by Betsy Haynes
Jana and Katie looked shocked at her outburst. Beth turned on her heel and stalked off toward the school. "Hey, I agree with you," she heard Katie call after her.
Beth kept walking. She didn't want to see anyone or talk to anyone. She was suddenly sick of talking about Miss America, sick of being the ugly witch, sick of being flat, flat, flat!
"Hey, Beth!" she heard a voice call.
She stopped in front of the school door and turned to see Keith hurrying toward her. Her mood softened a little when she saw him, even though she was still hurt from seeing him flirt with Laura. "Hi," she said.
"I've hardly seen you lately," Keith said.
"I've seen you," she said softly.
"What? Where?"
"Oh, nothing." Beth wished she'd kept her mouth shut for once. "What have you been up to?"
"Oh, you know," Keith said, "studying, playing ball with the guys—stuff like that."
Beth nodded.
Keith looked at her curiously. "Are you okay? You seem kind of—well, mad or something."
Beth forced herself to smile. "Oh, I'm not mad at all. In fact, I was wondering if you'd like to meet me at Bumpers after rehearsal this afternoon."
Keith grinned. "Sure, I'll be there!"
"Terrific," said Beth. "I'll see you then."
Keith waved good-bye and moved off to talk with a group of his friends who were approaching the school.
Beth smiled to herself. Good old Keith. He really did like her, even though she was flat-chested. She was lucky, she thought, to have a boyfriend as nice as he was.
The school day was uneventful, although Beth was glad that she'd seen Keith to lighten up her mood a little. She walked into rehearsal that afternoon feeling better and ready to put her acting skills to work.
Paul Smoke was onstage already, arranging the materials he needed for his magic act. His assistant was preparing the box she would lie in when he sawed her in half.
Paul looked up and smiled when he saw Beth. "Come on up," he called to her.
Beth grinned and hurried up the side steps to the stage.
"Where's Robin?" she asked.
"He's backstage in his carrying case," Paul said. "My assistant will bring him out just before I need him."
Beth glanced at the girl working with the box and wondered if she was Paul's girlfriend.
"Oh, I forgot you don't know Shirley," Paul said. "Beth, this is Shirley, my sister and assistant."
"Oh, hi!" Beth said. "I didn't know you were Paul's sister, but I've seen you around the halls."
Shirley laughed. "Paul's so afraid someone will find out how he does his tricks, he only allows me to help him. I'm also the goblin he saws in half."
"And," Paul added, "Shirley is used to Robin. Handling bats doesn't bother her."
"Well, let's say I don't freak out," Shirley corrected. "They're our pets—Paul's pets—but they're not like having fluffy little kittens to play with."
Beth laughed.
"By the way, Beth," Paul said, "tomorrow would be a good time for you to come and visit my bats if you still want to. I don't have rehearsal tomorrow, but you could come over after your rehearsal is over."
"Sure," said Beth. "That would be fun."
"Great," Paul said. "The bats love visitors."
"Really?" Beth asked. "Bats actually care about visitors?"
Paul grinned. "Sure. Robin can't wait to show you his stuff."
Shirley smiled and rolled her finger around next to her ear, as if to say her brother was loony.
Beth laughed. "Well, I'm looking forward to seeing your three—uh, friends."
By this time, Mr. Levine was ready to begin the rehearsal. He started with Paul's act. Beth sat in the front row and studied his movements, trying to figure out how he pulled off his tricks. But Paul was good. Beth couldn't figure out how he did any of them. She was so impressed that, when he finished his act, pulling Robin out of the hat, she stood up and applauded. Paul grinned at her and made a little bow.
"Paul, you're doing an excellent job," Mr. Levine said.
Right, thought Beth, it's easy when you don't have to worry about being flat-chested.
CHAPTER 8
Beth hurried to Bumpers after rehearsal. She made her way through the carnival bumper cars that gave the fast-food restaurant its name, looking for her friends. Orange and black crepe-paper streamers hung from the ceiling, and a poster announced a costume contest to be held on Halloween night.
