by Betsy Haynes
But what about Cory? she thought. How can I possibly keep going steady with him if I go back to Hollywood? And what if Raven asks me out? I can't go, she told herself sadly. But I can't break up with Cory, either. He'll be so hurt.
And what about Shawnie? she asked herself. She's my best friend. How can I just desert her? Of course, she does have Kimm, Taffy reasoned. A tiny flame of jealousy flared at the thought of Kimm. First she tries to steal my best friend, and now she's after my boyfriend. How can I just go off and let Kimm get away with that?
Taffy flopped over onto her stomach and buried her face in her pillow. I'll just have to face it when and if the time comes, she decided.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Taffy waited until dinner was over and her parents were settled in the family room, watching a news program on TV. Then she excused herself and went quietly to the phone in the upstairs hall to call Shawnie without being overheard. She was bursting to tell someone about her letter from Raven, and Shawnie was the only one she could tell.
The phone had scarcely rung once when Shawnie's mother answered.
"Hi, Mrs. Pendergast, this is Taffy Sinclair. May I please speak to Shawnie?"
"I'm sorry, Taffy, but Shawnie is doing her homework. You'll have to speak to her at school in the morning," Mrs. Pendergast said curtly.
Taffy sighed. She had forgotten how strict Shawnie's parents were. They controlled her time and her activities more than any other parents Taffy could think of. "Thanks," she murmured dejectedly and hung up.
Taffy tried to begin her own homework, but her eyes kept being drawn like twin magnets to the letter from Raven lying on the edge of her desk.
"He wasn't kidding when he said he liked me the night before I left Hollywood," she whispered to herself, "He does! He does! HE DOES!"
But what about Cory? asked a little voice in her mind.
Taffy sat up straight and frowned. "What about him?" she answered angrily. "Nobody even knows yet if I'm staying here or going back to Hollywood."
Just the same, she knew she couldn't say a word about Raven to anyone who might tell Cory.
The next morning Taffy motioned wildly to Shawnie the instant she saw her across the school grounds. "Hurry! I've got something to show you," she called.
Shawnie's eyes were glowing with excitement when she reached Taffy. "What is it? Did you hear some news about the TV series?"
Taffy shook her head and grinned. "Better than that," she said. "Guess."
"I can't. Oh, Taffy, don't keep me in suspense," begged Shawnie. "What is it?"
Taffy reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out Raven's letter with a dramatic flourish. "Feast your eyes," she commanded.
Shawnie's mouth dropped open as she clutched the envelope and read the return address. "Oh, my gosh!" she shrieked at the top of her lungs. "It's a letter from Raven Blaine!"
"Shh!" said Taffy, but it was too late. All around them, kids stopped their own conversations to stare at Taffy and Shawnie.
"Oh, no," Taffy wailed. "I wanted to keep it a secret. Now everybody knows."
Shawnie looked mortified. "I'm sorry, Taffy," she said. "I didn't mean to. It's just that . . . well . . . I mean, a letter from Raven Blaine! I guess I just went berserk!"
Taffy glanced around quickly. No one was looking at them anymore. Maybe, just maybe, no one had heard Shawnie.
"I tried to call you last night to tell you," said Taffy, "but your mother wouldn't let me talk to you."
Shawnie rolled her eyes. "It figures," she said, and began reading the letter. "Wow. He says he missed you and wants you to come back to Hollywood. Gosh, Taffy. Raven Blaine—the Raven Blaine—wants to go out with you! How can you stand it? It's the most exciting thing I've ever heard of! How can you even breathe?"
"I keep pinching myself to be sure I'm awake," Taffy admitted. "But you know what bothers me . . . Cory. Oh, Shawnie, I like him, too. Honest. I really do." Shawnie gave Taffy a sympathetic sigh. "Yeah, and so does Kimm. I've been watching how she looks at him. What are you going to do?"
"I don't know," said Taffy. "But I'm sure not going to break up with Cory and let Kimm have him. That much I know."
Taffy was in third-period English class later that morning when a student messenger from the office entered the classroom and handed Miss Dickinson a note. The teacher read the note quickly and then said, "Taffy, Mr. Bell would like to see you in his office right away. You may take your books in case you're not back before the bell."
