Dazzling Danny (4 page)

I said, “Nothing!” I’d already cleaned the car for her. What more did she want?

“Do my share of the housework for… the next five days! Then I won’t tell on you.”

It is terrible to have a sister like that.

One day after rehearsal, while me and Coral were waiting for our mums to collect us, I said, “I’m not sure I ought to be doing this.”

“Doing what?” said Coral.

I said, “Dancing!’ One boy, and six girls …

“Why not?” said Coral. “I’m doing it!”

I said, “It’s different for you.”

“Why? Just ’cos I’m a
girl
?”

I thought about it. Coral is my second-best friend after Darryl. She is all right, even though she is a girl. I mean, I do quite like girls; except, as I say, when they get together and giggle at you. But they don’t always understand what it is like to be a boy.

I said this to Coral. I said, “I’m not being
anti-girl.
”

“Oh, no?” said Coral.

“No! But… it’s my mum and dad.”

“What’s the matter with your mum and dad?”

I said, “They’re not like yours.”

“Oh,” jeered Coral, “you mean my mum and dad are ordinary people and yours are famous!”

“They’re athletes,” I said. “They might think it’s… well! Cissy.”

“Do you think it is?” said Coral.

I hung my head. “I dunno!”

I thought that it might be all right if I wasn’t the only boy. But
six girls…

“I can’t imagine Clint,” I muttered.

“Clint’s an idiot,” said Coral. “He’s Stone Age!”

I said, “Yeah, I know, but— ”

“All that matters,” said Coral, “is if you enjoy it. Do you enjoy it?”

I nodded. I did enjoy it! Sometimes I got ashamed and thought I shouldn’t, but I did!
Specially the number that I was doing with Coral.

“Well, there you are, then,” said Coral. “What’s the problem?”

Like I said, girls don’t always understand how it feels to be a boy.

It is not easy, keeping secrets from your mum and dad. For one thing, they are always asking questions.
So how is the computer club
?
What are you reading in your book circle
?
Are you still on library duty
? You have to tell them all these lies and it makes you feel really bad. Plus it is not
good for your nerves, as you expect every minute that you will be found out.

One day, when I was waiting with Coral after rehearsal, our mums both turned up at the same moment. My mum pulled up in her car just as Coral’s mum was pulling up in hers. They both got out. They started
talking.
I was really scared because Coral was still wearing her dance gear. She’d got this bright pink leotard thing, and shiny tights. She didn’t look in the least like a person that had just taken part in a book circle (which was what I’d told Mum we were doing). She looked like a person that had just been at a dance rehearsal. I had to act – quickly!

I yelled, “
Mum
,” and went shooting off across the playground.

“What’s the big rush?” said Mum.

“Gotta get back!” I panted. “Something I gotta watch!”

I went hurtling into the car, dragging Mum after me. Mum was quite cross. She told me that I had better mend my manners.

“That was an extremely rude way to behave!”

I didn’t like Mum being cross with me, but at least she hadn’t discovered my secret. I was safe for the moment – but not for very long. It was Darryl, next time, who nearly gave me away. Darryl’s mum was going into hospital, just for one night, and Darryl was coming to sleep over at our place. He’d done it before. No problem! I liked having Darryl sleep over; we had a lot of fun together. But this time I was, like, walking on eggshells. I warned him not to mention the show. I
told
him.

“I don’t want Mum and Dad to know about it! OK?”

Darryl was cool. He said, “Sure. OK!”

I didn’t have to explain to him. He could understand why I didn’t want Mum and Dad
to know. But then he nearly went and blew it! We’re sitting down having tea when all of a sudden, for absolutely no reason, he starts chanting some of his lines from the show.

“You can – DO it,

Anyone can – DO it.

Dream it, scheme it,

Man, I MEAN it!
”

All the time he’s chanting, he’s beating on the table with his knife and fork.

“You can – DO it,

Anyone can – DO it.
”

Just, like, totally mindless. Mum laughed and said, “What’s that?”

I immediately kicked out under the table. Darryl gave a yelp, but it brought him to his senses. He grinned this soppy grin and said, “Just something.”

Carrie sang out, “
Go for it
!” and slid her eyes towards me. I kicked her, too. Carrie snarled, “Do you mind?”

Mum said, “Oh, please, you two! Don’t start.”

A bad moment! Sometimes I really wondered if it was worth it. All this hassle just to be something special? I kept thinking that I would tell Miss Pringle I didn’t want to do it any more. Every time I went to a rehearsal I made up my mind that I was definitely going to tell her. Once I even got as far as saying, “Miss! I—” And then I stopped and got tongue–tied. Miss Pringle said, “What is it, Danny?” I said, “Um—”

“Tell me afterwards” said Miss Pringle. But afterwards was too late. By the time we finished rehearsing, the rhythm had got into my feet and they didn’t want to stop. It was like they had a life of their own. I had to tell Miss Pringle
before
we started rehearsing. Before my feet got all twitchy.

I made this vow that I would do it next
weekend, for sure. But then next weekend came and Miss Pringle started talking about costumes and everyone got excited. The girls were going to wear shiny tights and leotards in all different colours. I said, “Like a rainbow,” and Miss Pringle said, “Yes! Exactly! Now, what about you and Coral? We thought perhaps if you had a yellow top, with red tights, and Coral had a red top, with yellow tights… what do you think?”

I nearly fell over when she said tights. I said, “
Tights
?”

Coral giggled. She said, “
Tights
?” She was mimicking me. She’s very good at mimicking. She said, “Shock, horror!
Tights!
” and all the others giggled, too.

Miss Pringle said, “Oh, now, come on! Don’t let’s be silly about it. I expect better of you than this sort of childish nonsense.”

That was when I should have told her. I should have said, “I’m not going to wear tights! I don’t want to do this any more!” But I couldn’t. She was all happy and burbling, going on about how red and yellow would look good against all the other colours. It would have hurt her if I’d said I didn’t want to wear her stupid costume or do her stupid show. But I had to find a way to get out of it! I couldn’t have my dad seeing me in tights …

I said this to Coral, while we were waiting for our mums. Coral just said, “Danny Allbright, you’re an idiot!” and went racing off across the playground, leaving me standing there. I thought she might have been a bit more sympathetic. She was supposed to be my
friend.

I got very desperate. There were only three weeks to go before the dress rehearsal. I had to do something! But what?

In the middle of the night, this brilliant idea came to me. I would fall down some steps and break a bone! Nobody could be expected to dance with a broken bone. I would be saved!

The best steps I could think of were the ones in the back garden, leading down from the patio. There were six of them, and they were made of concrete. Really hard! If I hurled myself madly down them, surely
something
would break? Even just an arm would be enough. Even just a wrist. Just a
finger.

I decided that I would do it on Saturday morning, when Mum and Dad were there, because then they could take me to the hospital. I quite fancied the idea of going in to school on Monday with my arm in plaster; or better still, walking on crutches. Everyone would go “Ooh!” and ‘Aah” and “How did you do it?” And Miss Pringle would be sorry that I couldn’t do her dancing for her, but at least she wouldn’t be hurt. I’d be the one that was hurt! Only I wouldn’t mind.

Saturday morning I went into the garden and stood at the top of the steps. I’d thought it would be quite simple to hurl myself down them, but I think perhaps I am not very brave. At the last moment I got cold feet. Suppose I broke my
neck
? I might never be able to walk again!