Bright Lights

by Linda Chapman

‘Thanks for having me, Mrs Tennison,’ Issy said politely as she got out of the car at Stanton Hall the next day. ‘I had a great time.’ She grinned at me. ‘See you tomorrow, Soph.’

  ‘Yeah, bye,’ I said, trying to smile.

  Issy seemed to think that I should just forget about Ally and Harriet. But it wasn't that easy. They were my best friends. Or they used to be, I thought unhappily as I got back into the car.

  ‘Got any plans for today?’ Mum asked, looking across at me as she started the engine.

  I shook my head.

  ‘You're not going to see Ally and Harriet?’ Mum said.

  She spoke casually, but I knew she was trying to find out what was going on.

  ‘No,’ I said.

  Mum glanced at me. ‘Have you fallen out with them?’

  There was no point in denying it for a second time. After all, she was going to find out sooner or later. I nodded.

  ‘It'll blow over,’ Mum said.

  I swallowed. ‘It won't.’

  To my relief, Mum didn't just laugh it off. ‘Why? What's happened?’ She looked at me shrewdly. ‘Didn't they like Issy?’

  ‘No – but then it wasn't just that,’ I added quickly. ‘There was other stuff.’

  ‘What stuff?’

  I wanted to tell Mum everything. But I couldn't. How could I admit that I'd been so mean about Harriet? ‘I… I don't want to talk about it,’ I muttered.

  Mum didn't say anything for a moment. But then, to my relief, she nodded. ‘OK, but if you do want to talk you know I'm here. And, Sophie…’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Don't throw your friendship away over a silly argument. Friends are very important, particularly good friends like Ally and Harriet.’

  I nodded and we drove on in silence.

  I hung around the house for the rest of the morning, feeling very bored. Several times I went to the phone but then stopped as I realized I had no one to ring. Issy was filming and I couldn't exactly ring Ally or Harriet. I wondered what Ally had told Harriet about the fight. I hoped she hadn't told her about me laughing at her. I didn't think I could bear that.

  After lunch, I took Baxter and Wilson for a walk. However, to my horror, just as I was going past the newsagent's, Ally and Harriet came out.

  Harriet was in front. She stopped so abruptly when she saw me that Ally walked into the back of her.

  ‘What…’ Ally started to exclaim and then she saw me.

  I looked at Harriet; her hazel eyes were confused and hurt.

  I swallowed. I'm sorry! The words were there, on the tip of my tongue…

  ‘Excuse me, dears.’ Mrs Wilson, a lady who lived in our street, was trying to leave the newsagent's, but Ally and Harriet were blocking the doorway. ‘Can I squeeze past?’

  Ally grabbed Harriet's arm. ‘We're just going.’ She shot a horrible look at me. ‘There's a nasty smell around here.’ They both put their noses in the air and marched past me without a word.

  My eyes blurred with tears and, pulling hard on the dogs' leads, I ran all the way home.

  It was a huge relief to get back on to the film set on Monday and to be able to think about something else. I threw myself into acting and tried not to think about Ally and Harriet.

  In the morning we were filming a scene in a corridor and the corridor that was being used was hot from the lights.

  As I waited between takes, Jules came over. ‘Just a bit of powder to take off any shine on your face,’ she said as she expertly whisked a towel over my costume and brushed some powder on to my face.

  ‘Here's a chair,’ Margaret said, coming over. ‘Sit down and rest for a moment.’

  As I sat down, Cathy brought me a carton of Ribena. ‘Here, I thought you could use this, Sophie.’

  ‘Thanks.’ I smiled gratefully.

  Laurence walked past. ‘That last take was great, Sophie. You had just the right expression in your voice. We should have this scene wrapped up in no time. Well done.’

  As he strode off I felt my problems at home fade. On the set, people fussed over me and thought I was important. So what if I'd argued with Ally and Harriet? I didn't need them.

  Really? a little voice in my head said.

  Really, I thought.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The next three weeks flew by until, almost before I knew it, it was the last day filming at Stanton Hall. I still had some more to do – five days on location in Lincolnshire and then a week at the film studio near Birmingham. But it wasn't going to be the same. I'd got used to being at Stanton Hall each day and I was really going to miss it.

