Centre Stage: A Novel

floor.
    Dizzy stopped and looked round. ‘What happened?’
    ‘Nothing,’ I said quickly, getting up. ‘I just tripped.’
    As Dizzy turned back to the front to carry on, I glared at Samantha. She smirked back at me.
    And I wanted us all to get on? Yeah, like that was really going to happen.
    *
    At the end of the rehearsal, Dizzy made an announcement that made my blood run cold.
    ‘As you all know, Claire, Stefan and I have to decide which of your two teams will perform on opening night. We need to do this fairly soon so Velda can draw up a performance schedule for the juveniles. So on Sunday we’re going to spend the morning watching both teams. You’ll have a chance to go through all the dances and the songs plus the scenes you have been doing with Claire. Afterwards we’ll make our decision as to which team will be performing on opening night.’
    Help! That meant I had just five days to be good enough to get my team chosen to perform on the opening night.
    ‘We have got to be so good by Sunday!’ Colette told me, Jack and Mark as we got our bags.
    ‘Yeah,’ Mark agreed. ‘We’ve so got to, be chosen.’
    ‘How’s the ballet coming on, Sophie?’ Colette said. ‘Have you been practising?’
    I swallowed. ‘I think I’m getting the hang of it now,’ I lied.
    ‘Good, I mean if you want me to practise with you, I can.’
    ‘No, I’ll be fine,’ I said quickly.
    I hoped I was right.

Chapter Thirteen
    ‘How do you think Harriet’s doing?’ I said anxiously on Thursday.
    Ally was talking to Eve. She looked round distractedly. ‘What?’
    ‘Harriet. How do you think she’s doing?’
    It was the day of the quiz-team selection and Harriet, along with all the other people who wanted to be on the team, were spending their lunchtime doing a test quiz competition.
    ‘She’ll be doing fine,’ Ally said.
    I checked my watch. ‘She should be back soon, shouldn’t she?’
    But Ally had already turned back to Eve and wasn’t listening. ‘So it starts at seven thirty?’
    ‘Yes. Do you want to come round to mine first?’ Eve replied. ‘We could get ready together.’
    ‘Definitely!’ Ally told her.
    I knew they were talking about a party they were going to at the weekend. Claire, one of the girls in their class, was having a proper party with boys. Ally was really looking forward to it because Nathan was going.
    ‘I wonder what Harriet’s doing now?’ I said anxiously.
    Ally shrugged. ‘So what are you going to wear?’ she said to Eve. ‘I thought I might wear my short silver skirt — do you think Nathan will like it, though?’
    A wave of irritation swept over me. Fair enough, the party was important, but Ally could at least seem a bit more interested in Harriet. She knew how much getting on to the quiz team meant to her.
    ‘I hope she’s done well,’ I said. ‘I hope she’s got on the team. There’s only four places.’
    ‘Oh, stop stressing,’ Ally said airily. She turned back to Eve. ‘So what are you going to wear?’
    I looked round in frustration and then I saw Harriet. ‘Harriet!’ I gasped, jumping off the wall.
    She hurried towards us, her face split in a huge grin.
    ‘Did you get in?’ Ally demanded.
    ‘Yes!’ Harriet exclaimed. ‘I’m in the team!’
    ‘Well done,’ Eve said.
    ‘That’s brilliant!’ I said, hugging Harriet.
    ‘I know!’ she said. As I saw her beam, it struck me that I hadn’t seen her looking so happy in a long time.
    ‘What about Ben?’ Ally asked. ‘Did he get in?’
    ‘He’s the captain again,’ Harriet said, nodding. ‘Isn’t it cool?’
    ‘Definitely!’ I said.
    ‘Sophie was really stressing about it,’ Ally said. ‘But I knew you’d get in. It’s brilliant, Harriet. Well done.’
    The bell rang.
    ‘We’d better hurry,’ Eve said to Ally. ‘It’s PE and you know what Miss Fraser is like if we’re late.’
    Ally nodded. ‘I’ll see you after school,’ she said to Harriet and me.
    ‘Bye,’ we called as she and Eve hurried off.
    ‘Lucky things,’ I sighed. ‘I wish we had PE not History.’
    ‘Harriet!’
    We looked round.
    Ben was walking towards us. Harriet started to blush.
    ‘I just wanted to say well done,’ he said. ‘You were great today. You really deserved to get on the team.’
    ‘Thanks,’ she smiled at him through her pinkness. ‘You were really good too.’
    ‘Hi, Ben.’ Kelly came over to Ben. ‘How are you?’
    Couldn’t Kelly get a hint? Ben was so not interested in