Olivia's Winter Wonderland

by Lyn Gardner

  “But, Georgie, what you feel is natural. Everyone feels jealous of other people. Remember how Livy felt in Edinburgh during the summer when Evie suddenly appeared on the scene? With us, it’s even worse because I’m one of your best friends. That’s the problem with this business – our friends aren’t just our friends, they’re also our rivals. It’s tough.”

  “But most people don’t act on their jealousy,” said Georgia. “They might feel those things but they don’t try to spoil their best friend’s chance like I did.”

  “Oh, I don’t know,” said Aeysha. “Maybe if they had the chance and maybe if they thought they could get away with it and never be found out, maybe they would. Maybe we all would. Me included. Maybe you’re just being honest in admitting it. My mum once told me about some writer who said, ‘Whenever a friend succeeds, a little something in me dies.’”

  “Ugh, that’s horrible,” said Georgia with a shiver. “But it’s even more horrible to think it might be true.”

  “Look at it this way. You’d be pleased for me if I got selected for the England netball team or I got a book published, wouldn’t you?”

  Georgia nodded vigorously. “Of course I would.”

  “Exactly,” said Aeysha. “Because you don’t want to write a book or be really good at netball. The Zelda thing is only a problem because we’re both trying to win at the same thing. Oh, this whole audition business is such a horrid process. The more I do it the less convinced I am that it’s really for me.”

  “But you still want to play Zelda?”

  “Yes,” said Aeysha. “But if I don’t, and you do, I will be genuinely pleased for you. Really.”

  “I feel better,” said Georgia. “It was killing me not being able to say how I felt. I felt like a bottle of fizzy drink that had been shaken hard but not opened.” She smiled at Aeysha. “And if you get it and I don’t, I really will try to be pleased for you too. But it may be a bit of a struggle for me.”

  “That just shows what a nice person you are, Georgie.”

  They walked in companionable silence for a minute until they were outside Georgia’s house. “Aeysha, do you think you would like to write a book one day?”

  Aeysha thought for a moment. “I think I would,” she said seriously. “But I can tell you one thing I know for certain: I’m never going to get selected for the England netball team.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Olivia, Tom and Eel stood outside the block of flats and peered nervously through the door.

  “It’s really posh,” hissed Eel. “It’s even got a doorman. Actually, it’s got two. Actually, they look less like doormen than human guard dogs. I bet you didn’t think of that.”

  Olivia made a face. She hadn’t thought Theo’s apartment block would be quite so grand. She had imagined it would be like any other block of flats, which had the numbers of the flats and sometimes even the names of the residents with an intercom by the front door of the building. She had been worried that when they rang the bell Theo would be out, or that he wouldn’t want to talk to them at first, but she had never envisaged that they wouldn’t even be able to get near him.

  Despite their fancy clothes, the doormen looked as fierce as Rottweilers. Getting past them wouldn’t be easy. One was sitting at a desk watching CCTV footage of the corridors of the building and the other was meeting and greeting visitors. The children watched the entrance for a few minutes and saw several people enter. It was clear that they were being asked for their names before the doorman rang ahead to see whether he should let the people up.

  “Maybe we should just go in and say that we’re expected,” said Tom.

  “But we’re not,” said Olivia reasonably. “He won’t even talk to Gran. Sheridan rang to say that Theo was withdrawing from Cinderella, and he hasn’t returned any of Gran’s calls since. Which I think is really rude and cowardly.”

  “But he did send her that enormous bunch of flowers with a message that said how sorry he was,” said Eel. “You could tell the flowers were incredibly expensive because they were really exotic colours and looked incredibly evil. One of them is bright red and spiky and looks just like Sheridan when she’s in a bad mood.”

  “Which is always. I bet she chose them,” said Olivia gloomily. “I bet he doesn’t even know he sent them. It’s all just for show. It doesn’t mean anything.” Then she added furiously, “I thought Theo was better than that.”