Taffy nodded and murmured thank you to Miss Dickinson. As she hurried down the hallway, she tried to figure out what Mr. Bell could want.
I couldn't be in trouble, she reasoned. I haven't done anything. Yikes. I hope nothing is wrong at home.
When she got to the office, Mr. Bell motioned her to his desk, all smiles. "Come on in, Taffy. I have some good news, and I wanted you to hear it before I announce it to the school over the public address system."
Taffy blinked at the principal. Things were getting more mysterious by the minute.
"Your mother just called," Mr. Bell went on, "and Nobody Likes Tiffany Stafford is going to be shown on television at four p.m. tomorrow. Isn't that wonderful news?"
Taffy nodded eagerly. "Tomorrow?" she murmured. "I didn't expect it to be shown quite so soon." Then something else Mr. Bell had said caught her attention. "You're going to announce it to the whole school?"
"Of course," Mr. Bell assured her. "I'm sure everyone will want to watch. It's not every day our school can boast it has its own movie star."
Taffy couldn't suppress a smile. Now everyone would see what a good actress she was. Let's see how they treat me after that, she thought smugly.
Mr. Bell made the announcement during the next period, and for the rest of the day the school buzzed with excitement. Kids even stopped Taffy in the halls to ask her about the movie.
"They act as if they don't really believe it," she complained to Shawnie after school.
"It's like I told you before," said Shawnie. "Nobody from Wacko has ever done anything like it, so it's hard for some kids to imagine."
"Why don't you come over to my house tomorrow and watch the movie with me," suggested Taffy. "We could even make it into a party and invite Cory and Craig."
"Wow. That would be terrific," replied Shawnie. "I'll talk to Craig if you want me to."
"Okay," said Taffy. "I'll ask Cory."
Taffy waited at Cory's locker after school. She had thought up the party on the spur of the moment, and now she was a little nervous. What if her friends didn't think her acting was great after all?
Of course it's great, she told herself sternly. But down deep she knew that that wasn't what was really bothering her. What would Cory think when he saw her on the screen with Raven? Maybe she shouldn't have suggested a party. Maybe she should have planned to watch in private.
But it was too late to change her mind, and when she told Cory about the party, his face lit up. "Sure," he said. "It sounds great. I can't believe you're really going to be in front of us on the screen." Then his face clouded, and he added, "This doesn't mean you're going back to Hollywood, does it?"
It was the question Taffy had been dreading. She took a deep breath and crossed her fingers behind her back before she answered. "Of course not. The producers haven't made any decisions about the TV series yet. As far as I know, I'll be at Wacko forever."
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Taffy hurried home the next day after school to make sure everything was ready. Her father had left work early and was in the family room, setting up the VCR to tape the movie. Her mother bustled around in the kitchen, putting chips in a bowl and setting out cans of soda for Taffy and her friends.
"Oh, this is so exciting," gushed Mrs. Sinclair. "My own baby is a movie star."
"Mo-ther," said Taffy. "I'm not a baby."
Just then the doorbell rang, and Taffy rushed to answer. "Hi, guys," she said to Shawnie, Cory, and Craig, who were clustered on the front step. "Come on in
."
"Hey, it's only fifteen minutes till show time," said Cory. "Just think, millions of kids all across America are going to be watching you!" He pointed at Taffy and grinned.
"Isn't that fantastic?" said Shawnie. "I can't believe this is really happening."
"Me, either," murmured Taffy, feeling suddenly nervous at the thought of so many teenagers sitting in front of their television sets at this very moment, getting ready to watch her acting debut. And what about Paige and Tess and Raven? Were they watching, too? She had a funny feeling at the back of her throat, as if she might throw up from excitement, and she swallowed hard to get rid of it.
"I've got refreshments for everyone," Mrs. Sinclair sang as she entered the family room carrying the bowl of chips in one hand and a tray of sodas in the other.
Taffy was too antsy to sit down. She watched her friends get settled around the room as if they were about to watch an ordinary show. Shawnie was on the sofa. Cory sank into a chair, and Craig sat on the floor between the sofa and chair.
