Read Online Phoebe Finds Her Voice by Anne-Marie Conway - Free Book Online Page A

knew how much I wanted to be Fizz-Wiz.”
    â€œBut Mandy, does this mean I don’t get to wear a dress?”
    â€œLook, Adam, we’re doing a song together!”
    â€œThis is going to be so wicked!”
    I looked around the circle. Everyone seemed to be pretty happy with their parts. My script had “Lolly” written at the top and I quickly flicked through to see how many lines I had. I knew Lolly was the youngest and smallest of all the Sweet-Dreamers, and that at the end of the show she helps Sabine to escape from the Dream Factory.
    â€œHey, guess what, Frankie? I’m Sherbet, one of the Sweet-Dreamers,” said Monty B, plonking himself down next to me and shoving his script in my face. “But don’t worry; I do get to wear a dress because I’ve got an extra part in one of the main songs in Act Two. How about you? If you’re a Sweet-Dreamer, and we’re like in the same scenes, you could come over to mine to practise.”
    I carried on looking through my lines, ignoring Monty B. As if I was going to go over to his! I wanted him to move away from me anyway so he wouldn’t notice that my hair was full of shredded, blue tissue. I’d almost got to the end of the script, and was just about to close it, when I spotted something that made me stop dead. On the very last page, right at the very end of the show, there was a short song and it was sung by Lolly… alone!

“Erm…Miss Howell,” I said, pointing at Lolly’s solo in the script. “This must be a mistake, isn’t it?”
    â€œNo, Phoebe, of course it’s not a mistake. At the end of the play Lolly is very upset because she’s worried Sabine will forget her when she leaves the Dream Factory, and this is the song she sings about how much she’s going to miss her.”
    â€œBut you said that anyone who wanted a solo singing part had to sing by themselves at the auditions, and I never did! Remember? I didn’t sing at all. And anyway, I can’t sing by myself, you know I can’t. I’ll never be able to do it. Not ever. Not in a million years. I’ll just ruin the whole show, I’ll…I’ll…”
    I was so panicked by now I felt like bashing Miss Howell on the head with my script to make her realize what a terrible, awful, catastrophic mistake she’d made. I mean, me – Phoebe Franks – sing a solo?
    â€œOf course you won’t ruin the show, Phoebe. I wouldn’t have given the part to you if I didn’t think you could do it. I’ve heard you sing with the rest of the group – you’re going to be awesome. And it is only five lines. You’ll be fine, trust me.”
    She turned back to the rest of the group. “Right, let’s start reading through. The show opens with Sabine in the factory. She’s sitting there dreaming about the life she wishes she could lead when Lolly wakes up crying because she’s had a nightmare.”
    She’s had a nightmare? What about me? This was like the worst nightmare ever. It might be only five lines to Miss Howell, but to me it was like trying to climb a mountain blindfolded and with my legs tied together – only harder. There was no way I’d ever be able to do it. There was actually more chance of Polly Carter walking right up to me in front of everyone at drama and announcing that she wanted me to be her best friend. In fact…
    Monty B nudged me. “Wake up, Frankie, it’s your line.”
    The rest of the session passed in a blur of fear and dust and at break time Miss Howell went back out to look for Arthur.
    â€œHey, Phoebe, groovy hairstyle,” Catharine said. She sat down next to me and unwrapped her sandwiches. “Seriously, it really suits you pushed back off your face like that.”
    I touched my hair; it was rock hard like a lump of cement.
    â€œYou’ve got a great part, too, aren’t you