Power Play (7 page)

Twink managed a smile. ‘Oh, nothing.'

Suddenly she wondered whether Tasha, too, found it difficult and lonely to be in charge. She opened her mouth to ask, but just then two of the Sparklelight players appeared, linking their arms through Tasha's with merry smiles.

‘Come on, Games Fairy, we haven't had a chance to celebrate with you yet,' teased the Sparklelight Guard with short blue hair.

‘Yes, we need our leader!' giggled the other fairy. With a resigned grin, Tasha said goodbye to Twink and allowed herself to be dragged over to her team. A moment later, they were all laughing together.

Twink couldn't help staring. She knew how firm Tasha was with her players on the field, yet it was obvious that they loved her anyway. How on earth did she manage it?

Glancing over to where her own team stood talking together, Twink bit her lip. Slowly, she flew across the room. ‘Good game, everyone,' she said as she landed beside them. ‘I'm – I'm really proud of you.'

The Glitterwings players had stopped talking the moment Twink touched down. There were a few strained smiles, but no one responded. Summer was staring down at her pixie boots with a frown.

Twink fluttered her wings, trying to pretend that nothing was wrong. ‘So now we only have one more Sparklelight game,' she said brightly. ‘And if we win that one, we'll be in the Fairy Finals!'

‘Yes, glimmery,' said Vera, not looking at her. The team murmured agreement, but no one's heart seemed in it.

Silence fell, until the only sounds were the rushing of the waterfall and the Sparklelight team laughing and talking. Twink swallowed. ‘Well – well, I'm going to go and get some more cake. More cake, anyone?'

‘No, thanks,' muttered a few voices. Twink's wings felt hot as she flitted over to the refreshments table. From behind her, she could hear a sudden burst of whispered conversation.

They hated her. Twink blinked back tears. It was so unfair! Yes, she had been harsh with them, but only because she wanted them to play well. Didn't they realise that?

Picking listlessly at a bit of honey cake, Twink gazed at Tasha again. Despite her advice, the Sparklelight Games Fairy seemed to have found a way to be both her team's friend
and
their leader.

Twink's mouth tightened. Well, maybe that worked for Tasha, but it hadn't worked for her. When
she
had tried being nice, things had been a mess! If being stern was what she had to do to make her team perform well, then she'd do it.

But the thought wasn't a pleasant one, somehow . . . whether they got into the Fairy Finals or not.

Chapter Seven

‘Twink, can I see you for a minute?' called a tentative voice.

Twink glanced up from her Mood Magic homework in surprise. Summer was hovering in the doorway of the Fourth Year Common Branch, looking ill at ease. Younger students didn't normally go to the common branches of older ones, and Twink saw several raised eyebrows on the fairies around her.

‘Impudent thing!' grinned Sooze from the next mushroom desk as Twink got up. ‘You wouldn't have caught
me
doing that at her age.'

‘No, you were even younger!' laughed Sili from a few mushrooms away.

Fluttering to the doorway, Twink lowered her voice. ‘Summer, what are you doing here?'

The orange-haired fairy shrugged, looking down. ‘I need to talk to you, that's all.'

‘Well – can't it wait until practice tomorrow?' asked Twink in bewilderment.

Summer shook her bright head. ‘No. You see, I – I won't be at practice.'

‘Won't be at practice!' Twink raised her voice without meaning to. Glancing over her shoulder, she drew Summer further out on to the ledge and shut the door behind them. ‘Why not?'

Summer took a deep breath. ‘Because – I'm quitting the team.'

It felt as if the ledge had fallen away from beneath Twink's feet. ‘Quitting the team? But – but Summer,
why
? You're one of our best players!'

Summer shifted uncomfortably. ‘I just . . . don't want to play any more, that's all.'

‘Is it because I shouted at you the other day?' pressed Twink. ‘Look, I'm really sorry about that, but you can't leave the team because of it –'

‘No, it's not because you shouted at me,' broke in Summer. ‘It's . . . it's because all you ever
do
is shout now. It's just not fun any more, Twink. I'm sorry.'

