Drama Queen Page 4

I froze. I hadn’t really planned to audition at all – the idea of getting up onstage on my own and singing seemed like a disaster waiting to happen. “Er…no one?”

  She raised her eyebrows. “I thought acting was going to be your thing? Didn’t she say that, Shenice?”

  Shen threw me a sympathetic look but she nodded. “Sorry, Cass, you did say that.”

  “Don’t let Liam put you off,” Molly said, leaning forward. I’d told them about his comments last night. “Performing often runs in families, look at all the big acting dynasties there are. I bet Liam’s just scared you’ll be better than him.”

  Was I dreaming or had Molly just said something almost critical about Liam?

  “But I’d be intimidated too, if I had a brother who was so awesomely talented,” she went on, spoiling the moment a bit. “What you need to do is focus on your own performance and forget Liam even exists.”

  “Shouldn’t be too hard,” I muttered. I spent a large part of every day trying to pretend Liam didn’t exist.

  Molly was busy studying the audition sheet. “It looks as though you can both sing Tallulah’s song even though you’re not auditioning for that role, Cassidy.” She hesitated. “You’re not, are you?”

  Shenice looked up from her score.

  “Not a chance,” I replied. “I’d rather sit through double maths every day for a year.”

  Blinking with relief, Molly forwarded the DVD until it was at the start of Tallulah’s song. “Okay, sometimes my singing teacher makes me do a visualization exercise. Basically, you imagine yourself getting the part you want and create a picture in your mind.”

  I glanced at the audition sheet – which role was the right one for me? One of the Speakeasy Girls? Or the one Molly had suggested to Shenice – Lena Marelli?

  “See yourself striding onto the stage like you own it,” Molly said, in a funny, sing-song voice. “You’re going to absolutely smash this audition. You’re ready. You were BORN ready.”

  Shen had closed her eyes so I copied her and tried to imagine myself auditioning in front of Miss Skelly. She was smiling and clapping. Now she was blowing me kisses and someone was throwing roses.

  “Summon up your Pee Em Aiee,” Molly urged. “Visualize that Pee Oh Oh. And when you can see it, reach out and grab it.”

  URGH, not without a pooper scooper. And just like that, my vision vanished. I heard Shenice groan and I knew the same thing had happened to her.

  Molly stared at us in bewilderment, completely unaware of what she’d just said. Honestly, she might be a great singer but sometimes you can really tell she’s never had a pet.

  Want to hear something strange? Molly’s weird visualization trick actually works! I woke up this morning feeling much more confident. It could be the HOURS of rehearsal Molly made us do last night – I feel like MY NAME IS TALLULAH will be rattling round my head FOR EVER – but it was totally worth it. Shenice can sing the whole song without the help of the DVD now and I can mumble along too, although the notes aren’t always in the right order. Molly is a really strict teacher – I think she would have made us carry on all night if her mum hadn’t complained we were drowning out the TV.

  So maybe Molly is onto something when she says imagining success really helps us to BECOME a success. Or maybe my inner performer is starting to come out from wherever she’s been hiding. Whatever the reason, I’m beginning to think I might just belong at EDDDA after all. Which can only be a good thing, since Shenice was so keen to go that she woke us up at six o’clock this morning. PMAs are much harder to come by when someone is bouncing on your feet.

  I think I’m going to audition for the part of Lena the showgirl. It’s not a big role but she’s funny and I think maybe I can pull it off. Even Oscar winners have to start somewhere.

  Chapter Six

  I have discovered a fundamental flaw in my plan to conquer the world of show business.

  I CANNOT SING.

  I mean, of course I can sing, everyone can – you just open your mouth and noise comes out. And I can even do it in tune most of the time, as proved by my eighty per cent accuracy rating on Singstar. But it turns out that’s a lot different to singing solo in front of people who are not Molly and Shenice, without a backing track. Whenever we have to sing in our workshops, I get all nervous and my voice shrivels away into a SQUEAKY WHISPER that even a MOUSE would struggle to hear. I am a little bit annoyed with Molly for making it all look so easy because it turns out that performing is HARD. The auditions are tomorrow morning and I am seriously considering hiding under my bed and faking a ransom note. To think people do this for fun. Why? WHY?

