But secretly she was wondering whether, if she did get the part, she might have bitten off a teensy bit more than she could chew . . .
And she wasn't thinking about the super-heated cheese sauce she'd just burned her mouth on.
But Cat knew how much Nobody's Angels meant to Belle. The band was important to all of them, of course, and it was brilliant fun too – but for Belle it was more than important and it was more than fun. Singing was Belle's life: the Holy Grail and the treasure of Tutankhamun rolled into one. Cat wasn't going to let her friend down. 'I'll fit it all in somehow,' she breezed. 'I'll just have to get up earlier in the morning or something—'
There was a choking sound. 'Sorry,' Belle spluttered into a paper napkin. 'Carrot stick went down the wrong way.'
Cat guessed why Belle was choking and it was nothing to do with carrot sticks! As her room-mate, Belle knew better than anyone that Cat was not a Morning Person.
'Uh-oh . . .' Holly breathed, nodding towards Bianca, who was settling herself down at the next table and whispering secretively with Mayu and Lettie.
'Hm, I wonder what they're up to?' Cat mused, happy to change the subject from her crazy schedule.
'Oh, yes, I spent ages showing him round today,' Bianca was saying importantly as she held her fork up to the light to make sure it was clean. 'Miss Candlemas asked me to take him under my wing . . .'
Cat had no idea who they were talking about, but whoever it was, she felt sorry for him. Being under Bianca's wing would be like being looked after by a large, very hungry vulture.
'. . . yeah, so anyway, his name's Jack Thorne, he's a Year Eight, and he's just starting here . . .' Bianca continued, flicking back her razor-sharp platinum-blonde bob.
'Why's he starting in the middle of term?' Lettie asked.
'His family has just moved back from Singapore. His dad's something big in banking. Jack's done loads of professional acting and singing already . . . '
'Ooh, I bet he's mega-rich,' Mayu simpered.
'And we already know he's mega-good-looking,' Lettie added.
Bianca smiled. 'And he's got mega-good taste too,' she said, with a sidelong glance to make sure that the occupants of Cat's table were listening, 'because he totally couldn't take his eyes off me!'
'That must be the boy we saw in the hall earlier,' Holly whispered, nudging Belle's elbow.
Cat noticed Belle trying to hide a slightly flustered reaction, and . . . was that just a trace of a blush? 'Well, he obviously made quite an impression,' Cat remarked, shooting a quizzical look in Holly's direction.
'He did not make an impression!' Belle snorted. 'And anyway, he must be demented if he fancies Bianca.'
Cat grinned at Holly. 'Yeah, right! He sounds like a total loser.'
CHAPTER FIVE
Belle: Earthquakes, Gloating and Shepherds
On Monday morning Belle was woken by a crashing noise.
It must be an earthquake! She was about to Drop, Cover and Hold On when she remembered she wasn't in Los Angeles or San Francisco. She was in London. They didn't have earthquakes in London.
She opened one eye and peered at her alarm clock. It was almost six – time for her morning run. She opened the other eye. It wasn't an earthquake. It was Cat, banging drawers shut and stumbling out of the door, leaving a trail of pyjamas and bedclothes behind her.
Surely Cat hadn't started getting up early to do extra work already. Belle couldn't believe it! Cat usually bolted into the first lesson at eight thirty, still brushing toast crumbs from her sweater. And when they were at Cat's house in Cambridge at half-term, she'd stayed in bed until lunch time – while Belle would be up chatting to Cat's mum at the kitchen table, playing with Hannah Montana dolls with her little sister, Fiona, or just listening to her brothers squabbling.
Cat was so lucky to have a lovely 'normal' family. Belle loved her own parents, but they weren't exactly Mr and Mrs Ideal Homemaker. Mom was a super-model and Dad was a film director; she caught glimpses of them as they jet-setted around the planet from one exotic location to the next.
Then Belle suddenly remembered: Cat isn't getting up to do her homework! She's gone to check whether the Macbeth cast list has been posted on the notice board yet.
Belle pulled on the running clothes she'd left neatly folded on the window seat, and raced along the corridor. She was dying to see the list too. Her audition for the Messenger role had gone well on Saturday.
