D Is for Drama (17 page)

They turned to look at us, and I realized with horror that I recognized them all . . . my shouter, my spitter, and my creepy-eyed narrator.

Max, Janice, and Tim had been standing one aisle over the whole time.

And they'd heard every word I said.

There was no doing damage control with this one. Not after three people heard me bash them and the show firsthand. I chanced a look at Stefan, but even he looked unsure of what to do.

Finally, he said, “Hey, I heard Ms. Elliott approved your show! Let me get you each a congratulatory goldfish.”

Then he abandoned me to fend for myself.

It was fitting that I was in a store called Feathers 'N' Fangs, because the three kids now staring at me looked
ready to bare their teeth and go for my throat.

“Guys,” I said. “Let me explain.”

“Too late,” said Janice, holding up her cell phone. Max and Tim followed suit. “Everyone in the play now knows how pathetic you think we are.”

I held up a finger. “I never said pathetic.”

“No.” Max's voice made the birds screech in their cages. “But you said the show stank and that everyone is just as bad as, if not worse than, you.”

“Not to mention, you lied to us about the agent,” added Janice.

I blushed. “Okay, I did do that.”

“We've been talking about it the last few days . . . all of us,” said Tim.

Suddenly, those prerehearsal gatherings I walked in on made more sense.

“And we're acting on everyone's behalf,” said Max, “to tell you that you're through.”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “What's that supposed to mean?”

“It means that you're out of the show,” said Max.

“What?!” My eyes grew even bigger than Tim's. “You can't do that! It's
my
show.”

“It
was
your show,” said Janice, her spit sailing farther
than usual. “But you obviously don't care about it
or
us, so we're saving it from you.”

“No.” I shook my head. “You're wrong, I
do
care. I know I had my doubts, but we can make it work.”

There was no way Bree would let this happen. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and dialed her, but there was no answer. I tried Suresh with the same result.

“Why don't you ask the
Mary Pops In
cast for your part back?” asked Max. “Then you can be in a
good
show.”

“I didn't mean what I said.” I looked from him to Tim to Janice. “I was just upset. I love this show too much to watch it fail.” Tears pricked at my eyes, and Janice's started watering too.

“We looked up to you,” she said.

“And you still can,” I promised. “I'll take care of our budget problem. That'll show how much I believe in us!”

“I wouldn't count on it!” Max shouted after me.

But I was already out the door, calling Chase.

“Hey, Sunny! What's up?” he answered the phone.

I glanced over my shoulder nervously.

“I may have done a terrible, terrible thing,” I whispered.

Chase got quiet.

“If I hang up now, how much jail time do I avoid?” he asked.

“It's nothing criminal!” I said, rolling my eyes. “I told Stefan how terrible everyone in my show was and that I'd lied about hooking people up with an agent. And some kids from the show overheard.”

Chase whistled through his teeth. “You were better off committing a crime.”

“That's why I'm calling the politician's son to help me out of this mess,” I said. “Can you meet me somewhere?”

“How about in a couple hours?” he asked. “I'm still at rehearsal.”

“Thanks,” I said.

Then a thought occurred to me.

Chase was at
rehearsal
.

“Wait,” I said. “Are you back in
Mary Pops In
?”

I could hear him grinning through the phone. “Ms. Elliott convinced my dad I had to be in the show as part of my grade. It was Ilana's idea. Awesome, right?”

I'd given away my
entire
savings . . . money I could have put toward the show . . . on a secret plan to get Chase back into acting. And in one fell swoop, Ilana, Queen of the Life Ruiners, had beaten me to it.

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Since I'd already done plenty of the second, I just smiled and said, “That's great, Chase.”

“Yeah. Although my dad refuses to go,” he said. “Ilana said she'd talk to him for me.”

I rolled my eyes again. “If anyone can save the day, it's her,” I said.

“She's the best,” Chase agreed. “I mean, she has time to worry about me, even with all the stuff going on in
her
life.”

