faintly irritated, ‘ I can sing,’ she says.
Shane shrugs and dips a chip in his lasagne.
‘You should audition for the star part, Shane,’ Jo pushes. ‘You’d make a great Oliver.’
‘Nah, too wimpy. I’d rather be the Artful Dodger. That’d be a right laugh! Or Fagin. How about you, Indie?’
I pull a face and pretend I’m not that bothered, but the truth is I’d try out for any part, because I love drama. I spend my school days being told off for daydreaming, but being an actor… isn’t that like daydreaming for a living? Trying on other people’s lives to see how they fit?
Suddenly I can feel Shane looking at me, his green eyes searching my face, and my cheeks flame pink. He starts laughing and nicks a couple of my chips, but I know I didn’t imagine it because Jo is staring at me, stony-faced, and Buzz and Iqbal are nudging each other and making leery ‘way-hey-hey’ noises.
‘I’m not really interested,’ I say to Jo helplessly. I mean the flirty looks, not the play, and I hope they all get the message. Jo still looks furious, though.
She offers Shane her chips, but Buzz and Iqbal scoff them instead, and by the time we get to the treacle pudding Shane has switched the conversation to skateboarding and they’re rattling on about half pipes, ollies and grinders.
Jo makes one last attempt to get Shane’s attention. ‘You’re great on that skateboard,’ she says. ‘I’d love to have a try, but it just looks so difficult…’
This is the girl who can do a handstand on the balance beam and follow it off with a somersault before landing in the splits. She’s been doing gymnastics since she was four .
I try to remember what her beloved teen mags say, and decide Jo’s got hormone trouble. Growing up is a very scary thing. I hope it never happens to me.
Shane smiles, and tells her he’d be happy to give her lessons, any time.
‘And you two, of course,’ he adds, with a flash of grin to Aisha and me. Then he’s away, Buzz and Iqbal following in his wake, and Jo’s glaring at me.
‘Did you have to keep butting in?’ she explodes. ‘That was a private conversation. It’s me he likes, Indie, so why do you have to get in on the act? You’re just so childish…’
‘But I didn’t…’
Jo’s eyes flare. ‘You did . Aisha saw, didn’t you, Aish? Why can’t you just back off?’
‘But… Look, Jo, I’m sorry,’ I manage. ‘I didn’t mean anything. I just didn’t think…’
‘Don’t get all wound up,’ Aisha pleads. ‘He did say he’d give you lessons on the skateboard. He must like you. And we don’t want to fall out over a lad…’
We?
But Jo softens. ‘D’you think he really does fancy me?’ she demands.
‘Er, well, probably…’ Aisha says.
‘Definitely,’ I add, wondering when I got to be such a good liar.
We finish our treacle sponge and listen to Jo telling us how she’s been crazy about Shane Taggart since Year Two. I frown. Since last week, more like, but I’m not about to argue.
‘I’m definitely trying out for the part of Nancy,’ she says. ‘Shane’s bound to get a good part, and we’d be rehearsing together the whole time. He’ll definitely notice me then.’
‘Bound to,’ Aisha echoes.
‘Will you two help me learn my lines for the auditions?’ Jo asks, giving us both her poor-lost-little-kitten look.
‘No problem,’ Aisha nods, and somehow that’s the last straw. Shane makes me blush, Jo’s hacked off with me and now Aisha’s moving in on my best mate.
‘We could run lines at my place one night after school,’ I suggest, looking straight at Jo. ‘I asked Mum and she said any night this week would be fine. What day suits you, Jo?’
Jo reels off her social diary. Swimming on Mondays, gymnastics tonight and Thursday, violin Friday… we decide on tomorrow, as long as Jo’s mum agrees.
‘We can listen to CDs and read mags and go through your lines for the audition…’
I’m keeping my eyes on Jo so I
Shane shrugs and dips a chip in his lasagne.
‘You should audition for the star part, Shane,’ Jo pushes. ‘You’d make a great Oliver.’
‘Nah, too wimpy. I’d rather be the Artful Dodger. That’d be a right laugh! Or Fagin. How about you, Indie?’
I pull a face and pretend I’m not that bothered, but the truth is I’d try out for any part, because I love drama. I spend my school days being told off for daydreaming, but being an actor… isn’t that like daydreaming for a living? Trying on other people’s lives to see how they fit?
Suddenly I can feel Shane looking at me, his green eyes searching my face, and my cheeks flame pink. He starts laughing and nicks a couple of my chips, but I know I didn’t imagine it because Jo is staring at me, stony-faced, and Buzz and Iqbal are nudging each other and making leery ‘way-hey-hey’ noises.
‘I’m not really interested,’ I say to Jo helplessly. I mean the flirty looks, not the play, and I hope they all get the message. Jo still looks furious, though.
She offers Shane her chips, but Buzz and Iqbal scoff them instead, and by the time we get to the treacle pudding Shane has switched the conversation to skateboarding and they’re rattling on about half pipes, ollies and grinders.
Jo makes one last attempt to get Shane’s attention. ‘You’re great on that skateboard,’ she says. ‘I’d love to have a try, but it just looks so difficult…’
This is the girl who can do a handstand on the balance beam and follow it off with a somersault before landing in the splits. She’s been doing gymnastics since she was four .
I try to remember what her beloved teen mags say, and decide Jo’s got hormone trouble. Growing up is a very scary thing. I hope it never happens to me.
Shane smiles, and tells her he’d be happy to give her lessons, any time.
‘And you two, of course,’ he adds, with a flash of grin to Aisha and me. Then he’s away, Buzz and Iqbal following in his wake, and Jo’s glaring at me.
‘Did you have to keep butting in?’ she explodes. ‘That was a private conversation. It’s me he likes, Indie, so why do you have to get in on the act? You’re just so childish…’
‘But I didn’t…’
Jo’s eyes flare. ‘You did . Aisha saw, didn’t you, Aish? Why can’t you just back off?’
‘But… Look, Jo, I’m sorry,’ I manage. ‘I didn’t mean anything. I just didn’t think…’
‘Don’t get all wound up,’ Aisha pleads. ‘He did say he’d give you lessons on the skateboard. He must like you. And we don’t want to fall out over a lad…’
We?
But Jo softens. ‘D’you think he really does fancy me?’ she demands.
‘Er, well, probably…’ Aisha says.
‘Definitely,’ I add, wondering when I got to be such a good liar.
We finish our treacle sponge and listen to Jo telling us how she’s been crazy about Shane Taggart since Year Two. I frown. Since last week, more like, but I’m not about to argue.
‘I’m definitely trying out for the part of Nancy,’ she says. ‘Shane’s bound to get a good part, and we’d be rehearsing together the whole time. He’ll definitely notice me then.’
‘Bound to,’ Aisha echoes.
‘Will you two help me learn my lines for the auditions?’ Jo asks, giving us both her poor-lost-little-kitten look.
‘No problem,’ Aisha nods, and somehow that’s the last straw. Shane makes me blush, Jo’s hacked off with me and now Aisha’s moving in on my best mate.
‘We could run lines at my place one night after school,’ I suggest, looking straight at Jo. ‘I asked Mum and she said any night this week would be fine. What day suits you, Jo?’
Jo reels off her social diary. Swimming on Mondays, gymnastics tonight and Thursday, violin Friday… we decide on tomorrow, as long as Jo’s mum agrees.
‘We can listen to CDs and read mags and go through your lines for the audition…’
I’m keeping my eyes on Jo so I
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