TV Stars!

by Fiona Cummings

  “What were you doing in Mum’s room?” he asked immediately. “You know that you’re not supposed to go in there.”

  “Shut up, weasel!” Fliss hissed. “If you tell Mum, you’re dead, do you understand?”

  Fliss is like a different person when she’s with her brother. You know, sort of normal. Callum pulled a face and went into his room.

  “What if he tells on me?” she wailed.

  “He won’t,” said Kenny, “… if he knows what’s good for him.”

  Fliss looked reassured, and snatched the bottle from Frankie.

  “Let me practise with that then,” she said, “and you can be the older sister.”

  They pretended that the mirror on Fliss’s dressing table was the camera and they acted into that. Kenny shouted “Action!” and they pretended they were filming. Frankie and Fliss practised a few times, then Kenny and Rosie had a go. Then they started making up their own adverts, which was even funnier. They used the skin cream and pretended they were advertising that, smoothing it all over their faces and saying how brilliant it was. Even I joined in with that.

  Fliss was just giving it all she’d got when her mum came in. Fliss jumped about a mile.

  “Bedtime, girls!” said Fliss’s mum brightly. Then she frowned, sniffing the air. “There’s a very strange smell in here… Oh no!”

  She had seen the bottle in Fliss’s hand.

  “Not my orchid and rose-oil cream!” she shrieked. “Have you any idea how much this costs?” She snatched the bottle from Fliss’s hand. “How many times do I have to tell you not to go into my room, Felicity? I am disappointed in you. If you still want to go to the audition tomorrow, I suggest that you all get ready for bed now. I don’t want to hear another sound out of you, is that clear?”

  We all nodded. Fliss’s mum stormed out of the room and Fliss burst into tears.

  “Don’t worry Fliss,” Frankie reassured her. “If we go to bed now, she’ll have forgotten all about it in the morning.”

  We grabbed our stuff and crept along to the bathroom. Fliss has this amazing whirlpool bath which we usually mess about in, but that night we didn’t dare. We had a wash and brushed our teeth as quickly as we could. Then we crept back to Fliss’s room.

  “We’d better have our midnight feast now, before Mum comes upstairs,” Fliss suggested, in a subdued sort of voice. It was kind of early, but we’re always ready to eat, so we grabbed our goodie bags and poured them out on Fliss’s bed.

  “Mmm, I love dolly mixtures,” mumbled Kenny, munching into about twenty. “Wouldn’t it be cool if we could advertise them!”

  “Yeah, or chocolate!” laughed Frankie. “I reckon I’d keep getting it wrong, just so I could keep eating more of it!”

  “No, the best would be advertising Pepsi with Boyzone, what do you think?” suggested Rosie, pretending to swoon on her sleeping bag.

  There was a knock at the door. Andy, Fliss’s mum’s boyfriend, popped his head round.

  “I think I should warn you that your mum’s still on the warpath Fliss,” he grinned. “If I were you I’d think about turning out the lights and going to sleep. Night all!” He closed the door again.

  Fliss started to look a bit wibbly again, so I said, “That’s OK Fliss, I’m getting kind of tired anyway. Besides, you lot need your beauty sleep – you’ve got a big day ahead of you tomorrow. You don’t want huge bags under your eyes do you?”

  “And you’d better not cry any more,” Kenny said to Fliss. “Your cheeks are all red and blotchy.”

  Fliss put her hand to them. “That always happens when I cry,” she said. “Do I look really awful?”

  “No worse than usual!” the rest of us said together.

  We all crawled into our sleeping bags and Fliss turned off the light. I think the others turned on their torches and started to sing our Sleepover song, but I can’t really remember because I must have fallen asleep. Audition day was nearly here – and no-one that night could have predicted how it would turn out!

  The next morning I woke up really early. I always wake up early – it drives the others mad. I usually have to start singing or something to wake them up too, but this time I didn’t have to. It seemed like I was just about the last to wake up, apart from Kenny of course. She’d sleep all day if she could.

  “I hardly slept last night,” muttered Rosie from the depths of her sleeping bag. “I couldn’t help thinking about the audition. I’m sure I’m going to mess it all up.”

