He didn’t even wait for me to say goodbye before hanging up. I gazed at the phone, which still showed his photo, one I’d taken on holidays which showed him tanned and laughing at something I’d said. And now he couldn’t even be bothered remembering the name of my show.
* * *
All week, I found myself daydreaming about Cinderella any chance I got. I found my special Ladybird copy of Cinderella that my aunt Margaret, who I’m named after, had had made specially for my birthday when I was four. It had the same storyline and illustrations as the copy Mum had had when she was a child, but the main character was called Meg instead of Cinderella. I loved that book so much and made Mum read it for me every night for weeks.
I felt a slight pang of regret that we weren’t doing the real story of Cinderella. I pictured myself dressed as one of the ugly stepsisters with a poudré wig, beauty spot strategically placed near my mouth, and a puffy, extravagant ballgown, looking ridiculously overdone compared to Cinderella’s innocent beauty.
I wondered for a minute if I should try to talk the others into doing the original Cinderella after all. But when I thought about it I realised Hannah was right – everyone knew the story so well, and with just the four of us it would be hard to manage scenes like the ball. And that was before we even thought about the lighting and special effects and how we’d manage the magic. We could do it of course, but it wouldn’t be as professional as we wanted. I felt we had a lot to live up to after our amazing variety show in the summer. People would be expecting something a bit special.
Anyway, it would be fun to create a new storyline ourselves. I cheered up at the thought of the fun we’d have making the story our own. We could dress the stepsisters in crazy, over-the-top outfits – clashing patterns and stripes, luminous oranges and greens, fluffy pink feather boas and strings of beads. They’d have to wear too much make-up, of course – thick orange foundation and maybe even false eyelashes. I wondered if Hannah’s mum would let her – she seemed a bit strict about letting Hannah do a lot of things, as if she didn’t want her growing up too fast, but maybe she wouldn’t mind when it was just for a show.
I realised I was jumping a bit too far ahead. I was already thinking about Hannah as the other ugly stepsister along with me. In fact I didn’t even know if I’d get to be a stepsister – maybe Laura or Ruby would want to play one of them. We hadn’t talked properly about who was going to play who. Hannah was quite strict about keeping decisions like that to our proper Star Club meetings. So even though we’d chatted about the show at break time at school and on our walks home, we’d stayed away from discussing casting. Hannah thought we should have a few days’ ‘thinking time’ first, and we’d all agreed that was a good idea.
But even though no one had said anything, it seemed to me like we had a natural fit for each role. Ruby was the perfect choice for Cinderella. She was smaller than the rest of us, slightly built with her dancer’s frame, and with delicate features. She would look just the part as the downtrodden, lonely girl being bullied by her stepsisters. I could picture her sitting by the fire lost in her dreams of escaping a life of drudgery – or whatever we decided to have instead of a fire!
Hannah would make a brilliant stepsister along with me. We’d had a lot of scenes together in Ballet Shoes and we had played really well off each other – we seemed to bring out the best in each other. And Laura could be the cool aunt and the handsome boy – that’s if she didn’t mind having to juggle two parts again.
It was so much fun making all these plans, and I couldn’t wait for our meeting on Friday.
Things were a bit weird with Tracey. I tried calling for her on Thursday morning to walk to school, but no one answered the doorbell, even though I saw the curtains twitching. I called for Hannah and Ruby instead and we all walked down together.
When we were sitting together in the classroom though, Tracey was really friendly. She asked me if I wanted to come over to her house later.
‘We could play some computer games,’ she said. ‘I’ve got this new one my dad bought me when we were in Florida. He always buys me the newest games. It’s not even out over here yet for another few weeks.’
I wasn’t sure what to say. I didn’t want to offend Tracey, but I wasn’t really into computer games. Then I remembered I’d promised to go over to Hannah’s. ‘Uh, thanks, Tracey, but I said I’d go over to Hannah’s. Maybe another time.’
Tracey’s smile disappeared. ‘Well, of course if you’d rather go over to Hannah’s house that’s fine. I’m surprised she’s got time to have friends over, what with minding all those brothers and sisters. But her mum probably thought it was no big deal for her to mind one more person.’
