“Are you all right?” His gentle tone took my breath away.
I mumbled a pathetic apology. “I’m really s-sorry.” Stuttering wasn’t my style, but this guy…My heart flipped and fluttered like some poor, unsuspecting fish dragged up on the sand.
“Are you sure you’re all right?” he asked again, his eyes still concerned.
I managed a nod.
“It was my fault,” he insisted, leaning over to gather up my papers.
Slightly dazed, I reached for my notebook. It was then I noticed the navy blue sleeve of his sweater and his nicely pressed khakis. This guy was too young to be a parent, he was certainly not a teacher, and he was too old for junior high. In fact, I’d never seen him around Dressel Hills before.
Slowly standing, he handed the pile of papers to me, glancing at the one on top. “Holly Meredith,” he remarked as he studied it. “Are you a teacher’s assistant?” His eyes twinkled as he spoke.
Surprised, I shook my head slowly. Again his eyes met mine.
“I’d better hurry,” I heard myself say. With a fleeting smile, I scurried off to the stairway and up to the music room.
As I pushed open the choir room door, Miss Hess stood behind a music stand, organizing her music folder. She wore a blue skirt and funky shirt. More fashion conscious than the older teachers, Miss Hess had a wardrobe that just wouldn’t quit.
Jared grinned at me from the tenor section, and Andie and Paula motioned for me to sit between them in the alto section. I hurried to take my seat.
“You’re late,” Andie whispered. It wasn’t just a statement; she wanted details.
I fidgeted, not ready to divulge my encounter with the sweater-and-pressed-khakis guy. Just how old was he, anyway? I called up his face in my imagination. The hint of a beard and the way he dressed told me he was in his late teens—or early twenties. I still couldn’t believe he’d actually mistaken me for a grown woman!
Andie jabbed me in the ribs. “Snap to it, Meredith,” she whispered.
Still giddy, I tried to pay attention as Miss Hess gave instructions for the tryouts. “To cut down on after-school time, we’re having auditions during class,” she began. “The Sound of Music is a classic, as all of you probably know. The roles of Maria and Captain von Trapp will involve major commitment on the part of the girl and guy who win the leads this year.” She paused, studying the competition perched on the risers around us.
Commitment? Dedication? Shoot, I’d ingest frog legs for the part of Maria! But then, so would Andie on my right and Paula on my left. I sighed.
Behind us, little sevies sat in clusters of four or more, exchanging nervous whispers and frantic looks, while we sophisticated female students of Dressel Hills Junior High—eighth graders, of course—sat poised and calm. As always, there were a few top-of-the-heap ninth graders acting disgustingly pert and casually cool on the back row of the risers—the Pinnacle of Pride. The truly cool ninth graders, like Danny Myers and my friend Paula’s twin, Kayla Miller, sat closer to the front.
Miss Hess began to hand out copies of the script, a stack to each row. Danny offered to help her. When he passed my row, he made a point to catch my eye. “Break a leg, Holly,” he said. The twinkle in his eye was hard to ignore. That was Danny, a superserious Christian and a very encouraging guy.
I returned his smile. “Thanks. You too.” But secretly, my heart sank. What if he did get the part of Captain von Trapp? And what if I was Maria? Yikes! We’d have to act like we were in love. That would add fuel to the fire, I thought, remembering what Andie had said last week. She thought Danny still liked me. We’d had our chance at a special friendship last summer. But now the redhead—well, auburn, really—was merely my good friend. End of story.
Andie poked me again. “Who’s that?” she whispered, staring at a tall, good-looking guy conferring with Miss Hess across the room.
The sweater triggered my memory. I jerked to attention as Miss Hess introduced him.
“Class, I’d like you to meet my student teacher. Mr. Barnett will assist me as drama coach throughout the remaining weeks of the semester,” she explained. “We are truly fortunate to have this talented young man on board.”
The student teacher smiled as we applauded. “Thanks,” he said, glancing around the room. “I’m looking forward to working with each of you to make this the best performance ever.” With that, he picked up his notebook and sat on the risers with the tenors, like one of the guys.