  “No you’re not!” said Frankie firmly. “Like my gran always says, we can only do our best.”

  “Did you sleep, Fliss?” I asked. She was all sort of tangled up in her duvet, but we knew she was awake because she kept twitching about.

  “Not really.” She turned towards us and sat up. “If I’d known the rest of you were awake we could have practised for the audition again.”

  The rest of us didn’t reply. We were all too busy staring at her…

  “What’s the matter?” she asked irritably. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

  Frankie recovered first. “We just can’t believe you wanted to rehearse some more in the middle of the night!” she said quickly.

  Fliss just sighed. “I’m going to the bathroom,” she said, and got up.

  As soon as she was out of the room, Frankie, Rosie and I turned to each other.

  “Did you see her face?” squealed Rosie. “Her skin’s all blotchy! She’ll die when she sees it.”

  “She’s going to be so upset,” I said, really worried. “What if she won’t go to the audition? What will you lot do then?”

  Just then Kenny sat up. “What’s all the noise about?” she mumbled. “Why are you awake so early? It’s not time to get up, is it?”

  Before we could answer, there was a loud scream from the bathroom. We all looked at each other.

  “Fliss has just looked in the mirror,” Rosie said.

  “What’s up with her?” asked Kenny curiously.

  Then Fliss ran back into the bedroom, waving her arms around and howling.

  “You’re covered in zits!” exclaimed Kenny in amazement. “You’re going to be a right one to advertise Spot Away, aren’t you?”

  Good old Kenny really knows how to put her foot in it. Fliss collapsed sobbing on to her bed. We all leapt out of our sleeping bags and went to comfort her.

  “They’re not spots, they’re only blotches Fliss,” Frankie tried to reassure her. “Maybe it’s nerves or something.”

  Kenny then came over all doctor-like and tried to examine Fliss’s face.

  “It looks like a rash,” she said.

  “Oh well done, Kenny, we’d never have guessed,” snorted Rosie sarcastically.

  Kenny ignored her. “Are you allergic to anything?” she asked Fliss.

  Fliss shook her head. Then her mother came into the bedroom and all hell was let loose.

  “Was that you screaming in the bathroom, Fliss?” she asked crossly.

  Then she saw Fliss’s face.

  “Oh my poor baby!” she wailed. “What’s happened to you?”

  Fliss had actually started to calm down, but one look at her mum’s anxious face made her start trying all over again. It seemed like a good idea for the rest of us to get our stuff together and go to the bathroom.

  “I wonder what’s going to happen?” said Rosie. “I mean, Mrs Sidebotham’s hardly likely to take the rest of us to the audition if Fliss isn’t going, is she?”

  That was true, but Kenny was more bothered about Fliss’s rash.

  “Whatever caused it?” she kept saying. “She must have eaten something different, but we only had pizza last night, didn’t we?”

  Then I remembered.

  “The cream!” I yelled. “She slapped that expensive stuff of her mum’s all over her face!”

  “Good thinking, Lyndz!” Kenny slapped me on the back so hard that I nearly went flying down the stairs.

  We all rushed into Fliss’s bedroom and told her m
um what we thought had happened. Mrs Sidebotham was still fussing over Fliss, but she seemed grateful that we’d got to the bottom of the mystery. At least she knew that it wasn’t the plague or anything!

  “I’ll put on some make-up, darling,” she told Fliss, “and no-one will even see those silly blotches.”

  Fliss smiled a little weakly.

  “Right girls, I think you should have breakfast before you get dressed,” Mrs Sidebotham told the rest of us. “We don’t want any little breakfast accidents on your nice clothes, do we?” She always talks to us like we’re about three years old. “Andy’s down in the kitchen getting everything ready, so you just run along downstairs while I sort out Felicity’s make-up.”

  We all rolled our eyes. We just knew what was going to happen. Fliss would end up looking like a dog’s dinner and the rest of us would be so rushed for time we’d look like something the cat had dragged in. Not that I wanted to look good anyway because I wasn’t going for the audition, but Frankie and Rosie at least wanted to make an effort. Kenny of course thinks making an effort is wearing a clean pair of trainers!