  None of the extras was needed for any more filming and so Joan and Margaret organized a goodbye party in the green room. There were sandwiches, crisps and cakes, and all the adults who weren't needed on set joined in too. Even Georgina came. She and Issy had never really made friends with any of the extras, but after I had insisted on going to the rounders game they had started being a bit more willing to join in on the days the other girls were on the set. I found their attitude really strange. I enjoyed doing things with the others. I didn't understand why they didn't.

  ‘I'm going to really miss coming here,’ Justine said to me as we helped ourselves to food. ‘It's weird to think that in just a few weeks we'll be starting at Charles Hope, isn't it?’

  Weird? It was more than just weird. I couldn't even begin to imagine it! It was like something that would happen to some other Sophie Tennison, not to me. I pushed the thought to the back of my mind. It was way too scary to think about.

  At 6 o'clock the party broke up and everyone was collected by their parents. There was lots of hugging and exchanging addresses and phone numbers.

  ‘Well, I guess I'll see you in a few weeks, Sophie,’ Justine said when her mum arrived.

  ‘Yeah, see you.’

  We looked at each other awkwardly. I wanted to step forward and hug her just like I'd been hugging everyone else, but there was a bit of me that found the whole idea just too strange. OK, being on the set wasn't like real life and we'd become almost like friends in the last couple of weeks, but hug Justine?

  Justine seemed to find the idea of us hugging equally freaky. She hastily stepped back as I hesitated.

  ‘Well… er… I'll see you, then,’ she said, swinging her bag on to her shoulder. ‘Bye, Sophie.’

  ‘Bye.’ I nodded. ‘Have a good holiday.’

  She hurried over to her mum's car. I waved, wondering what things would be like when we started at school. Would we be friends or would we go back to being enemies? I wasn't sure, but I did know I didn't want to think about filming ending and real life starting again. Forgetting Justine and school for the moment, I went to find Issy.

  ‘I can't believe I'm not going to be seeing you for a whole week,’ I said.

  Issy wasn't going to be needed until we started at the film studio.

  ‘I know,’ Issy said. ‘I'll really miss you, Soph. You're my best friend.’

  I felt a warm glow. ‘You're mine too.’

  ‘And you promise you'll ring me every day?’ Issy demanded.

  I smiled at her. ‘I will.’

  I didn't do much at the weekend. I didn't want to go out in case I met Ally and Harriet. It didn't matter how often I told myself that I didn't care about them, I did care. I was missing them really badly and I didn't want to see them out in the village together. So I stayed in learning my lines. It was really boring, but then on Sunday, just as I was about to leave for Lincolnshire, something good actually happened. I was opening the car door when Jessica came hurrying down the road. Her eyes were shining, her cheeks flushed.

  ‘Soph!’ she exclaimed, breaking into a run. ‘Guess what?’

  ‘What?’ I demanded.

  ‘I've just seen Dan and I think we've made up!’

  ‘Really?’ I gasped. ‘What happened?’

  ‘I was just coming back from Nicole's when I saw him posting a letter. I went over and he actually talked to me instead of just walking off. I
told him how I wished the whole Zak thing had never happened and he said he's been missing me. He's asked me out tonight!’ She hugged me. ‘I'm so excited.’

  ‘That's brilliant!’ I told her, hugging her in return. ‘I knew you'd get back together!’

  ‘Into the car, Soph!’ Dad said, coming out of the house with my suitcase.

  ‘See you in a few days,’ I said to Jessica.

  ‘Yeah,’ she replied. ‘Have a good time filming.’

  ‘I will,’ I said, grinning.

  But being away on location wasn't nearly as much fun as I'd thought it was going to be. Margaret made me go to bed at 9 o'clock every night because I had to be up at 6 every morning. Even worse, whenever I tried to ring Issy she always seemed to be out, and the only time she rang me back I was filming.

  By the time my five days of filming were over I was longing to get home. On the final day, it took us four hours to shoot a short scene. Everything seemed to go wrong. It rained, an aeroplane flew overhead and then some workmen started drilling in a street nearby. As we repeated our lines over and over again and stood around waiting for the light to be right for filming, everyone grew more and more short-tempered and I found myself wishing that we were back at Stanton Hall.

