Read Online Polly Plays Her Part by Anne-Marie Conway - Free Book Online Page B

well and that you were getting really close to the baby. And you told me yourself that Diane has redecorated your room.”
    â€œBut that doesn’t mean anything!” I cried. I couldn’t believe it. “Just because my room’s a different colour doesn’t mean I suddenly love it there – and I’m not getting close to Jake. I can’t stand him, if you must know. He screams all the time and he keeps me awake and the way he eats is totally gross. I only said he was gorgeous for a sort of joke, I didn’t mean it. And anyway it doesn’t matter because I’ve got something to tell you.”
    She narrowed her eyes at me, frowning. “What’s the matter?” she said. “You’re not in trouble or anything, are you? I’ve been so wrapped up with myself lately, getting ready for Spain.” She took a tissue out of her bag and dabbed her eyes. “I’ve been really selfish, haven’t I?” she sniffed. “Come on, silly. What’s going on? You can tell me.”
    The bus trundled along. I looked out of the window, not sure suddenly if getting the biggest part in CRASH! was going to make the slightest difference to Mum’s plans. She was so excited about going to Spain I couldn’t really imagine anything changing her mind.
    â€œI’m not in any kind of trouble,” I said, still staring out of the window. I took the deepest breath. “I was just going to tell you that I’m Marcia.”
    â€œWhat do you mean, you’re Marcia ?”
    I turned to face her. “You won’t believe it, Mum, but Mandy has chosen me to be Marcia in our new show. It’s the main part. She’s chosen me to be the main part.”
    â€œOh, but that’s brilliant news, sweetheart. I’m so proud of you.” She grabbed hold of my hands. “Look at me, crying and carrying on, when all the time you had this wonderful news. You’d better tell me when it is so that I can arrange to fly back. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
    â€œFly back?” I whispered. “What do you mean, fly back ?”
    But I knew exactly what she meant. Getting the main part in the show wasn’t going to stop Mum going to Spain. I don’t know how I could’ve been so stupid. How I could’ve thought that a tiny little thing like me having the starring role in the next Star Makers production could matter enough to make Mum change her mind?
    As soon as we got off the bus I muttered something about scenes to practise and ran all the way back to Dad’s. “Come and see Cosmo,” Mum called out after me, but I didn’t stop. Diane was home. I could hear her in the kitchen feeding Jake but I raced straight upstairs and shut myself in my room. I lay on my bed for ages thinking about how my plan had failed. Mum was leaving and she probably wouldn’t even bother to come back to see me in the show. She’d probably be so caught up in her new life by then that she’d forget about me altogether. I was stuck here for a year and there was absolutely nothing I could do.
    Diane popped up after a bit to see if I was okay, but I just smiled at her and said I was fine. Mandy had the right idea. What was it she’d said about Arthur? “ I’m just going to smile at him and pretend he doesn’t really exist. ” That’s how I’d get through the year. I’d just smile and say I was fine and not show anyone how I really felt about Dad leaving Mum, and about Desperate Di and The Great Baby Jake, and about Mum dumping me at Dad’s so that she could swan off to Spain.
    I must’ve dropped off to sleep in the end because the next thing I knew it was dark outside and the house was quiet. I opened my door and saw that either Dad or Diane had left a sandwich and a drink for me in the hall, but I wasn’t hungry. I closed the door and settled down in front of the computer.
    I hadn’t played