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that idea. If she was going to have to face horrible Lorraine, she didn’t want to be on her own.
    Hand in hand, she and her great-aunt followed Mrs. Easting into the school. As they trotted down the long corridor to the classroom, a sudden warmth against her leg reminded her that the nun was still in her pocket. She was magic, Ruth knew it. And the magic was getting stronger too.
    Her great-aunt squeezed her hand and Ruth glanced up.
    “Some magic doesn’t come from outside,” she whispered low enough so Mrs. Easting didn’t hear her. “It comes from inside. I know you know that, Ruth, but you just haven’t realised it yet.”
    Ruth stared at her, wondering what on earth she meant, but there was no time to puzzle it out. They’d arrived in the classroom. It was time to face Lorraine.
    Everyone was sitting down and they all turned to face the door as they came in. Ruth could see the plaster on Lorraine’s leg where she’d kicked her. Funny how she’d thought she’d be pleased to see Lorraine getting hurt but in fact it made her feel wobbly inside, not in a nice way.
    Mrs. Easting coughed. “Ruth and Lorraine, I think you both have something to say to each other, don’t you?”
    Great-Aunt Alice squeezed Ruth’s hand and let go. It was up to her now, but she didn’t feel alone. She had the origami nun and that made everything different.
    Lorraine stood up, though she didn’t look at Ruth, and her shoulders were hunched. Ruth reached into her pocket for the nun and took two steps forward. She was going to try to be brave enough to say sorry, just like her great-aunt told her, and she hoped Lorraine might feel the same.
    It was then that it happened.
    Something yellow and very bright flashed out of the nun and surrounded Ruth and Lorraine, whirling round and round them like a swirling dancing mist. Ruth felt herself being lifted up towards the ceiling of the classroom. She opened her mouth wide in surprise but of course no sound came out. She could see the same thing happening to Lorraine who was screaming. The sound went right through Ruth’s head and she covered her ears with her hands to block it out. The two girls reached the ceiling of the classroom. Ruth thought they’d stop there but they didn’t. The ceiling dissolved and they went rushing upwards into air and sunlight.
    It felt good , it was really truly flying. Something Ruth had always wanted to do as she wanted to know what it was like, and now she did. It must be the nun, she thought, the nun was the only one who could do something like this. Ruth loved it.
    Lorraine obviously didn’t feel the same. She was still screaming. Ruth wished the other girl would shut up as she could enjoy the flying more, but then the nun twisted in her hand, and she realised that was mean. She would have to try to help Lorraine, no matter what she thought about her. But how?
    Still clutching the nun, Ruth stretched her arms wide and leapt towards Lorraine. The swirling air caught her up and swept her to the unhappy girl. She grabbed Lorraine’s shoulder and pulled her closer, all but hugging her as they continued to float and dance in the breeze. Lorraine’s breath smelt of biscuits and orange juice.
    “Let me go! Let me go!” Lorraine yelled. “I hate you, you stupid dumb girl! Why have you done this? Put me down!”
    Ruth didn’t know how to answer that. There was no paper around to write down what she thought so, to stop Lorraine’s screaming, Ruth pushed her hand over the girl’s mouth and everything went quiet. She could see Lorraine’s eyes, wide with fear, staring right at her. Then Lorraine grunted, opened her mouth, and Ruth knew in that instant that she was going to bite her.
    Before she could snatch her hand away, the origami nun flew out of Ruth’s grasp and slid between the two girls. She began to grow and swell, her black and white shape becoming taller and taller by the second, and wider too. At the same time, Ruth realised they weren’t