has. Still no mail.
WEDNESDAY
I have been practising my song for the musical. I am going to sing the lullaby from
Mary Poppins.
My mum used to sing it to us when we were little, so I know it really well. Mary Poppins gets the children to go to sleep by singing them a song about staying awake, and it’s quite a nice tune, really. Of course, my selfish family is not supportive of my new dream. Rachel stomped into my room in her usual charming style just when I was getting going.
‘Oh my God,’ she said. ‘It was bad enough when you were drumming on saucepans. But if you’re going to start shrieking and wailing too, I’m going to have to move out.’
‘I was practising for the school musical auditions!’ I said.‘It’s tomorrow!’
‘Since when did you want to be in the musical?’ said Rachel.
I nearly said ‘Since Tuesday’, but instead said, ‘I’ve always been interested in the theatre.’
Rachel snorted like the pig she is.
‘Huh,’ she said. ‘That’s news to me. What part are you going for?’
‘I dunno,’ I said. ‘I mean, I’ll probably just be in the chorus.’
I keep saying that, but secretly I have been hoping that I’ll get a proper part. I mean, my singing isn’t too bad. And I know I can act. I used to want to be an actress and I’ve always thought I could do it quite well if I tried. And I went to speech and drama for a while too, and I was pretty good. I especially liked doing improvisations, where you make up a story and act it out. And when I was younger I used to read out bits of the dialogue from books I liked (just in my room when no one can hear me) and, if I say so myself, my acting is quite powerful. I used to read out a bit of
A Little Princess
(which is a very sad book about a poor orphan girl) and I almost made myself cry. So I must be able to act a bit.
Also, Mum was a member of her college drama society ten million years ago (in the ’80s) and they went over to do somebig student drama festival in London once. So the theatre is in my blood. Sort of. I think I might have a chance, anyway. It’s not like anyone else in my class is known for her great theatrical skills. I figure that if I can sing in tune, I have as good a chance as anyone else.
Anyway, Rachel said, ‘Well, that’s quite fun. Jenny was in the chorus when our year did it and she said it was a great laugh.’
‘Didn’t you do the sets or something?’ I said. ‘That’s what Cass wants to do.’
‘I did,’ she said. ‘And that’s where I met Tom.’
I had totally forgotten that that was how she’d met her boyfriend. They’ve been going out for so long (well, two years), it feels like they’ve been together forever.
‘Oh my God,’ I said. ‘So you did. What was he doing?’
‘Carrying giant lights around,’ said Rachel.
‘Because of his manly strength and huge muscles?’ I said, and sniggered. Because Tom is quite good looking but he is also rather skinny. In a nice way, I should add. Rachel knew I was only joking because, instead of screaming at me, she just threw a pillow at me.
‘Exactly,’ she said. She looked all wistful. If we were in afilm, everything would have gone all wobbly and black and white and there’d have been a flashback to two years ago in our school hall. ‘I was painting a cardboard table and he nearly knocked my paint pot over with a giant light.’
‘How romantic,’ I said.
‘It was, actually,’ said Rachel. She looked at me in a serious big sisterly way. This was never good.
‘You know, you might meet someone yourself on the musical,’ she said, in a careful sort of voice.
‘Why,’ I said, ‘would I want to do that?’
‘Well … you know,’ said Rachel. ‘I mean, it’s months since Paperboy … went away. And, you know, it might be ages before you see him again …’
‘I don’t care!’ I cried. ‘I don’t want to meet anyone else!’
And I don’t. I know I might never see Paperboy again, but it doesn’t make any
WEDNESDAY
I have been practising my song for the musical. I am going to sing the lullaby from
Mary Poppins.
My mum used to sing it to us when we were little, so I know it really well. Mary Poppins gets the children to go to sleep by singing them a song about staying awake, and it’s quite a nice tune, really. Of course, my selfish family is not supportive of my new dream. Rachel stomped into my room in her usual charming style just when I was getting going.
‘Oh my God,’ she said. ‘It was bad enough when you were drumming on saucepans. But if you’re going to start shrieking and wailing too, I’m going to have to move out.’
‘I was practising for the school musical auditions!’ I said.‘It’s tomorrow!’
‘Since when did you want to be in the musical?’ said Rachel.
I nearly said ‘Since Tuesday’, but instead said, ‘I’ve always been interested in the theatre.’
Rachel snorted like the pig she is.
‘Huh,’ she said. ‘That’s news to me. What part are you going for?’
‘I dunno,’ I said. ‘I mean, I’ll probably just be in the chorus.’
I keep saying that, but secretly I have been hoping that I’ll get a proper part. I mean, my singing isn’t too bad. And I know I can act. I used to want to be an actress and I’ve always thought I could do it quite well if I tried. And I went to speech and drama for a while too, and I was pretty good. I especially liked doing improvisations, where you make up a story and act it out. And when I was younger I used to read out bits of the dialogue from books I liked (just in my room when no one can hear me) and, if I say so myself, my acting is quite powerful. I used to read out a bit of
A Little Princess
(which is a very sad book about a poor orphan girl) and I almost made myself cry. So I must be able to act a bit.
Also, Mum was a member of her college drama society ten million years ago (in the ’80s) and they went over to do somebig student drama festival in London once. So the theatre is in my blood. Sort of. I think I might have a chance, anyway. It’s not like anyone else in my class is known for her great theatrical skills. I figure that if I can sing in tune, I have as good a chance as anyone else.
Anyway, Rachel said, ‘Well, that’s quite fun. Jenny was in the chorus when our year did it and she said it was a great laugh.’
‘Didn’t you do the sets or something?’ I said. ‘That’s what Cass wants to do.’
‘I did,’ she said. ‘And that’s where I met Tom.’
I had totally forgotten that that was how she’d met her boyfriend. They’ve been going out for so long (well, two years), it feels like they’ve been together forever.
‘Oh my God,’ I said. ‘So you did. What was he doing?’
‘Carrying giant lights around,’ said Rachel.
‘Because of his manly strength and huge muscles?’ I said, and sniggered. Because Tom is quite good looking but he is also rather skinny. In a nice way, I should add. Rachel knew I was only joking because, instead of screaming at me, she just threw a pillow at me.
‘Exactly,’ she said. She looked all wistful. If we were in afilm, everything would have gone all wobbly and black and white and there’d have been a flashback to two years ago in our school hall. ‘I was painting a cardboard table and he nearly knocked my paint pot over with a giant light.’
‘How romantic,’ I said.
‘It was, actually,’ said Rachel. She looked at me in a serious big sisterly way. This was never good.
‘You know, you might meet someone yourself on the musical,’ she said, in a careful sort of voice.
‘Why,’ I said, ‘would I want to do that?’
‘Well … you know,’ said Rachel. ‘I mean, it’s months since Paperboy … went away. And, you know, it might be ages before you see him again …’
‘I don’t care!’ I cried. ‘I don’t want to meet anyone else!’
And I don’t. I know I might never see Paperboy again, but it doesn’t make any
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