with him, just like the fish in our stream. I followed them to my classroom and took a seat.
Other kids drifted in and sat down. When the afterclang of the nine o’clock bell was still in the air, Miss Rankle came in. She got all of us to say our names, and then she introduced herself. “My name is
Miss Rankle
,” she said, as if daring us to say that it wasn’t true. She was writing her name in block letters on the blackboard when the classroom door twirled open and a blonde girl twirled in. When Miss Rankle turned to glare, a bunch of other girls waved at the blonde and mouthed ‘Hi’. A couple of them moved books and stuff from the seat they had been saving for her.
“You are late, Kendra,” Miss Rankle said.
“Sorreeeeeeee!”
Miss Rankle started the morning with a lecture on social responsibility. I didn’t really listen to her advice on how not to be a racist and how not to be a vandal. I was watching the jerking hands of the overhead clock bringing me toward my own future. The recess bell rang, sounding a bit hysterical. I pulled myself upright and went to the classroom door.
A bunch of girls were walking downstairs with the late, blonde Kendra. I tailed them. Outside they walked really slowly. Sometimes they stopped altogether, to concentrate on exclaiming or laughing. I caught up to them before I was really ready. I stood almost as close to these girls as they stood to each other. It felt weird to just attach myself to their personal space as if they were a washroom lineup or something. But wasn’t that what I had to do? It was time to just join in.
“So, Kendra, was it just, like, too fun for words?” A girl named Sienna was saying this.
“I wish,” said Kendra. “I just wish acting was, like, one-sixteenth as glamorous as everybody thinks. You have
no
idea. My first day on the set, I’m thinking—this is
brutal
! Like, no wonder they have to pay actresses mega millions.”
“How’s it so brutal?” asked another girl called Twyla.
“Where do I start? Okay, makeup,” Kendra said. “I’m trapped in this chair with people swarming all over me, like, so serious you’d figure they’re doing brain surgery, and every time I blink they’re like—
Don’t move
! And I’m like—
Okay ... will it be all right if I keep breathing
? Then after about five hours this makeup guy calls the director over and he’s like—
Oh my God! That hair! It’s celestial
! He actually used that word—celestial. Weird huh? And I’m like—
It’s my hair, okay, what’s the big deal
?”
“Wow, you were in a movie?” I asked. I know I said it out loud, but no one else seemed to hear.
“And then we start shooting,” Kendra continued, “and it’s like—
More stress on the‘and’
!
Slower on the‘if’
! And blah blah blah blah blah. I mean, the money is great and all, but fun? Uh, no.”
“How much did you get paid?” Twyla asked.
“Mom forbids me to discuss it,” Kendra said. “She says it’s rude to make people jealous. Anyway, she snatched my entire paycheque and stuck it in this fund thingy that I can’t touch ’til I’m nineteen. And I’m like—
Mom, just let me have a thousand to spend now. Just one thousand
. And she’s like—
No way! It’s invested in a mutual fund, leave it alone and you’ll be a wealthy woman someday
.”
“Wow,” said a girl named Nova. “I’d love to be in a movie.”
“Trust me, you wouldn’t,” Kendra said.
“What’s it called again?” Twyla asked.
“
Clean Getaway
,” Kendra replied.
“Let’s all go see it,” said Nova.
“It might not get released here,” Kendra said. “Some copyright suing thingy.”
“
Clean Getaway
,” Twyla announced. “Starring Kendra Amelie Madeleine Smith!”
“Hardly,” Kendra said. “I’m barely a co-star. Like, I’m way down there in the credits.”
“Wow,” I said. “How did you get the part?” To make sure I was heard this time, I had raised my voice. More than I meant to. You
Other kids drifted in and sat down. When the afterclang of the nine o’clock bell was still in the air, Miss Rankle came in. She got all of us to say our names, and then she introduced herself. “My name is
Miss Rankle
,” she said, as if daring us to say that it wasn’t true. She was writing her name in block letters on the blackboard when the classroom door twirled open and a blonde girl twirled in. When Miss Rankle turned to glare, a bunch of other girls waved at the blonde and mouthed ‘Hi’. A couple of them moved books and stuff from the seat they had been saving for her.
“You are late, Kendra,” Miss Rankle said.
“Sorreeeeeeee!”
Miss Rankle started the morning with a lecture on social responsibility. I didn’t really listen to her advice on how not to be a racist and how not to be a vandal. I was watching the jerking hands of the overhead clock bringing me toward my own future. The recess bell rang, sounding a bit hysterical. I pulled myself upright and went to the classroom door.
A bunch of girls were walking downstairs with the late, blonde Kendra. I tailed them. Outside they walked really slowly. Sometimes they stopped altogether, to concentrate on exclaiming or laughing. I caught up to them before I was really ready. I stood almost as close to these girls as they stood to each other. It felt weird to just attach myself to their personal space as if they were a washroom lineup or something. But wasn’t that what I had to do? It was time to just join in.
“So, Kendra, was it just, like, too fun for words?” A girl named Sienna was saying this.
“I wish,” said Kendra. “I just wish acting was, like, one-sixteenth as glamorous as everybody thinks. You have
no
idea. My first day on the set, I’m thinking—this is
brutal
! Like, no wonder they have to pay actresses mega millions.”
“How’s it so brutal?” asked another girl called Twyla.
“Where do I start? Okay, makeup,” Kendra said. “I’m trapped in this chair with people swarming all over me, like, so serious you’d figure they’re doing brain surgery, and every time I blink they’re like—
Don’t move
! And I’m like—
Okay ... will it be all right if I keep breathing
? Then after about five hours this makeup guy calls the director over and he’s like—
Oh my God! That hair! It’s celestial
! He actually used that word—celestial. Weird huh? And I’m like—
It’s my hair, okay, what’s the big deal
?”
“Wow, you were in a movie?” I asked. I know I said it out loud, but no one else seemed to hear.
“And then we start shooting,” Kendra continued, “and it’s like—
More stress on the‘and’
!
Slower on the‘if’
! And blah blah blah blah blah. I mean, the money is great and all, but fun? Uh, no.”
“How much did you get paid?” Twyla asked.
“Mom forbids me to discuss it,” Kendra said. “She says it’s rude to make people jealous. Anyway, she snatched my entire paycheque and stuck it in this fund thingy that I can’t touch ’til I’m nineteen. And I’m like—
Mom, just let me have a thousand to spend now. Just one thousand
. And she’s like—
No way! It’s invested in a mutual fund, leave it alone and you’ll be a wealthy woman someday
.”
“Wow,” said a girl named Nova. “I’d love to be in a movie.”
“Trust me, you wouldn’t,” Kendra said.
“What’s it called again?” Twyla asked.
“
Clean Getaway
,” Kendra replied.
“Let’s all go see it,” said Nova.
“It might not get released here,” Kendra said. “Some copyright suing thingy.”
“
Clean Getaway
,” Twyla announced. “Starring Kendra Amelie Madeleine Smith!”
“Hardly,” Kendra said. “I’m barely a co-star. Like, I’m way down there in the credits.”
“Wow,” I said. “How did you get the part?” To make sure I was heard this time, I had raised my voice. More than I meant to. You
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