My heart thumped as I watched him pull a pen out of his shirt pocket, underneath his sweater. His hands moved with such purpose. Like a seasoned professor of drama, he was prepared to eliminate the competition, narrowing us down to the choice few. Mr. Barnett clicked his pen, and unexpectedly, he turned and caught my stare. Embarrassed, I looked down at the script portion in my lap. If I was to try out for Maria, I’d better focus on things at hand. This audition could be tricky.
After giving us several minutes to study scripts, Miss Hess asked for volunteers to read parts. Amy-Liz, a spunky, curly-haired soprano, raised her hand. Mr. Barnett met her alongside the piano. He leaned on the console piano and briefly discussed the scene. Then Amy-Liz stood tall and began the scene without ever referring to the script!
But an even bigger surprise followed. Mr. Barnett began playing the part of Captain von Trapp. It was a romantic scene, where he tells Maria he loves her.
Miss Hess stopped the scene, encouraging Amy-Liz to act more in love. So that’s what she wants, I thought, carefully scanning the script. A super-romantic female lead? I fidgeted as the scene progressed.
“I can pour on the mushy stuff, if that’s what it takes,” Andie whispered in my ear.
I really wanted to tell her: Please mess up! But all I said was, “Better be careful, Stan’s watching.” Stan, my fifteen-year-old cousin-turned-stepbrother, was her longest-running boyfriend ever.
Soon it was Andie’s turn. She hardly waited for Amy-Liz to sit down before she started. She was doing fine until she totally blew it by giggling halfway through the scene. It was the most immature thing imaginable!
By the end of the hour, most of my friends had auditioned for the part of Maria, including Paula Miller and her twin, Kayla. Jared Wilkins, my former guy friend, kept staring at me from the opposite side of the risers, trying to get me to try out next. Even though we were simply friends these days, he still liked to flirt with me a little.
Danny watched me, too. Was he worried I’d get the part, opposite some other guy? He kept crossing his legs, first the right, then the left. It was obvious he was restless. Maybe he wasn’t so sure about watching me audition the part. Of course, there would be no real romantic stuff, just the script.
“Well, are you gonna audition or not?” Andie asked.
I could tell by the gleam in her eye that she hoped I’d back out.
“Of course!” I answered, thinking Andie would make a better von Trapp kid than Maria.
Miss Hess called my name. “Hurry, Holly,” she said, glancing at the clock. “We have time for one more.”
It should be easy now, after observing so many girls audition the part. I made my way down the risers, feeling comfortable with the text and the action….
But there was Mr. Barnett’s face again. His eyes seemed to search out mine, of all the possible Marias in the room. It was as though he could see me, look through the layers of me…into the real Holly Meredith.
Breathing deeply, I began.
STRAIGHT-A TEACHER
Chapter 2
From the moment I opened my mouth to speak, it was as though Mr. Barnett and I were alone in the room. Alone, except for the rhythmic interplay of dialogue and drama. Effortlessly, I blocked out the observers. To my thinking, the two of us quickly became the actual characters we portrayed. He, the older Captain Georg von Trapp, and I, the younger, innocent Maria. When he said his lines, his face seemed to light up.
The applause startled me as the scene came to an end. “Encore!” I heard Jared yel
ling.
“Go, Meredith!” Stan hollered.
Sad that it had to end, I relished the applause.
We were fabulous together, Mr. Barnett and I. Too bad he isn’t a student, I thought. But then the maturity he possessed would be missing. That thought settled over me as the clapping swelled to a roar. I was careful not to expose my true emotions as I returned to my seat between Andie and Paula.
Paula made a circle with her thumb and pointer finger. “Par excellence,” she said. But her weak smile gave her away. I knew how badly she wanted the part.
Andie grabbed my arm, a bit harder than usual. “Hey, you missed the giggling part!” she teased. I could tell she was afraid she’d blown it with her laughter.
“Yeah, right.” I pulled away from her viselike grip.