"Beth!" Jana called to her. "Come and sit with us."
Beth saw Keith and Jon Smith sitting at the table next to The Fabulous Five, but Keith hadn't noticed her yet. She walked over to her friends' table.
"We were just talking about Halloween," said Melanie. "I'm going as a rock star. Have you decided what you're wearing yet?"
"I hadn't even thought about it," Beth admitted, sitting down in an empty chair beside Melanie. "Who knows, maybe I'll go as the ugly witch from The Wizard of Oz," she grumbled.
"How was rehearsal?" Jana asked, giving her a sympathetic look.
"Oh, just fine," Beth said sarcastically. "At least Laura McCall didn't call me a thief in front of all the actors and all the crew the way she did yesterday."
"You're kidding!" cried Jana. "What did she say you stole?"
"Oh, just her precious magic wand," Beth said. "The prop she uses for the Wizard of Oz skit."
Keith had turned in his seat by now and was listening to Beth's conversation. "Why did she think you took it?" he asked, pulling his chair over beside hers.
Beth shrugged. "I'm her enemy, so I got blamed."
"Well, she must've had a reason—even if it's not a good one," he said.
"What do you mean, 'she must've had a reason'?" Beth demanded, her eyes darkening with anger. "I had looked at the stupid wand during the break, so when it turned up missing, she loudly suggested that I might've taken it! You call that a 'reason'?"
Keith threw Jon an embarrassed glance and then shrugged, staring at the table. "Laura had to have someone to blame, and I guess you were the most likely suspect."
"Oh, thanks a lot!" Beth said, her hands on her hips.
"I didn't say she was right!" Keith said.
"Well, I don't hear you defending me, either!" Beth cried, jumping to her feet.
"She isn't here," Keith yelled back. "I don't have to defend you!"
"Well, if she were here, you'd probably be tugging on her braid or—"
Beth stopped, not wanting to say anything more. Everyone in Bumpers was staring at her. Suddenly, she was embarrassed by the scene she had created. But she was still angry at Keith's lack of loyalty. She whirled around and stormed out the door, knowing there were dozens of eyes on her.
Keith does like Laura, Beth thought over and over all the way home. He likes her, and it has to be for one reason: that great body of hers. It couldn't be for her rotten personality!
Beth had trouble concentrating on her homework. She sat at her desk in her room and doodled absentmindedly on a piece of scratch paper she was supposed to be using for figuring math problems. She sighed heavily, letting her pencil make large circles on the paper, then figure eights, then the figure eights turned into people figures—figures of female bodies.
She drew what she thought the outline of a perfect girl's body should look like: fairly large bust, tiny waist, and slender hips. Then she scribbled through it, crumpled up the paper, and threw it into her wastebasket.
"Beth!" her mother called from downstairs. "Jana's here. Shall I send her up?"
"Okay," she called back. She really wasn't interested in seeing anyone, even her very best friend. But she couldn't very well yell "No!" to her mother with Jana standing right there. She wouldn't hurt Jana's feelings for anything.
Jana appeared in the doorway of Beth's room. "Hi," she said softly. "You okay?"
"Yeah," Beth said, "it hasn't been a very good week, that's all."
Jana moved into the room and sat on the edge of the bed. "How have the
rehearsals been going?"
Beth realized that Jana was fishing to find out what was wrong. The Fabulous Five knew that Laura was really getting to Beth, but she hadn't discussed the feelings she was having about herself. Beth took a deep breath. Talking about personal things wasn't always easy, but she knew she could trust Jana not to tell anyone about their private conversations.
Beth sighed and fiddled with the pencil on her desk. "It seems as if the girls with the great bodies get everything."
"Like what?" Jana asked.
"They get the good parts in plays," Beth said, looking at the floor.
"Oh, I see," Jana said softly. "You think Laura got to play the good witch in the Wizard of Oz skit only because she has a good body?"
"A great body," Beth corrected.
Jana shrugged. "Okay, I agree, she has a great body. So what?"
