by Mel Sparke
Oh. God, what’s she going to say? he wondered desperately. Please don’t be a bitch, Catrina. I couldn’t stand it if you said something horrible.
“It’s because you’re too nice,” smiled Cat, snuggling further into his arm. “And you’re kind and unassuming. And all the girls in Winstead don’t realise what they’re missing out on by not dating you. That’s why.”
Joe’s mouth dropped open in amazement. No one had ever said anything so flattering about him before in his life, not even his mum. Certainly not a girl of his own age.
He looked incredulously at Cat as they walked along together, half expecting to see her smirk, then shout out something like “Hah! Only joking, you loser!” But she didn’t. She was staring off into the distance somewhere, completely unaware of the effect her words were having on him.
He was at a loss as to what to say next, so they walked on in silence for a while.
“Right, this is where I must leave you,” Cat suddenly announced as they came to a turning not far from Matt’s. “Much as I’d like to stay cuddling you, Joe, poor little ole me has work to do. So…”
She unpeeled herself from his protecting arm and gave him a girlish smile “…I hope you have a good time tonight. And I hope I can count on you to be there to support me tomorrow.”
“Oh, yes! Of course I’ll be there,” Joe grinned, a tender look coming over his face. “I’ll be right there in the front row cheering you on.”
“Thanks, Prince Charming, I appreciate it.”
Once again Cat planted a kiss on her escort’s cheek. Then she turned and went off down the main road.
Joe made the rest of his way round to Matt’s floating on a fluffy cloud, high above the ground.
The party-goers were out in force at Matt’s that night. It seemed as though half of St Mark’s sixth form was there, plus a smattering of Gabrielle’s friends and loads of Matt’s mates he’d got to know through DJing.
Although it was bitterly cold outside, Matt (with Joe’s help) had built a bonfire in the garden, and that was where most people seemed to have congregated. Frenetic dance sounds blared out from Matt’s speakers and people kept themselves warm by dancing round the brightly flickering blaze.
Joe spotted the others hovering beside the conservatory door, far enough away from the speakers and the dancers to be able to talk without having to shout or dodge the odd flailing arm or two.
Joe was on such a high after his encounter with Cat, he bounded up to Ollie and leapt on to his back.
“Hiya, mate!” he hollered. “Happy Christmas!”
Ollie collapsed to the ground and soon the two boys were rolling about on the grass, play fighting like a couple of eight-year-olds. The rest of the friends stood around and egged them on, only shouting warnings when they got a little too close to the bonfire. By the time Joe and Ollie stood up, they were so covered in dirt they looked like they’d been mud-wrestling.
“We were good last night, weren’t we, Joe?” Ollie beamed at his friend.
“Brilliant, mate! The best. Where’s Billy and Andy - are they coming tonight?”
“Oh, they’re around somewhere. We should’ve got them to bring their instruments; we could have played a gig right here on Matt’s lawn.”
“Nah, not without charging people to see us!” grinned Joe. “We shouldn’t have to do freebies for anyone any more, not now we’re rock’n’roll stars!”
“Ooh, you’re cocky!” Sonja laughed. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you sounding so confident, Joe. Your head will be getting too big for its own good if you carry on like that.”
Joe grinned impishly. He really did feel very good about himself right now; his confidence had suddenly grown to mammoth proportions.
“Aw, I think it’s great,” Kerry said. “You lot were so excellent last night, I’m not surprised you’re still on a high.”
No one realised that last night’s gig wasn’t the only reason for Joe’s sudden high spirits. He only wished Cat could be there to share it with him.
“You’ll have record companies fighting to sign you up soon,” added Maya. “Just so long as you remember who your friends were when you’re on Top of the Pops.”
“Nah,” Ollie smirked. “We’ll be too busy fighting off the groupies to bother with you guys then.”
Kerry went to slap Ollie on the head. He ducked and instead she caught Joe on the cheek.