‘What do you mean?’ I asked, not understanding.
‘Well, it’s kind of obvious, isn’t it?’ Tracey said. ‘I mean, of course her mum would expect her to mind the new girl. She’s that kind of interfering mum who’d make Hannah look after someone whether she really wanted to be friends with them or not.’
‘I’m sure it’s not like that,’ I said, my voice wobbling a little.
‘I’d just hate to see you get hurt, Meg,’ Tracey said, patting my arm. ‘You know, when you’re not new any more and Hannah doesn’t feel like she has to mind you.’
I said nothing. Was that really what had happened?
Tracey leaned in closer to me. ‘Look, I didn’t want to have to tell you this … no, I’d better not say anything.’
‘What?’ I asked.
‘It’s just that Hannah – no, I really shouldn’t say anything.’ Tracey pursed up her lips, as if stopping herself from saying any more.
‘Hannah what?’
Tracey looked all around to check no one was listening, then put her head right in beside mine. ‘Hannah’s been saying all sorts of nasty things about you.’
A sick feeling washed over me. I didn’t want to believe Tracey, but why would she make it up? ‘Like what?’
Tracey shook her head. ‘I couldn’t repeat it. I hate people who spread gossip, don’t you? Anyway, I know it couldn’t possibly be true.’
‘Tracey, you can’t just say something like that and not tell me what she said,’ I insisted, trying to keep my voice from shaking.
But Tracey just shook her head again. ‘I’m sorry, Meg. I shouldn’t have said anything at all. I don’t want to cause any trouble, but I couldn’t stand back and watch you let Hannah use you like that. She’s not really your friend at all. I could tell you all sorts of things about her, but like I said, I’m not one to gossip.’
Across the classroom, Hannah, Laura and Ruby were working on their project together, heads bent over the table, talking and giggling. Surely Hannah wasn’t capable of saying nasty things about me behind my back. It just didn’t seem possible. Was Tracey making it all up, and if so, why?
She looked at me, an innocent expression in her big blue eyes, and I really didn’t know what to think.
* * *
Later, I told Mum what Tracey had said. Like I could have predicted, Mum immediately went into protective mother-hen mode.
‘What a strange thing for her to say! Did she tell you what Hannah is supposed to have said?’
‘No, she wouldn’t tell me,’ I said. ‘She said she didn’t want to cause any trouble.’
Mum gave one of her explosive snorts. She has a whole collection, and this was her most derisory one. ‘But that’s exactly what she’s doing, darling! Honestly, I find it hard to imagine Hannah saying anything nasty about anyone, least of all you! She’s such a nice, sincere girl, and you two are such great friends. I’m quite sure it’s nothing but a load of old cobblers, darling.’
It was such a relief to hear Mum saying what I thought myself. ‘I’m so glad you think that, Mum. That’s what I thought too, but I was a bit upset about it.’
‘Well of course, darling. It’s impossible not to be upset when one hears something like that. All sorts of things start running through one’s head, don’t they?’ Mum frowne
d. ‘What can Tracey possibly have been thinking? Do she and Hannah not get along?’
‘I haven’t really seen them together much,’ I said. ‘It’s almost like they’re avoiding each other.’
‘Perhaps there’s a bit of history there,’ Mum said. ‘Girls’ friendships can be so tricky.’
‘I just don’t know why Tracey would say something like that,’ I said, still hoping for some kind of answer. ‘She seems to think Hannah’s not really my friend – that she was only looking after me because I’m new.’
‘What nonsense!’ Mum said. ‘Anyone can see the two of you get on like a house on fire – not to mention the rest of your little gang. Please don’t worry about Tracey, darling. In my experience the most common reason for that type of behaviour is one thing and one thing alone. Jealousy.’
‘Oh Mum, you always think people are jealous of me. It’s a mum thing,’ I laughed. Mum always seems to think I’m the prettiest, cleverest and generally most interesting person in any group I happen to be in. I’m pretty sure all mums think the same thing about their own children.