"Why should she get to play the beautiful good witch while I play the ugly one?" Beth asked.
"Because Laura can't act her way out of a paper bag!"
"I think she got it because of her big chest," Beth argued.
"Baloney!" Jana said. "Do you think Mr. Levine would've trusted her to play the bad witch? Of course not! One, she would use her regular voice. Two, she would never allow the makeup crew to paint lines on her face. Three, she wouldn't walk hunched over—Beth, she wouldn't be willing even to try to create a character because she'd be too busy trying to look beautiful!"
"I know, but—" Beth murmured.
"Beth," Jana said sharply. "You got the best part in the show because you have the talent and you worked hard to get it! You should be happy! You showed everyone how talented you are!"
"I do know that I got the best part. And I do know that I'm a better actress than Laura," Beth conceded. "But I still don't understand why Mr. Levine gave such a big part to someone who only has a . . . a . . . figure!"
Jana was quiet a moment. "I don't know either. Maybe he wouldn't have if so many kids hadn't been scared off from being in the show by the talk of a curse. Maybe he would have picked Alexis Duvall or Daphne Alexandrou. Who knows? But I want you to know one thing. I think you're great just the way you are."
"Thanks for your loyalty," Beth said. "But play directors and casting agents—and boyfriends—won't always be on my side."
"Keith's on your side!" Jana exclaimed.
"Could've fooled me," Beth said sourly.
"You're wrong about him, about what you said at Bumpers," Jana insisted. "He's not interested in Laura."
"I thought you were on my side!"
"I am!" Jana cried. "And so is Keith!"
"Why are you defending Keith?"
Beth knew she was heading for trouble, talking this way to her best friend. But she was so upset, she just couldn't help herself. It was as if she had split in two pieces and one half was whispering in her ear, "You'd better keep your mouth shut or you'll lose your best friend." And the other half was crying, "But I hurt so much and nobody will listen to me!"
"I'm pointing out to you that Keith likes you, and he's not interested in Laura!"
"What makes you so sure?" Beth challenged.
"He just isn't!" Jana said. "You're lucky to have such a nice boyfriend."
"Stop telling me how lucky I am! I saw Keith flirting with Laura a couple of days ago. Why would he like her if it wasn't for her great body? He's looking around, he really is! He wants someone who has—what I don't have!"
"That's ridiculous, Beth! I'm sorry you're feeling bad about this, but you're wrong about why you got the bad witch part. And you're just as wrong about Keith!"
"If you were really on my side," Beth said, her voice rising, "you'd help me figure out how to handle these problems—not just tell me the problems don't exist."
"The only place the problems exist," Jana said, softening her voice, "is in your head."
Beth's face turned bright red. "I never thought I'd hear my best friend say something like that!"
Jana stood up. "Okay, Beth. You want to be miserable, so be miserable." She stalked out of the bedroom and disappeared down the hall.
Beth heard her hurry down the stairs, and a moment later, the front door opened, then closed. Beth stood back from the window, watching Jana walk down the sidewalk. Tears washed into Beth's eyes, and Jana's form became blurry.
Why did I do that? she wondered. Why did I talk that way to my best friend? She was just trying to make me feel better.
A hard knot formed in the pit of Beth's stomach. She flopped on her bed. Everything was wrong! Everything! She'd gotten stuck with a lousy part because of her body, her boyfriend was showing interest in other girls with great bodies, and now she'd just had a major argument with her very best friend.
Should I call Jana at home in a few minutes and apologize? Beth wondered. Then we'd at least be on speaking terms again. But that wouldn't solve the problem. Jana was wrong! Beth thought. She shouldn't try to sweep my problems under the rug as if they aren't there. She should at least try to understand these problems from my point of view.
No, Beth thought stubbornly. Jana should apologize to me!
CHAPTER 9
Beth was late leaving home the next morning and got to school just after everyone had left the school grounds and gone into the building. She hurried inside and rushed along the halls toward her locker.