It was still very quiet everywhere as Belle trotted down the sweeping staircase into the entrance hall, the polished wood of the banister cool under her palm. She spotted Cat at the notice board with the school secretary. Mrs B was sitting in her swivel chair, but had clearly just arrived – she was still wearing her tartan coat and a woolly hat was pulled down over her grey curls. As Belle approached, she saw that the cast list was on Mrs B's lap, along with the biscuit tin she kept her drawing pins in.
'Goodness me!' Mrs Butterworth laughed, shaking her head. 'I came in extra early to put the list up, and you're already prowling around like a pack of hyenas! Here, you girls pin the list up. I can't do anything with you breathing down my neck like that.'
Cat almost ripped the piece of paper out of Mrs B's hand. There was a long silence as she scanned the page. Then her face crumpled. 'No-o-o,' she groaned. 'My name's not here!'
Shocked, Belle snatched the paper and ran her eyes down the list. It was true. Cat's name wasn't on it.
But nor was Lady Macbeth's.
'This can't be the full list!' Belle said, placing her hand soothingly on Cat's shoulder.
'No, it's not,' Mrs Butterworth called, scooting her chair back from her desk, brandishing a second page. 'That one's only the minor parts and ensemble.'
Cat looked up, her wide grey eyes brimming with tears. 'Oh!' she said weakly as Mrs B skidded to a halt and handed her the page and the drawing pins.
She read the list: 'Macbeth, Luke Morgan . . . Banquo, Ethan Reed,' she murmured. Belle held her breath. Suddenly a huge smile spread across Cat's face. 'YESSSS! Lady Macbeth – Catrin Wickham!' she shouted, throwing her arms up into the air.
'You did it!' Belle told her as they bounced around the hall in a victory jig.
There was a crash as the forgotten biscuit tin hit the floor. The lid popped off, spraying drawing pins across the tiles. Mrs B looked up from sorting the post at her desk and rolled her eyes.
'Oh dear, I'm worse than Holly!' Cat laughed as she crawled around on hands and knees, stopping every now and again to consult the list, still clutched in her hand, 'Brilliant! Nathan's got Macduff – and you got First Messenger, Belle. Well done!'
'My first big acting role,' Belle joked as she fished under the sofa for more pins. 'Five whole lines!' It was only a tiny part, but she was thrilled. Just being involved in the production was going to be great fun, and it was a chance to show that she could act as well as sing.
'Ooh, look' – Cat laughed – 'Bianca got Hecate.' Then she grasped Belle's arm as she crawled past. 'Oh, no, look at this: Castle Servant and Understudy for Lady Macbeth – Mayu Tanaka!'
'Mayu's going to love that,' Belle said. 'Being your understudy.'
Cat gave a wicked grin. 'Isn't she just.'
'Come on, I think we've got all the pins,' Belle said, attaching the lists to the notice board. 'Let's go and tell Holly the good news. We'll catch her before she goes off for her swim.'
They ran upstairs, passing Mayu, who was on her way down, and sped along the corridor. Cat ground to a halt outside the room next door to her own. 'I can't wait to tell Holly!' she said, throwing open the door.
'Cat, that's not—' Belle started.
But it was too late. Cat yelled triumphantly, 'Guess what – I got Lady Macbeth!'
'. . . Holly's room any more . . .' Belle murmured as she caught up with Cat, who was staring at Bianca.
Bianca was sitting on the edge of her bed in her dressing gown, with something that looked like a plastic gas mask stuck to her face. Lettie was still curled up
in bed in her pink stripy pyjamas.
'I – I'm really sorry,' Cat was stammering. 'I forgot that Holly had swapped rooms . . . I'll . . . just be, erm, leaving . . . now . . . then,' she added, backing towards the door. 'You just go back to . . . er . . . whatever it is you were doing . . . er . . . What exactly are you doing, Bianca?'
'Steam inhaler,' Bianca snapped, fixing Cat and Belle with a stare of chilling disdain as she slowly removed the device from her face. 'For my allergies. And stress,' she added darkly. 'Which I get a lot of around here!'
At that moment there was a terrible howling noise in the corridor. Mayu pushed past Belle and Cat, who were still hovering in the doorway, and flung herself onto a beanbag. 'Under . . . s-s-study,' she wailed. 'Her understudy!'And she pointed a finger accusingly at Cat.
'Wha . . . ?' Lettie mumbled, sitting up sleepily.
