Taffy Sinclair 011 - Nobody Likes Taffy Sinclair by Betsy Haynes Page A
Authors: Betsy Haynes
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good. Very good. Taffy felt little prickles of jealousy creep up the back of her neck at all the attention Summer was getting. Even some of the mothers were congratulating her on a good job.
Next Mr. Crandall called Cynthia Cameron to the front of the room. Tall, blond Cynthia was Taffy ' s biggest rival for modeling jobs and had almost stolen a television commercial away from Taffy last spring when Taffy had been too busy trying to recover her lost diary to attend an audition. What if Cynthia got my role in the television series? Taffy thought in horror.
Taffy narrowed her ey es and watched Cynthia improvise for the casting director. He told her that she was alone in a burning building. There was only one way out, through a window, and the flames were quickly closing in on that window. But she couldn ' t escape yet. Fido, the dog she had loved all her life, was still somewhere in the burning house.
Cynthia began swatting at the flames and smoke and calling out to Fido. She looked under imaginary furniture and then toward her shrinking escape route with an expression of terror on her face.
She ' s good, too, thought Taffy. Terrific, as a matter of fact.
When Cynthia finished her scene, the applause was even louder than it had been for Summer. Taffy made a face as she watched both girls. Summer looked so superior that anyone would think she was already a star. Well, she isn ' t, thought Taffy. I am.
Cynthia was smiling and batting her long eyelashes at Channing Crandall as if he were the most wonderful person on earth.
" It ' s disgusting, " Taffy whispered to herself. " Totally disgusting! "
When the room grew quiet again, the casting director turned to her. " Taffy, we all know what a good actress you are. I ' d like for you to show the rest of the class how you do improvisation. "
Taffy didn ' t move for a moment. This was it, the moment when she would have to decide if she wanted to stay at Wacko Junior High and let someone else become a star in her place or if she wanted to prove again to Channing Crandall and everyone in the room, especially Summer and Cynthia, what a terrific actress she was.
" Go on, honey, " urged her mother. " What are you waiting for? Break a leg. "
Cynthia Cameron put a hand over her mouth to deflect the sound and began imitating Mrs. Sinclair. " Go on, honey. Break your neck. "
Giggles broke out all around Cynthia, and Taffy felt the anger rising in her face. Now she certainly couldn ' t blow her improvisation and let Cynthia make a fool out of her. Tiffany was her part.
Taffy raised her head and smiled as she stepped to the front of the room. " I ' d be happy to improvise for you, Mr. Crandall, " she said demurely, and immediately the giggles stopped behind her.
The casting director thought a moment and then said, " You are in love with a very special young man. It took you a long time to find each other, and you are very happy together. But now something urgent has come up, and you must go away. You must find the right way to break the news to him. "
Taffy stared at Channing Crandall for an instant, thinking how close he was to describing her own life. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, Cory Dillon was standing beside her. Only this was an old-fashioned Cory, wearing a powdered wig and dressed in knee-length breeches. He was smiling and motioning for her to walk into a garden with him.
Taffy smoothed her long hoop skirt and said, " There ' s something important that I must tell you. " They walked along in silence for a moment as she tried to find the words. Finally she stopped and sat down beneath a tree, looking into his handsome face as he knelt beside her.
" I must go away soon. Tomorrow, as a matter of fact. " She held up her hand to prevent him from interrupting. " It is because of a letter I received, containing proof that I am not who you think I am. According to the letter, my parents were traveling actors who stopped here one cold winter night and left
Next Mr. Crandall called Cynthia Cameron to the front of the room. Tall, blond Cynthia was Taffy ' s biggest rival for modeling jobs and had almost stolen a television commercial away from Taffy last spring when Taffy had been too busy trying to recover her lost diary to attend an audition. What if Cynthia got my role in the television series? Taffy thought in horror.
Taffy narrowed her ey es and watched Cynthia improvise for the casting director. He told her that she was alone in a burning building. There was only one way out, through a window, and the flames were quickly closing in on that window. But she couldn ' t escape yet. Fido, the dog she had loved all her life, was still somewhere in the burning house.
Cynthia began swatting at the flames and smoke and calling out to Fido. She looked under imaginary furniture and then toward her shrinking escape route with an expression of terror on her face.
She ' s good, too, thought Taffy. Terrific, as a matter of fact.
When Cynthia finished her scene, the applause was even louder than it had been for Summer. Taffy made a face as she watched both girls. Summer looked so superior that anyone would think she was already a star. Well, she isn ' t, thought Taffy. I am.
Cynthia was smiling and batting her long eyelashes at Channing Crandall as if he were the most wonderful person on earth.
" It ' s disgusting, " Taffy whispered to herself. " Totally disgusting! "
When the room grew quiet again, the casting director turned to her. " Taffy, we all know what a good actress you are. I ' d like for you to show the rest of the class how you do improvisation. "
Taffy didn ' t move for a moment. This was it, the moment when she would have to decide if she wanted to stay at Wacko Junior High and let someone else become a star in her place or if she wanted to prove again to Channing Crandall and everyone in the room, especially Summer and Cynthia, what a terrific actress she was.
" Go on, honey, " urged her mother. " What are you waiting for? Break a leg. "
Cynthia Cameron put a hand over her mouth to deflect the sound and began imitating Mrs. Sinclair. " Go on, honey. Break your neck. "
Giggles broke out all around Cynthia, and Taffy felt the anger rising in her face. Now she certainly couldn ' t blow her improvisation and let Cynthia make a fool out of her. Tiffany was her part.
Taffy raised her head and smiled as she stepped to the front of the room. " I ' d be happy to improvise for you, Mr. Crandall, " she said demurely, and immediately the giggles stopped behind her.
The casting director thought a moment and then said, " You are in love with a very special young man. It took you a long time to find each other, and you are very happy together. But now something urgent has come up, and you must go away. You must find the right way to break the news to him. "
Taffy stared at Channing Crandall for an instant, thinking how close he was to describing her own life. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, Cory Dillon was standing beside her. Only this was an old-fashioned Cory, wearing a powdered wig and dressed in knee-length breeches. He was smiling and motioning for her to walk into a garden with him.
Taffy smoothed her long hoop skirt and said, " There ' s something important that I must tell you. " They walked along in silence for a moment as she tried to find the words. Finally she stopped and sat down beneath a tree, looking into his handsome face as he knelt beside her.
" I must go away soon. Tomorrow, as a matter of fact. " She held up her hand to prevent him from interrupting. " It is because of a letter I received, containing proof that I am not who you think I am. According to the letter, my parents were traveling actors who stopped here one cold winter night and left
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