Read Online Cloudy with a Chance of Boys by Megan McDonald - Free Book Online
Authors: Megan McDonald
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and Juliet . . .” she said, huffing and puffing. “It’s going to be here . . . right here . . . at the Raven!”
All three of us ran downstairs, Alex in the lead. Once Dad was off the phone, she made him explain what was going on.
“With all this rain, they had some kind of a major leak in the school auditorium” said Dad. “The ceiling caved in and flooded the place.”
Alex punched me in the arm. “Uh! How could you not tell me this!”
“I didn’t know anything about it!” I said.
“It just happened after school today,” said Dad. “Mr. Cannon says it’ll be a month or more before it’ll be dried out and they’re allowed back in again.”
“So, he wants to use the Raven for play practice?” Alex asked.
“Not just practice,” said Dad. “I suggested that we just go ahead and stage the whole thing right here. Isn’t that great news, honey?”
“Yeah. Great,” Alex mumbled. “Just great.”
Dad came over and gave her a hug. “Doing okay, kiddo? I know you had your heart set on playing Juliet. Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I just found out myself, Dad. Stevie told me.”
“Well, you know what they say. There are no small roles.”
“Only small people,” Alex chimed in flatly.
“Besides, Nurse isn’t exactly a small part. It’s the next biggest female role in the —”
“That’s the part I got? I’m Nurse? You have got to be kidding.”
“Who’s Nurse? What’s so bad about Nurse?” Joey asked.
“See? Nobody even knows who she is! She doesn’t even have a name. Just Juliet’s nurse. And she’s a bumbling idiot. She’s rude and loud and — uh! She’s a total fool.”
“‘O woe! O woeful, woeful, woeful day!’” Dad started in.
“That’s Nurse? See, you already know her speech,” I said.
“Nurse is an important character, Alex. Some might even argue necessary, because she provides counterpoint to Juliet. You know, comic relief.”
Dad was talking like a textbook again. “Arghh!” Alex said. “The only relief would be not being Jayden Pffeffer’s nurse!”
“I thought maybe you’d changed your mind and wanted this. Mr. Cannon tells me you pulled off quite a comical audition, and that’s what gave him the idea that you’d be perfect for the part of Nurse.”
“Great! I was trying for Juliet. C’mon, Dad. We both know the only part worse than Nurse is a lowly servant. There’s no way I’m taking this part. I’m just going to have to tell Mr. Cannon I quit. Either that, or I’ll have to stay home sick for the next two months!”
“On account of the Skittles?” I couldn’t help teasing.
“Alex, do you really want to quit the play just because you’re not the star?” Dad asked.
In the middle of this heated discussion, the phone on the counter rang again, startling us. Joey picked it up. “Reel residence. Whatcha got for me?” Joey liked to act weird when she answered the phone. Today’s personality was Joey Reel, Ace Reporter.
She handed me the phone. “Stevie. For you. It’s a boy. ”
“Ha-ha. Very funny. Gimme.” I motioned for her to hand over the phone. I knew it was Olivia.
“Hey,” I said, all friendly-like.
“Hey, yourself.”
“Excuse me?”
“It’s me, Owen. Owen O’Malley. From, um, detention.”
“Wire Rims?” I said. It popped out of my mouth before I could stop it.
What in the world was he doing calling me on the phone ? I took the phone into the family room, away from the owl eyes of my family. I swear my sisters have hearing as sharp as moths.
“Oh. Sorry. Hi.” My own voice sounded strange to me. I’d get Joey back later. “Um . . .” Stop saying um ! “What’s up?” I was talking too fast. “Did you know moths have, like, really great hearing?” I blurted, trying to fill the awkward silence. Great, just great. I sounded like the Science Friday guy on the radio.
“I did not know that,” said Wire Rims, chuckling. “I didn’t think moths had ears.”
“Well, ears or not,
All three of us ran downstairs, Alex in the lead. Once Dad was off the phone, she made him explain what was going on.
“With all this rain, they had some kind of a major leak in the school auditorium” said Dad. “The ceiling caved in and flooded the place.”
Alex punched me in the arm. “Uh! How could you not tell me this!”
“I didn’t know anything about it!” I said.
“It just happened after school today,” said Dad. “Mr. Cannon says it’ll be a month or more before it’ll be dried out and they’re allowed back in again.”
“So, he wants to use the Raven for play practice?” Alex asked.
“Not just practice,” said Dad. “I suggested that we just go ahead and stage the whole thing right here. Isn’t that great news, honey?”
“Yeah. Great,” Alex mumbled. “Just great.”
Dad came over and gave her a hug. “Doing okay, kiddo? I know you had your heart set on playing Juliet. Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I just found out myself, Dad. Stevie told me.”
“Well, you know what they say. There are no small roles.”
“Only small people,” Alex chimed in flatly.
“Besides, Nurse isn’t exactly a small part. It’s the next biggest female role in the —”
“That’s the part I got? I’m Nurse? You have got to be kidding.”
“Who’s Nurse? What’s so bad about Nurse?” Joey asked.
“See? Nobody even knows who she is! She doesn’t even have a name. Just Juliet’s nurse. And she’s a bumbling idiot. She’s rude and loud and — uh! She’s a total fool.”
“‘O woe! O woeful, woeful, woeful day!’” Dad started in.
“That’s Nurse? See, you already know her speech,” I said.
“Nurse is an important character, Alex. Some might even argue necessary, because she provides counterpoint to Juliet. You know, comic relief.”
Dad was talking like a textbook again. “Arghh!” Alex said. “The only relief would be not being Jayden Pffeffer’s nurse!”
“I thought maybe you’d changed your mind and wanted this. Mr. Cannon tells me you pulled off quite a comical audition, and that’s what gave him the idea that you’d be perfect for the part of Nurse.”
“Great! I was trying for Juliet. C’mon, Dad. We both know the only part worse than Nurse is a lowly servant. There’s no way I’m taking this part. I’m just going to have to tell Mr. Cannon I quit. Either that, or I’ll have to stay home sick for the next two months!”
“On account of the Skittles?” I couldn’t help teasing.
“Alex, do you really want to quit the play just because you’re not the star?” Dad asked.
In the middle of this heated discussion, the phone on the counter rang again, startling us. Joey picked it up. “Reel residence. Whatcha got for me?” Joey liked to act weird when she answered the phone. Today’s personality was Joey Reel, Ace Reporter.
She handed me the phone. “Stevie. For you. It’s a boy. ”
“Ha-ha. Very funny. Gimme.” I motioned for her to hand over the phone. I knew it was Olivia.
“Hey,” I said, all friendly-like.
“Hey, yourself.”
“Excuse me?”
“It’s me, Owen. Owen O’Malley. From, um, detention.”
“Wire Rims?” I said. It popped out of my mouth before I could stop it.
What in the world was he doing calling me on the phone ? I took the phone into the family room, away from the owl eyes of my family. I swear my sisters have hearing as sharp as moths.
“Oh. Sorry. Hi.” My own voice sounded strange to me. I’d get Joey back later. “Um . . .” Stop saying um ! “What’s up?” I was talking too fast. “Did you know moths have, like, really great hearing?” I blurted, trying to fill the awkward silence. Great, just great. I sounded like the Science Friday guy on the radio.
“I did not know that,” said Wire Rims, chuckling. “I didn’t think moths had ears.”
“Well, ears or not,
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