Sparkling Steps Read online

  “We shall perform the dance in two rows,” Miss Frances told everyone. “In the back row will be . . .” She called out a number of names, including Lucy and Mariko. “And in the front row will be Olivia, Tamsin . . .”

  Olivia hardly heard the rest of the names. She couldn’t believe it. She was going to dance in the front row!

  “Did you hear that, Tamsin? Isn’t it amazing?” she said to her friend, as she placed the practice tutu upside down on the special stand in the corner.

  Tamsin was drinking from a bottle of water. She wiped her mouth and grinned. “You’ve worked really hard. You deserve it,” she said generously.

  “No one’s going to be able to see me in the back row, with Beanpole clumping around in front of us!” Lucy complained loudly.

  Miss Frances frowned as she turned to Lucy. “The dancers with the best technique will be in the front row. If you want to join them, my advice is to work a lot harder!” she snapped. “Olivia has put in hours of extra practice. Perhaps you should, too.”

  Lucy’s pretty face turned bright red. She walked over to stand beside Mariko.

  “I can’t stand that teacher’s pet. I hope she gets double chickenpox and then I can have her place,” she muttered.

  Olivia was hurt but she pretended not to hear. No matter what she did or didn’t do, Lucy and Mariko were never going to like her. It’s just a fact of life, she thought, like having blisters and sore feet, and I just have to get used to it.

  Chapter SEVEN

  “Only a few days now until the end of the semester. I can’t believe how quickly the time’s gone. I’m looking forward to seeing you both. Bye, Mom. Give my love to Dad.” Olivia hung up the phone after speaking to her parents on Sunday afternoon.

  She turned to smile at Flame. “Mom and Dad love to hear all the news. I told them that we’ve started rehearsing onstage and everything. They’re really excited about coming to the school production. I just hope I don’t mess up!”

  “You will be fine. You are working so hard to be a good dancer,” Flame purred.

  “Thanks, Flame!” Olivia said, stroking his soft, little ears.

  A group of girls from her class walked past. “Hi, Olivia,” one of them called.

  “We’re going to watch a video of The Nutcrackerin the common room. Do you want to come?”

  Olivia loved the Nutcrackerballet, but she knew she really ought to take Flame outside. He’d spent a lot of time indoors while she had been doing extra practices in the studio. “Thanks, but I think I’ll catch up with you later, if that’s okay. I’m going outside to get some fresh air,” she said to the girls.

  “Okay. See you later,” they called as they walked off.

  “Come on, Flame. I bet you’d love to run around outside.”

  Flame nodded eagerly as he followed her out into the school grounds. Olivia strolled past the tennis courts. There was no one playing tennis today. Most students had gone home for the weekend to visit their parents, leaving only the boarders.

  It was very quiet on the grounds. Olivia spotted some pink roses in the bed with the yellow pansies. As she stopped to smell one of them, Flame darted past in pursuit of a huge, wood pigeon.

  “You’ve got no chance of catching that,” she said, chuckling to herself as he scrambled under a bush after it. The pigeon was as big as he was!

  Olivia wandered down the winding path to the sloping lawn with the old well in the center. She sat and watched a squirrel loping across the grass, while she waited for Flame to come and find her.

  After five minutes or so, when he hadn’t appeared, she went to look for him. “Flame?” she called softly, retracing her steps along the path, peering into flower beds and parting the bushes. “Flame? Where are you?”

  There was no answering meow.

  Olivia started to feel worried. Where could he be? What if Flame’s enemies had found him already? They might have hurt him or worse!

  Suddenly she heard a little wail of distress. It was coming from the direction of the lawn, behind her. With her heart racing, Olivia whipped around and dashed back there.

  “Oh!” she gasped.

  Lucy and Mariko stood in the center of the lawn. Lucy had both hands tightly wrapped around Flame’s middle. His bottom half was dangling in midair.

  Flame must have been so engrossed in playing with the wood pigeon that he had forgotten to stay invisible! Now he couldn’t do any magic without giving himself away.

  “Stop wriggling!” Lucy said crossly, squeezing harder, as Flame gave another howl and lashed his tiny tail.

  Olivia had had just about enough of Lucy and Mariko. Her chest tightened with anger. “Put Fla . . . that kitten down! You’re hurting him!” she shouted.

  Lucy glared at Olivia. “What are you stressing about, Beanpole? It’s not your kitten!”

  Yes, he is!Olivia wanted to shout, but even now she knew that she couldn’t tell them that. “Give him to me or else!” she demanded, rushing forward with clenched fists.

  “Run for it!” Lucy shouted to Mariko, zooming across the lawn.

  Olivia ran after her, her long legs eating up the grass.

  Lucy glanced fearfully over her shoulder and then stopped abruptly at the well. She dangled Flame over the widely spaced bars covering the opening above the empty, black space.

  “Back off! Or I’ll drop him in!” she shouted.

  Olivia froze. “You wouldn’t!” she gasped.

  Lucy’s blue eyes glittered. “Don’t you come any closer. Weird things happen when you’re around!”

  Flame’s back legs pedalled the air. He screeched loudly with fear.

  “Please don’t hurt him!” Olivia begged. “Look, I just want the kitten. I didn’t mean to lose my temper with you,” she said reasonably.

  “Give him to her, Lucy,” Mariko urged. “Let her go and find out who it belongs to. Then we can go inside and watch the video.”

  “Shut up! Both of you!” Lucy snapped.

  Olivia gulped. Lucy had a hard, mean look on her face. She looked capable of anything. Olivia’s mind whirled. What could she do? “I’ll . . . I’ll make a deal with you,” she blurted out. “I’ll give you my ballet book for the kitten!”

  Lucy wavered. “Really? Swear on this kitten’s life that you’ll let me keep the book.”

  “Okay. I swear,” Olivia said solemnly.

  “You heard that, Mariko!” Lucy crowed. She looked back at Olivia. “You have to keep your promise now or we’ll tell everyone that you’re a liar and a cheat.”

  Olivia didn’t care. She felt weak with relief. “Whatever. You can go and get the book yourself. It’s in the cabinet next to my bed.”

  Lucy backed slowly away from the well. “Here!” She thrust Flame into Olivia’s arms. “I was only kidding, anyway! I hope it takes you hours to find its owner. Come on, Mariko. I’m going to the dormitory to get mybook!” She ran off, followed by Mariko.

  Olivia held Flame’s little, trembling body to her chest. His tiny heart was beating fast against her hands. “It’s okay, Flame. You’re safe now,” she crooned softly.

  “Thank you for saving me, Olivia.” Flame gave an especially loud purr and reached up a tiny paw to pat her cheek. “I am very sorry that you have lost your book.”

  “It doesn’t matter. You’re more important to me than any old book. I nearly died on the spot when I thought Lucy was going to drop you into that well!” Olivia said.

  She realized that she would do anything to protect Flame.

  Chapter EIGHT

  “We’re collecting our costumes for the dress rehearsal onstage this morning!” Olivia swept Flame into her arms and shot down the stairs to the wardrobe department. “Can you believe that the performance is only the day after tomorrow?”

  Flame shook his head. “I have been here with you for a few weeks now. The time has gone by very fast.”

  “I assume your uncle’s spies have given up looking for you. Maybe you can stay here with me forever,” Olivia said
.

  Flame looked up at her with gentle, green eyes. “That is not possible, Olivia. My destiny is in my own world.”

  “I know,” Olivia said sadly. She didn’t even want to think about Flame leaving.

  Tamsin was already in the wardrobe department when Olivia and Flame arrived. “It’s amazing in here, isn’t it?” Tamsin said, pointing to the huge rolls of satins, chiffons, and velvets in every color imaginable.

  Olivia quickly put Flame down on a bench, before Tamsin noticed that she seemed to be holding something that she couldn’t see! He scampered past a woman sitting at a sewing machine and then settled down to watch another woman, hand sewing sequins on to a sky blue tutu.

  Olivia caught her breath when she saw her costume. It had a pale orchid, silk bodice, with thin straps trimmed with tiny, pink rosebuds. The stiff skirt was held out by many layers of cream net. Her headdress was a band of matching pink rosebuds and crystal beads.

