Fabulous Five 010 - Playing the Part (6 page)

"Ronnie, your parents are here," whispered Chet
Miller.

Beth flashed him a grateful look for the cue. "Ronnie,
your parents are here. You've got to stay hidden or they'll find you," she
spoke the lines.

"Okay, cut," called Mr. Levine. "Beth, you
need to sound more excited. Remember, you're afraid. If Ronnie's parents catch
him in the closet, you know you'll never get to date him again. Put yourself in
Julie's place. What if you were about to lose the boy you love? You'd be upset
wouldn't you?"

"Yes, Mr. Levine."

It was the fifth time he had stopped the rehearsal to give
her instructions, and she had forgotten her lines three times. Chet had helped
her get started again. He was awfully nice for a ninth-grader.

She knew her lines. She was sure she did. She had studied
them over and over until she could say them in her sleep. The trouble was, when
someone else was speaking their lines, Beth would start thinking about Keith.
Then she wouldn't know where they were at in the script when it was her turn to
speak again. It was embarrassing.

"Look, everyone," continued Mr. Levine, speaking
to the group of actors on the stage. "We've got a little over a week to
learn our parts. We were doing so well for a while, and now we seem to have hit
a rough spot." Beth knew she was the rough spot he was talking about.

"So, let's call it quits for today. Now I want you to
go over your lines really carefully tonight and tomorrow so we can have a great
rehearsal on Friday. I'll see you then.

"Beth, can I talk to you a moment?" he asked.

Beth cringed. She knew she deserved it if he chewed her out
for goofing up.

"I know you're trying hard, Beth. Maybe you're trying
too hard. I suppose I shouldn't have told you about Mr. Stapleton's being here
on opening night. Would it be better if I called him and asked him not to come?"

"No, I don't think so," she whispered. "I don't
think I'm bothered about his being there. I'll try harder, honest I will."

He looked at her with a wry smile. "I'm sure you will,"
he said. "Just relax, and remember, it's just a part in a play. There will
be lots more, and it can be fun if you let it."

Beth skipped going to Bumpers after rehearsal. She told
herself that she had to practice and couldn't spare the time.

At the dinner table she was glad for once that she belonged
to such a big family. Brian and Brittany argued over who should get to use the
van on Friday and Saturday, her father bawled out Todd for acting up in school
again, and Alicia talked as loud as she could just to attract attention. All
the while, Agatha walked from chair to chair hoping for a handout. Everyone
pretty much ignored Beth, and she didn't have to talk. She could just poke at
her food and stay lost in her thoughts.

In her room that evening, Beth sat with the play script on
her lap. What had started out being a lot of fun was beginning to turn into a
drag. She had done so well at the tryouts and at the first rehearsal, and now
all of a sudden she couldn't seem to concentrate.

She flipped open the script to the lines she hadn't been
able to remember today.

Ronnie
,
your parents are here. You've got to stay
hidden or they'll find you.

Why couldn't she have remembered them today? It was so
embarrassing to have Mr. Levine stop the rehearsal to correct her. I wonder if
he'll kick me out of the cast? Beth thought. I bet he wishes he had chosen
Kaci. Even Laura McCall could do as well as me. There's still enough time for
him to let one of them do the part.

She walked over to the bed and picked up the panda bear she
had used in the parent project at school. It was chewed up where Agatha had
gotten hold of it. She held it close and nuzzled her face into its neck.

Everything was so different at Wakeman Junior High. It wasn't
at all like Mark Twain Elementary. When The Fabulous Five were sixth-graders,
Jana went with Randy, Scott went with Melanie, and Keith went with her. There
were no complications.

Beth had been in all the school plays and there hadn't been
any problems. In fact Keith had played a part in one of them. He had been a
robber and wore a flat cap with a bill and had a mustache painted on. They had
laughed lots over how funny he looked.

She kissed the panda on the nose and sat down on the bed.

"And now he's mad because I'm in a play and have to
practice," she said to the bear. "It's not really fair. He practices
football every day after school, and I don't say anything about it. In fact I'm
happy for him, he likes it so much. I'm the one who should be mad." She
sat the bear in her lap and held out its legs.

"Do you think it would make a difference to him if I
dropped out of the play?" she asked it. "Mr. Levine could get either
Kaci or Laura to take my place. They both know the part. But how could I tell
Keith? And if I did, would he really want me back?"

She sighed, gazing out the window. "He should be happy
for me that I got the role. But he's not. And I miss him so much."

"Vell, Miss Beth Barry. Vould you like to join us in
doing the next cheer? Or is it asking too much?" Miss Wolfe's German
accent broke into Beth's daydream.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Beth jumped back into the lineup.
She had been watching Keith and hadn't heard Miss Wolfe call an end to the break.

