Centre Stage: A Novel

while her brothers and sisters were on stage. It was while they were playing hide-and-seek. Lucy had gone through the wardrobe into Narnia and they were looking for her. Maybe I can get to the table then . Yes, that’s what I’d do.
    ‘And five, six, seven, eight!’ Dizzy counted us in for our first dance.
    Forcing myself to concentrate, I pushed thoughts of Justine and the trick to the back of my mind. I’d deal with the sandwiches when I got a chance. Right now I needed to make a good impression.
    The scenes went by in a whirl. As the time came for Colette, Jack and Mark to go on stage and act without me, I felt myself growing nervous. Could I swap the sandwiches? I had to!
    But to my dismay, when the scene started Velda went over to the props table and started tidying things up on it. I couldn’t go there now. If she saw what I was doing the whole trick would come out and Colette and the others would get into real trouble.
    My skin prickled. What could I do?
    Suddenly I saw Justine leave her group and go over to the drinks’ table. Acting without thinking, I hurried over. OK, so maybe I couldn’t swap the sandwiches but I could stop her eating them.
    ‘Justine,’ I said urgently. ‘I need to talk to you.’
    She must have seen the worry on my face because she frowned. ‘What is it?’ she said, sounding alarmed.
    ‘You mustn’t eat the sandwiches on the tea table.’ I looked round. Colette and the others were busy in their scene and not watching me. ‘They’ve got mustard in. It’s a trick!’
    I explained all about it. Justine’s eyes widened. ‘I hate mustard,’ she whispered.
    ‘Me too,’ I said. ‘That’s why I wanted to tell you. I won’t have a chance to swap them back but you should be able to. Just wait till Velda leaves the table. The normal sandwiches are on a plate at the side. Put some of them on top of the mustard sandwiches and only eat the ones you know are OK.’
    She looked almost as if she couldn’t believe it. ‘Thanks.’ She hesitated. ‘But… but why have you told me, Sophie? I’d have thought you’d have wanted me to mess up the scene.’
    I bit my lip. Did I really mean what I was going to say? Yes, I decided, yes, I did. ‘I’m fed up with not being friends,’ I admitted. ‘I hate all the fighting between the two teams. And it’s a mean trick and I’d hate it if it was played on me.’
    Justine’s eyes met mine. ‘Thanks,’ she said. ‘And I don’t want to fight any more either. I never really wanted to but it’s Samantha. She just doesn’t want any of us to have anything to do with your team. She really hates Colette and she’s desperate for our team to be chosen for the first night to prove she’s better than her.’
    I looked round. I was going to be needed on stage any minute. ‘Just because Colette and Samantha don’t get on doesn’t mean we have to hate each other too.’ I heard Jack saying a line that was just before my entrance. ‘I’d better go. Look, see you later.’
    ‘Yeah, later,’ Justine said. ‘And Sophie — thanks.’ She sounded like she meant it.
    I hurried to the stage and just made my entrance in time.
    When it came to the scene with Mr Tumnus I watched Justine with bated breath. I wasn’t the only one. Colette, Mark and Jack were leaning forwards on their chairs, watching in anticipation. Their faces were a picture when Justine took a bite of a sandwich, then chewed it and swallowed it as normal. They looked totally shocked.
    ‘She must like mustard!’ Mark said.
    ‘Her face didn’t even flicker,’ Jack exclaimed. ‘That’s some acting. I’d have been really thrown.’
    Colette looked really disappointed. I kept as quiet as a very quiet mouse. I didn’t think they’d be too pleased with me if they found out the truth.
    Justine did the scene very well; she was perfect on the dance and everyone clapped when she finished. As I made my way to the stage to do the scene after her, butterflies flapped in my stomach. There was no way I would be as good. But I tried to remember what Dizzy had said. A few mistakes weren’t important; all that mattered was that I looked like Lucy.
    As the scene was reset, I watched Colette quickly swap the mustard sandwiches back for the normal ones when Velda wasn’t looking. Luckily Colette didn’t seem to notice that a few of the sandwiches had gone missing.
    I think I did the scene OK. People clapped me, too, when I finished and I smiled all the way back to my seat. OK,