Taffy checked her watch. Five minutes to go. Her palms were sweaty, and she wiped them on her jeans and looked at her friends. Craig and Cory were talking quietly, and Shawnie was munching chips.
How can they be so calm? she wondered. If I could just go to my room and hide until this is over . . . or maybe for the rest of my life if I give a rotten performance!
"It's time," her father announced. He waved the remote control unit toward the television, and the screen flashed to life.
"Look! There are the opening credits!" cried Mrs. Sinclair.
Taffy felt her knees turn to jelly as she sank onto the floor in front of the set. Every eye in the room was on the screen.
"Bouquets and Rainbows Productions presents . . ." Taffy murmured as she read the words on the screen. ". . . Nobody Likes Tiffany Stafford . . . starring Raven Blaine . . . Paige Kramer . . . Taffy Sinclair—"
"Taffy Sinclair!" shrieked Shawnie. "Did you see it? It said Taffy Sinclair, right there!"
Everyone was nodding and laughing as a stream of commercials came on next, and Shawnie collapsed across the sofa, her arms flung out wide. "I don't believe it," she moaned. "I knew it was going to happen, but I still don't believe it."
"Shh, everybody," said Cory. "It's starting."
The room grew quiet again. Taffy squinted at first, looking out nervously through narrow slits, but as the first scene faded in, she gradually relaxed and watched eagerly. It almost seemed as if she were back on the set. Paige Kramer looked like a true villain as she and her two best friends ganged up against Tiffany Stafford, the character Taffy played. Then Raven came on the scene, looking almost as handsome on screen as he did in person. The sight of Raven made Taffy blush, and she turned her head slightly so that Cory wouldn't see.
At the next commercial break, Cory turned to Taffy. "Hey, it's pretty obvious that your character has a thing for that guy," he said, putting extra emphasis on the word "thing."
"Yeah," said Craig, and Shawnie giggled.
This time Taffy could not hide her scarlet face. "It's just a movie," she argued. "I mean, I had to do what the script said."
"Who would argue about a thing like that?" asked Shawnie, rolling her eyes. "I'd have a crush on him even if it wasn't in the script."
"Do you mean to say that you didn't have a crush on Raven Blaine while you were in Hollywood?" asked Cory, and Taffy couldn't tell if he was joking or serious. Eeeek, she thought. What do I say now?
She was still searching for the right answer when the doorbell rang.
"Don't anyone move. I'll get it," her mother called out as she hurried to open the door before the commercial ended and the movie resumed.
"Flowers for Miss Taffy Sinclair," said a man holding a long, white box.
Taffy looked at the box in surprise. "Who would be sending those?" she wondered softly.
"They must be from Jerry Lowenthal, your wonderful director," her mother said breathlessly.
Taffy took the box from her mother and opened it. Inside were a dozen beautiful long-stemmed red roses.
"There's a card!" shrieked Shawnie. "Hurry up, Taffy. Open it."
Taffy picked up the small white envelope while everyone looked on. Slipping the card out, she took a deep breath before reading the message.
For Taffy—the brightest star in Hollywood. Congratulations on a great performance. I miss you. Please come back soon.
Love,
Raven
Taffy's first instinct was to hide the card before Cory could see it, but when she glanced at him, she could tell by his expression that it was too late.
Taffy handed the roses to her mother, who bustled off into the kitchen to put them in water. She tried to think of something to say to Cory, but she couldn't. He had slumped back into his chair and was staring at the actors on the screen as if he weren't really seeing them. Shawnie and Craig were quiet, too.
Taffy turned her attention back to the television set. Here it is, she thought, my big debut. But somehow all the fun had gone out of it. She could hardly wait to see the words the end flash across the screen.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
When Taffy got to school the next morning, she found Marge Whitworth, the anchorwoman for the local TV station, waiting on the front steps with her camera crew. Power cables crisscrossed the sidewalk to the station's van, parked nearby.
"Taffy!" called out Ms. Whitworth. "We'd like to interview you for the six-o'clock news."
