Film Star by Rowan Coleman Page B

eat almost the same thing every day, and I’m not a stick insect. And actually, I think you are beautiful just as you are. But if you’re this unhappy, it’s worth finding out about, right? I’ll come with you, if you like, to see the nurse.” Finally, Nydia gave me a half-smile.
    â€œReally?” she said.
    â€œOf course,” I said.
    â€œWhat—even if you’re off shooting your first movie?”
    â€œEven if,” I said, and then I laughed. “Not that I’m going to get that part in a million years. Anne-Marie is miles prettier than me.”
    â€œI’m sorry I got jealous,” Nydia said.
    â€œI’m sorry,” I said. “I got so caught up in all of this I wasn’t a very good friend. Anne-Marie says friendship comes second when you’re an actor, but I don’t think so. I think that no matter what happens, friendship should always come first.”
    When we got to class it didn’t matter that we were late. The entire class was out of their desks and gathered around two large windows, including Mr Barlow the maths teacher.
    â€œSorry we’re—What’s going on?” Nydia asked, and Mr Barlow turned round.
    â€œThere you are, Ruby!” he exclaimed. “Come and see! I think that the field has just narrowed rather considerably. I don’t suppose they came out here to issue rejections.”
    I rushed to the window and elbowed my way past Menakshi to Anne-Marie’s side. Just pulling up to the main entrance of the school was a red convertible Rolls Royce carrying two passengers—Art Dubrovnik and Lisa Wells.
    â€œIt’s one of us,” Anne-Marie said, her voice as high and as taught as a tightrope. Her hand darted out and gripped my wrist hard.
    â€œOuch,” I said.
    â€œSorry,” Anne-Marie said, but she didn’t let go.
    â€œIt might not be one of us,” I started cautiously. “Maybe they were just in the area and—”
    â€œOh, shut up, idiot,” Anne-Marie said. So I did.
    We watched as the pair walked up the steps to theentrance, greeted halfway by Ms Lighthouse. They spoke for a few moments and then Ms Lighthouse nodded emphatically and led them inside.
    It seemed like years before we heard Mrs Moore’s footsteps in the corridor. She knocked on the open door and waited for Mr Barlow to invite her in before she entered.
    â€œI’m sorry to interrupt you, Mr Barlow,” Mrs Moore said. Mrs Moore was always terribly polite, which was usually quite funny, but right at that moment seemed like a dreadful waste of time.
    â€œNothing much to interrupt here at the moment, Mrs Moore,” Mr Barlow said cheerfully. He nodded at Anne-Marie and me. “I think we’ll have to put these two out of their misery before I get this lot back to equations. I take it you want to take Ruby and Anne-Marie out of class?”
    Mrs Moore nodded. “Yes, please, Mr Barlow. Thank you very much.” She glanced at the two of us impassively. “Come along, girls,” she said. And clutching each other’s hands, Anne-Marie and I followed her.
    â€œHey, girls,” Nydia called out. I turned and looked at her. “Break a leg,” she said with a smile. But I was almost certain it was an actor’s smile—a fake one.
    Mr Dubrovnik and Lisa Wells were sitting opposite Ms Lighthouse’s desk when we came in, drinking tea out of Ms Lighthouse’s flowery china cups. Art Dubrovnik smiled at us, and Lisa Wells looked us up and down with an air of decided disappointment.
    â€œTake a seat, girls,” Ms Lighthouse said. We saw that two classroom chairs had been brought in for us to sit on, so we sat down. Every second ticked by as if an hour had been inserted in between.
    â€œWell,” Sylvia Lighthouse said, leaning forward on her desk and pressing her fingers together. “I am delighted that Mr Dubrovnik and…his associate have come out to see