‘Not jealous of you, darling, though I’m quite sure that’s a possibility too. Jealous of Hannah, I mean. Because it sounds to me like Tracey really wants to have your friendship all to herself.’
I let this idea sink in for a minute, wondering if Mum could really be on to something. Why would Tracey so desperately want to be friends with me?
By the time Friday came along I’d managed to put it out of my head and was only thinking about our rehearsal. We met in Ruby’s garden right after school.
‘Hurray for Friday and no homework!’ Ruby said, pouring everyone a big glass of strawberry smoothie her mum had made specially for our meeting.
‘Yes, thank goodness that’s over. The first week back at school just seems like it lasts forever, doesn’t it?’ Laura said.
‘Oh, I thought it was just me!’ I said. ‘You know, with not having been to school for a while. I thought I was just finding it hard to adjust to sitting at a desk all day.’
‘How did it work when you were in LA?’ Hannah asked. ‘Did your tutor come to your apartment?’
‘Sometimes she did, and sometimes we’d be on the film set and I’d have lessons in between takes,’ I said. I stopped, wondering if I’d said too much, then added quickly, ‘I mean, if Mum was doing a full day of acting, and she didn’t want to leave me at home all day. My tutor and I would go to the studio or wherever they were filming, and I’d do some lessons in the dressing room or the trailer. Then I could watch some of the filming too.’
‘That must have been so cool,’ Hannah said with a wistful sigh. ‘I’d love to watch a film being made.’
‘Some of it is pretty boring,’ I said honestly. ‘There’s a lot of doing the same thing over and over. But there are always new people to meet and production guys running here and there. And the food! Oh wow, you should just see the snack trolleys.’
‘A bit different from lunch time in school I bet,’ Ruby said with a laugh. ‘I’m sick of packed lunches already. This was a long week – I felt like the weekend would NEVER come!’
‘I think everyone feels like that the first week,’ Laura said.
‘And plenty of other weeks too,’ Hannah said, which made us laugh.
‘Anyway, the weekend’s here now, so YAY!’ said Ruby. ‘Cheers, everyone!’ She raised her glass of smoothie in the air and we all clinked glasses.
I smiled around at my friends, feeling a warm glow that I was part of such a close group. I didn’t know if they realised just how important they were to me. The fact was it was ages since I’d made any new friends. Actually, if I’m being honest, it was ages since I’d had any friends at all. That’s a really sad thing for a twelve-year-old girl to admit, isn’t it? Sad, as in pathetic, though I suppose it’s pretty sad in a boohoo, woe is me sort of sense as well. But then I’m not exactly an average twelve-year-old as Dad always likes to remind me. I know Mum would like me to be, though. But hanging around on a film set, having lessons with a tutor instead of going to school, means the chance to make friends isn’t really there. I thought of some of the kids I’d been friendly with in my school in New York, and before that in Dublin. It would have been great to stay in contact with them, but we were all too young to have our own phones or email or anything like that, and my family was always on the move, so we’d kind of lost touch. I was determined that whatever happened now I’d stay friends with Ruby, Laura and Hannah.
‘So should we start with the cast list, or with the storyline?’ Hannah asked, opening her notebook.
‘Cast list, cast list!’ Ruby and Laura chorused.
‘OK – how are we going to decide?’ Hannah asked. ‘I don’t feel like we have such obvious choices as we did last time.’
‘Don’t you?’ I asked in surprise. ‘I do. I’ve been thinking about it all week and I keep picturing us all in certain parts.’
‘Me too,’ Laura said.
‘I just keep picturing myself in all the parts and wanting to play them all,’ Hannah admitted. ‘That’s a sign of a good story I suppose! Well, why don’t you tell us what you were thinking then, Meg?’
‘OK – well, I think Ruby would be great as Cinderella,’ I said.
‘Oh NO!’ Ruby protested at once. ‘I thought you’d be Cinderella, Meg. I couldn’t play her.’
‘Why not?’ I asked, surprised at her reaction. I had been so sure that Ruby would love to be Cinderella.
‘I thought of Ruby for Cinderella too,’ Laura said. ‘You look just right for the part.’