"What cheer is it?" Beth whispered frantically to
Melanie.

"Count Down," Melanie whispered back.

Beth spread her feet apart and put her hands on her waist in
the starting position.

"Count down ready!
Count down now!
Count down ready!
We'll show you how!"

Beth concentrated and jumped in perfect unison with the
team.

"10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1!
Count down ready!
Let's run Warriors!
We're number one!"

"Very good, girls. Ve ver all together for a change."
Miss Wolfe gave Beth an approving smile.

Beth sneaked another look at the football team. Keith had
the ball and was running with one player on his back and another hanging on to
his leg. They finally wrestled him to the ground, and the rest of the team
applauded his effort.

Every time she looked he had tacklers all over him and was
fighting to stay on his feet. Keith was trying terribly hard and was beginning
to look exhausted. She hoped he wouldn't get hurt. The game with Jefferson was
important to him and to Wakeman, but not that important. If he didn't get noticed
by the high school coach it wouldn't be the end of the world.

"Okay, now ve vill do Electrify," ordered Miss
Wolfe. Beth jumped into the starting position.

"Are you going to Bumpers?" Melanie asked Beth
after practice was over.

"Oh, I don't know. I've got a lot of studying to do
tonight, and I missed some of my lines at play rehearsal yesterday," said
Beth. "I'd better go home and study."

"Study? Aren't you going a little overboard?"
asked Melanie. "You brought your lunch and studied by yourself again
today. You've never had trouble remembering your lines before."

"I know, but for some reason I'm having trouble this
time."

"Oh, come on and go to Bumpers, Beth. It seems like we
never see you anymore."

"You're beginning to sound like Keith." Beth was sorry
she said it the way she did. She could tell by Melanie's face that she had hurt
her feelings.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Melanie. I didn't mean to say it that
way. All right, I'll go. But I can't stay long."

"There are Katie and Jana." Melanie grabbed Beth's
arm and pulled her toward the booth where they were saving seats for them.
Katie leaned across and whispered something to Jana.

"Here are the prides of the cheerleading squad,"
said Katie cheerfully, smiling up at Beth and Melanie.

"How are the prides of the Teen Court and
The Wigwam
yearbook?" asked Melanie, laughing.

Beth thought they all seemed extremely happy. "You're
still not going to tell us who you're going to the movies with?" asked
Jana.

"Nope," said Beth, trying to sound self-assured
and looking around.

"Where's Christie?" she asked, hoping she hadn't
already guessed.

"She went to see Keith after practice," said Jana.
"She'll be here later."

They talked about the usual things for a while, but Beth
caught Jana and Katie looking at her oddly a couple of times. She sensed a
stiffness to the conversation and tried to join in in spite of wishing she
could leave before Christie and Keith got there.

"Beth," Jana said suddenly. "Are you mad at
us?"

Beth was stunned by the question. "Why no, of course
not," she answered wide-eyed. "Why would you think that?"

"Well, it seems like you've been avoiding us,"
said Katie. "And we thought we had done something to make you angry."

Beth laughed. She had been so involved in her own problems
she hadn't thought about what her friends might be thinking about her not
spending time with them.

"No, believe me, I'm not mad at you guys. I've just had
a lot of things to think about."

"Good!" said Katie. "We were starting to
worry. We thought you were avoiding us in the morning before school, and then
during the lunch period you've started going outside by yourself. We didn't
know what was wrong."

"And I could have sworn you were crying the other day
when you went to the girls' room," said Jana. "You were almost
running."

Beth smiled at her. "Being a member of The Fabulous
Five is very important to me. You guys are my best friends."

"Whew! That's a relief," said Melanie. The
conversation perked up considerably after that.

Beth looked at her friends. They
were
very important
to her. She hated that it was Christie who was dating Keith. If it were anyone
besides one of The Fabulous Five, she could throw a tantrum and fight for him.
But if she got into a fight with Christie, it would probably break up the
group. She would never want to be the one who caused that.

She should have known that they would suspect something was
wrong. They had been her friends almost forever and had come to her rescue lots
of times. Like the time she had gone back to Mark Twain Elementary to hide when
she thought she was the cause of her mother's being ill. They had even gotten a
search party together to find her.

How much longer can I keep how I feel a secret? she asked
herself. What will happen if Christie finds out I still like Keith? Christie
likes him more and more. I can tell. Will she think I'm just jealous and
possessive and don't want anyone to go with Keith? Will she be mad at me?

Just then the door to Bumpers opened and some of the
football players came in. Trailing behind were Keith and Christie. They were
laughing happily.

