Musical Star

by Rowan Coleman

  Danny and I looked at each other, confused.

  “I thought I’d hidden my fear really well,” Jade said miserably. “But Ruby guessed, and now you know and you’re afraid that I’m going to mess it up and wreck the show. Well, I’m afraid of that too.”

  “What are you on about?” I asked her.

  “I’m so scared,” Jade told Danny. “I know that I came through the auditions like everyone else and that I’ve earned my place, but it didn’t feel real – even with the public vote. And my dad’s so famous and so good at what he does. It’s a lot to live up to.”

  “You are good,” I said, slow-clapping Jade’s lost little girl speech.

  “What do you mean?” she asked me, flicking me a worried glance.

  “You are the most amazing actress,” I told her. “And Jade, there is nothing to be ‘scared’ about, because with those acting skills it doesn’t matter that you can’t sing for toffee. You really don’t need to cheat to get parts.”

  “What?” Jade asked. “Why are you saying that?”

  “I told you she doesn’t know, Ruby,” Danny said. “Leave her alone.”

  “She does know,” I said.

  “Know what?” Jade demanded, getting up and stamping her foot in the old Jade style. I sighed and spelled out everything that I’d just told Danny, and I watched as her face drained of colour and her eyes grew wide with horror.

  Then I realised. Jade was not that good an actress. Danny was right, she hadn’t known about the Auto-tune Miracle Microphone either.

  “It can’t be true,” Jade said. “Daddy got me special singing lessons back when the musical was in preproduction. He got me a new teacher who could bring out my true voice.”

  I looked at Danny and shook my head. “The truth is that your signing voice is just as average as it always was, and that the only reason you sound OK is because your dad fitted you up with an Auto-tune Miracle Microphone.”

  “I’ve heard of those,” Jade said. “Some pop bands who can’t sing well live use them.”

  “And some musical stars whose daddy gave them a musical to star in use them too, Jade.”

  Jade shook her head. “I told you, I’ve been having lessons. He’s a brilliant teacher – he’s taught me how to sing for a musical, how to use a…” Jade trailed off. “A microphone. At every single lesson I always sang into a microphone.”

  She looked at me and Danny, then went to the den door and swung it open so hard it banged against the wall.

  “DADDY!” she shrieked up the stairs. “GET DOWN HERE NOW!”

  “Please tell me she’s lying,” Jade stormed at her father after confronting him with what I’d told her. “Please tell me that this jumped-up, jealous, frumpy little cow is making all of this up and everything she says is wrong.”

  Mick Caruso looked at me and rubbed his chin with his hand. “How did you find out?” he asked me, causing Jade to clap her hands over her mouth.

  “Me and another girl overheard Danny’s audition,” I explained. “And afterwards you told Elaine Emmerson that you were going to put him through because Jade told you to.”

  “No, I said I was going to do it because that’s what my little girl wanted,” Mick said. “She told me it would be her dream come true, but she never asked me to do anything. I just wanted to make her happy.”

  “So happy you’d fix results, fake votes and lie to the public?” I asked.

  Mick Caruso thought for a moment. “Look, I’ve created a musical that’s going to give a lot of kids a lot of fun. Why shouldn’t I give my own child that chance too? So I pulled a few strings here and there, altered a few of the facts to make it happen. But I never rigged the phone vote. More people voted for Jade and Anne-Marie than Nydia, even it was only a handful. At the end of the day – that’s showbusiness, right, Ruby? Sometime it’s about who you know.”

  “But I told you I didn’t want any special help,” Jade protested. “I told you I wanted to audition like everyone else. I wanted to make you proud of me.”

  “I know, love,” Mick Caruso said. “And your acting and dancing are as good as everyone else’s. You just need a little bit of extra help with your voice, like Danny here. And what does it really matter, if the audience is getting a good show?”

  “It matters because it’s a lie!” Jade said tearfully. “It matters because for the first time in my life I thought that I could do something as well as you. And now I find out that the whole thing is made up! How could you do that to me, Dad? How could you?”