"Sure," said Taffy. She put her books down on a step and whipped a brush and a small mirror out of her purse. "Just a minute while I fix my hair." An instant later she approached the anchorwoman and asked, "Do I look okay?"
"You look terrific," Marge Whitworth said.
A small crowd of students was beginning to gather. Taffy could see Jana Morgan and Melanie Edwards among the faces. Taffy smiled to herself, remembering the last time she had been interviewed on TV by Marge Whitworth. It was last year, in sixth grade. She and Jana had found a baby girl named Ashley on the front steps of Mark Twain Elementary. That time Jana had been interviewed, too. But this time it was just Taffy in front of the camera.
I'm the star, she thought with satisfaction.
Marge Whitworth positioned Taffy on the steps and did a quick sound check. Then she signaled the cameraman and began the interview.
"Ladies and gentlemen, it's my pleasure to present to you our own local movie star, Taffy Sinclair, whose first movie, Nobody Likes Tiffany Stafford, was shown on network television last night. Taffy, can you tell us how it felt to see yourself on TV and to know that boys and girls all across America were watching, too?" asked Ms. Whitworth.
Taffy took a deep breath and looked straight into the camera. "It was a wonderful feeling," she said calmly. "I hope that everyone enjoyed watching the film as much as I enjoyed making it."
Taffy's heart swelled with pride when she heard a small ripple of applause somewhere in the crowd and saw out of the corner of her eye that it came from Shawnie and, surprisingly, from Kimm. Cory was standing with them, and Taffy saw with a stab of sadness that he wasn't applauding. He wasn't even smiling. He had left her house last night with barely a word, obviously angry about the roses.
Taffy was drawn back to the present by the sound of Marge Whitworth's voice. "Now, Taffy, can you tell us what was the most exciting part of making the movie?"
Taffy thought for a moment. "It's hard to pick out one thing as most exciting," she said. "I loved meeting the other stars, and working on the set, and, of course, going to Hollywood parties and to the beach."
Marge Whitworth asked several more questions before ending the interview. Then she thanked Taffy and moved back toward the van, where her crew was busy storing the equipment away.
Taffy watched her go, thinking that it felt good to be in front of a camera again. How could I ever give that up to go back to being an ordinary student? she wondered.
"Talk about a celebrity," called out Kimm as she and Shawnie rushed
toward Taffy. "We're going to get to see you on television again tonight."
Taffy laughed. "Talk about overexposure," she said. "You guys are going to get sick of turning on your TVs and seeing my face."
"No, seriously," said Kimm, "I just loved watching your movie last night. You were terrific. You have every right to feel proud of yourself."
Taffy blinked in surprise. She hadn't expected so much flattery from Kimm.
"Thanks, Kimm," she said. "I heard you sing with Cory's band earlier this year, and you're pretty terrific, too."
Kimm smiled broadly. "Thanks, but that's nothing compared to being a movie star." Looking around quickly, she added, "Hey, I've got to run. I'll see you guys later."
Taffy watched Kimm hurry toward the building. "I have to admit that you were right about Kimm," she said to Shawnie. "She is nice."
"I knew you'd think so when you got to know her better," replied Shawnie.
"I do like her, except for one thing," said Taffy, frowning. "She has a crush on Cory."
"I'm not positive," said Shawnie. "Naturally they're together a lot because of all the rehearsals. It could just be my imagination. I guess I shouldn't have mentioned it, but . . ." Her voice trailed off as she gazed over Taffy's shoulder. "Uh-oh," she murmured.
Taffy whirled around, following Shawnie's gaze. "Oh, no," she said. It was Cory whom Kimm had been rushing to see. They stood together near the front door, deep in conversation.
"What am I going to do now?" she cried. "He's mad because of the roses that Raven sent me. What if he decides he likes Kimm now instead of me?"
Shawnie looked serious for a moment. "There's something else I should probably tell you," she said. "He's been getting a lot of teasing about you lately."
Taffy flashed her a surprised look. "Teasing about me?" she echoed in astonishment.
"Right. In the hall between classes a couple of days ago I overheard a bunch of guys asking him if you were going to use your influence in Hollywood to get his band into the big time. I could tell that it made him awfully mad."