A prickly anger swept over Twink. ‘Well, it's not only about having
fun
, Summer,' she said heatedly. ‘Playing well is a lot of hard work – that's what Fledge is all about!'

Summer's violet eyes looked sad. ‘Is it, Twink?' she said softly.

She waited for a response, but Twink found herself staring at her, too dumbfounded to speak. After a moment, Summer turned and flew away down the trunk, growing smaller and smaller, until finally Twink lost sight of her altogether.

Back in the Fourth Year Common Branch, Twink stared glumly at her Mood Magic homework, hardly seeing the words on the page.

‘Are you OK?' whispered Bimi, leaning over from the next mushroom. On Twink's other side, Sooze and Sili were busy studying together.

Forcing a smile, Twink nodded. She couldn't tell Bimi, not just yet. It was too humiliating!

Though Bimi looked doubtful, she turned back to her own work. Twink gazed downwards, playing with her snail-trail pen.

Though she tried to tell herself it didn't matter that Summer had quit, she knew it
did
matter. What sort of team was she running, when such a talented player as Summer didn't want to play on it?

Well, she couldn't do anything about it now. Twink sighed, forcing herself to concentrate on her Mood Magic homework. Then her pen slowed as she remembered their lesson earlier that day.

‘Moods have a power of their own,' Miss Moonbeam had said, tapping her pale wings together. ‘And managing your
own
mood is the start of performing mood magic. Let me show you.'

Drawing herself up to her full height, Miss Moonbeam had fallen silent as she regarded her class. She let the pause grow longer and longer, until the fairies shifted uneasily, wondering what she was doing.

Twink had winced as an unpleasant chill shuddered through her. Suddenly she realised it was coming from Miss Moonbeam. Their teacher's eyes had narrowed, and she was regarding them with an icy expression.

‘I want you to get into pairs so we can practise,' she said. The class gulped. Though Miss Moonbeam's words were ordinary enough, the mood that was coming from her made it sound like a threat! They all scrambled to obey.

Then Miss Moonbeam smiled, and the tension drained away from the branch like snow in the sunshine. ‘You see?' she said. ‘Doesn't that feel very different than if I say
now
, “I want you to get into pairs?”'

Her students had stared at her in wonder. Pix's hand shot in the air. ‘But Miss Moonbeam, how did you put on such an awful mood when it's not what you really felt?'

‘Practice,' laughed their teacher. ‘But you see how you must always be careful to notice what mood you're giving off. Your moods affect everything you do, so if you want something to be positive, then that's what your mood must be!'

As Twink recalled the scene now in the Common Branch, she suddenly felt as if icy water had been flung over her. What had
her
mood been like, these last few weeks?

I've been angry,
she thought, rubbing her wings together.
And scared.

But that wasn't all. Forcing herself to be honest, Twink realised there had been times when she'd actually
enjoyed
shouting at everyone and seeing them scurry to obey. It had been an angry sort of pleasure – the kind that twisted in your stomach like a snake – but pleasure nonetheless.

Suddenly Twink could hardly see her desk for the tears that had sprung to her eyes. How had this happened? All she had wanted was to be a good leader! No wonder everything with her team had gone so wrong. Maybe they were playing better, but nobody was having fun any more . . . and it was all because of her.

Romi was right
,
thought Twink dully. She
didn't
have what it took to be a good Games Fairy. How could she, when she had to be so horrid to get her team to listen to her?

She thought back to when she had caught Romi teaching her Power Play to Cassi and Kym. She had been coaching them well, firmly and fairly, and they had been listening to her. Just like Tasha's team listened to her. And just like the Glitterwings team had always listened to Madge.

Why, Romi was a lot like Madge, thought Twink suddenly. She didn't get on with everyone, because she had very definite ideas – but then, a good leader had to! You couldn't go around asking everyone's opinion, as Twink had tried to do at first.

I'm not enjoying this
,
realised Twink. Lost in thought, she doodled a Fledge field on her homework paper.
I don't like what being the Games Fairy has done to me, or the team. I've turned into a bully, and – and I'm unhappy.