'Oh, so that's really why you came in here shooting your mouth off,' Bianca said. 'Ooh, sorry, I forgot that Holly had swapped rooms!' she mocked, imitating Cat's soft Irish accent. 'As if! Major league gloating, more like!'
'Yeah,' Mayu snarled, her despair quickly turning to rage. 'And you should have seen them laughing at me on the stairs just now—'
'We weren't laughing,' Belle objected.
'Let's get out of here,' Cat whispered. 'I'm going to tell Holly – then I'm going straight back to bed.'
'And take that revolting animal with you!' Bianca shrieked, throwing a sock in the direction of Shreddie, the school cat, who had sneaked in behind them.
A little later, Belle was jogging round the sports fields, listening to Basement Jaxx on her iPod and watching the sun rise in a blood-red sky. She remembered a scrap of an old rhyme – Red sky in the morning, shepherds' warning!
Belle was a city girl. She didn't know much about shepherds, or what they might be warning people about – being attacked by roaming flocks of vicious wild sheep, perhaps?
Her thoughts kept straying back to the Macbeth cast list. There was one name Cat hadn't noticed in the minor parts. But Belle had . . .
The Second Messenger was Jack Thorne.
It was a small part for someone who – if Bianca was right – was a hot-shot acting type, but Belle guessed he'd been too late to audition for the major roles.
Not that she was particularly interested, of course!
But she was really looking forward to the first rehearsal . . .
CHAPTER SIX
Belle: The Antarctic Food Chain
Where was Cat?
The science lesson had started. Belle was sitting in her usual place with Holly next to her, but the stool on her other side was empty. In the last seat of the four, Nathan was also looking worried.
Mrs Salmon slapped her desk. 'I'm not waiting for latecomers. Turn to page twenty-three – "Food Chains and Food Webs".'
'Where is she?' Holly whispered.
Belle shrugged her shoulders. When she'd returned to her room after her run, she'd woken Cat up and they'd gone down to breakfast with Holly. When Cat disappeared from the dining room, Belle assumed she'd just run back upstairs for a forgotten book, but . . .
Of all the lessons to be late for, double science was the worst! Cat and Mrs Salmon – or The Fish, as Holly had christened her at the beginning of term – were sworn enemies. Belle knew that Cat had hoped that her record of late homework and detentions would ensure her a place in a lower set, with a more lenient teacher. But The Fish had seen through Cat's devious plan, and decided to keep her in the top set.
Where she could keep an eye on her.
If she actually turned up, that was!
'We're going to start with a film!' Mrs Salmon said, adjusting the projector. There was a comfortable murmur as the class settled down to watch.
A penguin darted out of the mouth of a killer whale and swam backwards through clear blue water.
Belle could hear Bianca and Mayu giggling in the row behind her.
'Erm, what's going on . . . ?' Mrs Salmon muttered as she leaned across to fiddle with the controls. A shoal of sardines was now reversing rapidly across her face.
Holly got up and walked across to the projector. She pressed a few buttons and the sardines began to swim forwards. There was a round of applause and she took a shy bow. 'My mum uses the same projector for school,' she whispered as she sat down.
Belle smiled, remembering how Mrs Devenish's job as a teacher had come in handy once before – helping Holly to convince Belle's father that the Garrick was the brainiest school in Britain.
Mrs Salmon's face was pinker than ever. 'Yes, well, as I was saying . . .' she blustered. Suddenly the classroom door banged open. Everyone looked up. Bad timing, Belle thought. Cat is going to get the full force of The Fish's projector-rage.
But it wasn't Cat.
It was Jack Thorne.
With those dangerous, defiant eyes that looked right into her secret soul! Belle looked down to hide her face, as if suddenly fascinated by the chipped wooden surface of the workbench.
Jack flashed Mrs Salmon a charming silly-old-me grin. 'Jack Thorne reporting for duty! Sorry I'm late. Went to the wrong room.' His voice was deep and surprisingly gentle-sounding.
'Just find an empty place and sit down quickly,' Mrs Salmon snapped.
Jack smiled and strolled into the room. Directly towards Belle. She felt as if she had a big red flashing light on top of her head. An empty place! Of course, he was heading for Cat's place, between her and Nathan. This was crazy, but her hands were actually trembling! She fixed what she hoped was a neutral kind of smile on her face and waited.
