Read Online Film Star by Rowan Coleman - Free Book Online Page A

yourself!”
    I noticed that Anne-Marie was managing all the compliments while all I had done was remind her about the whole vomiting thing. I tried to make up for it.
    â€œReally great false nose,” I said. Imogene laughed again—at least she thought I was funny.
    â€œThanks,” she said. “I borrowed it from Nicole. But look, the real reason you didn’t spot it was me wasn’t because of the disguise; it was because when I had this wig on I became Lisa Wells—or at least my version of her. I was her, so there was no Imogene Grant for you to notice.”
    â€œYou are an amazing actress,” Anne-Marie said.
    â€œYou really are,” I said, determined not to be left out when it came to showering compliments. Imogene beamed at us.
    â€œI’m sorry to shock you, girls. I wanted to be in theauditions but I was afraid of throwing the candidates off. I have to dress up in disguises a lot just to get around town, you know, on the bus or whatever, without people mobbing me.”
    Anne-Marie and I looked amazed at each other. Imogene Grant on the bus?
    â€œI think you put me off more as Lisa Wells than you would have as Imogene Grant,” I said. Imogene nodded.
    â€œWell that was a little test Art and I came up with between ourselves. We needed the person who plays Polly Harris’s character to have guts and determination, to carry on no matter what happens. And you both did!” She smiled at us again. “So I hope that you both forgive me. I hope I wasn’t too scary.”
    â€œYou were wonderful, ” Anne-Marie said sincerely. “An amazing performance.”
    I looked at Ms Lighthouse to see if she was as shocked as we were and saw that she was perfectly serene. She had known all along. I started to feel annoyed. I mean I was thrilled and excited that I had just met Imogene Grant, and proud and happy that I had auditioned for Art Dubrovnik and acted with Jeremy Fort. I was practically delirious! But at that point there was really only one thing that I wanted to know.
    â€œWho got the part?” I asked Imogene Grant straightout. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be rude; you are completely my hero and I know I should just shut up and wait, but please—before I explode or implode or something —can you just tell us? Who got the part?”
    Imogene Grant smiled at me and glanced at Mr Dubrovnik.
    â€œ You got the part, Ruby,” she said. “In the end we wanted your vulnerability, your sense of humour in the role.” I let her words wash over me and then slowly, slowly sink in. I glanced at Anne-Marie who had her Oscar nominee loser’s smile perfectly placed on her lovely face.
    â€œAnne-Marie,” Imogene turned to her. “We loved your feisty, funny portrayal of the character, and I can see you have a great talent, but in this one case it wasn’t what we needed for the film. But please don’t give up. Your time will come, I am certain of that. I’ll keep you in mind for any future projects I have.”
    Anne-Marie nodded and her smile seemed a little more real this time. She hooked her arm around my neck and kissed me on the cheek.
    â€œYou did it, Ruby,” she said, jiggling me up and down as she hugged me. “You did it!”
    And finally I realised exactly what I had done.
    I had got the part. And now? Now everything would change.

Chapter Eight
    I sat up in bed, wide awake in the dark, and I knew I had to be somewhere, I just couldn’t remember exactly where. As I tried to get out of bed I thumped my head against the cold, hard painted surface of a wall that was somehow on the wrong side of my bed. I sank back in bed and rubbed my forehead. It was still dark in the room and it took a few half-asleep moments for me to work out where I was.
    â€œThe flat,” I grumbled to myself. The flat Mum and I were renting in Watford during shooting so that I could get to the set at Elm Tree