Read Online Olivia Flies High by Lyn Gardner - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lyn Gardner
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then, even Georgia, so nobody, not even poor flustered Tom, had noticed the smug little expression of triumph that flashed across Katie’s face.
Chapter Nine
Tom stood outside the Clapham rehearsal room. It was all locked up. He looked at his watch. It was ten past ten, and there was still no sign of any of the others. He frowned; where could everybody else be? The call sheet, which told everyone where they needed to be the next day and at what time, had been pinned up on the notice board the day before as usual. Tom had carefully checked it before leaving the theatre. He knew that not checking the call sheet was considered very unprofessional. There was never any excuse for being late or being in the wrong place. Alps team had been called for the Duke’s at 10 a.m.
But early that morning, while he had been eating his breakfast, the house phone had rungand his mum had answered.
“That was Josie Cutwell from the theatre, Tom,” she’d said. “She sounded ever so young! There’s been a last-minute change of plan and you’re to go to Clapham this morning. Ten sharp. You’re going to have to hurry to get there in time.”
He had quickly gathered up his things and raced across London to Clapham, and had arrived at the rehearsal room in the nick of time only to discover that nobody else was there. It was very mysterious and quite annoying. He had really killed himself to get there on time. He was about to try to ring Georgia to find out where everyone had got to when a call came through on his mobile. It was Josie.
“Where are you, Tom? We’re all waiting for you.” She sounded angry.
“I’m at Clapham,” stuttered Tom.
“What on earth are you doing there?” said Josie. “The call sheet quite clearly said the theatre. Can’t you read?”
“But … you—”
Josie butted in. “Save the excuses, Tom. We’re all getting fed up with this. You’d better get here, double quick. This isn’t the firsttime you’ve held us all up. Jon is really losing patience.”
Tom set off back to the Tube station at a run, miserable and confused. Was Josie insane? Had she forgotten that she had rung his house this morning? Or was he the one who was going mad? He was beginning to wonder. His confidence was in pieces. Only the day before the bag with his practice clothes in, that he’d thought he’d tucked away in his dressing room, had gone missing and he’d had to rehearse in his outdoor clothes, something that had caused comment. Then, when he’d got back to the dressing room, the bag was there exactly where he thought he’d put it.
Joshua had been scornful. “It must have been there all along; who’d want to steal your practice clothes? Maybe the same person who didn’t steal your shoes. You’re losing it, mate.”
The journey back from Clapham to central London was a nightmare because of a broken-down train at Kennington. Tom hurried through the stage door, signed in, charged upstairs and changed as quickly as he could. Then he rushed back down into the wings, feeling as if he had run a marathon. He was dripping with sweatand his heart was pounding.
Jon James noticed him arrive. “Nice of you to join us, Tom,” he said, and his voice was so icy Tom felt like a bucket of freezing-cold water had been tipped over his head. It made him more nervous than ever, and he made a couple of silly mistakes during the rehearsal. He had been so thrilled to be cast in The Sound of Music , but now he was beginning to wish that he hadn’t.
He thought longingly of the Swan where he was good old reliable Tom and everybody liked him and rated him, but thinking of the Swan just made him think of Liv. If only they’d still been friends, he could have told her everything that had happened and how insecure he was beginning to feel. Maybe he wasn’t a performer after all; maybe he just didn’t have what was needed to make it in the professional theatre.
When they broke for lunch, Abbie rushed over to him and gave him a
Chapter Nine
Tom stood outside the Clapham rehearsal room. It was all locked up. He looked at his watch. It was ten past ten, and there was still no sign of any of the others. He frowned; where could everybody else be? The call sheet, which told everyone where they needed to be the next day and at what time, had been pinned up on the notice board the day before as usual. Tom had carefully checked it before leaving the theatre. He knew that not checking the call sheet was considered very unprofessional. There was never any excuse for being late or being in the wrong place. Alps team had been called for the Duke’s at 10 a.m.
But early that morning, while he had been eating his breakfast, the house phone had rungand his mum had answered.
“That was Josie Cutwell from the theatre, Tom,” she’d said. “She sounded ever so young! There’s been a last-minute change of plan and you’re to go to Clapham this morning. Ten sharp. You’re going to have to hurry to get there in time.”
He had quickly gathered up his things and raced across London to Clapham, and had arrived at the rehearsal room in the nick of time only to discover that nobody else was there. It was very mysterious and quite annoying. He had really killed himself to get there on time. He was about to try to ring Georgia to find out where everyone had got to when a call came through on his mobile. It was Josie.
“Where are you, Tom? We’re all waiting for you.” She sounded angry.
“I’m at Clapham,” stuttered Tom.
“What on earth are you doing there?” said Josie. “The call sheet quite clearly said the theatre. Can’t you read?”
“But … you—”
Josie butted in. “Save the excuses, Tom. We’re all getting fed up with this. You’d better get here, double quick. This isn’t the firsttime you’ve held us all up. Jon is really losing patience.”
Tom set off back to the Tube station at a run, miserable and confused. Was Josie insane? Had she forgotten that she had rung his house this morning? Or was he the one who was going mad? He was beginning to wonder. His confidence was in pieces. Only the day before the bag with his practice clothes in, that he’d thought he’d tucked away in his dressing room, had gone missing and he’d had to rehearse in his outdoor clothes, something that had caused comment. Then, when he’d got back to the dressing room, the bag was there exactly where he thought he’d put it.
Joshua had been scornful. “It must have been there all along; who’d want to steal your practice clothes? Maybe the same person who didn’t steal your shoes. You’re losing it, mate.”
The journey back from Clapham to central London was a nightmare because of a broken-down train at Kennington. Tom hurried through the stage door, signed in, charged upstairs and changed as quickly as he could. Then he rushed back down into the wings, feeling as if he had run a marathon. He was dripping with sweatand his heart was pounding.
Jon James noticed him arrive. “Nice of you to join us, Tom,” he said, and his voice was so icy Tom felt like a bucket of freezing-cold water had been tipped over his head. It made him more nervous than ever, and he made a couple of silly mistakes during the rehearsal. He had been so thrilled to be cast in The Sound of Music , but now he was beginning to wish that he hadn’t.
He thought longingly of the Swan where he was good old reliable Tom and everybody liked him and rated him, but thinking of the Swan just made him think of Liv. If only they’d still been friends, he could have told her everything that had happened and how insecure he was beginning to feel. Maybe he wasn’t a performer after all; maybe he just didn’t have what was needed to make it in the professional theatre.
When they broke for lunch, Abbie rushed over to him and gave him a
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