  “Look,” said Tom, convinced that Olivia was about to begin on another tirade about Theo’s lack of loyalty to the Swan and her gran, who had done so much to help his career. “Why don’t I go in, give my name and see if I get in? If I do, then we can get you two in too.”

  “I don’t know,” brooded Olivia. “We lose the element of surprise. It’s so easy to say no to somebody when you don’t have to do it face to face. I just thought that if we could see him, we’d be able to persuade him to change his mind.” She looked thoughtful. “I wonder if there’s a back entrance to the building.”

  “It’ll be locked,” said Tom.

  “Worth a look,” said Olivia. They walked down a small side street to the back of the building. The sky was overcast and there was a bite to the wind as if it was warning that winter was on its way. They found the back door, which was, as Tom had guessed, closed and locked from the inside. They looked up at the building as it rose above them. High above ground level some of the flats had balconies with window boxes and gaily coloured flowers.

  “They haven’t got a very nice view,” said Olivia. “You’re just looking on to the side of the department store next door.”

  “Look, that one’s Theo’s,” said Eel, pointing excitedly upwards to a balcony on the third floor.

  “How can you possibly know?” asked Tom curiously.

  Eel smiled confidently. “Look what he’s using to grow his flowers in.”

  “Tap shoes,” said Olivia excitedly. “I think you’re right, Eel. And look, that flag waving outside is the Elsinore flag. Remember we saw it, Tom, when Gran took us to see Theo play Hamlet at the National Theatre. It must be Theo’s flat.” She looked around and her eye fell on an open window in the department store opposite. It was on the same level as Theo’s balcony and through it they could just glimpse a woman looking into a mirror as she put on her lipstick. Olivia’s eyes lit up. She glanced at the window to the ladies’ loo for a bit longer and then back at the balcony as if assessing something.

  Tom suddenly looked worried. “I know what you’re thinking, Liv Marvell, and you’d better think again,” he said.

  “But it’s definitely possible. I can hook the wire over the rail of the balcony and, providing I can find somewhere to attach the wire in the Ladies’, I reckon I could get across easily enough,” said Olivia.

  “Too dangerous, Liv. It’s different when it’s a matter of life and death, but this isn’t. Why don’t we just lay siege to the building and ambush Theo when he goes in or comes out?”

  “Because he’ll just leap into a taxi and brush us off,” said Olivia.

  “Tom’s right, Livy. It’s much too dangerous to walk the high-wire to the balcony,” said Eel, and Olivia could see the anxiety in her little sister’s eyes.

  “We have to think of something else,” she said frowning.

  “Hey, what are you three doing here?” said a familiar voice.

  Olivia, Eel and Tom spun round.

  “Kasha!” said Tom, and he and Kasha grinned and gave each other a high-five. No one had seen Kasha since Edinburgh, and that was before his chart success. Eel squealed and gave him a hug. Kasha looked over to Olivia and smiled. He had always had time for Olivia Marvell.

  “Hi, Livy,” he said softly. “How you doing?”

  Olivia suddenly felt shy. Last term Kasha had been at school with them, but now he seemed incredibly grown up. During the summer when he had been with them at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, he had just been Kasha. Now he had a number-one single and was famous. Girls screamed at him. He suddenly felt
a world away from them. He looked different too. He was wearing shades even though it wasn’t at all sunny, he had his coat collar pulled up and a woolly hat pulled down.

  “I’m fine,” she said. “But are you planning to rob a bank or something?”

  Kasha grinned and removed his dark glasses. “Looks like it, doesn’t it? I keep expecting to get arrested.” He sighed. “But it’s the only way I can go out at the moment. Since the single went to number one, I’m jumped on everywhere I go. You know, I used to dream about being famous, but I never thought about not being able to walk down the street or pop out to get a coffee without people wanting a piece of you. I even went out with a false beard and walking stick the other day. I can tell you I was thanking Sebastian Shaw for all those acting lessons; they’ve come in super-useful.”

  “But surely you’ve got what you always wanted? Are you complaining about your glamorous life, mate?” asked Tom good-naturedly.