"Hey, B.B.," she heard from behind her. She knew who it was before she turned around.
"Hi, Molly," Beth said. "How're you doing?"
"Oh, fair to partly cloudy," Molly said, getting into step with Beth. "The crew has nearly all the props we need—"
"Good," Beth murmured absentmindedly.
"And I found just the perfect touch for you," Molly said, grinning and pushing her glasses up her nose. Then she pulled a rubbery piece of something from her pocket and held it up. "How do you like it?"
Beth stopped and took the rubber in her hand. She looked quizzically at Molly. "What is it?"
Molly laughed. "It's a wart!"
"What?" Beth cried, dropping the thing as if it had burned her fingers.
The little knob landed on the floor and rolled under the feet of a crowd of kids on their way to class.
"It's not real!" Molly said over her shoulder as she dodged the students, trying to catch the wart as it rolled down the hall. "It's made of latex!" Molly finally caught it and brought it back. "A renegade wart," she said, grinning.
"What are you going to do with it?" Beth asked.
"Stick it on your face, of course."
"What?" Beth cried, taking a step backward.
"Sure. Don't all old-hag witches have creepy, disgusting warts on their faces? I thought we could give you two. One here on your chin—"
Molly reached out with the wart to hold it up to Beth's face, but Beth batted her hand away.
"It's a great addition to your Wizard of Oz character," Molly said. "Wait till you have your costume and props. You'll love it—"
It was more than Beth could handle. She turned and raced down the hall, swallowing hard to ease the tightening in her throat.
A wart! A hideous, gross wart on her face! She would never agree to that! And she would die before she'd glue two of them to her face! Especially with Laura standing next to her on the stage looking glamorous and beautiful in a long sequined gown.
Beth ran into her English class, hurried to her seat in the back, and sank into her chair. She slid down as far in her seat as she could.
Miss Dickinson began the class, but Beth didn't hear a word she was saying. She was thinking about the wart. It was pretty funny, now that she thought about it. And of course, all old-hag witches had creepy, disgusting warts on their faces, just as Molly had said.
The idea made her giggle, and she clamped her hand over her mouth and looked around to see if anyone had heard. Luckily, they hadn't.
She thought about the wart some more. Actually, she loved wearing crazy, off-the-wall things, the more bizarre the better. And it really was the perfect addition to her
costume. She closed her eyes, imagining the scene. When she wore the wart on her chin—no, how about the end of her nose?—and she said her lines in the gravelly voice with the cackling laugh that she had been practicing, the audience would go wild. Then when she melted and went swirling onto the floor . . . But what about Laura? asked a little voice in her mind. Won't everyone be looking at her? Her and her terrific figure?
Beth narrowed her eyes and visualized the scene gain. Not if I put everything I've got into playing my part, Beth thought defiantly. And not if I show the audience what a great actress I am. I'll wow them. I'll make them look at me instead of Laura. I know I will.
Beth sat back in her seat. She was suddenly feeling better than she'd felt in days. It's going to be fun, she told herself, and giggled silently. When I'm the ugly witch, I won't need Laura's figure. I'll have my wart!
The school day went more quickly today and rehearsal went well, too. She got to use her broomstick for the first time at rehearsal and the long black cape. But she decided to keep the wart a secret until the first performance. It was her secret weapon against Laura. If everybody loved it as much as she thought they would, she didn't want to tip off Laura and give her a chance to come up with something special of her own to steal the show back from Beth.
Beth was surprised at how quickly she could get into character when she put on the cape and took the broomstick in her hand. The character seemed to ooze out of her naturally. It felt good, and better yet, it felt fun.
The skits were really taking shape, Beth thought as she watched the others rehearse. And that was necessary, because the first performance at Copper Beach Elementary was going to be next week! Before that, the Wacko kids and teachers would come to the final dress rehearsal. Beth's stomach turned when she thought of Keith in the audience. Would he be speaking to her by then? And what would he think when he saw his girlfriend onstage with a wart on her nose? She tried not to think about that. She was an actress. She could pull it off.