  Molly is an old hand at auditions and she says they are the WORST THING EVER. She told Shenice and me that the actual performing part is much easier but she doesn’t seem in the least bit nervous. Even Shenice seems to have the nerves under control, although she gets totally flustered around Harry, and I know she’s pinned her entire future happiness on playing Tallulah, which is a pretty big part compared to Lena. So why am I the only one whose PMA seems to have run away?

  Dad came in to see me at bedtime. “How are you feeling?”

  I pulled a face, wondering if he could hear my insides gurgling like a volcano. “Okay, I suppose.”

  He smiled. “Let me guess – you’re worried if you open your mouth too wide all your dinner will come out, right?”

  I nodded. Let’s face it, it wouldn’t be the first time my stomach has let me down at the critical moment. I’d puked on Nathan’s feet once – not my finest moment.

  “You wouldn’t mind if I didn’t audition, would you?” I asked.

  “Me?” he said, looking surprised. “It’s nothing to do with me. This is only your first show after all and there’s a lot of fun to be had from staying in the chorus.”

  A whoosh of relief washed over me and I sagged back against my pillow.

  “But here’s the thing,” Dad went on. “How are you going to feel on Monday morning when they post the audition results on the wall and everyone is buzzing about which role they’re going to be playing? What if Molly and Shenice get speaking parts and you’re left behind in the chorus? Will you be glad for them or will you wish you’d taken the risk and auditioned?”

  I tried to imagine the scene. Molly would get Blousey, I was sure of that. I’d seen Nick’s face during the audition workshops and he seemed really pleased with how she’d sung already. Harry was practically guaranteed Bugsy – the rumour was that he’d been offered a place at the Anna Contessa Stage School in London and was due to start in September. Imani Willis had been boasting all week about how she was the perfect Tallulah but Shenice’s crush on Harry had reached EPIC proportions and had inspired her to work even harder. I didn’t think I’d ever seen her so determined, not even when she was training for the Berkshire Junior Swimming Trials, and I had everything crossed that she could snatch Tallulah from underneath Imani’s overconfident nose.

  I pictured the excitement and hubbub as they swarmed around the list on the wall. Then I imagined myself standing back, not really part of the group. Without an audition there would be no danger of being crushed by disappointment if I didn’t get the part I wanted, but there was also no chance of that mega-whooping happiness if I did.

  “I don’t know,” I said. “What would you do?”

  “Blow their minds with Elvis,” he said, grinning.

  “Dad,” I groaned. “Be serious.”

  “Okay,” he said. “I would audition. You’re bound to feel a bit sick but that’s normal. And if you don’t get the part you’ll end up in the chorus, where you would have been if you hadn’t tried. Would that be so terrible?”

  “No,” I replied, trying not to visualize myself throwing up on the audition panel.

  “Right. And what’s the best that could happen? You get the part and knock Miss Skelly’s socks off.”

  I doubt Miss Skelly wears socks – she’s too extraordinary for those. But Dad had a point. I’d never know if acting was my big
talent if I didn’t take the risk. “Maybe you’re right.”

  He gave me a hug. “I know I’m right. And if nothing else, imagine how furious Liam will be when you prove that you’ve got the talent for performing too.”

  And that is possibly the most genius idea I have ever heard in my life. When I get up onstage tomorrow, I am going to mentally project Liam’s cross face onto the faces of the audition panel members. If that doesn’t spur me on to performing success, nothing will.

  Shenice and her mum arrived dead on time, in spite of my last-minute wish for a freak solar flare to bubble the road surface and cause traffic chaos. Mum gave me a fierce hug on my way out of the door and Ethel licked my nose, which I took to mean “good luck”, but none of it could stop my stomach from squirming. By the time we’d arrived at EDDDA, I was a complete WRECK. What in the name of Wham bars made me think I could do this?