Danny’s serious gaze caught my eye as I glanced at the tenor section. What was he thinking?
Miss Hess grinned from her desk. “A stunning performance,” she said, looking first at Mr. Barnett, then at me. Had she forgotten the other prospective Marias in the room? Quickly, she composed herself and announced, “We’ve had many wonderful Marias today. And Mr. Barnett and I will post the winner on Friday. Tomorrow, we’ll be on the lookout for our best Captain. Get ready, guys!”
Jared raised his hand. “Who’s playing Maria for our auditions?”
“You’re looking at her.” Miss Hess curtsied comically.
I felt someone tap my shoulder and turned to see a folded note on the floor behind me. I picked it up and read it.
Dear Holly,
Will you sit with me at youth group this Thursday? I’ll call you soon.
Very sincerely,
Danny
Andie wasn’t kidding! Danny was interested. No wonder he’d watched my every move today. No wonder he seemed to have a tough time while I pretended to be in love with Mr. Barnett…er, Captain von Trapp.
“Better watch out,” Andie whispered, eyeing the note. “Next thing you know, you’ll have Danny Myers running your life again.”
“Fat chance.” I stuffed the note into my pocket and grabbed my notebook just as the bell rang. Hurrying to my locker, with Andie at my side, I replayed the audition in my mind.
After school, at home, I trembled as I wrote in my journal.
Monday, April 11: What a fabulous day! Today was the beginning of something incredible and new. Miss Hess introduced us to our gorgeous student teacher: Mr. Barnett. I ran into him in the hall on the way to choir. And then he auditioned with me when I tried out for the part of Maria. To think that when we met, he thought I was a student teacher, like him!
I put my pen down and read my journal entry, thinking. And then it came to me—the perfect way to get to know Mr. Barnett better. Why hadn’t I thought of this before? I would interview him for the school paper. Fabulous idea!
Writing for The Lift was something new for me. I had just seen my first article in print—a lighthearted interview with the cafeteria cook. It had taken lots of work, including the actual interview, the rough draft, and the rewriting—three or four times. But for Mr. Barnett, I was more than willing to put in the required additional work.
I picked up my pen and twirled it between my fingers, reliving the collision in the hall, how his eyes met mine….
Thoughts of Danny crept into my head. Could I handle him in a diplomatic fashion? I didn’t want to hurt him. Not again.
It all came rushing back. Last summer, Danny and I had been good buddies. He’d even rescued me from a horrid-smelling outhouse at the top of Copper Mountain! But it had taken all summer for him to finally ask me to be his girlfriend. Of course, we were both too young to actually date, but we enjoyed our special friendship for a while, with things coasting along fine between us. But soon he was trying to run my life. With the Bible, no less!
It was a nightmare. And finally I had called it quits by storming out of the Soda Straw during a church ice-cream social. Danny had been humiliated, and I felt lousy. Eventually, we worked things out between us so we could be friends again—just the way we were now. The way we were going to stay.
I went to the hall phone and called him. He answered on the first ring. Too eager, I thought.
“Hi, Danny,” I said. “Got your note.”
“That’s good.” He sounded nervous, really nervous.
“You know, we’ve discussed all this before,” I began.
“I know, still—”
I interrupted him. “It won’t work, Danny. You’re one of my best friends. Can’t we keep it that way?”
I could hear him breathing. Sort of. “You okay?” I asked, feeling sad for him.
“Sure, Holly, I’m fine. But think about it, okay?”
I hated being so hard on him. For one thing, I knew it had taken loads of courage to send this note. For another thing, he was a year older, and I wanted to look up to him, to respect him. But his pleading like this bugged me.
Sounding a bit dejected, Danny hung up. Hopefully the boygirl issue was behind us now.
I sat down and pondered the selection of male students at Dressel Hills Junior High. “Boys my age are a waste of time,” I said to myself.
Tuesday after school, I stopped off to see Marcia Green, the student editor of The Lift. Peeking over her long desk, I noticed a few of the memos she’d written. My name appeared several times on yellow stickies posted on the wall near her desk. By the looks of things, she had other article ideas for me to pursue.
