Sister Secrets by Titania Woods Page A

reddened. ‘Isn’t it awful?’ she burst out. ‘I’m the only fairy I know with orange hair.’
    â€˜It’s not awful at all,’ said Twink in surprise. ‘It’s really pretty – it’s so different!’ And it was: it framed the young fairy’s face like dancing flames.
    But the new girl grimaced in embarrassment. ‘I don’t want to be different . Everyone’s always staring at me. I hate it!’
    Twink held back a smile. The fairy sounded almost exactly like Twink’s best friend, Bimi. Bimi had dark blue hair and silver and gold wings, and was extremely beautiful – but she hated being stared at, too, and had been very prickly when she and Twink had first met.
    Impulsively, she offered her wing. ‘I’m Twink,’ she said. ‘I’m in the third year.’
    The fairy touched the tip of her wing to Twink’s. ‘I’m Summer,’ she said, and smiled. ‘Because when I was born, my mother said my hair was like a summer sunset!’
    â€˜It is!’ laughed Twink. ‘You’re a first-year fairy, aren’t you? I’ll tell my sister, Teena, to look out for you. She’s just starting school here, too.’
    Summer’s face lit up. ‘That would be glimmery!’ she said. ‘I’m in Snowdrop Branch – I hope I get to meet her soon.’
    .

    .
    Just then Mrs Lightwing, the first-year head, flitted over. ‘Summer, there’s a bird squad about to take some fairies up to Snowdrop Branch – you’d better go along with them, and choose your bed. Hello, Twink,’ she added with a smile.
    â€˜Hi, Mrs Lightwing,’ said Twink. She had been a bit afraid of Mrs Lightwing when she first met her, but had learned to like the gruff, no-nonsense teacher a great deal.
    As Summer ran off Twink looked around for her mother and sister, and spotted them a short distance away. Mum was chatting to Miss Petal, the Flower Power teacher. Twink started across to them, eager to tell Teena about Summer.
    But before Twink could reach Teena, another first-year fairy skipped across to her younger sister. ‘Look, we’re twins!’ she cried. ‘We’ve both got pink hair and lavender wings!’
    The new fairy’s long pink hair was pulled back with a clasp instead of worn loose, and her lavender wings were a touch darker than Teena’s – but otherwise the two fairies looked very much alike.
    â€˜Ooh, we really are!’ said Teena with a delighted grin.
    â€˜We’ll have to be friends, then. Twins for ever!’ laughed the other fairy, linking her arm through Teena’s.
    Twink blinked, hovering in place. Why, it was just like the first time she’d met Sooze! Sooze, a madcap fairy who Twink had been friends with since her first term, had declared herself Twink’s Opposite when they first met , because of her lavender hair and pink wings.
    â€˜Twins for ever – that sounds familiar!’ said a voice.
    Turning, Twink saw that Sooze herself was fluttering beside her. ‘Hello, Opposite!’ she said, her violet eyes dancing. ‘Isn’t that your little sister?’
    â€˜Hi, Sooze,’ returned Twink with a grin. ‘Yes, she’s called Teena – it’s her first term here.’
    Sooze chuckled. ‘Well, guess what – her new “twin” is my cousin Zuzu! Isn’t that funny? It looks like they’re going to be friends, just the same as we were.’
    â€˜Glimmery!’ exclaimed Twink. But as she glanced at Teena and Zuzu again, she felt a slight pang of foreboding. Friends, just the same as we were . . . What if that turned out to be true?
    For although Sooze had been an exciting best friend at first, she hadn’t turned out to be very dependable. In fact, when Twink had had so much trouble learning to fly, Sooze had quickly got bored with the problem, and had wounded Twink’s feelings