  The auditions were being held in the theatre itself, which meant we’d be performing on the stage. Dance Studio One was packed with hopefuls and a couple of teachers. Some students were sitting down, staring at their scripts and fervently whispering the words. Others were listening to headphones and a few were stood up and staring into space, presumably channelling their PMA. Either that or they were trying to get a grip on their blind panic like me. I spotted Harry in a corner, looking pretty chilled out considering I knew he was going for the lead role. Imani kept trying to catch his eye but he kept his head down, although I’m pretty sure I saw him wink at Shen once.

  Every now and then, the door would open and a name would be called. The lucky victim would go, usually with calls of support and cheering, and we wouldn’t see them again. Well, until lunchtime, anyway.

  Molly and Shenice had just decided to slip off to the toilets for one final rehearsal when Molly’s name was called. Looking calm and composed, she followed one of the teachers out of the room. The minutes ticked by. No one said much and, if they did talk, they mostly whispered. It was like a really rubbish version of THE HUNGER GAMES, where nobody was hungry and without any actual fighting. At least I hoped there wasn’t – maybe that was what happened if they couldn’t decide who to give a part to. Anyway, I had everything crossed for Molly, although I was pretty sure she’d be knocking it out of the park. Then the door opened and it was someone else’s turn. Shenice whipped out her phone, typing fast. I leaned over her shoulder to read.

  How did it go? X

  It felt like ages before the screen lit up with a reply, during which a zillion possibilities whizzed through my mind – she’d totally flopped and didn’t know how to tell us…her phone battery had mysteriously died…it really WAS The Hunger Games and she’d lost…

  OK. Think I heard Miss Skelly sniffling but she might just have hay fever. Break a leg! X

  Break a leg? What kind of thing was that for a so-called best friend to wish on someone just before an audition? I opened my mouth to tell Shen that Molly had CHANGED but the door opened again before I could speak.

  “Shenice Coleman?”

  Shen closed her eyes for a second and then threw me a worried look as she stood up. “Good luck!” I said, holding up my tightly crossed fingers. “I’ve even got my eyes crossed – look!”

  She smiled faintly and that’s when I knew how nervous she really was, because normally she cannot resist my cross-eyed craziness. Harry gave her the thumbs up as she left, which I hope made up for the evil eye Imani fired at her back. I stared down at my script while I waited, but they blurred in front of my eyes.

  This time the waiting was even harder, because I was on my own and I knew how much Shenice wanted to play Tallulah. The moment the next victim was called, I was on my phone.

  WELL? X

  The clock on the wall ticked. Someone made the kind of smell that made me look around for Liam. And finally – FINALLY – my phone buzzed.

  I dunno – not bad? You can’t see a thing from the stage. Good luck! X

  Imani Willis went next and I spent a happy few minutes visualizing her tripping over her own feet and landing in the orchestra pit before realizing that it probably wasn’t very good karma. My nerves were really kicking in now and I was starting to wonder if I could just pretend that I’d auditioned to Molly and Shenice. No one would judge me if I got up and walked out, would they? I could say I was going to the loo…

  “Cassidy Bond?” a voice called.

  AARGH – too late. I looked up to see Liz, one of the drama teachers, smiling at me. Lurching to my feet, I fixed my gaze on the floor as I walked to the door. “Break a leg!” I heard someone – Harry? – shout as I left. First Molly and now Harry – what IS with this leg-breaking stuff? They need to keep an eye out for karma too.

  The wings of the stage were shadowy but I could just about make out dark curtains hanging in front of me.

  “Stand centre stage, take a deep breath and tell them your name,” Liz whispered as she pushed me towards the gap in the curtains. “You’re going to be fine.”

  My legs wobbled as I followed her instructions and walked onto the brightly lit stage. The auditorium was pitch-black, I couldn’t see anything and there was absolute silence as I tottered towards the lone chair at the front. Maybe they’d gone for a wee break and I was going to have to sing to no one. I peered into the darkness. “Um, hello? My name is Cassidy Bond and I’m auditioning for Lena Marelli.”

  There was a faint rustling of paper and then I heard Nick’s voice. “Okay, Cassidy, ready when you are.”

