Centre Stage: A Novel

Snowy try to chew the brush.
    ‘Thanks,’ Mum said. ‘He seems convinced the brush is a toy.’ I went over and Mum held him while I gently teased out his wiry white coat with the brush.
    ‘Mum,’ I asked. ‘When do you think I’ll hear about the audition?’
    ‘It shouldn’t be too long. All the auditions were held yesterday and they said they’d let people know as soon as possible.’
    ‘So I might find out today?’ I said quickly.
    Mum nodded. Excitement fizzed through me. I so wanted to know!
    ‘What have you got planned for this morning?’ Mum asked.
    I shrugged. ‘Nothing much.’
    ‘Are you free to come and help me, then?’ Mum said. ‘I’m looking after the Walters’ rabbits again so I could certainly do with a hand.’
    The Walters family bred rabbits and had twenty-three of them. Looking after them was a lot of work. ‘Of course I’ll come,’ I said.
    Mum smiled. ‘Thanks, love.’
    *
    I helped Mum all morning. As I cleaned out the rabbits’ hutches I kept thinking about the play. When would I find out?
    I had homework to do in the afternoon, but I couldn’t concentrate. I was staring into space and thinking about the auditions when Mum called up the stairs.
    ‘Sophie! Phone!’
    Pushing my Maths to one side, I jumped off my bed. ‘Who is it?’ I said, going to the top of the stairs.
    ‘Sheila Blake,’ Mum replied.
    My heart did a double flip. ‘Sheila!’ I gasped.
    Mum smiled and nodded. ‘Hurry up. Don’t keep her waiting.’
    Racing down the stairs three at a time, I half fell into the kitchen and grabbed the phone. ‘Hello?’ I stammered.
    ‘Hello, Sophie. It’s Sheila Blake.’
    ‘Hi,’ I gasped, barely able to get the word out through my excitement and nerves.
    ‘Well, I’ve got some good news for you.’ I could hear the smile in Sheila’s voice. ‘You’ve been given the part of Lucy.’
    I gaped like a goldfish.
    ‘Are you pleased?’ Sheila asked.
    Pleased? I was ecstatic! ‘Yes!’ I managed to gasp. ‘I’m really, really, really pleased!’ I looked at Mum. She was grinning at me and I knew Sheila had already told her the news.
    I’ve got the part! I’ve got the part! The words sung in my head so loudly that I almost missed Sheila’s next words.
    ‘Initial rehearsals for the juveniles start on Saturday.’ I forced myself to concentrate. ‘They’ll be held at Clawson Academy of Performing Arts. You’ll be needed to rehearse each weekend for the next six weeks and on Tuesday evenings. That won’t be a problem, will it?’
    ‘No,’ I answered quickly.
    ‘Great. Full-time rehearsals — with the adults in the cast — will start in November, three weeks before the show opens. You’ll be taken out of school for those — and obviously for the performances that you’re involved in. So we’ll need to get you a licence. Do you want to put your mum back on the phone so I can talk about the arrangements in more detail?’
    My heart singing with happiness, I handed the phone over to Mum. She took it and began to talk about things like contracts and licences. Ignoring the fact that I probably looked like a hyperactive four-year-old, I jumped up and down on the spot in delight. I’d got the part! I was going to be Lucy!
    It didn’t take Mum and me long to spread the news. I rang Ally and Harriet and e-mailed Issy, who sent me a message back almost straight away to say congratulations. That evening, Dad bought a huge Chinese takeaway to celebrate. It had absolutely all my favourite things — crispy duck, spring rolls, sweet and sour chicken, beef chow mein. Dad also bought a bottle of champagne.
    ‘This is cool. Do you think you can get a part in a play every week, Sophie?’ Tom said, starting to dig into the box and taking out a huge bag of prawn crackers.
    ‘Definitely!’ Jess said, helping him.
    ‘I’ll get some glasses for the champagne,’ Mum said.
    Dad peeled the gold foil off the top of the champagne bottle. ‘OK, are we all ready?’ he said, and he opened the bottle. The cork came out with a loud pop and he quickly poured some champagne into the glasses. He only gave me a little but it was fun to sip at the bubbles fizzing in the pale-gold liquid.
    ‘You did so well, Sophie,’ Mum said, hugging me. ‘We’re all so proud of you. Sheila said you did an excellent audition. Apparently the director was absolutely insistent that you were Lucy.’
    ‘Don’t tell her that, Mum, you’ll make her even more bigheaded than she