Jack walked right past her.
Belle couldn't help turning to see what he was doing.
Bianca was smiling and patting the empty stool next to her. Jack hooked his foot round the leg and sat down.
Bianca shuffled her stool closer to Jack's and leaned over – making sure her gleaming Arctic-fox blonde hair brushed his shoulder. Belle could almost see the scoreboard flickering behind her eyes: BIANCA HAYFORD – 1, BELLE MADISON – 0.
'Belle Madison, eyes front please!' Mrs Salmon shouted.
Belle whipped round. She wasn't used to being reprimanded in class. She took a deep breath. Of course Jack was going to sit next to Bianca. She was the only person he knew. Belle wasn't sure whether to be relieved or disappointed.
A few minutes later, she looked up from her work to find Nick Taggart loitering at her desk, supposedly on his way to sharpen his pencil. He casually slid his exercise book in front of her, open at the Antarctic food-chain diagram. Nick had customized his version. He'd given the killer whale the blonde bob and frosty blue eyes of Bianca Hayford. And with just a few clever strokes of his pen, the penguin had unmistakably become Jack Thorne, complete with striped T-shirt and jeans.
'Predator meets prey!' Nick mouthed, nodding towards the desk behind them, where Bianca was now helping Jack select a pen from her pencil case. 'He doesn't stand a chance!'
Belle couldn't help laughing.
'Belle Madison! What has got into you today?' Mrs Salmon scolded.
Suddenly the door opened again. This time it was Cat.
Belle glanced at her watch. Cat was almost twenty minutes late. This was not good. Serious misdemeanours in morning school could lead to students being banned from taking part in extra activities – like end-of-term plays, for example. Belle hoped Cat had a very good excuse
Come on, Cat! she willed her friend. Abducted by aliens might work. Or sudden-onset memory-loss.
There was a collective holding of breath as the whole class waited.
'Er, sorry – I, erm, overslept,' Cat mumbled.
Nathan sank his head into his hands. Holly gulped. Overslept? Belle thought. How feeble is that? And it wasn't even true! For once Cat had got up early.
'Overslept?' Belle quizzed as Cat slid into place next to her.
'Er, I ran back to the room to text Mum about getting the Lady Macbeth part, and then . . .' Cat whispered.
'And then?' Holly asked.
>
'Then I was practising a few lines – you know, in the mirror – and I just got a bit carried away—'
'Miss Wickham! If you ever come to my class so much as one second late again, you will be going straight to Mr Fortune's office. Do I make myself clear?'
'Crystal-clear, Mrs Salmon,' Cat replied sweetly.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Holly: The Special to Share
After the tensions of the science lesson, Mr Potter's art class following morning break was all peace and tranquillity. Soothing classical music was playing in the background (Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony, according to Belle and Lettie; Holly had no idea, but it sounded lovely, anyway) as they sketched portraits from photographs of famous people. Holly lost herself in cross-hatching Barack Obama's nostrils.
A group of the more artistically talented students – including Zak, and Gemma's best friend, Serena Quereshi – were gathered in one corner of the studio working with Mr Potter on designs for the costumes and scenery for Macbeth.
Holly glanced across at Cat. I'd have a serious case of post-traumatic stress if Mrs Salmon had yelled at me like that in the science class, she thought. But Cat didn't seem bothered. She was shading Marilyn Monroe's eyebrows with a dreamy look on her face. She was probably in Lady Macbeth mode, miles away in her Scottish castle, plotting murder and treason.
Cat, that was, not Marilyn Monroe.
After the lesson, Holly was walking to lunch with Belle and Cat when she heard someone call her name. She turned to see Ethan hurrying towards them.
She still wasn't used to the idea that she was actually going out with Ethan. Because of the half-term holiday, they'd not seen each other much since their first magical happy-after-ever kiss, although there'd been a lot of texting. She was still shy and uncertain, her ears in danger of overheating again. What do you actually do with a boyfriend once you've got one? OK, she wasn't totally clueless – she knew about kissing and stuff, but obviously that wasn't a full-time occupation.
Especially not at midday in front of Mrs Butterworth's desk.
'Hey, Holly, do you want to go for a pizza at Café Roma?' Ethan asked.
The Time of Your Life Page 3