Read Online Exit Stage Left by Gail Nall - Free Book Online

Harrison The List.
    “Wait!” Amanda stops dead in the hallway and whirls around to face me.
    “Oh my God, what?” I feel my hair for a giant spider. Nothing’s there. “What?”
    Amanda’s pointing at me with the brush. “I figured it out. You’re Quiet Girl this week, aren’t you? Inspired by Silent Hollywood Guy?”
    I blink at her.
    “That’s it, right? I mean, you’ve barely said anything yesterday or today, except in texts or during rehearsal.” Amanda grins like she’s won a game show or something.
    “Um, yeah. You guessed it!” I force myself to smile. The truth is, I said more to Oliver yesterday than I have to Amanda all week. I’ve just been really preoccupied. “Quiet as a mouse. That’s me.”
    “See, I’ve known you too long.” Amanda lifts her chin in victory as we sit at our desks.
    I tap my foot on the ancient, pea-green linoleum as I wait for Pre-calc to start. Before Holland became the regional school for performing and visual arts in South Central Indiana, it was plain old Holland High School. The linoleum is probably vintage HHS.
    Harrison sits across the room from Amanda and me, but I’m not about to text him with something as important and life-changing as The List. When the bell finally rings, I grab my stuff, say good-bye to Amanda, and run after Harrison.
    “Hey,” I say when I catch up to him at his locker. “What’s up?”
    “Nothing. Life still sucks. You?” He throws his Spanish book into the locker so hard the metal wall rattles. His picture with Anthony Rapp, who totally made the role of Mark in Rent , flutters to the floor. It lands tape side down. I pick it up and restick it to the locker door. The Harrison in the photo looks like the normal Harrison I know—happy. We’d stood outside a stage door in Indy years ago, in the freezing cold for an hour, just so he could get that picture. Maybe my great idea will make him look that way again.
    “I have a surprise,” I say.
    “What?”
    “Not here.” I look side to side. I don’t want anyone else to hear my plan before Harrison. Gabby’s a few lockers over, talking to Jill from the stage crew. Which is a nice change from seeing her chasing after Trevor like usual these days. And I know there’s a group of set design guys behind us. As big as this school is, the theater people always seem to be drawn together, like gossip-loving magnets.
    “Why? What’s so top secret that you can’t talk about it in thehallway?”
    “Don’t ask questions. Just meet me after school.”
    The rest of the day drags by. I barely make it through a splatter paint project in Expressions of Art. When the bell rings, I grab Harrison and pull him outside. I lead the way down the front steps through clumps of students.
    “Casey! Harrison!” Kelly waves at us from where she’s standing with Chris, Tim, and some other drama people.
    I wave back. “See you later.” The List can’t wait. Now that I’m determined to find my true passion in life, I don’t want to waste another second. Kelly gives us a funny look and turns back to the others.
    We weave through the parked buses out front and the parents lined up for carpool. I don’t stop until we reach the small park across the street, where I plop onto a bench. Harrison stands in front me.
    “So, what’s all this about? Did Ms. Sharp change her mind?”
    “No. Better than that.”
    “What, then?” He drops his backpack on the ground and sits next to me. “I’ve got to get to the elementary school by four.” Once a week, Harrison volunteers to help little kids learn about theater. It’s insanely cute, and he’s great with the kids. I’d do it too, but I decided a long time ago that I couldn’t let anything interfere with my dedication to my art. No volunteering, no job (much to Mom’s annoyance), no unrelated extracurriculars. Only theater, dance class, and voice lessons. And, well, Trevor.
    I might be regretting all that now.
    “Remember yesterday, when you said you