Free Sparkling Steps by Sue Bentley

Chapter ONE
    â€œI’m here! I’m actually at Yew Lodge!” Olivia Goddard whispered excitedly to herself, as she entered the changing rooms.
    Everywhere she looked, there were unfamiliar girls in gray skirts, white blouses, and blue cardigans. Olivia found a space and started taking her things out of her bag. She had just changed into her new, pink leotard when a group of girls walked in, giggling and whispering to each other. They looked about ten years old, the same as Olivia.
    A small girl with silver-blond hair and blue eyes stood nearest to Olivia.
    Olivia smiled. “Hi, I’m new here. I think I’m in your class,” she said.
    â€œSo what?” the blond girl said rudely. She looked up at Olivia and smirked. “What’s the weather like up there?”
    There were more muffled giggles and whispers from the other girls.
    Olivia was used to being teased about her height. “I don’t know. My head’s in the clouds,” she joked. “What’s it like down there?”
    â€œShe told you, Lucy!” one of the other girls said with a chuckle as Lucy scowled and turned away.
    The door banged as a girl with a mop of bright red hair came running into the changing room. She dumped her bag on the bench next to Olivia. “Phew! Just made it. The bus was late,” she puffed. She gave Olivia a big grin. “Serves me right, for not living here like everyone else, I guess! Hi, I’m Tamsin!”

    â€œHi, I’m Olivia,” Olivia said, smiling.
    Tamsin was thin with pale skin and freckles. She smelled of fresh air and spearmint chewing gum.
    â€œWelcome to Yew Lodge!” Tamsin dragged a creased leotard and a pair of wrinkled, white ankle socks out of her bag. “Are you a day girl, like me?”
    â€œNo, I’m boarding,” Olivia replied. “My mom’s just dropped me off. I haven’t even had time to unpack properly, but I didn’t want to miss my first class. It feels a little weird to be starting midterm.”
    â€œI bet it does,” Tamsin agreed. “Have you met any of the others yet?”
    â€œOnly Lucy, but she wasn’t exactly friendly,” Olivia said quietly.
    Tamsin rolled her eyes. “What a surprise. Not!” she whispered back. “Lucy Castor thinks she’s Miss Perfect. Don’t pay any attention to her.”
    Olivia laughed, happy to see that not everyone was so unfriendly.
    Unfortunately, Lucy chose that moment to walk by on her way to the studio.
    â€œOoh, look, Mariko!” she said to the pretty girl with high cheekbones and almond eyes by her side. “Beanpole and Frizz are friends.”
    Olivia’s heart sank as she noticed Tamsin’s face flush before she twisted her mass of curly, red hair into a bun.
    â€œI think you’ve got amazing hair,” Olivia said, hoping that Lucy’s mean comment hadn’t scared off the only girl to be friendly to her so far.
    â€œThanks, Olivia,” Tamsin said with a wry chuckle. “I guess it is a bit of a frizz—I have to use tons of this gel stuff to stop bits of it from popping out and hanging in my eyes.”
    Olivia, relieved to see that Tamsin hadn’t been too bothered by Lucy, groaned in sympathy. “My hair does that, too.”
    Tamsin held out the tube of hair gel. “Try some of this.”
    â€œThanks.” Olivia squeezed some out and smoothed it on to her thick brown hair. In no time at all, she had coiled it around and pinned it into a neat bun. She sat down to tie her shoelaces.
    Tamsin was tying hers, too. “Don’t forget to tuck in the ends. Miss Frances hates flapping laces. She calls them pig’s ears!” she said. A few minutes later, she jumped up. “I’m done. Ready?”
    Olivia nodded.
    As she followed Tamsin into the large, light studio with its shiny, wooden floor, Olivia felt her stomach clench with nerves. Three entire walls were mirrored and a