‘But it’s the biggest part in the show,’ Ruby said, looking worried. ‘I just don’t know if I’d manage to learn the lines.’
This was something I hadn’t thought of. Of all of us, Ruby was the one who had struggled the most with learning her lines in the last show. We’d worked hard to help her and by the time performance day came around she was absolutely fine. But would giving her the principal role be too risky?
‘Oh, you’d be fine,’ Hannah said, though she didn’t sound completely sure. ‘But you don’t have to if you don’t want to. Is there another part you’d prefer?’
‘I thought maybe I could be the handsome boy,’ Ruby said. ‘I’d like the chance to play a boy. I think I could convey the part well using movement, you know? It’s something we do in ballet exercises sometimes.’
‘But you’re much smaller than any of us,’ Laura said. ‘Wouldn’t it look weird that Cinderella was way taller than the prince? Or handsome boy, I mean!’
‘I don’t think that matters,’ Ruby said, sounding kind of stubborn. ‘So what if the boy is smaller? Anyway, it sounds like a much shorter part so I think I could manage it OK.’
‘But Ruby, whoever plays the boy has to play the cool aunt as well,’ Hannah pointed out. ‘Remember, we worked out that’s the way we’d do it because they’re not in the same scenes.’
‘Oh, right, I’d forgotten that.’ Ruby looked anxious. ‘Well, maybe I could do Cinderella then – I’m not sure.’
‘What about the ugly stepsisters?’ Hannah asked. ‘Who did you have in mind for those, Meg?’
‘Well, don’t take this personally, but I thought maybe you and I could play them,’ I told her. ‘Even though it would obviously be extremely difficult to make ourselves ugly enough.’
Hannah laughed. ‘I’m glad you added that bit. I’d be happy with that, I think we’d make a good pair.’ She smiled at me, and I beamed back, thrilled that she liked the idea of us working as a pair. Tracey had definitely got it wrong, I decided. Of course Hannah was my friend.
Laura groaned. ‘I suppose that means you want me to be the one doing two parts again.’
‘Well, that’s what I thought, but of course you don’t have to if you don’t want to.’ I glanced around the group, feeling a bit anxious. It seemed like only Hannah and I were really happy with the parts I’d suggested. Was our show about to fall apart before we’d even started?
H
annah was obviously feeling concerned too. ‘We could just put all the parts into a hat, and take whichever one we pick out?’ she suggested. ‘Or, you know, we could always pick a different story to do if people think this one’s not right for us?’
Laura gave Hannah a fake punch. ‘I’m only joking, silly! I’m actually happy with two parts – it stops me getting bored of one! And it’s fun coming up with completely different looks for the two.’
We all looked at Ruby, who blushed and said shyly, ‘Well, if you really want me to be Cinderella, I’ll do it. Just don’t make my lines too long, OK?’
‘Brilliant!’ exclaimed Hannah. ‘That’s settled then. Now we can get on with planning the scenes!’
‘Are you sure, Ruby?’ I asked her quietly. I didn’t want her to feel pressured into it. That was no way to start off a big part.
But Ruby nodded firmly. ‘Yes, it’s good to challenge myself! Anyway, I’ve just remembered that Cinderella is a ballet too, so it will be good to get the practice if I want to be a prima ballerina some day!’
‘Oh well, it’s perfect for you so!’ I said, exchanging glances with Hannah. I could tell she was also wondering how playing a modern-day Cinderella would help Ruby to dance the part in a ballet some day, but if it made her feel more positive about the role that had to be a good thing. Maybe I could help her work on her lines and find an easy way to bring the part to life.
‘OK, so scenes!’ Hannah said. ‘Let’s start with the stepsisters being mean to Cinderella – and let’s make them as horrible as we possibly can!’
The rest of our meeting flew by and I couldn’t believe it was six o’clock already when Ruby’s dad came out to tell her dinner was ready and it was time for the rest of us to go home.
‘Let’s meet up again tomorrow,’ Hannah suggested. ‘What time is your ballet class, Ruby?’
‘It’s at ten, so any time after eleven would be OK with me,’ Ruby said.
Starring Meg Page 6