Twink let out a shaky breath. Suddenly the way forward seemed very clear to her . . . and it was a huge relief!

‘Romi, could I talk to you?' called Twink.

It was the next morning before breakfast, and Twink was hovering to one side of the Great Branch as a rainbow stream of fairies flew past. Romi left her friends and flew over with a frown. ‘What is it?'

‘Would you come to a team meeting after lessons today?' blurted out Twink.

The purple-haired fairy folded her arms over her chest. ‘What for? I'm not on the team any more, remember?'

‘Please, just be there,' urged Twink. ‘It's important.' She held her breath, waiting.

Romi hesitated. ‘All right,' she said finally. ‘But, Twink –'

‘Thanks, Romi!' broke in Twink with a grin. She flew quickly into the Great Branch before Romi could say anything else, feeling as if a weight had fallen from her wings.

Even so, when it came time for the meeting, Twink found it difficult to get the words out. Her team sat gazing at her in confusion, clearly wondering what was up. Romi perched to one side, not saying a word.

Twink cleared her throat. ‘I've, um . . . asked you all to be here because I wanted to say a few things. The first is . . . I'm sorry.'

A surprised ripple passed through the team. Twink's cheeks reddened as she continued. ‘You've probably heard that Summer's quit, and . . . well, I know it's all my fault. I've been horrid, always shouting and never saying anything nice to any of you. And – and that was really wrong of me, because you've been playing brilliantly these last few weeks!'

Her team stared at her in stunned silence. Twink swallowed hard. ‘You see, I – I haven't found it very easy being the Games Fairy. I didn't know the best way to lead, and . . . I think I've made sort of a mess of it.'

Oh, she hadn't wanted to cry! But she could feel tears filling her eyes, and she swiped them away angrily.

‘So that's why I've asked Romi to be here today,' she said. ‘Because I think that she –'

Romi stood up. ‘Twink's asked me to join the team again, and I've accepted,' she interrupted. ‘And I'd like to say something, too. Twink, I shouldn't have been teaching the Power Play when you'd told me not to. It won't happen again.'

Twink's mouth dropped open. Romi stared back at her.
Go along with it!
her gaze said.

‘Um . . . good,' faltered Twink, her thoughts spinning. ‘Well – welcome back to the team, Romi. There's not going to be a practice today, everyone,' she added quickly. ‘You've all been working really hard, and – and I think three practices a week is probably plenty from now on. See you tomorrow.'

As her team flitted out, Vera and Zayna hung back, looking uncomfortable. ‘Twink, we're sorry too,' burst out Vera. ‘Zayna and I made things pretty tough for you at first, didn't we?'

Zayna nodded sheepishly. ‘We just wanted to relax and have some fun, with Madge gone, but – but it wasn't very nice of us. We're really sorry.'

‘That's OK,' murmured Twink in amazement. She stared after the two fairies as they left, and then slowly turned to Romi. ‘Why did you do that?' she demanded.

Romi lifted a wing. ‘You were going to quit, weren't you? And ask the others if they'd have me as Games Fairy instead.'

‘Yes, and it would have been the right thing to do!' burst out Twink. ‘I've been thinking, and I can see now that you were right. I – I just don't have what it takes.' Her throat felt sandy suddenly, and she looked away.

Taking her arm, Romi sat them both down on one of the bark benches. ‘It
wouldn't
have been the right thing,' she insisted. ‘I've been doing some thinking too, Twink. The team elected you, not me.'

Twink made a face. ‘Yes, but only because Vera didn't want to have to work hard – you heard her just now!'

‘Maybe,' said Romi, tapping her wings together. ‘But they still elected you, and I think you could be brilliant, if you tried.'

‘If I tried!' echoed Twink. She laughed in disbelief. ‘All I've been
doing
is trying – nothing seems to work!'

Romi rolled her eyes. ‘You've tried being some tough fairy, barking orders, and you've tried being so nice that everyone flies right over you. How about just being yourself for a change?'

Twink sat very still as Romi went on. ‘You've got good instincts, Twink. You were right about Summer, for instance – she's a wonderful player! I wouldn't have put her on the team, but you did.'