  I watched as Jade ran into Danny’s arms and he hugged her tightly.

  “I’m sorry, Jade,” Mick Caruso said. “I thought it would make you happy. I promise that every other single kid in that show deserves to be there.”

  “And a few who aren’t in it, deserve to be there too,” I said, watching miserably as Danny stood with arms around Jade.

  “The question is,” Mick Caruso said turning to me, “what do you want to do about it? Can’t we all just carry on? The show’s tomorrow.”

  “I can’t,” Danny said immediately, dropping his arms from around Jade. “I’ve really, really enjoyed the rehearsing and the experience has meant a lot to me. But I’m not going on TV and pretending like this. I won’t tell anyone as long as you put things right. As for me – I’m resigning.”

  Mick looked at his teary daughter and held out his arms to her. Jade ran to him, flinging her arms around his middle and sobbing even louder

  “I don’t want to do it either,” Jade said. “I was already too nervous when I thought I could sing. There’s no way I can go on in front of millions knowing it’s only a piece of equipment standing between me and complete failure. I’m sorry, Daddy, I don’t want to let you down.”

  “It’s me who’s let you down,” Mick said, hugging her. “I never thought it would get this out of hand!” He turned to me. “Look, Ruby, if the press find out about the microphones, then the show will never air and all of those kids who have worked so hard will be out of a job. It’s a good show, you know it is. So how about you forget what you know and let the show go on without Danny or Jade?”

  “I don’t know what to do,” I said unhappily.

  “Perhaps I can help make up your mind,” Mick Caruso said. “Like I said, sometimes showbiz is about who you know and not what you can do. How about we make a deal. You and your friend forget everything you know, and you can take Jade’s place as Arial in the premiere of Spotlight! tomorrow. You’ll be Ruby Parker Musical Star – what do you say?”

  Chapter Seventeen

  The lights went down and I held my breath as I listened to the chatter of the audience settle into silence. I felt my stomach knot and twist.

  This was it, this was the moment that we had all been working intensely towards. We were about to broadcast live to millions of viewers all around the world. And even if it hadn’t quite turned out as I expected, I was desperate, absolutely desperate, for the audience to love the show as much as I did.

  I felt adrenaline surge through my body as the lights came up and the spotlight picked out the show’s new leading lady.

  Nydia stood there as if she was born for the part of Arial, not just intensely rehearsed for just one day like she actually had.

  I’d considered Mick Caruso’s offer of the lead in exchange for my silence for about two seconds. I didn’t want to wreck the show for everybody else who had worked so hard on it, but more than that I knew I didn’t want to take a part I hadn’t won fairly or squarely.

  “You have to make everything fair,” I’d told Jade’s dad. “You have ask Nydia to take the part of Arial, because she would have won the phone vote if Jade hadn’t cheated.”

  “There’s no way she’ll be ready,” Mick Caruso had protested. “It will be a disaster.”

  “No, it won’t,” I told him. “Nydia’s been learning the lines and she can pick up direction faster than anyone I know. And you have to offer Danny’s role to Callum.”

  “Callum’s not av
ailable – he’s got a part in Joseph,” Mick said.

  “Well, Gabe Martinez is Danny’s understudy, and he’s been doing an amazing job. He’s been really great as Sebastian.”

  “I’ve noticed him,” Mick said. “Do you think he’s up to it?”

  I nodded. “He’ll be brilliant.” I’d said it, but I was unable to look at Danny.

  “Agreed,” Mick said.

  “And from now on you have to give Jade credit for what she is good at and understand that she doesn’t need you to buy her success for her. She’s got the talent and the guts to make it happen herself.”

  “I have?” Jade had looked at me suspiciously.

  “Yes,” I said grudgingly. “Look, Jade, you and I don’t get on, but you have got talent. Just not for singing.

  “Ruby’s right,” Mick said.

  “I know,” I said. “And if you do all of those things I’m fairly sure that Dakshima and I will be OK about everything and never mention it again.” I said.

