Drama at Silver Spires Read Free

even though I hardly knew her. It wasn’t till she’d put the tin back and rubbed her lips together that she finally deigned to look at me. “Amy,” came the answer. She smiled mockingly and my heart sank, but then I tried to give myself a firm talking-to. Just because everyone thought Cara was a really good actress, it didn’t mean that she’d automatically get the part of Amy, did it? And anyway, who was to say she was any better than me? I’d had big parts in every single play at primary school, right from when I was the enormous turnip in the harvest festival in Year One, to when I played Nick Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Year Six.
    We’d arrived at the science block so I gave Cara the coolest look I could manage while I tried to think of some clever parting line, but then I realized her eyes were on my right leg and she was trying to stop herself smirking. I guessed she was looking at the ladder in my tights and I made the mistake of glancing down and saw that the stupid thing had risen from my ankle to just above my knee, getting wider and wider as it went up. Normally I don’t care about things like that but I did at this moment. It made me feel stupid.
    â€œIt’s only a ladder, you know!” said my big mouth before my brain had chance to stop it.
    She just stared at me as though I was pathetic.
    â€œSee you at the auditions then,” I said casually.
    She still didn’t answer, and as I went into the science block my ears were on full alert, listening out for sniggers. I didn’t hear any, but that’s not to say the oh-so-clever Cara wasn’t smirking and exchanging looks with her friends. I tell you, it was a big relief when the door closed behind me.

Chapter Two

    â€œShe makes me sick!”
    â€œJust ignore her, Georgie. The only thing you need to worry about is doing your best at the audition.”
    That was Naomi. She always comes out with wise things like that. I gave her the best smile I could manage, because it’s not easy smiling when you’re feeling cross, and I’d got myself in a right state about stupid Cara.
    â€œThe thing is, I really really want the part of Amy,” I said with a big sigh. “I’m just like Amy. The part was totally made for me!” But even as I was saying it, I didn’t think any of my friends could possibly realize just how much I meant it. “I want it more than anything in the world,” I added, to help them get the picture.
    â€œWell you’ve got just as much chance as Cara has,” said Mia, putting her arm round me.
    The six of us were sitting on the circular rug in the middle of the dorm in our jamas. I’d been thinking about cocky Cara all day long but this was the first chance I’d had to have a proper conversation about her, because my friends are always rushing off somewhere like netball practice or debating society or the computer room or piano practice or art club. They’re just so busy, even though I’ve told them they’re crazy and they ought to be more like me and go to chill club, which actually means don’t go to any club at all but just chill out. No, seriously, the only real club I do is drama. Unfortunately, though, it’s not as good as I thought it would be because we’re always having to get in groups and do improvisations, making something up as we go along, rather than following a script. There’s nothing wrong with that, I know, but the trouble is I’m always bursting with ideas about what my group could do, and it’s so frustrating when I have to shut up because we’re supposed to take turns to be the director. I can’t wait till Year Nine. Miss Pritchard takes drama in Years Nine, Ten and Eleven, and everyone says the lessons and clubs are amazing.
    â€œI wish you’d heard the way Cara was talking,” I said, in a bit of a sulky voice. “She thinks she’s so clever