Olivia Flies High Read Online Free Page B

were all in Italy, and he tells me that you are a girl who can fly. He thought a break from the high-wire might do you good, and the trapeze is something that you and I can do together. You know it’s my speciality, along with the castell .”
    Olivia nodded enthusiastically. She had gone with Eel, Tom, Georgia and Aeysha to see Pablo make a guest appearance on the swinging trapeze with the Cirque du Soleil at the Albert Hall on New Year’s Day, which hadbeen thrilling.
    Jack had also told her that Pablo was famous for creating castells , the human towers or castles that hailed from the Catalan region of his native Spain. It was a skill that required great strength, agility and balance from the participants, who had to create a strong base of people at the bottom before others clambered up them like monkeys to create wedding-cake-style human tiers that rose high into the air. While travelling with the circus in Spain, Olivia had seen human towers eight or nine tiers tall, as high as a house, often with a tiny child as young as five perched on the very top. They required massive skill and balance and everybody had to work as a team to be successful.
    “I’m going to start the ducklings off by learning how to create castells , and maybe do some more high-wire walking as you’ve already got them going…”
    But Olivia wasn’t really listening. She was looking at the trapeze with shining eyes as if she was already imagining swooping through the air like a bird. “When can we start the trapeze?” she asked impatiently.
    “Right now,” said Pablo. “But first you’vegot to promise me and your grandmother two things, Livy.”
    “What?”
    Alicia looked grave. “One, you’ll stop being silly and make it up with Tom and your other friends. Friendship is much too important to fool around with, Olivia. Secondly, and this is really serious, that you’ll never practise the trapeze without Pablo being present.”
    Pablo nodded. “The trapeze is very different from the wire,” he said. “You’re very experienced on that, and if you do slip in the rehearsal room, it’s not so far to fall. You do not break the head or the arms or the neck. But with the trapeze? Madre mia! You could do yourself a big injury if you came off the trapeze. Terminado .” He made a gesture as if cutting his throat. Alicia gave another little shudder.
    “I promise,” said Olivia.
    “Right, partner,” said Pablo. “Let’s see what you can do.”
    Alicia felt delighted by the smile on Olivia’s face. She’d hated to see her so unhappy. She was watching her granddaughter shimmy up the rope when her mobile rang. It was another call from Hollywood. She hurried away to take it.

Chapter Four 
    The next morning, Olivia was waiting just inside the glass doors of the Swan, hopping from one foot to another. She had two good luck cards in her hands that she had stayed up late making while Eel had gone to see Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker! at Sadler’s Wells with one of her friends. One was for Tom and the other was for Georgia.
    She also had a little “Sorry” card stuffed inside her pocket that she’d made for Eel and which she had wanted to give to her at breakfast but, inspired by Nutcracker! , Eel had rushed off early for an extra ballet class.
    Olivia knew that the children’s rehearsals for The Sound of Music started that afternoon and, having taken everyone’s words to heart,she wanted to make it up with her friends before they were swept up in the hard work of preparing for the show. The cards were a peace offering and she had been really creative with them.
    She looked impatiently out of the glass doors as the bell rang for morning lessons. Where on earth were they? Then she saw Aeysha hotfoot it up the road and take the steps outside the school two at a time, laden down with her saxophone and a bag full of practice clothes.
    â€œHi, Livy, what’s up?” Aeysha asked a little hesitantly. She felt wary