I snorted. “What stuff? The play she wormed her way into?”

“Uh . . . no,” said Chase in an odd voice. “Her mom got laid off after she broke her arm, remember?”

I lifted the phone from my ear and stared at it in confusion. “Laid off?” I repeated. “Broken arm?”

“Yeah, from the car accident. I thought you knew,” said Chase. “She and her mom are strapped for cash.”

I stopped in my tracks.

That was why Ilana had been pushing makeovers so hard. That was why she'd taken money from Chase for her notes. And that was probably why she was being so crazy about
Mary Pops In
.

“Sunny?” said Chase. “Oak tree in two hours?”

“Sure,” I said. “And congrats on getting the part. Again.”

Chase laughed. “Thanks. Bye, Sunny.”

Grandma's car was in the driveway when I got home, and I hurried up the steps, trying to think of a secret way I could tell her about the afternoon and Ilana.

As I walked into the living room, I smelled jasmine tea and saw her and Mom sitting on the couch. They glanced up, and I waved.

“Hi, Mom! Hi, Grandma!”

“Hi, Sunny,” said Mom, taking a sip of tea. “How was
Wicked
rehearsal?”

SIXTEEN

I
STOOD FROZEN TO THE SPOT.
My eyes darted to Grandma.

“Don't look to her for help,” said Mom, calmly adding cream to her tea. “She's the one who told me.”

“Grandma!” I groaned.

Grandma shrugged apologetically. “Her truth kimchi must be stronger than mine.”

I turned to Mom. “Okay, no, I'm not in the official school musical, and I'm sorry I didn't tell you the truth. But I had a good reason!”

Mom patted the couch cushion beside her. “Sit, Sunny. Your grandmother already told me.”

I sat and waited for whatever punishment came with lying about a show. No auditioning for future ones?

Mom seemed to be reading my mind. “I'm tempted to keep you out of this show for lying to us.”

“I'm not in a show anymore,” I told her, staring at the carpet.

Grandma made an indignant noise and sat up straight. “Ms. Elliott didn't approve? After all that hard work?”

“She approved it,” I said. “I'm just not in it.”

For a moment, Mom forgot she was upset. “But it was
your
show.”

“Not after I insulted the cast and lied to them about an agent,” I said in a quiet voice.

“Sunny!” Mom and Grandma scolded at the same time.

“I know!” I buried my face in my hands. “I messed everything up. With everyone.”

Mom sighed and patted my back. “You didn't mess everything up. It just hurts me that you felt you needed to hide the truth.”

I peeked through my fingers at her. “I'm sorry.”

“Would we have been happy if you got a lead role in
Mary Pops In
?” Mom continued. “Absolutely. Would we have been devastated if you didn't? Of course not.”

“
You
wouldn't have been upset,” I scoffed. “
You.
My
actress mother. Who's trying to get me an agent.”

“There will always be other shows, Sunny,” said Mom with a casual wave of her hand. “If you don't get into this one, you get into the next.”

“But you were so proud when you thought I was in,” I said. “And you seemed a lot happier to have me as your daughter.”

“Happier?” Mom clucked her tongue and held open her arms, gesturing me to her. I leaned over and snuggled against her shoulder.

“I was
happier
because it was something we could share,” she said, kissing the top of my head. “Every year, you get older and every year we talk less, because your father and I aren't ‘cool.'”

“
That's
not true.” I twisted around to look up at her. “Why do you think I want to be like you when I grow up?”

Mom smiled and pinched my nose. “I don't want you to be like me,” she said. “I want you to be like you. Okay?”

I sat up and hugged her. “Okay.”

“As far as punishment,” she said, and I winced. “Two weeks of being grounded is fair, don't you agree?”

I perked up. “Only two weeks? Really?” I scooted back and narrowed my eyes. “What's the catch?”

Mom laughed. “No catch. Your show has helped quite a few kids from what your grandmother says.”