  “Oh! It’s even more beautiful than I expected,” she sighed, holding it up against her.

  Tamsin was cradling her pale gray costume in her arms. “Mine’s gorgeous, too. I can’t wait for dress rehearsal!”

  The rest of the class collected their costumes and then everyone trooped along to the school’s theater, where Miss Frances was waiting.

  “Wow! Look at this!” Olivia said, peering around the stage.

  Everything was almost ready for the main performance. There was a dark blue backcloth, with tiny lights for stars. The colorful scenery had been painted to look like the inside of a fairy-tale castle.

  The dress rehearsal was exciting, but very hard work, as Miss Frances was even more strict than usual. Olivia concentrated fully on getting every step right. If she even started thinking about dancing in front of a full audience, her tummy did a sickening backflip.

  When the rehearsal was over, Miss Frances gave a small smile. “That went really well. Go and get changed now. I’ll see you this afternoon.”

  Olivia was practicing her pointe work at the barre as afternoon class began.

  Tamsin joined her, starting some warm-up stretches. “I just saw Lucy reading your ballet book in the common room. When I asked her about it, she said you gave it to her,” she said, frowning.

  Olivia nodded, feeling awful that she couldn’t let Tamsin know why. “Yes, I did.”

  “How come? You can’t stand her any more than I can!” Tamsin’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. When Olivia looked away, she held up her hands. “Okay, you don’t have to tell me anything. But I’ll help you get your book back if you like.”

  “Thanks, Tamsin, but it doesn’t matter now,” Olivia said. She glanced across at the tiny ball of blue-gray fur on top of the piano. She still had what really mattered to her—Flame!

  Miss Frances clapped her hands for attention. “Places, everyone. Let’s go through the Garland Dance again. I want you all perfect for tomorrow.”

  As Olivia waited for the music to begin, the door of the studio opened. A frail-looking elderly woman, with black hair and a silver walking stick, came in.

  Miss Frances quickly fetched a chair for her.

  “It’s Nina Svetlova!” Tamsin whispered. “She founded this school!”

  “She must be going to take class!” Olivia guessed, glancing at the almost legendary ex-prima ballerina.

  Nina banged on the floor with her stick. “Begin!” she ordered. She watched everyone closely, making corrections when she thought they were needed. “No, no! It’s not meant to be like that!” she said, pointing her stick at Lucy. “You are too stiff. Move your arms like this. Hold up your head and smile!”

  Lucy pressed her mouth together as she danced. Her face was beet red.

  Then Nina turned her attention to Olivia. Olivia danced for all she was worth, trying not to think about the sharp, critical eyes watching her.

  “Good!” said Nina, when Olivia finished. “That is how the dance should be! You!” she said, pointing to Lucy. “Watch and learn!”

  There were hushed whispers as the class ended and everyone went to get changed. Mariko had her arm around Lucy, who was in tears.

  “Phew! I thought Miss Frances was strict, but she’s got nothing on Miss Svetlova,” Olivia said to Tamsin. “She must have made us do the Garland Dance about a hundred times! And she really grilled Lucy! I couldn’t help feeling sorry for her.”

  Tamsin shrugged. “It’s her own fault. She should make more of an effort.” She flashed Olivia a pleased grin. “But I think we both did okay!”

  Olivia nodded, feeling a flush of pride. She was going to call her parents as soon as she could and tell them that the famous Nina Svetlova had just coached her!

  Chapter NINE

  Olivia woke up the following morning with butterflies in her tummy. “This is the day! Mom and Dad will be on their way here soon,” she said to Flame. “It’s the final dress rehearsal this morning.”

  She jumped out of bed and got dressed quickly. Usually Flame followed her everywhere, but today he seemed reluctant to get off the bed.

  “Hey! Sleepyhead,” she teased gently. “Are you coming?”

  Flame peeped out of his cozy nest in the duvet with dull, troubled eyes. “I think I will stay here for a bit longer,” he meowed quietly.