  “And what about you?” Mick Caruso asked me. “What do you want?”

  I smiled at him.

  “I want to be in the chorus with my school choir,” I said. “Because this time, that’s where I belong. Next time I’ll be going for the lead.”

  “She’s great, isn’t she?” Anne-Marie whispered in my ear as we watched Nydia and Gabe singing from off set “It’s all going so well isn’t it?”

  “Really, really well,” I said. “And you are brilliant as Serena too.”

  “I know!” Anne-Marie bounced a little. “I still can’t believe Jade had to drop out at the last minute. And that Nydia got called for her part! It’s perfect – the three of us working together at last!”

  “Well, you know there were only a few votes between Nydia and Jade, apparently,” I said. “It’s a shame Jade got laryngitis, but Nydia’s brilliant.”

  “I’m so excited,” Anne-Marie said. “We’re bound to get discovered now! I’ll need your help – you know, with the fame, the press, the pressure and all that lark.”

  “Of course I’ll help,” I said. “I’ve always wanted a famous friend. Another one, I mean.”

  We were silent as we watched Nydia finish her solo and the audience burst into applause.

  “I feel really sorry for Danny having to pull out from the show with that knee injury,” Anne-Marie said, “but on the other hand, I can’t imagine Nydia having to kiss him, even just acting. Bleugh!”

  “Oh, I don’t know,” I whispered, glancing at the front row of the studio audience where Jade and Danny were sitting together. “I can think of worse things.”

  My mum had been there to pick me up at Jade’s house exactly when she said she would and she offered Danny a lift home too, which he’d accepted.

  As we had pulled up outside Danny’s house I got out of the car to say goodbye without Mum listening.

  “Danny, do you really hate me?” I asked.

  Danny looked at me with those dark intense eyes that made my heart flutter.

  “Don’t ask me that now,” he said. “I know I’m angry and that’s about all I know.”

  “I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you before. And, Danny, I…”

  I trailed off, not knowing how to finish that sentence.

  “Well, I’ll see you at the show, I guess,” Danny said. “Goodbye.” He didn’t look at back at me once as he walked into the house.

  “Is Danny still upsetting you?” Mum asked me as we drove home.

  “I think this time I upset him,” I told her, staring out of the window.

  “Don’t worry love,” Mum said. “It’ll all come out in the wash.

  But this time I was fairly sure I’d blown things with Danny for good and I’d have to get used to knowing that all over again.

  At the end of the show the whole cast took a bow as the studio audience yelled and cheered shouting, “Encore!” and “Bravo!” Nydia and Anne-Marie beamed as Mick presented them each with bouquet of pink roses.

  “Well, I’m glad I didn’t have to do all that wire swapping and turning stuff on and off business,” Dakshima said as we got ready to go to the after-show party being held in a hotel over the road. “It was much more fun being in the show than wrecking it. Besides I think it’s all worked out for the best, don’t you?”

  I looked at Danny, who was just ahead of us, his arm linked with Jade’s.

  “Mostly,” I said. “Mostly it has.”

  The party was full of famous people. Jeremy was there of course, with Mum, but also all the old Kensington Heights faces, a bunch of ex-Hollyoaks actors and reality show has-beens, and there were rumours of some big announcement by Mick Caruso.

  I couldn’t wait to tell Anne-Marie and Nydia how great they’d been, but they were both surrounded by admirers. As I walked past one TV crew we heard the reporter say, “Tonight a star was born…”

  I wondered who they were talking about.

  It had been such a wonderful, exciting evening, but suddenly I felt overwhelmed by everything. I needed a little bit of time to myself, to think. I edged out of the crowded room and, walking down the corridor, found a door marked Private. Once upon a time I would have never dreamed of opening it, but since my escape from Hollywood I realised that I’d become a lot better at rebelling.

  I tried the handle and opened it, finding an empty office. I was sure no one would mind if I sat there for a moment, drinking my cranberry juice and collecting my thoughts.

