Free Term-Time Trouble by Titania Woods

like – like I’m some sort of monster! I thought we were friends. I –’ She broke off suddenly and turned away, her wings drooping.
    There was an awkward silence. Lola bit her lip, clearly close to tears again.
    Twink’s own eyes felt hot and prickly. She cleared her throat. ‘Lola, you’re right. We – we haven’t really paid much attention to you. But we all want to help you now, we really do! What can we do?’
    The other fairies murmured assent, drawing forward.
    â€˜I – I don’t know,’ said Lola. ‘I just wish I could start again, somewhere where no one knows me. But my mother won’t let me change schools. And I can’t stay here, I just can’t!’ She shot a frightened glance at Mariella.
    â€˜ She won’t bother you again,’ said Sooze grimly. ‘You can count on that!’
    Lola struggled to get the words out. ‘Yes, but – but don’t you see? It would be awful anyway, because now all of you know! Even if you pretended it didn’t matter, you’d always be thinking of it – how Mariella treated me, and how I was too weak to stand up to her. I need to go somewhere new, where I can be someone different!’
    The fairies exchanged troubled glances. As difficult as it was to admit, Twink knew that Lola had a point. But how could she go somewhere new when her mother wouldn’t let her change schools?
    â€˜What if you changed branches?’ asked Jax suddenly. ‘Then you’d get your fresh start, and your mother would still be happy because you were at Glitterwings.’
    Lola face creased anxiously. ‘But everyone in our year knows that I’m Mariella’s friend. They don’t know any of this , but . . . but what if they were all whispering about me? I wouldn’t make any friends!’
    â€˜Well, what if I came with you?’ said Jax. ‘ I’ll be your friend. And if anyone has anything to say about you, they can say it to me first!’
    Lola gaped at the spiky-haired fairy. ‘Really?’ she whispered. ‘You’d really do that for me?’
    â€˜Why not?’ grinned Jax, flapping her wings. ‘I had just about decided to stay at this miserable school anyway.’
    A relieved smile burst across Lola’s face. ‘Oh, that would be wonderful!’ she breathed.
    Mariella turned slowly around again, her eyes bright with tears. ‘Lola, I didn’t know you felt this way,’ she said stiffly. ‘And of course if you want to go to a different branch, then I won’t stop you! But – but – well, I’m sorry,’ she finished awkwardly. ‘I suppose – I suppose I wasn’t always very nice to you.’
    .

    .
    Lola stood very still, her eyes wide. Mariella’s cheeks blazed as she looked at the others. ‘In fact, I suppose I’m not very nice at all sometimes,’ she said in a low voice. ‘So . . . I’d like to say sorry to all of you.’
    There was a stunned silence. Twink and Bimi exchanged a look. Mariella, apologising! And for once, it sounded like she actually meant it.
    Sooze flitted forward and touched Mariella’s arm. ‘Well done, Mosquito Nose,’ she said softly. ‘I think that’s the most sensible thing I’ve ever heard you say!’
    Twink cleared her throat. ‘Listen, everyone, I think we should go to bed now,’ she said. ‘I’ll go and talk to Miss Shimmery tomorrow, Lola, and see what she says about you and Jax moving branches – that is, if you’re sure it’s what you want.’
    Lola hesitated, glancing at Mariella. ‘Yes, please,’ she said. ‘But Mariella . . . thank you for apologising.’
    Miss Shimmery sat behind her mushroom desk with her wings folded behind her back, listening carefully. She made no comment as Twink spoke, but her blue eyes looked wise and gentle. She didn’t even seem cross