“Oh, Joe, I’m sorry!” cried Kerry as he reeled away from her in shock.
The startled look on his face, and the horror on Kerry’s, soon had everyone in fits of laughter - it looked like a scene from an old black and white Laurel and Hardy sketch.
“Just think, Kez, in years to come, your claim to fame will be that you slapped Joe Gladwin around the face,” Sonja chuckled. “It’ll be the equivalent of saying you did it to Liam Gallagher or Jay Kay.”
Joe looked confused.
“But they don’t play drums,” he said.
“Joe!” Sonja shot back, exasperated, “I realise that - you know what I mean!”
“Oh.” Joe shrugged and began giggling again. Normally, he would have been embarrassed to show himself up like that. But not tonight.
Tonight nothing could touch him.
“I’m freezing,” Maya suddenly whimpered, shivering in the cold night air.
“Come on, Maya, I’ll soon warm you up.” Joe grabbed her by the hand and dragged her into the body of dancers and began dancing wildly, still holding her hand.
“You’re in a good mood,” she laughed as he twirled her round and round to the music.
“I am,” he grinned back. “I’m in a blinding mood. Never felt better in my life.”
Joe’s whole face was lit up.
“Oh, yeah?” Maya said knowingly. “What’s her name?”
You’ll never guess, he wanted to shout. It’s Cat!
He didn’t, of course. He just carried on dancing, smirking to himself. Joe was used to keeping secrets and this was one he was definitely going to keep to himself…
CHAPTER 16
CAT’S BIG NIGHT
Cat spent most of Saturday in a state of heightened stress. This method acting lark was beginning to get to her. It wouldn’t be so bad if the character she was playing was a bit spunky, someone go-getting and gutsy. But Cinderella? To be honest, Cat was heartily sick of the pathetic little wretch. Once tonight was over, she would be glad to get back to being herself again.
Cat figured it might have something to do with the fact that her mother had been nauseatingly nice to her all week; had even asked if she should come and see this ‘little play’ of her daughter’s. Cat had quickly put her off. The last thing she wanted was to be aware of her mother’s presence in the audience: she wasn’t really up for the criticism she was bound to get at the end of it.
Of course, Sylvia Osgood’s temporary niceness (and it had to be temporary: Cat’s mum didn’t usually waste much time on pleasantries) had to be caused by Cat’s new-found enthusiasm for housework (also temporary). However, Cat now had to grudgingly admit to herself that she actually preferred it when they were at each other’s throats - the sniping was much more bearable than having her mother clucking and gushing about how wonderful it was to come home to a spotless flat.
That was something else she’d have to rectify once this performance was over…
As she sat on the edge of her bed reading through her stage directions one last time, an awful thought struck Cat.
What if it’s a disaster tonight? she fretted, even though the night before - with an audience of thrilled kids - had gone brilliantly. What if I do something stupid, when my friends are in the audience?
Cat pushed the notion to the back of her head; it really didn’t bear thinking about.
Anyway, the solution was simple, if dramatic.
If I’m awful tonight, I’ll just have to leave home and never come back…
Joe started queuing outside the drama hall of Winstead College at 6.30 pm, half an h
our before the doors opened and an hour before the show started. He was the first person there.
That didn’t bother Joe: he’d promised Cat that he and the others would be in the front row cheering her on, and that’s exactly where he intended to be. Everyone had already bought their tickets from Cat and now all he had to do was go in and bagsy a bunch of seats.
As he stood jumping up and down on the spot in a desperate (though largely futile) effort to keep warm, he consoled himself with the fact that he was sure Cat would appreciate the support. He thought of her looking at him all dewy-eyed and calling him her Prince Charming again and felt a warm shiver shoot up his spine.
Maya was the next to show up, five minutes before the doors opened.
“Hi, Joe,” she said when she saw him shivering at the head of the queue. “Crikey, you’re keen, aren’t you? How long have you been here?”
“Oh, not long,” Joe lied. “Just wanted to be sure to get those front seats.”
