Star Crazy Me Read Free Page B

can be really bossy at times! Like he’ll tell me,for instance, that “You can’t possibly wear that top with that skirt, it makes you look like a parcel,” and I will immediately rush back indoors and change, cos I know that he knows about such things. I mean, I will just go and do it. No argument! Josh, on the other hand, tends to go all quiet and dig his heels in.
    I said, “I’m just trying to give you your share of the limelight. Credit where credit’s due.” As Nan used to say.
    Josh said he didn’t want credit. “And I don’t want limelight! I’m not like you.”
    â€œYou’re just scared!” I said.
    â€œI’m modest,” said Josh.
    I teased him about that. I said, “Aah, sweet! He’s all shy and retiring!” And I chucked him under the chin, really yucky, just to get him going, and he said “Gerroff!” and we had a bit of a tussle, all over the bed and round his bedroom, until his mum yelled at us up the stairs.
    â€œWhat are you doing up there? You’ll bring the ceiling down!”
    â€œYou are just so childish,” said Josh.
    â€œAnd you are just so stubborn!” I said.
    He still wouldn’t budge. He said that I was the performer, not him, and I think that is probably right. Josh is more of a behind-the-scenes person, which wouldn’t do at all for me. I just love the buzz of being out there, in the spotlight, in front of an audience. Actually, to be honest, I hadn’t ever really performed in front of an audience at that point, except once in Year 6 when we put on a little end-of-term show and I was chosen to sing a Christmas carol. I belted it out at the top of my voice and Mrs Deakin, our teacher, got really upset. She seemed to think I was showing off. She said, “Honestly, Carmen! That was totally inappropriate.”
    Well, but I did enjoy it! And I got a round of applause. So you can imagine I was really looking forward to the talent contest and singing our song. As soon as the notice appeared on the board – Entrants for Top Spot, sign here – I rushed to put my name down.
    Carmen Bell Year 8 Vocalist
    And that was when Marigold Johnson called me a fat freak, and ruined it all.

CHAPTER TWO
    This is where it happened: in the locker room at school. Me and Indy were already down there, putting stuff away and sorting out what we needed for afternoon classes. The Year 8 lockers are in two rows, back to back, with a few odd ones tucked away in a corner, out of sight. Me and Indy were in the tucked-away part. In other words, nobody knew that we were there. We weren’t eavesdropping! We weren’t crouched on the ground with our ears pinned back. But when Marigold came bursting in with her usual crowd of gawkers and her mouth clattering on at about a hundred miles per hour, we couldn’t help hearing.
    What she was clattering on about was the Top Spot contest. How her sister, Mary-Louise, that was in Year 10, was almost certain to win because she had professional experience. She had appeared in a commercial. She had made a demo disc.
    â€œIt really isn’t fair on all the others, but what can you do? My sister can’t be stopped from putting her name down just because she’s had experience.”
    Then we heard Ashlee’s voice piping up: “Know who else has put her name down? The Jelly!”
    â€œThe Jelly? You gotta be joking!”
    OK, so that was when I should probably have emerged from my corner and shown myself, before Marigold could go on and say something nasty. But Ididn’t, and I bet most people wouldn’t have, either. In that sort of situation, you just freeze to the spot and can’t move. The very last thing you want is for anyone to know that you’re there. It’s too humiliating.
    I heard Ashlee’s voice again: “I’m not joking! I just saw her name on the list.”
    And then Marigold, with her loud braying laugh: