Centre Stage: A Novel

by Linda Chapman

  I stopped. ‘What have you got on your feet?’ she demanded, walking over to me and staring at my toes.

  ‘Dance socks,’ I said uncertainly.

  ‘Dance socks?’ Dizzy raised her eyebrows. ‘And what are dance socks?’

  I stared at her. What did she mean — what are dance socks? She was a dance teacher. And then I heard the red team’s sniggers and it hit me. It was a joke. Justine had tricked me!

  ‘Um… er,’ I stammered.

  ‘Take them off,’ Dizzy said abruptly.

  I quickly removed them. ‘Well, I don’t know who’s being telling you that these are dance socks,’ Dizzy said, shaking her head as she looked at them. ‘But it’s lucky you didn’t break your ankle. Dancing in these would be like trying to dance on ice.’ She looked at me. ‘So, who told you to wear them?’

  I ached to tell her the truth but I wasn’t going to drop Justine in it — no matter how much I wanted to. I looked at the floor.

  ‘I see,’ Dizzy said after a moment. ‘Well, I advise you to no longer listen to whoever told you to wear them. Now, let’s try the dance again — this time without the socks.’

  But the fall had put me off and it took me ages to get the dance even vaguely right.

  ‘Let’s leave it there,’ Dizzy said at last, to my relief. ‘Justine, your turn now.’

  I went slowly back to my team. They were looking confused.

  ‘Have a good trip?’ Samantha grinned as I walked past.

  David and Xav laughed.

  I felt myself go red. How could I have been so stupid to have been taken in like that? I should have known it was a trick.

  ‘Let me know if you want to borrow some dance socks again,’ Samantha said. ‘I haven’t laughed so much in ages!’

  I saw Colette’s eyes widen as she put two and two together. ‘You gave Sophie those socks?’

  ‘Well, Justine did, but it was my idea,’ Samantha said. ‘Good joke, wasn’t it?’

  ‘Joke? She could really have hurt herself!’ Colette said angrily.

  ‘It was a stupid thing to do!’ Jack said.

  ‘Oh, lighten up,’ Samantha drawled.

  ‘Quiet over there!’ Dizzy called.

  We all shut up. ‘Stupid idiots!’ Colette whispered to me. ‘Are you OK?’

  I nodded. But inside I was still smarting. It had been a mean trick to play and I felt totally betrayed by Justine. OK, so maybe she was jealous that I’d got to be interviewed and she hadn’t, and the trick had been Samantha’s idea not hers, but she needn’t have gone along with it. Anger and hurt surged through me. To think I’d imagined we might actually be friends. Huh! I should have known better than to trust Justine Wilcox.

  After Justine had danced — effortlessly, of course — through the solo, Dizzy announced that we were going to go through all the dances that we had learnt so far.

  ‘I want to get an idea of how all the dances are looking and how well you are remembering them,’ she told us. ‘So we’ll go through them without stopping.’

  While the rest of the chorus danced the opening number, I took my place with the other principals at the side. Samantha smirked at me. I could tell she thought I was going to mess up and my heart sank.

  Samantha was right. I managed the first few dances OK but then I got completely lost in the beaver dance, and in the celebration of Asian’s return I was late on almost every spin.

  Around me the rest of the cast seemed to be spinning and jumping perfectly, every movement right on time. I could feel myself blushing. I caught Dizzy looking at me. Try harder, I urged myself.

  ‘Take a ten-minute break and then we’ll go through each dance slowly,’ Dizzy told us at the end.

  Everyone started to stand up. As I got to my feet, I saw Dizzy heading towards me. Oh no. She was going to say something about how awful I’d been. She was going to tell me I needed extra help. Maybe she was even going to make me go through the dances now on my own in front of everyone.

  I couldn’t cope.

  ‘Sophie…’ Dizzy started to say.

  ‘I’ve got to go to the bathroom,’ I blurted out and I hurried to the door that led to the toilets.

  Sally and Natalie, two of the really good dancers, were standing by the sinks adjusting their hair. ‘That was OK, wasn’t it?’ I heard Sally say as I quickly shut myself in one of the cubicles. ‘I forgot a few bits but it wasn’t that bad for a first run-through of all those dances.’

  ‘No,’ Natalie agreed. ‘And Dizzy seemed pleased.’

  I rested my head against the cold plastic door and wished I could be them. I had made so many mistakes. What was Dizzy going to say to me? I began to wish I could stay in the cubicle for ever.

  I stayed there until I was sure the drinks’ break was over. When I sidled back into the auditorium Dizzy had already started going through the first dance — the one I wasn’t in — taking each sequence of steps slowly and making sure that everyone was moving in time.

  Colette was sitting with Jack and Mark but I couldn’t bring myself to go and join them. I sat down by myself. Oh help, what was I going to do?

  Chapter Eleven

  ‘I bet it wasn’t that bad,’ Ally said to me the next morning on the bus as I told her and Harriet about how awful the rehearsal had been. ‘I know the trick Justine played was really mean but I bet your dancing was OK really.’

  ‘It wasn’t,’ I replied gloomily. ‘Even without the socks I made loads of mistakes.’

  ‘Can’t you just ask for more help?’ Harriet said.

  ‘No.’

  ‘Why not?’ Harriet frowned.

  ‘I just can’t.’ I tried to explain. ‘Everyone expects me to be good. You know, having been in a film. They’ll think I’m really stupid.’

  ‘But you didn’t have to dance in the film,’ Harriet pointed out. ‘Sophie, it’s silly not asking for help if you need it just because of what other people might think. Isn’t it better to ask for help rather than just to go on making mistakes?’

  ‘Yes… no…’ I could just imagine how Samantha and Justine would laugh if Dizzy gave me extra help. And then there were Colette and Jack and Mark. What would they think? ‘It’s not that easy.’

  ‘It is that easy.’ Harriet frowned. ‘Just ask for help.’

  ‘I bet you’re just stressing about nothing,’ Ally said airily. ‘You’ll be fine. I’m really looking forward to coming to see it. Mum said she’s going to buy tickets for the first night.’

  ‘Dad’s getting me and Emily tickets for the first night too,’ Harriet said. ‘We should make sure we get seats near to each other.’

  ‘But I don’t know if I’ll be performing on the first night yet,’ I said quickly. ‘It depends which team’s the best.’

  ‘It’s going to be your team,’ Ally said. ‘There’s no way Justine’s going to be chosen over you.’

  ‘Yeah,’ Harriet agreed. ‘You’re loads better than Justine.’

  Hadn’t they been listening to a word I’d been saying? ‘But…’

  Ally interrupted. ‘So, anyway, how did Tom’s band do at the weekend? Did the guy from the Junction like them?’

  I gave up trying to talk about the play. They just didn’t understand. ‘Yeah,’ I replied. Tom had been really excited when he’d got in from the gig. I’d been in bed but he, Jessica, Mum and Dad had made such a noise in the kitchen that I’d gone downstairs. ‘He’s asked them to play in December.’

  ‘Oh wow!’ Ally gasped, causing the people in front of us to glance round curiously. She ignored them. ‘That’s so cool! We have to go and watch them.’

  ‘Small problem — we’re not fourteen,’ I pointed out.

  ‘We could look it if we put lots of make-up on,’ Ally said.

  ‘Yeah, right,’ I said. I’m sorry but what planet was she on? There was about as much chance of the bouncers at the Junction believing that we were all fourteen as there was of me being able to dance perfectly by the time the play opened. In other words, no chance a
t all.

  Before lunch we had PE. As Harriet pulled off her trousers I saw that she had different knickers on from usual. They were plain white, but they were high leg ones just like me and Ally and most other people wore. I stared. I’d never seen Harriet wearing knickers like that before.

  It wasn’t the only surprise in store for me. As Harriet unbuttoned her school shirt I saw that she was wearing a bra. Not a crop top. A bra!

  I didn’t want to say anything in the changing room with people like Kelly listening but as soon as we set off for the hockey pitch, I caught Harriet’s arm. ‘You’ve got a bra!’ I whispered.

  She looked embarrassed. ‘Yeah — so?’

  ‘When? Why didn’t you tell me?’

  ‘I got it on Saturday. I went into town.’

  ‘But who with?’ My eyes widened. ‘Not your dad?’ Harriet’s mum and dad are divorced and she hardly ever sees her mum. She gets on really well with her dad but going to buy a bra with him — no, that would just be too embarrassing.

  ‘I went on my own,’ she said. ‘Dad dropped me off at Marks & Spencer — he had some stuff to get at B & Q and he let me go shopping there. I used my allowance.’

  I stared at her. I would have thought she would have been way too embarrassed to go and get a bra on her own. I certainly would have been — particularly in a place like Marks & Spencer. The underwear department there is seriously scary, with all sorts of lace and satin and lots of women wandering around.

  ‘I can’t believe you went on your own,’ I said. I was struck by a practicality. ‘How did you know what size to get?’

  ‘I didn’t,’ Harriet confessed, ‘I was about to guess when this sales lady came up to me and asked me if I wanted to be measured.’

  I stared at her in horror. ‘What did you say?’ I squeaked.

  ‘I said yes.’ Harriet blushed. ‘It was really embarrassing but at least it meant I got the right size.’

  I stared at her. It was as if the Harriet I knew had disappeared in front of my eyes. This was a new Harriet, a different one.

  ‘It’s not such a big deal,’ Harriet said, looking awkward.

  Not a big deal! To go into a underwear department on your own to buy a bra and to be measured by a sales lady. I was almost struck dumb with astonishment. Almost but not quite. ‘Why didn’t you say anything? Why didn’t you tell me and Ally?’

  Harriet shrugged. ‘I didn’t see the point.’

  We reached the hockey field. ‘Come on, girls. Stop dawdling!’ Miss Fraser strode towards us. ‘We haven’t got all day. Warm up with a lap round the field, and no walking or you’ll be going round twice!’

  At lunchtime I really wanted to talk to Ally about it. There was just one problem: I couldn’t exactly talk to her with Harriet there. However, to my relief, Harriet gave me the opportunity herself.

  ‘I’ve got some wine gums in my coat pocket,’ she said, as we left the dining hall. ‘Shall I go and get them?’

  ‘Yeah!’ I said, seizing the chance to speak to Ally on her own.

  ‘We’ll come with you,’ Ally said to Harriet.

  ‘No,’ I said quickly, grabbing her arm. ‘Let’s wait here. It’s such a nice day.’ Of course that excuse would have worked better if it had actually been a nice day.

  Ally stared at the grey clouds lowering overhead. ‘It is?’ she said.

  ‘I need some fresh air,’ I said hastily. ‘Stay with me, Ally. You don’t mind, do you Harriet?’

  ‘No, that’s fine,’ Harriet said, thankfully not seeming to see the meaningful looks I was shooting at Ally. ‘I’ll be back in a few minutes.’

  She set off.

  Ally looked at me curiously. ‘So what’s going on?’

  ‘It’s Harriet,’ I said, lowering my voice. ‘Did you know she’s got a…’

  I stopped as Eve came running up to us.

  ‘Ally, I’ve been looking for you! You’ll never guess what. Matthew’s just asked me out!’

  ‘What?’ Ally squealed. ‘What did you say?’

  ‘Yes, of course!’ Eve replied. ‘We’re going out at the weekend to the cinema.’ She grinned. ‘This could work out so well. After all, who’s Matthew’s best friend?’

  ‘Nathan!’ Ally said.

  ‘Yeah!’ Eve exclaimed. ‘Maybe he’ll ask you out and we can go on a double date or something.’

  ‘Ohmigod!’ Ally squeaked. ‘That would be perfect!’

  They began to chatter away about Nathan and Matthew. I couldn’t join in so I just sat on the wall and waited for Harriet.

  ‘You’re quiet,’ Jessica said as we walked home together. ‘What’s up?’

  ‘Nothing,’ I muttered.

  ‘Are you sure?’ Jess probed.

  ‘It’s just Harriet — and Ally,’ I confessed. ‘Things are odd at the moment. There’s these girls picking on Harriet and she’s getting upset by it and —’ I hesitated; this was going to sound really dumb — ‘well, Ally’s got a new friend in her class and she seems to have less and less time to spend with Harriet and me.’

  I half expected Jessica to laugh and tell me to stop being so stupid but she didn’t. She looked at me sympathetically. ‘Things change at secondary school,’ she said. ‘People do start making new friends and acting differently.’

  ‘But I don’t like it,’ I told her.

  ‘Tough,’ she said, smiling wryly. ‘It’s the way things are, Soph. Stuff changes as you get older. You’ve just got to get used to it.’

  ‘I guess,’ I mumbled.

  Dumping my school bag I went upstairs. After changing out of my school uniform, I picked up the script of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe that was lying on my desk and sat down on my bed with it.

  I turned to the page where Lucy has her first lines and read through it. As the words entered my brain, I shut my eyes. It was like entering a different world. A world that felt certain, secure. I knew what would happen in the play, I knew what I was supposed to do.

  I sighed. Why couldn’t real life be as straightforward?

  Chapter Twelve

  Over the next two weeks things didn’t get any better. Kelly kept on teasing Harriet, and Ally hung around with Eve more and more. All the two of them ever seemed to talk about was Matthew and Nathan.

  ‘Sophie. You’ll never guess what!’ Ally came running up to meet me at the bus stop. ‘Eve rang last night.’ She dropped her voice to an excited hiss. ‘She went out with Matthew again and he said Nathan really really likes me and that he’s thinking of asking me out.’

  ‘That’s great,’ I said, forcing a smile. I was feeling really tired. I hadn’t been able to sleep much the night before. I’d been too wound up thinking about the dances. A fortnight might have passed but I still hadn’t got any better at dancing and it was really getting me down. I’d tried talking to Harriet about it but she couldn’t seem to see why I didn’t just ask for help. ‘It’s stupid,’ she kept saying. ‘No one expects you to be perfect.’

  But they did. She just didn’t understand.

  I definitely wasn’t looking forward to the rehearsal that night. How many times was I going to mess up this time?

  ‘When do you think he’s going to ask me out?’ Ally said, her eyes excited. ‘Maybe we could go on a double date with Eve and Matthew. It would be perfect!’

  ‘Hi.’ I looked round and saw Harriet walking towards us. I frowned. She looked different.

  ‘Hi!’ Ally exclaimed. ‘You’ll never guess what!’

  As she relayed her news, I studied Harriet. What was it that was making her look different? ‘Your trousers!’ I exclaimed, interrupting Ally in mid-flow. ‘You’ve got new trousers, Harriet.’

  ‘And shoes,’ Ally said, suddenly noticing too. ‘They’ve got heels!’

  Harriet looked embarrassed. ‘I… er, got them yesterday after school — and the trousers.’

  I stared. ‘Why?’

  ‘I just felt like it.’ Harriet’s cheeks started to go pink.

  ‘You look really
nice,’ Ally said. She frowned. ‘Have you got make-up on?’

  ‘Just a bit of lip gloss and… um, a bit of mascara,’ Harriet muttered.

  Ally and I stared at her.

  ‘It’s no big deal,’ she said quickly. ‘Anyway, here’s the bus. Come on!’

  Ally and I exchanged looks and followed her to the queue of people. No big deal? Who was Harriet trying to kid? She never wore make-up to school. And what was with the new trousers and shoes?

  I had a horrible sinking feeling inside. I was sure I knew the answer. It had to be because of Kelly.

  It was odd. Ally and I trying to persuade Harriet to dress like everyone else at the beginning of term was all right, but Harriet changing her clothes — and wearing make-up — because she was being picked on by Kelly was totally different.

  ‘I know!’ Ally exclaimed as we sat down. ‘It’s Ben, isn’t it?’ She looked as if she had just cracked some very puzzling code.

  ‘Ben?’ Harriet looked confused.

  ‘He’s the reason you’re wearing make-up and have got new clothes, isn’t he?’ Ally said triumphantly. ‘It’s a quiz practice day.’

  I could almost see the thoughts flying across Harriet’s face. ‘Yeah,’ she said. ‘That’s right. It’s because of Ben.’

  But there was something in her eyes that just told me she was lying.

  Ally grinned at her. ‘Cool! So do you really thinks he likes you?’

  ‘Well, he does talk to me quite a bit,’ Harriet admitted. ‘Last week he said he hopes we both make it on to the actual team. The team’s being selected on Thursday.’

  ‘So you got new trousers and shoes because of Ben?’ I said disbelievingly.

  ‘Yes.’ Harriet avoided my eyes.

  I continued to stare at her. ‘So it doesn’t have anything to do with K—’

  Ally interrupted me. ‘Maybe you should ask him out!’

  Harriet turned in her seat so her back was to me. ‘So do you really think Nathan might ask you out?’

  That was it. Ally didn’t need any more encouragement. For the rest of the journey she talked on and on about Nathan and how perfect they would be together. Harriet appeared to be listening intently but I knew she was just doing it so I wouldn’t quiz her about the reasons behind her new clothes. I frowned at her. She didn’t fool me that her clothes were for Ben. After all, if he did like her he wouldn’t care what clothes she was wearing, and she knew it.