“You must either be a big panto fan or keen to see what kind of performance Cat puts on!”
Joe smiled. He wondered whether to say anything to Maya about Cat. He knew she could be trusted to keep her mouth shut, and he did feel like shouting his feelings from the rooftops… and yet something stopped him.
Maybe it was the knowledge that Maya was already the only person in the world who knew about his feelings for Kerry. Maybe she would find it difficult to believe that Joe could fall for two girls at once.
Or maybe it was because Joe himself wasn’t sure what he felt for the normally man-eating Cat. His emotions were certainly strong, but at the same time very different from those he still felt for Kerry.
“Actually, I can’t wait to see Cat,” he admitted, “I think she’ll be great, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I’ve got no doubts on that score,” laughed Maya. “I mean, Cat loves an audience; add that to the fact that she’s one big drama queen and I think you’ve got the perfect ingredients for a great career in panto. I’m sure she’ll make her presence felt, even at the back of a crowd scene. She’ll manage to get herself noticed somehow or other.”
Joe chuckled. “It’s funny how much she’s changed, isn’t it? She looks heaps better now she’s got rid of all that make-up.”
“I know,” Maya agreed. “I didn’t realise until recently that she had skin under all that foundation. She’s actually really pretty in the flesh, so to speak.”
“I think she’s gorgeous,” said Joe without thinking. Then realising he was being a bit too open, he checked himself by spluttering, “Erm, you know, if you like that sort of thing.”
Maya eyed her friend.
I wonder if you’ve got a crush on Cat, she thought. God help you if you do!
It was five minutes to curtain up. Cat peered from out from behind a chink in the safety curtain to take her first glimpse of the audience beyond. She wanted to see what was going on out there before the lights went down, after which she knew she would only be able to see the first couple of rows.
The place was packed. Cat’s heart started beating even more wildly than before. A thrill of excitement shot through her body at the sight of all those people who’d come to see her.
She scoured the audience to see if there was anyone she recognised. There were a few familiar faces from Winstead College, plus a smattering of girls she’d got to know on the beauty therapy course.
She suddenly spied Matt and Gabrielle walking down the centre aisle towards the front. As they got to the first row and made their way to the middle, right in front of the stage, Cat’s heart missed a beat. Then she spotted Joe and the others all along that row, frighteningly close to where she would be performing up on the stage.
My God! I didn’t realise they’d be so near - the kids last night seemed a lot further away… she gulped.
Cat felt the nerves she’d so far managed to control engulf her and her stomach began to tighten until she could hardly breathe. They were so close that she could even make out the writing on the cover of the programme Joe was scrutinising. In fact, she could also make out the shocked expression on Joe’s face as he turned to a particular page…
“Come on, Cat,” said Jeff, pulling her away from the curtain. “We’re about to start…”
CHAPTER 17
…HAPPILY EVER AFTER
Cat took up her position on-stage and waited for the opening bars of the music to begin. She watched nervously as she saw the lights dim beyond the safety curtain and a hush suddenly come over the audience. Expectation hung in the air, weighing heavily on Cat’s shoulders.
She looked around at the other members of the cast standing at their positions for this opening scene. They looked how she felt - deathly white, tense, anxious.
Those weren’t kids out there tonight; this was an audience of friends, family and paying members of the public. And somehow that made it much harder.
Cat tried to recall her opening line.
It was gone.
Her mind was a blank sheet of paper. She felt the panic rise from her stomach to the dryness of her mouth. She was holding a besom broom with which she was supposed to sweep the floor, but her body was so tense she could feel the knuckles of her hands throbbing with pain where Cat was hanging on to it so tightly.
She was aware that the curtain was being raised and blinked into the bright lights from beyond the stage, jumping as she heard the first strains of music booming through the speakers. Then she was aware of the audience clapping as they saw the actors up there on the stage.