  When I had started at Highgate Comprehensive I’d been totally sure that I wanted to give up acting and showbusiness for good. Hollywood had left me feeling battered and bruised. After everything that had happened there I didn’t think I had the strength, let alone the talent, to keep trying.

  But I was wrong. Because it was in the theatre or on a TV or film set where I really belonged and felt like myself. Acting, performing, was in my blood and in every heartbeat, and although I knew that the road ahead would be tough and that I wouldn’t always succeed, I also knew I couldn’t give it up.

  I had to keep on trying, because the one thing I couldn’t give up was being me.

  Suddenly I wanted to find Mum and tell her that.

  As I stepped back out into the corridor I came face to face with Danny, looking all James Bondish again, so handsome in a dinner suit and tie. He stopped when he saw me, then walked a couple of steps closer.

  “There you are,” he said. “I’ve been looking for you.”

  “Really?” I said, wishing I didn’t sound quite so surprised by the news.

  “I was pretty horrible to you,” Danny said. “And I didn’t mean it. I was…in shock.”

  “I know,” I said. “I don’t think I treated you very well either. I should have told you straight way instead of waiting for…”

  “Waiting for what, Ruby?” Danny asked me.

  “Waiting for you to ask me out again, I suppose,” I said, blushing.

  “And if I had asked you out, would you have said yes?” Danny asked.

  “I—”

  “Don’t answer that,” Danny said. “I’m being a coward and I mustn’t be. Answer this instead.” He smiled and me and took a breath. “Ruby Parker, would you like to go out with me?”

  “RUBY PARKER!”

  Before I could reply, I heard someone yell my name from behind. I turned around and found Mick Caruso approaching, followed by a beaming Nydia and Anne-Marie.

  “You’ll never believe this,” Anne-Marie squealed.

  “Believe what?” I asked.

  “I just got a call from a big studio in the USA,” Mick told me. “They saw the live broadcast – and they want to make a movie of Spotlight! in Hollywood.”

  “That’s fantastic!” I said. “That’s so exciting.”

  “That’s not all,” Mick said. “They were so impressed with the cast of tonight’s show that they want all the leads to audition for parts. It’s not a done deal, there’ll be screen tests and plenty of American competition – but they’re going to fly
you all out there.”

  My jaw dropped and I hugged Anne-Marie and Nydia hard. “You two are so amazing!” I said squeezing. “I know you’ll take America by storm.”

  “You can’t have heard me properly,” Mick said. “The studios want you to try out too. For the part of Arial.”

  “Me?” I was bemused. “Why me? I was only in the chorus.”

  “A producer who’d seen that film, The Lost Treasure of King Arthur, spotted you in the chorus. Hasn’t anyone told you what a cult hit that film is with teens all across the USA? They want you back in Hollywood, Ruby. They want to give you another chance. And we’re not just talking film opportunities here, girls. We’re talking single releases, a live tour – the works.”

  “Go back to Hollywood?” I said. “To compete against Nydia and Anne-Marie and goodness knows who else for a part? I don’t know if I can. I don’t know if I want to.”

  “Well, it’s up to you,” Mick said. “But I seem to remember you saying that the next time there was a lead part on offer, you’d be going for it.”

  “Imagine, Ruby, all of us going to Hollywood together! How wild is that?” Nydia laughed.

  “But what we don’t all get parts, what then?” I said.

  “Well, it wouldn’t be the first time,” Anne-Marie said. “Look, friends like us don’t let a little competition come between us, do we? Come on, Ruby – it wouldn’t be the same with out you.”

  “I’ll have to think about it,” I said.

  “You do that,” Mick said. “But for now I have to get my stars back to the party. The whole world is waiting to meet them.”

  I turned to round to talk to Danny, but he wasn’t there. I had no idea if he still wanted me to answer his question and besides, I was still reeling from Mick Caruso’s unbelievable news.

  I took a deep breath.

  Could I do it? Could I really go back to Hollywood and try again?