  “What’s wrong? Do you feel sick?” Olivia asked, beginning to feel alarmed.

  “I think my enemies are getting close,” Flame told her with a tiny shudder. “If I stay very still, they may pass by.”

  “Oh, no!” Olivia gasped. She was dreading the moment when Flame would have to leave, but it was a million times worse to think of him being hurt. “That’s it. I’m going to stay here with you. I’ll say I have a tummy ache or something . . .”

  “No. It would draw attention to me. You cannot miss this important rehearsal,” Flame meowed.

  Olivia knew Flame was right, but she felt torn. “All right, I’ll go. But I’ll come back and check on you when I can. You will still be here when I get back, won’t you?” She was distraught at the thought of not being able to say good-bye.

  Flame curled up and tucked his tail around his tiny body. He gave a muffled, little meow. “I hope so.”

  Olivia’s heart was heavy as she went to the dance studio.

  “Are you okay?” asked Tamsin, as soon as she caught sight of Olivia’s pale face.

  “Yes, I’m fine,” Olivia said, trying hard to pull herself together.

  She managed to push her worries about Flame to the back of her mind and somehow concentrated fully on her dancing, but the moment rehearsal finished, Olivia dashed straight back up to the dorm.

  Flame was on the landing, ears pricked and his little tail sticking straight up perkily. The fearful look had faded from his emerald eyes. He meowed a greeting as Olivia bounded up the stairs two at a time toward him.

  “Flame!” Olivia cried happily. “I was so scared that you’d be gone!”

  “I sensed that my enemies have passed. They may still return, but for now I am safe,” Flame purred.

  “Oh, I’m so glad!” Olivia bent down to stroke his soft fur. “Come on. It’s almost lunchtime. I’ll see if I can smuggle something extra delicious out for you!”

  With a joyful little meow, Flame jumped into her arms.

  Olivia sat in the common room with Tamsin. Flame was curled up invisibly by her side. Normal lessons had finished early and the entire school seemed to be in upheaval as final preparations for the performance were made.

  Olivia felt so nervous that she couldn’t sit still. She kept jumping up and pacing around. Flame seemed to have been infected by her nerves. One minute he was sitting down, the next he was pacing behind her.

  “What time is it?” Olivia asked Tamsin.

  Tamsin grinned. “Five minutes later than when you just asked me!”

  “Sorry,” Olivia said. “I hate waiting around. If only there was something to do.”

  “We’re supposed to be relaxing,” Tamsin said. “There’s still over an hour before we
need to start putting on our makeup and costumes.”

  “It’s no good. I feel like I have butterflies in my tummy! I think I’ll go and see if Mom and Dad have arrived.”

  “Good idea,” Tamsin said. “You must be dying to see them after all these weeks. Not like me; I have to see my parents every day. I’ll stay here and read my magazine. I’ll see you in wardrobe later.”

  “Okay,” Olivia sang out as she hurried out of the common room. She couldn’t understand how Tamsin could be so calm when she was exactly the opposite!

  With Flame in her shoulder bag, Olivia went outside to check the car park, but there was no sign of her parents’ car yet.

  “Never mind. They’ll be here soon,” she said to Flame. “Let’s go back inside.”

  Flame answered with a sleepy purr from the depths of the bag.

  Olivia put her hand inside and stroked Flame gently. She wandered down the corridor and found herself heading down toward the wardrobe room. Maybe she’d go and take another look at her costume.

  Just before she got to wardrobe, she saw that the door to a normally empty room stood wide open. It was crammed with dress rails full of glittering costumes.

  “Oh, look!” Olivia said delightedly, spotting her costume on the end of the rail nearest to her.

  But as she reached for the hanger, Olivia caught a movement from the corner of her eye. A large, dark shadow was climbing the wall of the corridor. Something was coming toward them.

  “He is close. I can sense him,” growled a harsh, cruel voice.

  Olivia froze. Flame’s enemies. They were here!

  Chapter TEN

  Olivia didn’t hesitate. She turned on her heel and ran. There was a coatroom just past wardrobe. As soon as she reached it, she hurtled inside.