Grandma leaned forward. “It's true. They all look up to you.”

Her words reminded me of Janice's, and I immediately slumped on the couch.

“Yeah, they
did
look up to me,” I said. “I was a pretty good director . . . up until the end.”

Mom's eyebrows shot up. “You were directing
and
acting?”

She sounded impressed, and I couldn't help grinning.

“A little bit,” I said.

“Well, I need more details,” said Mom, lifting the teapot to pour me a cup. Only a few drops rolled out. “And we need more tea.”

Grandma hoisted herself off the couch. “I'll get it,” she said, and I started filling Mom in.

I told her about the crazy auditions and the crazier kids, and she laughed. I told her about all the things we'd been through, individually and as a group, and she hugged me. When I told her about Ilana and the budget crunch, though, she held up a hand and left the room.

“Where's she going?” I asked Grandma, who had rejoined us on the couch.

“I think this is what they call sending for reinforcements,” said Grandma.

“No, it's called killing two birds with one stone.” Mom reappeared with a phone by her ear. “We're going to get you back into that show
and
take care of your wardrobe problem. How many kids are in your show?” she asked.

I wrinkled my forehead. “Uh . . . fifteen, including me. Why?”

“Fifteen,” Mom said into the phone. There was a pause. “
Wicked
. Anything from
Wizard of Oz
should work too.” Pause. “Carnegie Arts Academy, Monday afternoon.” Mom listened intently and then thanked whoever was on the other line before ending the call.

Grandma and I watched her expectantly.

“On Monday afternoon a van from Disguise the Limit will be at your school,” said Mom. “They're a costume company, and they'll be bringing clothes that might fit your show.”

My teacup slipped through my fingers, and I barely caught it before it hit my lap. “Are you serious?!” I squealed.

Mom smiled. “Anything to help my daughter.”

I put down my teacup and bounced across the room. “Thank you so so so much!” I squeezed Mom around the middle.

“You're welcome,” she said with a laugh.

Dad stepped through the doorway and paused to watch us. “What's going on
here
?” he asked with an amused grin.

“I'm helping Sunny get costumes for her show,” said Mom.

Dad tilted his head to one side. “I thought the school took care of everything for
Mary Pops In
.”

I met Mom's eyes, and we laughed.

“It does,” I said. “But I've got a funny story for you, Dad.”

ON MONDAY MORNING
, I staggered into school under the weight of a box bearing fourteen gifts. It would've been easier to unload them if all the Melodramatics had been in one place, but I hadn't been able to reach anyone besides Bree all weekend. She, thankfully, had forgiven me, but I still had a ton of apologies to issue.

The first person I spotted was Max, and when he saw me almost drop the box, he instinctively reached out to help.

“Thanks,” I said. “And I'm sorry.”

Max put the box on the ground and stared at me.

“This whole show was your dream, Sunny,” he said with a frown . . . and an oddly quiet voice. “I was really
proud of everything we did. But if you can't believe in the show, how can we?”

“You're right,” I said, reaching into the box. “You've all worked really hard, which is why
this
is for you.”

I held out a small trophy filled with candy and a note card. Max examined the engraving on the trophy.

“Best actress?” he asked in his usual loud voice.

“Whoops!” I blushed and handed him a different one. “Here. Best actor.”

Max smiled despite himself. “And what's this?”

He opened the card and read it aloud.

“‘I've been wicked and I know it. But I'm sorry; let me show it. Be at Blakely this afternoon for a wardrobe extravaganza.'”

Max raised an eyebrow. “Seriously?”

I shrugged. “I guess you won't find out unless you show up.”

He grinned and nodded. “All right. I'll be there.”

I smiled and picked up my box to find the next person, my load already a little lighter.

That afternoon, all fourteen Melodramatics met me in the theater with mixed emotions on their faces. Some, like Bree and Max, looked open-minded. Others, like Suresh and Janice, were stony-faced.