Marcia looked up from the manuscripts she was proofreading. “Hey, Holly. What’s up?”
That’s when I volunteered to interview Mr. Barnett for the April issue of The Lift.
“Great idea.” Marcia picked up her pen and tapped it on the desk. “Thanks for the suggestion.” I turned to leave, but she continued, “Stop by Thursday after lunch, Holly. I’ll have some preliminary stuff for you on Mr. Barnett.”
“Okay, thanks,” I said.
She nodded, already preoccupied with her work, completely oblivious to what this article—and this interview—meant to me.
At lunch on Wednesday, talk of the leading roles for the school musical buzzed everywhere. In hot-lunch line, at the tables…It hovered in the air. The guys were split on their personal choices for Maria. It appeared to be a close contest between Amy-Liz…and me. But Miss Hess was notorious for being unpredictable. At this stage, it was anyone’s guess who’d be chosen for the female lead.
I sat in the cafeteria with Paula and Andie, at our usual spot next to the windows. Settling down with a bowl of chili smothered in cheese, I gazed out the window. Time and place disappeared as I daydreamed, staring at the mountains, the new foliage. Spring was here. New beginnings…
“Holly, you’re doing it again,” Andie’s voice careened into my private thoughts.
“What?” I turned away from the window and dipped my spoon into the cheesy chili.
“You know what.” She sounded exasperated.
“It’s called daydreaming,” Paula intervened. “Pure and simple, and there’s no crime in it.” She flashed her million-dollar smile.
“Thanks for your insight, Paula,” I laughed.
“So…what’s on your mind?” Andie was pushing.
I ignored her, sipping some milk.
“Oh, let me guess,” Andie said. “You’re dying for the part of Maria, right?”
It would’ve been so easy to agree with her, just to get her off my back. In fact, landing the role of Maria took only second place to what was really on my mind. The way I figured it, the girl getting the part of Maria would have the most time with Mr. Barnett.
“Maybe it’s a secret,” Paula offered, defending my right to privacy once again.
Andie snorted. “Could be, but if it is, Holly always breaks down and tells all. That’s how she is.” Her dark eyes danced with mischief.
It felt weird hearing her discuss my faults right under my nose.
Paula studied me with sympathetic eyes. She actually looked prettier these days withou
t the inch-thick mascara. “At this age, we’re changeable,” Paula said. “Holly will tell us what’s on her mind when she wants to. It’s our job as friends to be here for her.”
Quickly, I changed the subject, before Andie had a chance for a comeback. Knowing her, she’d have one eventually. “Who do you think will get Captain von Trapp?” I asked.
Paula spoke up. “Danny’s taller than most of the ninth-grade boys, but he can’t act.”
“He can memorize fast,” I commented. “But you’re right, Jared’s the better actor and singer.”
Andie chimed in. “I could see Jared and Amy-Liz onstage together.”
“How can you say that?” I shot back. What a low blow! And from my best friend!
“Well, what do you want to hear?” she said. “I’d give anything to put myself in Maria’s shoes—next to Jared’s. How’s that?”
I shook my head, not letting her get to me with her dumb remarks. “Let’s just see who Miss Hess and Mr. Barnett pick for the part, okay?”
“Miss Hess seems fair enough, but I don’t know about Mr. Barnett, Andie replied. “He’s got his teacher’s pets picked out already. I noticed it right away.”
Gulp! What had Andie noticed?
Paula pulled on her brunette locks. “I don’t think Mr. Barnett plays favorites. He’s just super nice.”
“Maybe you’re right,” Andie said without looking at me. She pushed her chair out and went to get more soda.
When Andie was out of earshot, Paula asked, “Do you think Mr. Barnett has favorites?”
I shrugged my shoulders, pretending not to care.
Jared came over and sat down. I breathed a sigh of relief as the conversation made a complete turn. Away from Mr. Barnett.
STRAIGHT-A TEACHER
Holly's Heart Collection Two Page 18