  “No,” said Kasha. “I know I’m dead lucky and I’m loving every minute. But I would like to be able to pop out to buy a bag of crisps or go out with a girl without somebody taking a photograph.”

  “We all saw the picture of you and Abbie in the paper,” said Tom.

  “Is Abbie your new girlfriend?” asked Eel.

  “Eel!” said Olivia, embarrassed by her sister’s directness.

  “No,” said Kasha. “Abbie and I have known each other forever. We started at the Swan on the same day when we were seven. We were both so nervous we hid together in the cupboard in the girls’ cloakroom and Miss Swan had to coax us out with chocolate.”

  “And now you’re a pop star and Abbie will probably be famous too when her movie is out next year,” said Eel.

  “But I just still feel like me,” said Kasha seriously, and Olivia thought that he suddenly looked very young and vulnerable. He was only a couple of years older than her. “Anyway, you lot haven’t answered my question. What are you doing here? You look as if you’re staking out this block of flats.”

  “We are, we’re staking out Theo Deacon,” said Eel, and she quickly explained about the Swan panto, the roof falling in and Theo’s withdrawal. “Livy thinks we might be able to persuade him to reconsider.”

  “If we could only get to talk to him face to face,” said Olivia.

  “Liv,” said Tom, “is stupidly keen to walk the high-wire across to his balcony from that window. Eel and I were just trying to stop her.”

  Kasha shook his head. “For a bright girl you sure have some daft ideas, Livy. I’d hate you to die so young. It would be such a waste.”

  “I wasn’t planning on falling, and anyway do you have a better idea?” asked Olivia hotly.

  Kasha grinned. “Actually, I think I do. Is Pablo still teaching castells at the Swan?” They nodded. “Good. Time to mobilise. It’s Saturday tomorrow. Do you think you can get everyone to come down here?”

  They nodded again and Olivia said delightedly, “Kasha Kasparian, you’re not just a pretty face, you’ve got brains too!”

  “I know,” said Kasha with a grin. “But, Livy, even if you can persuade Theo to do the panto, you still don’t have a theatre.”

  “I know,” said Olivia looking serious. “But Gran and I are working on that. Maybe the sensible thing would have been to say it’s impossible and just give up. But I wanted to make something happen, and I can only do that one piece at a time. It’s like building a castell; each individual piece or person has to be exactly in the right place to build something taller and stronger.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  The next day, Will and Connor were having a great time staking out the entrance to Theo’s block. They had both dressed for the part and were wearing dark glasses and raincoats. Will had even borrowed his dad’s trilby hat but Olivia had confiscated it, pointing out that they were supposed to be blending in with the crowd, not drawing attention to themselves. A taxi drew up at the entrance, and Theo and Sheridan got out and hurried into the building.

  Will called Olivia on his phone. “White Mouse to Olivia. Suspect has just entered the building.”

  Olivia ignored the White Mouse nonsense and heaved a sigh of relief. They had been hanging around in the cold all morning. They’d arrived early, only to see Theo leave his flat almost immediately. Some of the Swans were getting a bit restive but fortunately they were all delighted to see Kasha again, who, much to the Swans’ delight, had come armed with signed CDs of his single for all of them. It was, thought Olivia, odd how somebody who the Swans had all been used to seeing every day during the last school year had now taken on such an aura that several of the younger girls were reduced to giggling and blushes when Kasha spoke to them. She had been worried that Theo might not come back for the rest of the day and all their waiting would have been in vain, and that they might not get another chance to speak to him after today.

  “Is he alone?” she asked Will down the phone.

  “No, Sheridan’s with him,” said Will. Olivia sighed. Sheridan would be an added challenge.

  “OK, Will, keep watching and if you and Connor see either of them leave, let me know ASAP.” She put her phone in her pocket and turned to the assembled Swans.

  “Right, it’s now or never.”

  *

  Up in the flat Theo and Sheridan were arguing.

  “The Swan made me what I am today. Without it I’d be nothing and be nowhere. I feel such a rat for letting Alicia and all those kids down. I’ll never be able to look any of them in the eye again,” said Theo.