  We all trooped downstairs and were greeted by Andy.

  “I hope you’re not going to go to the audition like that!” he laughed when he saw us in our pyjamas. “Who’s for waffles and syrup?”

  “Yes!” we all shouted. At least when we’re at Fliss’s we have cool breakfasts! Or at least we usually did… Andy was just about to prepare the waffles when Fliss’s mum shouted down:

  “I think everybody should have toast this morning. We don’t want people feeling queasy at the auditions, do we?”

  We all pulled faces.

  “Sorry girls,” said Andy. “I’ve got my orders!”

  He started popping slices of bread into the toaster.

  “Not toast, that’s bor-ing!” grumbled Callum, who had just stumbled into the kitchen. “I want waffles. I don’t see why I should suffer. I’m not going to a stupid audition.”

  “Sorry champ, toast’s all I’m doing at the moment,” explained Andy. “I’ll make you some waffles later if you like.”

  “OK. I’m going back to bed then,” mumbled Callum, and shuffled out again. Kenny looked after him enviously.

  It didn’t take us long to eat our toast. Once we had food inside us we were ready to face the world. But first we had to face Fliss. She sounded very agitated as she called downstairs:

  “If you lot don’t hurry up and get dressed we’re going to be late. Remember what Angel said about getting there early.”

  “You’d better run along,” Andy whispered to us. “You don’t want to get Fliss angry – it’s not a pretty sight!”

  We ran upstairs, where Fliss was waiting for us. She was all made up in pink lipstick and smudgy eyeshadow. You couldn’t see the blotches on her skin any more, but you could tell that she was wearing loads of make-up. Her mum was fussing about behind her, putting the finishing touches to a French plait.

  “Chop chop, girls!” she tinkled. “I’d like to catch the bus in half an hour, then hopefully we’ll be one of the first at the audition.”

  Fliss went downstairs to have some toast, and the rest of us flew around trying to get ready.

  “That’s just typical, isn’t it?” fumed Kenny under her breath in case Fliss’s mum was listening. “Her precious baby has all the time in the world to get ready, and we have to do it all in five minutes!”

  “I don’t know what you’re complaining about,” pointed out Frankie. “That’s all it takes you anyway!”

  It was true that we didn’t really need much time. Frankie and Rosie put on a bit of lipstick and some eyeshadow, but apart from that it was just a case of flinging on our clothes and we were ready.

  “Very nice, girls!” said Fliss’s mum when we got downstairs. “I suppose you didn’t need to dress up, did you Lyndsey sweetie? Seeing as you’re not actually auditioning.”

  The cheek of it! I was wearing my best jeans!

  The bus stop is virtually outside Fliss’s house so we didn’t have far to walk.

  “Good luck!” called Andy as we left. “May the best girl get the part!”

  The bus ride into Leicester is always kind of fun. It’s just exciting knowing that you’re going into the city. That day though it wasn’t quite so great because Fliss’s mum kept fussing all the time. Had she got the address of the rehearsal room? Was Fliss quite all right? Were we all all right? Did we feel nervous?

  “We do now with you twittering on!” muttered Kenny under her breath.

  “What was that, sweetie?” said Fliss’s mum. “Are you wishing that you hadn’t worn your football top?”

  Oh-oh. I thought Kenny was going to lose it, but she stayed calm. Even so, I was really relieved when the bus pulled into the Haymarket bus station.

  “Right girls, the rehearsal rooms should only be a short walk from here,” said Fliss’s mum, getting out a map.

  We all got off the bus and followed her.

  “I hope it’s not far!” said Fliss. “I don’t want to look all hot and bothered when we get there.”

  “Don’t be silly darling,” replied her mum. “It should be just round this corner. Right, I wonder which one it is?”

  Fliss’s mum was still looking at her map, but the rest of us knew only too well which building we were looking for. It was the one with millions of girls standing outside.

  “Oh my goodness!” squeaked Fliss’s mum when she saw the queue. “I didn’t realise there would be so many girls.”

  She wasn’t the only one!

