chair. “We’ll have the Spin now. Pete, my dear, come and sit next to me. We’re going to do something very special, so you must be quiet and watch carefully.”
Pete nodded, and climbed onto the chair next to Fairy Mary. Our head teacher waited until we were all sitting around the table, then leaned forward and set the wand spinning. It began to glow, and there was a faint humming sound as it whirled round and round. The room gradually darkened until the only light came from the flickering Golden Wand, and we all held our breath.
“Spin, spin, spin,” Fairy Mary sang. “Who will choose? Who will it be? Whose destiny will change today? Spin, wand, spin…”
The Golden Wand seemed to spin for ages and ages, but at last it began to slow. As the golden light faded, so the room grew brighter, and I could see everyone watching the wand intently. I was SO hoping it would point at me or one of the others in Team Starlight! But it didn’t. It hesitated, then twitched, twitched again – and stopped. It was pointing straight at Jackson.
“YES!” Jackson punched the air. “I’ve been waiting for AGES! And today’s the best day it could have happened! I know EXACTLY what I want to do!”
Pete beamed at her. “Get my park opened!”
“What?” Jackson looked blank, then frowned. “No. I don’t care about any parks. I’m going to help my mum. She works in a council office, and last week something went wrong. She won’t tell me what happened, but now her boss is being horrible to her. I’ve heard her crying at night, and I know she’s scared she’ll lose her job … so I want to make it better for her.”
“But what about ME?” Melody wailed. “Aren’t you going to help me?”
Jackson looked at her friend and gave a little shrug. “Honestly, Melody – I’m sure it’ll be OK about your spot. Don’t you see? I HAVE to help my mum! If you saw how worried she looks, you’d understand. And it isn’t as if anyone will see you, anyway. As long as you’ve got your magic pendant, you’ll be invisible.” Jackson pulled her Stargirl necklace out from under her T shirt, and looked at the rest of us. “Are you going to help? Because if you are, I’ll tell you my plan.”
There was a moment’s hesitation before Olivia and Emma said that it was Jackson’s choice, so of course they’d help.
“And maybe we can do something about the park next time,” Olivia added.
“Count me in, Jackson,” said Madison, and Ava and Lily nodded.
I nodded too, but I didn’t say anything. When Jackson had said that she didn’t care about the park, Pete had slid under the table and I couldn’t get him to come out.
“Come on, Pete,” I said. “PLEASE come and sit at the table!”
“Don’t want to,” he said, and I could hear that he was crying.
Learning to be a Stargirl was the most exciting thing that had ever happened to me, but now I was competely split in two. Half of me was wishing and wishing that Pete was at home with Mum. The other half was feeling so sorry for him that I almost wanted to cry as well.
I sighed as I made a decision. I had to look after my little brother before I did anything else, even if it meant leaving all my friends.
“Fairy Mary,” I asked, “would Pete be able to come with me if I went to help Jackson’s mum?”
“Certainly not!” Miss Scritch sounded horrified. “Why, the very idea! What can you be thinking of, Sophie?”
“In that case,” I said, “I’m really, REALLY sorry, but I have to take him home.”
Melody snorted. “You should never have brought him in the first place,” she said, but Fairy Mary McBee held up her hand.
“That’s very thoughtful of you, Sophie,” she said. “And no more than I would expect. I really can’t see a problem with Pete coming with you. After all, he won’t remember anything that’s happened here once you get back home. It’ll all seem like a hazy kind of dream – except, perhaps, for his aeroplane!” She chuckled. “Fairy Fifibelle, could you find Pete a necklace?”
Miss Scritch had the most disapproving expression on her face, but I breathed a sigh of relief. I’d have HATED to miss out on the rest of the day.
“Hey! Pete!” I peered at him under the table. “We’re going on an adventure!”
There was a snuffling noise before Pete’s voice asked, “Can I bring my aeroplane?”
I looked at Fairy Mary McBee, and she nodded.
“Of course you can,” I said, and my little brother reappeared. He was covered in dust, and his face was red, but he was smiling.
“Look what I can do,” he said, and he sent the plane circling round the room.
Miss Scritch raised an eyebrow, but all my friends clapped – except for Melody and Jackson.