Olivia's Winter Wonderland by Lyn Gardner Page B

auditionees for the Swan panto. You deserve your chance, and I have complete faith in you.”
    What was far worse than the taunts from the other girls was the gnawing feeling that she had already failed Miss Swan by doing something utterly stupid and unforgivable. How could she have added her own name to the Zelda audition list without thinking through the consequences? Every time Katie thought about it, it made her stomach churn. If only she could turn back the clock. She was sure to be found out and then all the faith Miss Swan had in her would be destroyed. Katie would be excluded from the Swan for a second time, but this timeforever. There would be no coming back again.
    Katie took a deep breath as she watched Georgia finish her song and dance. There was only one thing for it. She was going to have to confess. If she tried to explain what had happened at the cash machine and how upset and worried she was about her mum and their lack of money, and beg for forgiveness, maybe Miss Swan would understand and show her mercy.
    She had already tried twice, but the first time Mrs Gibbs had appeared with an urgent call for Alicia, and the second time she had just completely lost her nerve and had been left stuttering in front of Miss Swan.
    But she wouldn’t be such a coward again. The minute the audition was over, she was going to knock on Miss Swan’s door and insist on speaking to her. She would confess all about her moment of madness, and get her name removed from the Zelda audition list, and maybe it would all be all right. Maybe her place at the Swan would be safe after all, and she’d make Miss Swan so proud of her that the Coven wouldn’t dare come near her.
    Georgia finished her audition andeverybody clapped hard, and a few people cheered as she left the stage and slipped back down into the auditorium.
    â€œOK, Livy and Tom, let’s see what you can do.” Jon James, the director of the Swan pantomime, looked expectantly at the empty stage. He tipped back on his chair and yawned. It had been a long day. The auditions for
Cinderella
had started first thing in the morning with the youngest children in the school and were now finishing with Years Nine and Ten, who were sitting patiently in rows and watching each other perform. Everyone wanted to win a role in the panto.
    The children had prepared their auditions without help from the Swan staff, even the very youngest ones. Some had performed alone, while others had performed in pairs or small groups. Eel, Emmy Lovedale and some of their friends had devised a wickedly comic spoof of
The Dying Swan
that had made Jon laugh a great deal and mentally vow to find a spot for all of them in the pantomime. He’d also enjoyed a high-kicking chorus line choreographed by Kylie Morris and some of her friends. But he had also heard endless renditions of “When IGrow Up” from
Matilda
and seen scores of tap dancers, and although they were all highly professional, he was beginning to flag. He could already cast the Swan’s
Cinderella
ten times over and inevitably some of the children were going to be disappointed, particularly as the major leads were going to go to ex-Swan pupils. Abbie Cardew, who was in an upcoming movie, was playing the fairy godmother. Theo Deacon had said he would play the prince and Amber Lavelle was going to play Cinderella. It was a pity really; Jon would have much preferred Olivia as his Cinders, but even if she would do it, which he doubted, she would be far too young to play opposite Theo.
    It was a pity Theo couldn’t be persuaded to play Baron Hard-Up or one of the ugly sisters. But when he and Alicia had suggested it to Theo’s agent Sheridan, she had raised her eyebrow and said it would never do for Hollywood’s most sought-after romantic lead to be laughed at.
    â€œI have to think about Theo’s future, darlings. He’s not a Z-list reality-show celeb desperate to do panto, he’s a real