Squinting out into the audience Cat saw all her friends in the front once again; Joe gazing dumbstruck from the cast list page of the programme where her picture was beside the title role, up to Cinderella in all her ragged glory in front of him.
And beside him, she could see Sonja mouthing the words, “Oh, my God!”
From the corner of her eye she could see a glimmer of pink in the wings and knew without looking that Vikki was there, willing her to do well.
“Way to go, Cat!” Matt’s distinctive holler rose above the music.
Suddenly, Cat felt a surge of pride rush through her body. Her nerves dissolved into nothing, her opening lines rushed back into her head and, as the noise died down, she began to play her part.
As if by magic, Catrina Osgood was Cinderella.
“She’s really good, isn’t she?” Sonja whispered to Kerry half-way through the first act.
“Absolutely fantastic,” Kerry murmured back. “I can’t believe she’s got the lead part.”
“I know - shocker. I don’t know how she managed to keep it to herself. Very un-Catlike.”
“But then Cat hasn’t been herself recently, has she? Have you noticed that the act she’s putting on up there is the same one she’s been putting on in front of us for the last week or so?”
“Uh-huh. Kind of all falls into place now, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah. I wonder if she’ll get back to being her usual catty self once this is over.”
“God, I hope so.”
The girls looked at each other and giggled.
Someone else who recognised the demure little girl up there on stage was Joe. He sat transfixed by Cat’s performance, a mixture of admiration and shock running through his mind as he watched her.
Joe wasn’t stupid; like the girls, he had soon worked out where Cat’s performance had come from. All that doe-eyed “you’re such a sweetie!” stuff she’d turned on him - it was all a charade to help her get into the part.
As the truth hit him, his heart sank. How could he have been so dumb to be taken in by the little-girl-lost act? And to think that he had almost convinced himself he fancied her. It was, well… it was a joke. He was a joke.
Cat’s going to turn right back into Cat at the stroke of midnight, he thought to himself, then started to shake with suppressed laughter at the very idea (much to the surprise of Sonja and Anna who were sitting on either side of him).
“There - told you there was a lad invo
lved…”
Joe gazed in the direction that Sonja was pointing.
He, Sonja and the others were pushing through the crowds of well-wishers in the corridor that let to the back-stage area. Each member of the cast - still in their costumes - seemed to have their own fan club gathered around them, chattering and congratulating them.
Up ahead, Joe could see Cinderella in her glittery white ballgown, leaning coquettishly back against the wall. He noticed that the boy who’d played Prince Charming was staring deep into her eyes, looking as smitten as his character had under the spotlights not so long ago.
It looked to Joe as if she’d been working that old black Cat magic again.
“Hi, guys!” Cat yelped as she saw them, waving at them with a hand that held a very un-fairytale princess accessory. A cigarette.
Ollie flapped his hand to get rid of the cloud of smoke before kissing Cat on the cheek.
“Well done, you secretive old boot!” he laughed.
Cat gave a typical, dirty Cat-cackle and turned to her other friends with a swish of floor-sweeping fabric. Prince Charming seemed to be hovering, unsure whether he was dismissed or not.
Hesitating for a second, Cat turned and gave Glenn a cheeky wink. “Catch you later at the cast party, babe!”
“Congratulations, Cat!” Anna grabbed her attention, giving her a hug. “You were fantastic! You must be really pleased.”
“Oh I am, Anna,” Cat gushed, “I’m absolutely delighted. Jeff the director’s already talking about what show we should do next year and what part I should play!”
As well as the cigarette, the lecherous look at her co-star and the throaty laugh, Joe noticed another true Cat-ism had crept back already… a rich red slash of lipstick. She’d obviously slapped it on the minute the curtain had come down.
“And I’ve had so many compliments about my acting ability from the rest of the cast,” Cat continued. “It’s all been absolutely wonderful!”
She put her hand to her face and jokingly dabbed away an imaginary tear.
“But why didn’t you tell us?” asked Kerry. “I mean, the lead role - wow!”