Read Online Olivia's Winter Wonderland by Lyn Gardner - Free Book Online Page B

“Katie, my apologies. Are you ready? Katie!” He turned to the others, perplexed. “Where is she?”
    â€œShe felt a bit sick,” said Aeysha.
    Jon looked worried. He knew something must have happened but he wasn’t a teacher; he had no idea what to do in these circumstances. Normally when he held children’s auditions for professional productions he had a full back-up of staff to deal with this sort of thing. He was the director, not the babysitter.
    â€œIs somebody looking after her?” he asked lamely.
    â€œI was just about to go and see,” said Aeysha.
    â€œI’m coming too,” said Georgia.
    â€œShould I wait in case she comes back?”
    â€œI don’t think she’ll be back,” said Aeysha. “Not today, anyway.”
    â€œOK,” said Jon with some relief. “Auditions over, kids.”

Chapter Eleven
    â€œIt was awful,” said Georgia. “But Aeysha was amazing to stand up to Kylie like that. She was awesome.” She blushed. “She made the rest of us look like total cowards. Kylie looked as if she wanted to kill Aeysha but when she realised that she wasn’t getting any support from her gang she just stomped out and none of them went after her.”
    â€œI wish I’d been there to see it,” said Olivia.
    â€œWhere were you?” asked Georgia.
    â€œTom got stuck in the horse’s head. I had to get Pablo to help me get him out. By the time we did he’d worked himself up into quite a state. He said he was going to die from heatstroke if he stayed in there a minute longer.”
    â€œWhere did you get that amazing pantohorse costume?” asked Aeysha curiously. “It looks like a real antique.”
    â€œAt an old music hall called Campion’s Palace of Varieties. Tom and I found it in Hangman’s Alley. We’ll take you, if you like.”
    Georgia wrinkled her nose. “I don’t like it around Hangman’s Alley. It’s too spooky. I always think I might come face to face with a ghost. In fact, I thought I saw one once, an old woman in an old-fashioned evening dress hobbling down the alley. I didn’t stick around to find out where she went.”
    â€œWell, you don’t have to come,” said Olivia, smiling to herself. “Finish telling me about Katie. Is she OK?”
    Aeysha and Georgia frowned. “We’ve looked everywhere, but we can’t find her. We tried ringing her mobile too. She must be here somewhere because some of her stuff’s still in the girls’ cloakroom,” said Georgia. “She was so upset when Kylie started singing. I thought she was going to dissolve into a puddle right there on the stage and disappear.”
    â€œI bet she wanted to,” said Olivia. “But Georgia’s right, Aeysha, you were brave to tackle Kylie. Do you think we should tell Granwhat happened? I think she’d want to know.”
    Aeysha looked uncomfortable. “It would be too much like snitching.”
    â€œMaybe we should just wait and see if it all settles down?” said Georgia. “Now the others have seen Aeysha standing up to Kylie and humiliating her, with any luck they’ll be less trouble. Without Kylie as a ringleader I reckon they’ll give Katie-baiting a rest.”
    â€œI hope you’re right,” said Olivia. “I’m not sure Tom’s so right about Katie being a survivor. I think with enough pressure she could break. Let’s try and find her.”
    Â 
    Katie sat hunched in the little cupboard in the girls’ cloakroom. She rubbed the tears off her cheeks fiercely with the back of her hand and listened hard. Everyone else had long gone home and even Olivia and the others appeared to have given up looking for her. It was ages since she had heard them calling her name and the last thing she remembered was Georgia saying, “Well, maybe she did just go home without her things,” and