  During the breaks I sat with Gillian in the green room – a mobile home type of caravan.

  ‘This is when I remember why I don't like filming,’ she said, drinking a cup of black coffee with a sigh.

  ‘Mum told me you mainly act in the theatre,’ I said, sipping my can of Coke.

  She nodded. ‘I've done a few films but I prefer acting on the stage.’

  ‘Why?’ I said.

  She smiled. ‘There's just something about being in front of a live audience. Feeling the play change every night. There's nothing like it.’

  ‘But don't you mind about not being famous?’ I asked curiously.

  Gillian looked genuinely surprised. ‘No. In fact, that's one of the reasons I prefer theatre. In the theatre you're judged more on your talent and less on your celebrity status.’ She shook her head. ‘I've never wanted fame.’

  I frowned. Surely everyone wanted to be famous?

  Gillian saw my confusion. ‘Fame comes at a price, Sophie,’ she said, her eyes holding mine. ‘And that price is your privacy. It might not seem important to you now, but as soon as you become a so-called famous person people feel they have a right to you and your family and your life. But I've always tried to keep my personal life my family and friends – separate from my professional life – my acting.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘My family and my friends are my rock,’ she said. ‘They don't care how successful I am, they are always there for me no matter what I do.’ She frowned and took a sip of her coffee. ‘Acting friendships are fickle. It's the nature of the job. Every time you start a new production you have to make a new set of friends. At first, of course, you try and keep up all the friendships you've made, but you soon realize that you just can't do it and you develop the talent for getting on with people while you work with them but not becoming too deeply attached.’ She looked at me. ‘I'm not saying all acting friendships are shallow – I've made a few very good friends over the years – but it's just that, if you're wise, you'll realize that most acting friendships don't last any longer than the production you're doing. Unless of course you meet up with the same person again.’

  I considered what she was saying. I supposed she was right. I couldn't see me staying in touch with Georgina at all, or even the friends I'd made among the extras apart from Justine. But she wasn't right about Issy. Even though we hadn't spoken to each other all week, I knew our friendship was definitely going to be one of those that lasted.

  Just then Cathy came into the caravan. ‘The light's OK again.’

  Gillian smiled at me. ‘Back to work,’ she said.

  ‘That's a wrap! Gary called through the megaphone later that afternoon.

  There was a spontaneous cheer from all the crew. Our last scene in Lincolnshire had just been filmed. I joined in with the cheer. I was very glad the week was over. It hadn't been much fun at all.

  Laurence stretched. ‘Thanks very much, guys. I'll see you on Monday at the studio.’

  I headed back to my trailer – the large caravan that was my dressing room on set. To my delight, Dad was waiting for me. He pulled me into a bear hug.

  ‘Sophie! How are you?’ he said.

  I snuggled into his arms in relief. ‘Ready to go home.’

  Chapter Sixteen

  As I walked through the gate, Baxter and Wilson hurtled down to greet me. A sandy-coloured dog who looked like a small, fat Border collie came trotting down the yard after them.

  ‘Hello, there,’ I said, stroking her along with Baxter and Wilson. ‘Who are you?’

  ‘This is Sally, one of your mum's charges,’ Dad said, scratching her silky ears. ‘She's staying for another ten days. She's a bit of a handful though. She's been chewing things up and weeing on the floor. Her owner, Mrs Ling, only got her from a rescue kennel a month or so ago and your mum thinks being in another new house so soon has upset her.’

  ‘Oh, Sally,’ I said, scratching her ears.

  Sally licked my hand and wagged her plumy tail.

  ‘Sophie, you're home,’ Mum said, coming out to greet me. She hugged me. ‘How are you?’

  ‘Fine,’ I said.

  ‘I see you've met Sally.’

  ‘She's very fat,’ I said, looking at the plump little dog.

  ‘I know,’ Mum said. ‘But very sweet.’

  Just then the phone rang. Dad answered it.

  ‘Sophie, it's for you!’ he called. ‘It's Issy.’

