Hannah in the Spotlight Read Free

one day. ‘What time is it? Sadie is supposed to be coming over to check on me at lunchtime.’
    ‘Don’t worry, it’s only eleven. Who’s Sadie?’
    ‘She’s my granny. I call her Sadie because Granny doesn’t seem to suit her! That’s OK then, I’ve got ages.’
    We skated down the drive and started doing slow laps of the green. It was a bit quieter now – must have been snack time for the little kids – so it was easier to get around.
    ‘So where did you used to live?’ I asked her.
    ‘Oh, we move around a lot,’ Meg said vaguely. ‘How about you – have you always lived in Carrickbeg?’
    ‘Yes, my whole life,’ I said. ‘And your house has always been rented out, so we’ve had tons of different neighbours. The last lot were a big group of students, and they were really noisy. Mum was so glad when they moved.’
    ‘Well, she needn’t worry about us!’ Meg said. ‘It’s just me and Mum, and we’re pretty quiet.’
    ‘What made you move to Carrickbeg?’
    ‘Mum grew up here. She moved away when she went to college. My granny and grandad still live here, so Mum wanted to be near them when, um …’ She hesitated, then quickly said, ‘when she decided to move. We used to come here a lot for holidays, but it’s a few years now since we’ve been back. Sadie is so happy to have us near.’
    ‘So is Meg short for Megan then?’ I asked her.
    Meg made a face. ‘I wish! My real name is Margaret, after my aunt. But if you EVER tell anyone …’
    I laughed. ‘I won’t! Meg is much nicer. Makes me think of Little Women .’
    ‘Oh, I love Little Women !’ Meg said. ‘Although I think I like Amy better than Meg. I always think Amy is a bit more real – Meg’s just too good to be true sometimes!’
    ‘Laura’s favourite is Jo,’ I said. ‘She wants to be a writer some day, so she just loves reading about Jo and how she keeps on writing stories and trying to get them published. Laura’s one of my best friends,’ I added in explanation.
    ‘Does she live on the green too?’ Meg asked.
    ‘No, she’s a bit further away. Ruby lives just over there,’ I added, pointing to Ruby’s house about ten doors down from Meg’s, and on a bend so that it was facing the green from a different angle. ‘But we can’t call for her.’ I explained about ballet camp.
    ‘Are you going to any camps?’ Meg asked.
    ‘No.’ I sighed. ‘I’d have loved to go to drama.’
    ‘Oh, do you like acting?’
    ‘I love it. It’s my favourite thing in school – I just wish we could do it more often. Did you do much in your old school?’
    ‘A bit. I love it too,’ Meg said. ‘That feeling of transforming yourself into someone else, getting right insidetheir mind and the way they speak and move.’
    ‘Exactly!’ I beamed at her. It was so great to meet someone who understood just how I felt about acting.
    By the time we’d circled the green a few times I’d told Meg all about my closest friends, Laura and Ruby, my crazy family and how I was dreading having to spend the summer holidays being an unpaid babysitter to my siblings. I kind of realised after a while that I’d been doing most of the talking, though. It wasn’t that Meg was quiet, more that she kept asking questions about me, and she didn’t volunteer very much information about herself. She didn’t mention her dad, and she didn’t seem to want to talk about why she and her mum had moved to Carrickbeg.
    ‘Hannah!’ It was Mum calling. ‘I need you!’
    ‘I’ll only be a minute,’ I told Meg. I was surprised Mum had actually remembered that she’d promised to call me in in case I needed to escape.
    ‘It’s OK, Mum,’ I told her as I reached the door. ‘Meg’s really nice, I don’t need you to call me in.’
    ‘What? Oh, that’s good,’ Mum said, ‘but actually, I need you anyway, I’m afraid. I’ve just remembered the boys are supposed to be going to a birthday party, and I’ve just put Emma down for a nap. Can you mind