First published in the UK in 2012 by Nosy Crow Ltd The Crow’s Nest, 10a Lant Street London, SE1 1QR, UK Nosy Crow and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Nosy Crow Ltd Text copyright Š Lyn Gardner, 2012 The right of Lyn Gardner to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. A CIP catalogue record for this book will be available from the British Library. All rights reserved 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, hired out or otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of Nosy Crow Ltd. Printed and bound in the UK by Clays Ltd, St. Ives Plc Typeset by Tiger Media Ltd, Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire Papers used by Nosy Crow are made from wood grown in sustainable forests. ISBN: 978 0 85763 134 3 www.nosycrow.com
Chapter One Olivia Marvell stood impatiently at the bottom of the steps in front of the Swan Academy of Theatre and Dance. She was surrounded by her friends Tom, Georgia and Aeysha. They were all peering down the road with expectant looks on their faces. They had just come from the café and they were stuffed full of toasted sandwiches, cherry almond cupcakes and hot chocolate, and were now looking forward to the first assembly of the new school year. Olivia and her friends were going into Year Nine and they felt very grown up. Tom had developed what Aeysha liked to call “the Year Nine swagger”. “I have not!” said Tom indignantly. “You have,” insisted Aeysha. “But at least it’s cooler than the Year Eight sashay and the
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Year Seven scuttle.” “I’ve never scuttled in my life,” said Tom. “Of course you have. All Year Sevens scuttle,” said Aeysha authoritatively. As if to prove her point, two Year Seven newbies in their smart new olive and gold uniforms scurried by nervously, hoping that they wouldn’t be noticed by Aeysha and the others. “That’s how I felt when I first came to the Swan,” said Georgia. “I thought Year Nines were so grown up. I’d have died if one spoke to me. It’s odd to think we’ve got so ancient.” “Speak for yourself,” said Tom. “I’m like my mum, who always says that she’s young at heart but just slightly older in all the other places.” Olivia’s little sister, Eel, appeared at the top of the steps and pirouetted her way down them with dizzying speed and remarkable grace. At the bottom she curtsied to several passers-by. One actually clapped. “If Miss Swan catches you doing that, she’ll eat you for tea,” said Aeysha. “You could really hurt yourself.” Then she added affectionately, “Little show-off.” Eel grinned. “I know, I’m a terrible show
off. I just can’t seem to help myself. Particularly now I’m in Year Four.” She peered at the little group as she turned to go back inside. “I came to tell you that all the teachers are heading towards the hall. You’d better get your skates on or you’ll miss the entire autumn term.” “I’d hate that,” said Tom. “I love this term. There’s always so much to look forward to, like Hallowe’en and Christmas.” “Mmm . . . skating at Somerset House,” said Georgia dreamily. “I went with Emmy’s family last year. It was magic,” said Eel. “We should have a Swan outing.” “You organise it, Eel,” said Georgia. “That’s not fair,” said Eel. “I’m only eight. People should organise things for me.” She sighed dramatically. “But I’m probably the best person for the job. I so often am. I’ll get Emmy to help me.” And she danced away. “Where is Katie?” asked Olivia, her forehead wrinkled with frustration. “The bell’s going to go any minute and if she doesn’t hurry up we’ll all be late for assembly.” “Maybe we should have invited her to the café with us?” said Georgia.
“Liv did,” said Tom, “but Katie said no. She wouldn’t come to the Newbies’ Concert yesterday either. Even though Miss Swan made a point of asking her.” “I think she’s worried that people are going to stare and whisper behind her back,” said Olivia. “I can see why,” said Aeysha thoughtfully. “Particularly after all the stuff in the newspapers about her dad.” “And when they kept going on about her being ‘the disgraced Sound of Music child star’,” said Georgia. “It can’t be easy coming back to the Swan after being excluded. She was such a queen bee before. Now she’s going to feel just like one of the newbies.” “Worse,” said Georgia. “People are going to be watching her like a hawk. The slightest slip and they’re going to say she hasn’t changed at all. She’s just the same old, poisonous Katie Wilkes-Cox, who wants to be a star whatever the cost to anyone else.” “I want it now – and I want it on a plate!” said Tom, flicking back an imaginary lock of long hair in a scarily perfect impression of the
old Katie Wilkes-Cox. After she’d left the Swan, Katie had redeemed herself by helping Olivia and the others save the school from the mostly criminal business activities of her bullying property developer dad. “That’s exactly why Gran said we should look after her a bit, at least until she finds her feet and proves herself,” said Olivia, whose grandmother, Alicia Swan, owned the Swan Academy. “But everyone must know that Katie has changed, otherwise Gran would never have invited her back.” “There she is!” said Tom, spotting a small, slightly forlorn figure hurrying towards them, weighed down by a bag no doubt full of practice shoes and clothes. Katie reached the steps and looked at them nervously; her hair was tousled from running, her pretty face was pale and her cat-like eyes were anxious. “Hello,” she said in a small voice. “I’m sorry if I kept you all waiting. I . . . I just didn’t want to get here too early. . .” She tailed off. Olivia gave her a smile and a quick handsqueeze as the bell rang loudly. “The new term is about to start,” said
Olivia, her eyes shining. “Come on, everyone, or we won’t get a good spot in the hall for assembly. Gran’s got that gleam in her eye that makes me think she must have some exciting news.” Katie watched them move towards the door. She took a deep breath and followed them in, and was immediately caught up in a tide of people heading towards the girls’ cloakroom. As she was swept along, she thought she heard somebody whisper, “Just look what the cat dragged in.” Katie felt as if somebody had punched her in the stomach. Returning to the Swan was going to be as difficult as she’d feared.