  “It looks like every ten-year-old girl in Leicestershire is here!” said Frankie. “I didn’t realise so many people went to drama class!”

  Suddenly there was a whooping and someone called, “Yoo-hoo – over here!”

  We scanned the queue, and spotted someone in lime-green and black near the back who was waving frantically.

  “Angel!” we all said together and ran over to her.

  “Erm girls, girls – wait for me!” called Fliss’s mum, trying to keep up on her high heels.

  Angel was as bubbly as ever.

  “What an experience this is, girls!” she gushed. “Ah, Lyndsey, you’ve decided to audition too? Good, I’m very glad.”

  I didn’t have time to explain that I was only there to support the others. The queue had started to move, and we were carried along by it.

  “I’m really nervous about this now,” whispered Rosie.

  “Me too!” mumbled Fliss. Her teeth were chattering even though it was a nice sunny day.

  “Now what did I tell you, girls?” boomed Angel. “This is an experience, that’s all! Just enjoy it!”

  That was certainly easier said than done as far as Fliss and Rosie were concerned. At least Frankie and Kenny seemed happy enough. They were playing football with some of the other girls from our drama class who were further down the queue. Trust Kenny to have brought a ball with her!

  You could tell that Fliss’s mum didn’t approve. She kept looking at them and tutting, and then started telling Angel how Fliss had never liked rough games. Poor Fliss looked dead embarrassed. Especially when Angel said that she liked to see girls enjoying themselves. And to be honest, neither Fliss nor Rosie looked to be enjoying themselves too much. They were either telling each other what a mess they were going to make of their audition, or practising for it under their breath. It was getting on my nerves big time, so I went to join Frankie and Kenny for a kick-about.

  We’d been messing about for about half an hour or so, when Angel called out to us:

  “Come on girls, we’re finally going inside!”

  “Yippee!” shouted Kenny sarcastically, and picked up her ball.

  The inside of the building was kind of cold. Everyone was queuing down a long corridor, and at the end of the corridor was a set of double doors. It was obvious that the auditions were being held behind them, because there were two women with clipboards who were writing down girls’ names and taking them thro
ugh in groups of five or so.

  “I think some of my girls are ready to go in to audition,” said Angel. “I’d better go to calm them down. I’ll try to see you all before you go in. Best of luck, and remember – enjoy!”

  She strode down the corridor, her lime-green and black top fanning out behind her like a peacock’s tail.

  “Well she’s very dramatic, that’s for sure!” sniffed Fliss’s mum. You could tell that Angel really wasn’t her kind of person.

  “I can’t do this!” whimpered Fliss. “I want to go home!”

  “So do I!” stammered Rosie. “I wish we’d never come!”

  “Don’t be wimps!” said Kenny scornfully. “It’s just a laugh, isn’t it? Chill out for goodness sake.”

  “There’s no point getting in a flap,” reasoned Frankie. “We’re here now, so we’ve just got to go for it. That’s what Angel said – enjoy!”

  But Kenny and Frankie’s words didn’t seem to be having any effect on Fliss and Rosie. They were both as white as sheets. And Fliss’s mum looked just as bad – her hands were shaking, and she wasn’t even going to the audition.

  “Look, why don’t we go over it again?” I said to Fliss and Rosie. “I’m sure there must be a room we can go in somewhere.”

  I looked around. There was a sign for some toilets a little way down the corridor.

  “Would it be OK if we went in there to practise?” I asked Fliss’s mum.

  “I suppose so,” she said, and looked more nervous than ever.

  “Come on!” I dragged Fliss and Rosie down the corridor.

  Behind the door there were two other doors. One led into the toilets and the other led into a small cloakroom.

  “In here!” I pushed them into the cloakroom. Fortunately there was no-one else there. “Right, all you’ve got to say is ‘So that’s why you spend so long in the bathroom’ and hold the bottle like this…” I picked up an empty box from the wastepaper basket.

  “But that’s not a bottle!” moaned Fliss.

  “It doesn’t matter,” I said, losing patience. “Just pretend you’re holding it towards the camera. Then you’ve got to pull a face and stick your tongue out, remember? Go on, you try it!”