Olivia's Enchanted Summer by Lyn Gardner

broadcasting our business to everyone next, not just that nosy circus girl. We shouldn’t trust anyone. Look what happened with Mitch.”
    â€œI was just trying to be nice, Evie,” replied Tati. “If we’re going to get them to trust us, you’re going to have to be a lot less rude.” She sighed. “You used to be such a sweet little thing, Evie.”
    â€œI’m trying to be tough, Tati,” snapped her sister. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the last few months it’s that only the tough survive. We can’t rely on anybody except each other.”
    Olivia couldn’t stop a sneeze escaping, and Evie and Tati fell abruptly silent.
    â€œLiv!” Jack signalled that he needed her to help him, and as she ran back down into the ring she remembered where she had heard that name before: the man who had swindled Jack out of his money was also called Mitch! If Evie,Tati and Houdini were living in the garages at Jekyll Street and knew someone called Mitch, then maybe they had some connection to the scam? Maybe they could tell Jack where to find Mitch?
    She couldn’t wait to tell Jack what she had discovered, but it’d have to wait until after the workshop. She felt a tingle of anticipation in her tummy. She leapt on to the wire and gave a graceful demonstration of wire-walking that brought admiring glances.
    â€œWho wants to have a go?” asked Jack and every single child in the group put up a hand. They formed an excited, unruly queue, and one by one he and Olivia helped them up on to the wire. Most of the children wobbled and would have fallen if they hadn’t grabbed wildly at Olivia and Jack’s outstretched hands. But one boy, who’d done horseriding, had excellent balance and successfully managed a few steps before he became over-confident and fell off. Everyone clapped.
    â€œCome on, Liv, give us another demonstration,” said Jack, smiling proudly at his daughter. Olivia leapt on to the wire and danced along it with such grace it was as if herfeet barely touched it. She jumped off, and saw Evie staring at her, a small smile playing around her lips. The girl had moved to the back of the group gathered around the wire as if she was unable to keep away from it.
    Everyone else applauded, but Evie just carried on staring at Olivia, an unimpressed gleam in her eye. Olivia bristled. She’d like to see her do better! She may make it look easy, but it took years and years of dedication to walk the wire well.
    â€œWould you like to try?” she asked, and there was a challenge in her eyes. She knew she was being a little bit mean, but she was rather looking forward to seeing the rude girl take a tumble.
    Evie looked Olivia up and down, and shrugged. She glanced at the wire and the curly haired boy who was teetering along it, supported by Jack and Aeysha. “That’s for babies,” she sneered.
    â€œI bet you won’t say that when you get on it,” said Olivia. “Bet you won’t be able to walk from one end to the other without falling off.”
    Evie scrutinised her coolly with an infuriatingly confident smile. “Bet I can.”
    Olivia rather admired the girl’s bravura. “Go on, then,” she said, and she knew her words were like a dare. The girl held her gaze boldly for just a moment, and then she turned and ran very fast towards the tower at the side of the ring and started climbing it with speed and agility.
    â€œEvie,” called Tati, looking worried.
    Olivia gritted her teeth. No one was allowed to go near the high-wire that she and Jack used for the circus performances. Why did that girl have to be so annoying? “Evie, come back,” she shouted, certain that as soon as the girl realised how high off the ground the wire was, she’d come straight back down.
    But Evie just continued to climb up towards the wire. Olivia suddenly felt alarmed, and ran towards the tower.