  The music began and my knees began to shake. In fact, my whole body was trembling and I was sure they must be able to hear the hammering of my heart. “My name is Tallulah…”

  The first note came out as more of a squawk and I could just imagine Miss Skelly’s disapproving expression. I stared straight ahead, doing my best to follow the music and willed my heart to slow down. Any minute now they’ll yell “CUT!” I thought, just like the scene in the film version of BUGSY where they’re auditioning acts who really suck. But nobody interrupted and as the song went on, I felt a bit better. By the time I got to the final notes, it didn’t sound bad. Not great but nowhere near as MOUSELIKE as I’d feared I would be.

  “Thanks, Cassidy,” Nick called. “Well done. Could you give us your Lena now, please?”

  My mouth was drier than the Sahara but like a numpty I’d left my water bottle in the dance studio. Swallowing hard, I summoned up the scene from the film where Lena Marelli barges onto the stage, knocks Blousey out of the way and steals the show. Adopting a whiny American accent, I put my hands on my hips and thrust my chin in the air to deliver Lena’s lines.

  There was a moment of silence once I’d finished then Nick said, “Great job. Thank you, that’s all for now.”

  I started to walk off but Miss Skelly’s voice stopped me. “It says here you’re away for a week at the start of August. Is that correct, darling?”

  I cleared my throat. “Yes. We’re going to Cornwall.”

  “Pity,” Miss Skelly said briskly. “Next, please!”

  I wondered what she meant all the way to the room where Molly and Shenice were waiting.

  “Oh,” Molly said after we’d shared our audition stories, her eyes wide. “It probably means she was thinking about giving you a part!”

  Shenice started to squeal.

  I frowned. “Was?”

  Molly looked awkward. “Well, if there were two people in the running for a particular part, and one of them was going to miss a week of rehearsals, they’d probably give it to the person who was going to be there more. Sorry, Cassie.”

  My shoulders slumped in disappointment. Stupid holiday. I didn’t even want to go and now it might get in the way of something I did want – a part in the show.

  “I could be wrong,” Molly said.

  “No,” I said, sighing, “I think you’re right. But I wish they’d told me that before I put myself through auditioning.”

  Shenice shuddered. “Yeah, I thought I was going to faint from nerves at one point. I g
uess that’s why they stopped me before I’d finished the song.”

  Molly and I exchanged looks. “They stopped you?” I said warily.

  Shen nodded. “Yeah. I did the lines and then Nick shouted for me to stop about halfway through the song. Didn’t they stop you?”

  We shook our heads.

  “I’m sure it doesn’t mean anything, though,” Molly said in a voice so chirpy I half expected her to sprout feathers. “I expect you were so amazing that they knew you had the part there and then. Sometimes they just know someone is perfect for a role.”

  Shenice bit her lip, her eyes glittering with tears. “I bet it doesn’t.” She sighed and looked away. “It looks like you and me are going to be in the chorus, Cassie.”

  I can’t believe we have to wait until Monday to find out the audition results. I don’t know how we’re supposed to survive a whole WEEKEND of not knowing – we’ll be climbing the walls by Sunday night. What I really need is a way to get out of our stupid trip to Cornwall – something that will show Miss Skelly I have the commitment to play Lena.

  Hmmm. Maybe I’ll text Auntie Jane to ask about moving in with her. Mum said she used to do amateur dramatics when she was younger so she’s bound to be on my side.

  Chapter Seven

  “Did you ask Auntie Jane if you can go and live with her?” Mum demanded the moment I got through the front door.

  She looked cross. Even Joshua was being quiet, which meant either he was plotting something or he’d picked up on her mood and was keeping his head down.

  “I might have done,” I admitted, bending down to kiss Ethel in the baby bouncer. “Why, is it a problem?”

  “A problem?” she repeated, glaring at me. “I’ll say. What part of ‘family holiday’ do you not understand, Cassidy? It means we all go together. You don’t opt out because you get a better offer.”

  “It’s not that—” I began, but she was in full GRUMPY flow and didn’t listen.

  “Apart from anything else, what were you planning to do with Rolo? You know what he does to Uncle Ian’s leg whenever he gets near him.”