Christie took Keith by the hand and led him to the booth
where the rest of The Fabulous Five was sitting. Beth stiffened her back and
took a deep breath. I can do it, she thought. I can hide my feelings. It's just
like acting. All I have to do is concentrate.

"Hi, everybody," Christie said cheerfully.

Keith gave Beth a small smile.

"You don't have room for us," Christie said,
looking around for another place to sit.

In a flash Beth said, "I'm leaving. The two of you can
squeeze in."

"Oh," said Christie. "Are you sure?"

"I've got to look over my part for tomorrow and study."
Beth was proud of the way she kept her voice from quivering. But it would be
better if she left now.

"We're all going to meet at the movies, right?"
asked Christie.

"I can't wait to see who this fabulous date of Beth's
is," said Melanie.

Beth felt like shrinking down to a little blob. Not only did
she not have a date for the movies, but everyone, including Keith, was going to
find out that she never had one.

She looked at the other members of The Fabulous Five and
gave them a big smile. "Good-bye, everyone." They all smiled back.
She had them fooled. She had them all fooled, even Keith. But they would all
know the truth tomorrow night.

Play practice went much more smoothly the next day. Mr.
Levine was all smiles after Beth finished her big part, and Chet Miller told
her what a super job she had done. It had taken a lot of concentration, but she
had done it, and she loved every minute of it.

She was starting to like Chet very much. He wasn't like a
lot of ninth-graders who thought it beneath their dignity to talk to a
seventh-grader. And he was nice looking.

Suddenly an idea struck Beth. She looked at Chet as he was
picking up his things to leave. Maybe . . . Could she be so lucky? She grabbed
her books and followed him out of the auditorium.

"You're a super actor," she said as she caught up
with him. "Have you been in a lot of plays?"

"Thanks. I've been in several," he answered.

"One of the books I have on acting says you should go
to as many movies as possible and analyze them. Do you ever do that?"

He looked at her curiously. "No. I never thought about
it."

"Like the movie that's on at the theater tonight. It's
supposed to be a good one to study. Are you going?"

"Yeah. I heard it's a riot."

"I suppose you have a date."

"No. I told Jay Chisholm I'd meet him there."

"Oh." Everything was going great. Now if she could
just pull off the next part.

"I was thinking about going, but I can't get a ride. My
brother's got the car and it would be out of his way."

"Uh"—she took a deep breath before she continued—"you
don't suppose I could get a ride with you, do you?"

"Oh, sure. I suppose so. Where do you live?"

Beth almost squealed with delight.

There were lots of kids in front of the theater when Chet's
mother and father pulled up to the curb to drop them off. Beth saw The Fabulous
Five and The Fantastic Foursome as well as nearly everyone else she knew that
counted.

"Oh, Chet," she said as they got out of the car. "Could
you do me a favor and get a ticket for me? I want to say hello to someone."
She handed him the money she had been holding since they had picked her up.

"Sure."

She walked with him to the ticket line so everyone could see
that she had come with him. Smiling, she waved at Jana, Melanie, Katie, and
Christie, who were waiting for their dates to buy tickets.

"I'll be right back," she said, patting Chet on
the arm.

"Wow!" said Katie. "Chet Miller."

"And a ninth-grader," said Melanie. "How did
you pull that off?"

"Oh, we were just talking after one of our practices,"
said Beth, leaving out the fact that it had been that day's practice, "and
he said he'd pick me up. He's nice."

"We won't be able to sit with you guys, though. Chet
wants to sit with Jay Chisholm. I'll see you later." She left them
standing with their mouths open, and she could feel the eyes of Laura McCall
and The Fantastic Foursome following her, too.

Chet was getting the tickets when she came back, and she
went to stand next to him. She saw Keith watching her. He had a strange look on
his face.

Luck was still with her when they went inside. They found
three seats together. Beth had visualized the ultimate horror of having to sit
by herself after she had made everyone think she was going with Chet.

She turned around to see where her friends were sitting, and
she looked Keith right in the eyes. They were three rows behind her. He looked
away quickly.

After the movie, she stood on the sidewalk with Chet waiting
for his parents. All the seventh-grade girls who passed looked at Chet and then
at her with envy in their eyes.

"Chet, would your mom and dad mind dropping me off at
home, instead of Bumpers?" asked Beth. "I'm not feeling too well."
Even though Beth's plan had gone off without a hitch, she didn't want to take
any more chances. If she went to Bumpers, someone was bound to say something
about their being on a date in front of Chet and ruin everything.

"No, my parents won't mind," Chet said, looking at
her closely. "Are you all right?"

He was nice. If she didn't like Keith so much, it would be
super to go on a real date with him sometime. That is if he ever really would
consider dating a seventh-grade girl.

She smiled at him and nodded. Even though he didn't know it,
he had done all he could for her.