Centre Stage: A Novel

turned. ‘Shall I put your name down, Ally?’
    ‘Thanks, Eve,’ Ally said. She looked at Harriet. ‘How about you, Harriet? Do you want to do it?’
    ‘No. I’m just going to do the quiz club,’ Harriet replied. ‘They’ve got try-outs next week,’ she said, pointing out the notice. ‘It says if you’re good enough you’re allowed to join the club, and then at the end of term the best people get picked to go in an interschool tournament.’
    It sounded just Harriet’s sort of thing. She signed her name on the notice.
    There was a snort. ‘Now there’s a surprise,’ Kelly’s voice giggled from behind us. ‘Not!’
    Harriet and I looked round. Kelly, Leanne and Rachel were smirking in Harriet’s direction.
    ‘I might have guessed that’d be what you’d go for, Harriet,’ Kelly said.
    ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ I demanded.
    Kelly looked taken aback. It was clear she hadn’t expected me to stand up for Harriet.
    ‘So what if Harriet’s signing up for the quiz team?’ I went on. I could see Harriet blushing and Ally looking on in total surprise, but Kelly was really beginning to annoy me. ‘At least she’s clever enough!’
    Kelly frowned. ‘Keep your hair on, Sophie.’
    ‘Excuse me,’ a boy behind me said politely. ‘Can I get to the board, please?’
    As I looked round at him the words I’d been about to say flew out of my mind. He had light brown hair, gorgeous green eyes and an amazing smile. Wow!
    ‘Sure,’ I mumbled, feeling myself go red.
    ‘Thanks,’ the boy said. The others stared at him. They were all clearly as stunned as I was at seeing a boy with such love-god qualities so close up. We watched wide-eyed as he stepped closer to Harriet. ‘Could I borrow your pen, please?’ he asked her.
    ‘What? Oh, yes, of course,’ Harriet squeaked, two spots of colour jumping into her cheeks as she held out the pen.
    The boy took it and signed up his name. Ben Harvey I read — and then I realized he’d written his name on the quiz-club sheet.
    ‘You’re trying out for the quiz club?’ Kelly burst out.
    The boy looked surprised. ‘Yeah. I did it last year too. I was in the under-fourteen team and we won the regional finals. I’m hoping I get to be captain this year.’ He looked at her with interest. ‘Why? Are you thinking of signing up?’
    Kelly hesitated for a nano-second and then nodded her head as hard as if she was one of those nodding dogs in the back of cars. ‘Oh yes, we all were, weren’t we?’ she said, shooting looks at Leanne and Rachel, who quickly nodded too.
    The boy smiled. ‘Well,’ he said, moving out of the way, ‘I’d better let you get to the notice, then.’
    Kelly, Leanne and Rachel made a dive for the board.
    The boy started to walk away and then stopped. ‘Your pen,’ he said to Harriet. He handed it back. ‘Thanks. I’ll see you next week at the try-outs, then?’
    He made it into a question. Harriet nodded, her hazel eyes wide. ‘Yeah,’ she said in a half-strangled voice.
    The boy smiled and walked away.
    Kelly and the others forgotten, Ally, Harriet and I hurried away from the board to a quiet corner by the stationery cupboard.
    ‘Ohmigod!’ Ally gasped. ‘Was he gorgeous or what?’
    ‘Did you see the way he smiled at you, Harriet!’ I exclaimed.
    ‘I bet he fancies you,’ Ally said excitedly.
    Harriet’s face flushed. ‘Of course he doesn’t. Don’t be stupid. Why would he fancy me?’
    ‘Why wouldn’t he fancy you?’ I said. Harriet’s always going on that she’s not pretty but it’s not true. She’s got sparkly hazel eyes with long curly eyelashes and she’s tall and slim. Her hair’s lovely too — thick and browny-blonde — although she always just wears it pulled back in a ponytail. ‘He told you he’d see you next week, didn’t he?’ I went on. I felt a flicker of jealousy. Why couldn’t a boy like that smile at me? I quickly squashed the feeling. It was brilliant for Harriet and if this boy was into things like the quiz club then he’d be just perfect for her.
    ‘I guess he did,’ Harriet said. She started to smile. ‘Did you see him write his name down? He’s called Ben — Ben Harvey.’ She sighed. ‘It’s a really nice name, isn’t it?’
    ‘Harriet’s in lurve !’ Ally teased.
    Harriet hit her on the arm. ‘Am not!’ she said, but her face looked all kind of glowy.
    ‘Come on,’ I grinned. ‘Let’s go to the tuck shop.’
    We headed to the hall where the sixth