  At last! I ran to the phone.

  ‘Issy! Where have you been?’ I demanded. ‘I've been trying to ring you all week.’

  ‘I know. I'm sorry, Soph. I got your messages but I've been so bus. Forgive me?’

  ‘Of course,’ I said, just happy to hear her voice. ‘So how are you?’

  ‘Brilliant!’ Issy sounded really bubbly. ‘You'll never guess what!’

  ‘What?’ I demanded

  ‘I've got a screen test tomorrow for a role in a new TV series. It's a drama about these four children who travel back in time. The director's seen me in some of the other stuff I've done and he's really keen to use me. Isn't it great?’

  A screen test! I felt a flood of conflicting emotions – delight but also intense, stabbing jealousy.

  ‘Sophie?’ Issy said.

  I realized that she was waiting for me to say something. ‘It's brilliant,’ I told her, trying to feel pleased. ‘I hope you get it.’

  ‘How was Issy?’ Mum asked when I put the phone down.

  ‘She's got a screen test tomorrow. It's not fair, Mum,’ I said in despair. ‘My life's going to be so boring after the film finishes.’

  Mum smiled. ‘Starting at secondary school will hardly be boring.’

  Secondary school! Help! Images flashed in front of my mind – teachers shouting, getting lost, being late, not knowing anyone. I felt like curling up in panic. It had been scary enough thinking about going to Charles Hope when Ally and Harriet had been my friends. The thought of going with no friends made me feel positively sick.

  ‘It's only ten days now until you start,’ Mum said, going to the sink. ‘We'll have to do something about getting your uniform.’

  I didn't want to think about it. I jumped up. ‘I'm going to go and unpack.’

  I sorted my clothes out and was helping Mum peel some potatoes for supper when Dan came round.

  ‘Hi, Mrs Tennison. Hi, Soph.’

  It was really nice to see him again. I grinned at him. ‘Hello.’

  I'd spoken to Jessica on the phone while I'd been away so I knew they'd officially started going out together again.

  Just then Jessica came into the room. She said hello to him but hung back. There was a moment's awkward pause. I frowned. Now that they had got back together, I'd expected them to be all lovey-dov
ey and soppy, but they weren't at all. In fact, they both seemed tense around each other.

  ‘Should we go and watch TV in the playroom?’ Jessica said.

  Dan nodded and they went through into the small room off the kitchen that used to be our playroom when we were little but now has a TV in it and usually a load of laundry.

  Leaving the casserole to cook, Mum went through to the lounge. I hung around in the kitchen wondering about Jess and Dan. Feeling curious, I went to the playroom door and peeped in. Whenever they had watched TV together before they had usually spent most of the time laughing and making sarcastic remarks about the programmes. Now they were sitting about a foot apart, not saying anything. What was up with them?

  Jessica glanced at Dan. ‘Would you like a biscuit?’

  ‘Yes, please,’ he said, his voice weirdly formal.

  I jumped away from the door as Jessica came through and made a big show of getting something from the fridge so she wouldn't think I'd been spying on her.

  She got the biscuits out of the cupboard, but as she turned to go back I couldn't stop myself from saying something. ‘What's going on?’

  She stopped. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘With you and Dan,’ I whispered. ‘You're acting really strange.’

  For a moment I thought she was going to tell me to mind my own business but then she sighed. ‘I don't know,’ she confided in a low voice. ‘I thought every-¥thing would be just the same when we started going out again, but it's different. It's like something's changed. He won't talk to me like he used to. I feel like… like there's this barrier there.’ She ran a hand through her hair. ‘I don't know what to do. I want it to be just like it was.’

  ‘It will be,’ I said.

  ‘I hope so.’ Jessica sighed, then she turned and went into the playroom.

  Chapter Seventeen

  ‘So how was the screen test?’ I asked Issy on Monday morning.

  I'd thought about it and I'd made up my mind to be a good friend and be totally supportive of her.

  ‘Brilliant!’ Issy enthused. ‘Now I've just got to wait for the phone call.’

  She was wearing a brown suede miniskirt – new – and a black cut-off top – also new.