  “Well, you won’t have to,” said Sheridan. “I’m dealing with them. Look, Theo, the script I promised you has been couriered over. It’s in my bag. They want you very badly and are prepared to pay. It’s perfect. A fabulous cameo. Three weeks’ filming and then the other project you were waiting on can slot right in afterwards after the Christmas break. Just put the Swan right out of your head.”

  “I’ll never do that,” said Theo. “There is something called loyalty, Sheridan.”

  “I’m loyal to you, Theo, and to my other clients. I do what I think is in your best interests. You’re at the top of your game and it’s my job to keep you there. It’s a tough business, you know. For every one of you, there are ten thousand or a hundred thousand would-be Theo Deacons out there, waiting tables and dreaming. You get no brownie points for being nice. Now, I’ve no time for sentimentality. Let the Swan go, Theo. You owe it nothing.”

  Theo said nothing. He felt so torn. He knew he owed Sheridan. She had turned his career around when it had seemed to be going nowhere. But he also felt that he owed the Swan.

  Sheridan saw his face. “Here, read this,” she said, throwing the script to him. “It’s very classy. It’ll put a smile back on your face. They need a decision quickly, so read fast, although I already have, so you can just skim the first few pages.”

  Theo picked up the script and opened it. He read the first few pages. Sheridan was right. It was a plum part, but he couldn’t concentrate. He kept thinking he could hear the sound of children laughing outside in the street, something that always reminded him of the Swan.

  “I’ll go into the other room to read it,” he said.

  In the street below, Pablo was marshalling the Swans.

  “Everybody ready?”

  “Yes,” they chorused.

  “Good, because once we begin, we’ll be blocking the road, my little ducklings, and that won’t make us popular. You’re so experienced now, you should be able to make this castell in one single seamless movement; it should be an easy one for you, only six tiers.” He eyed the balcony before turning to Olivia and Eel. “Once the structure is in place, you two will be able to climb to the top and swing on to the balcony with no problem. Right, everyone. Places.” The children who formed the base of the castell, known as a pinya, moved into their places. “Next tier,” called Pablo, and children climbed on to the shoulders of others.

  The structure began to rise into the air like a wedding cake. The third tier of child
ren climbed like mountain goats up on to the shoulders of the other Swans. When the fourth tier began to take their place the children at the bottom of the pyramid, who had all been selected for their strength and dependability, shifted slightly with the pressure. A ripple ran through the entire structure. Pablo looked a little anxious. It was a critical moment, but the castell settled again. Pablo signalled for the next tier of children to climb, and the structure flowed upwards as if like magic. A couple of people who were walking down the street stopped to watch and take pictures and they clapped as the final tier of children took their places. Pablo then nodded at Olivia and Eel, who both climbed to the peak of the castell with such fleet-footed certainty that they seemed more like mountain goats than children.

  In the flat, Theo was engrossed in reading the script. He had to admit that Sheridan was right. The part was a gem, small but crucial to the plotting and beautifully written. The sort of cameo that might just get you a best-supporting-actor nomination at the Oscars. He noted that Sheridan had cannily pencilled the figure being offered on the front of the script, no doubt as an incentive. It was breathtaking. He carried on reading.

  Sheridan smiled to herself. She was certain that Theo would take the bait. She’d get a very juicy fifteen per cent of his fee too. She might even buy herself another Gucci handbag. She suddenly became aware that something was happening outside in the street and, checking to see that Theo was undisturbed, she made her way to the balcony’s glass doors. She pulled back the muslin curtain, slid open a door and stepped out on to the balcony just as Olivia and Eel emerged over the top.

  Sheridan scowled at them and did a double-take as she looked over the edge and saw the castell melt away. Several of the Swans waved at her, and Kylie Morris and some of her friends shouted, “Hey, Sheridan!” and when the agent glared at them they produced mouse ears. Sheridan turned puce with rage and Olivia tried not to laugh. She had to say one thing for Kylie: she had a wicked sense of humour. Olivia and Eel moved towards the door. Sheridan stepped in front of it.