“Hello?”
“Did I wake you?” came a snooty voice.
Carole would know that voice anywhere. “Yes, Veronica, you woke me,” she said. “People don’t usually phone after midnight.”
“I guess I’m just on West Coast time,” said Veronica.
“Did you move to California?” asked Carole hopefully.
“No,” Veronica said. “It’s my agent. He lives in L.A., naturally. And he talked and talked. I couldn’t get him off the phone.”
Carole rubbed her eyes.
This might be part of the nightmare.
“I bet you’re dying to know what my agency is,” Veronica said.
“No,” said Carole.
“It’s FMG. Famous Management Group,” Veronica said. “They handle all the top stars.”
“Veronica, drink a glass of hot milk and go to sleep,” said Carole.
“FMG manages Skye Ransom,” Veronica said.
Carole blinked. “So?” she said.
“Someone sent FMG a tape of the ‘Genius Kids’ segments,” Veronica said. “And they went nuts. They said I was fabulous. They say I’m a natural.”
Carole looked helplessly over at Lisa.
“In two weeks Skye Ransom is going to start shooting
Full Gallop.
It’s a horse movie. And I’m probably going to costar,” Veronica said.
Carole had a sick feeling that Veronica might be telling the truth.
“You’ll be able to see the movie—at your local theater,” Veronica said. She hung up.
Lisa stood at the foot of Carole’s bed with her eyes wide but vague. “What’s up?” she said.
Carole knew that Lisa was really fond of Skye. It would make her sick to hear that Veronica was going to be in a movie with him. “I think you’d better sit down,” she said.
Lisa sat on the end of the bed.
“That was Veronica,” Carole said. “She claims she’s up for a role in a Skye Ransom movie.”
Lisa was suddenly awake. “What?” she said.
“Who knows if she’s telling the truth?” Carole said. “You know Veronica.”
“What a horrible thought,” said Lisa.
“Someone sent a tape of ‘Genius Kids’ to Veronica’s agency,” said Carole. “Veronica said they loved it.”
Lisa ran her hands through her hair. “We made her look good.” She stared at Carole in horror. “What if we turned her into a star?”
“Stevie would die,” Carole said.
“So would I,” said Lisa.
“And just imagine how Skye would feel,” said Carole. “He can’t stand Veronica!”
“I know,” said Lisa. “We have to do something.”
“But what?” said Carole. “I wish Stevie were here!”
T HE NEXT MORNING Stevie woke up starving. She hopped out of bed thinking that she would have scrambled eggs with ham and bacon and waffles and pancakes and toast and fried potatoes and a giant glass of orange juice and another one of milk. And then, to top that off, she figured she’d have a serving of French toast.
But when she got to the dining room, Ms. Dodge had saved a place for her. “Come and sit by me,” said Ms. Dodge, patting the chair next to her.
“So what’s on the menu today?” Stevie asked.
Ms. Dodge smiled happily. “I’m having oatmeal with a dish of stewed fruit on the side. I think you’ll find that it’s very good.”
“For sure,” Stevie said.
The oatmeal was gummy and made Stevie think of glue. The stewed fruit was too sweet and too sour at the same time.
“There’s nothing like oatmeal and stewed fruit to get your day off to a great start,” Ms. Dodge said cheerfully.
“You’re telling me,” said Stevie.
The waitress came over and said, “It’s so nice to see a young person eating a sensible breakfast. My daughter won’t eat anything but sugared cereal.”
“Poor you,” said Ms. Dodge. “Stevie likes to start the day with a well-balanced meal.”
“That’s me,” said Stevie.
“You’re an angel,” said the waitress.
One of Stevie’s classmates choked.
After breakfast Mrs. Martin gathered the class in the lobby of the hotel. “The beautiful weather is gone,” she said. “The storm that plagued Willow Creek has
“Did I wake you?” came a snooty voice.
Carole would know that voice anywhere. “Yes, Veronica, you woke me,” she said. “People don’t usually phone after midnight.”
“I guess I’m just on West Coast time,” said Veronica.
“Did you move to California?” asked Carole hopefully.
“No,” Veronica said. “It’s my agent. He lives in L.A., naturally. And he talked and talked. I couldn’t get him off the phone.”
Carole rubbed her eyes.
This might be part of the nightmare.
“I bet you’re dying to know what my agency is,” Veronica said.
“No,” said Carole.
“It’s FMG. Famous Management Group,” Veronica said. “They handle all the top stars.”
“Veronica, drink a glass of hot milk and go to sleep,” said Carole.
“FMG manages Skye Ransom,” Veronica said.
Carole blinked. “So?” she said.
“Someone sent FMG a tape of the ‘Genius Kids’ segments,” Veronica said. “And they went nuts. They said I was fabulous. They say I’m a natural.”
Carole looked helplessly over at Lisa.
“In two weeks Skye Ransom is going to start shooting
Full Gallop.
It’s a horse movie. And I’m probably going to costar,” Veronica said.
Carole had a sick feeling that Veronica might be telling the truth.
“You’ll be able to see the movie—at your local theater,” Veronica said. She hung up.
Lisa stood at the foot of Carole’s bed with her eyes wide but vague. “What’s up?” she said.
Carole knew that Lisa was really fond of Skye. It would make her sick to hear that Veronica was going to be in a movie with him. “I think you’d better sit down,” she said.
Lisa sat on the end of the bed.
“That was Veronica,” Carole said. “She claims she’s up for a role in a Skye Ransom movie.”
Lisa was suddenly awake. “What?” she said.
“Who knows if she’s telling the truth?” Carole said. “You know Veronica.”
“What a horrible thought,” said Lisa.
“Someone sent a tape of ‘Genius Kids’ to Veronica’s agency,” said Carole. “Veronica said they loved it.”
Lisa ran her hands through her hair. “We made her look good.” She stared at Carole in horror. “What if we turned her into a star?”
“Stevie would die,” Carole said.
“So would I,” said Lisa.
“And just imagine how Skye would feel,” said Carole. “He can’t stand Veronica!”
“I know,” said Lisa. “We have to do something.”
“But what?” said Carole. “I wish Stevie were here!”
T HE NEXT MORNING Stevie woke up starving. She hopped out of bed thinking that she would have scrambled eggs with ham and bacon and waffles and pancakes and toast and fried potatoes and a giant glass of orange juice and another one of milk. And then, to top that off, she figured she’d have a serving of French toast.
But when she got to the dining room, Ms. Dodge had saved a place for her. “Come and sit by me,” said Ms. Dodge, patting the chair next to her.
“So what’s on the menu today?” Stevie asked.
Ms. Dodge smiled happily. “I’m having oatmeal with a dish of stewed fruit on the side. I think you’ll find that it’s very good.”
“For sure,” Stevie said.
The oatmeal was gummy and made Stevie think of glue. The stewed fruit was too sweet and too sour at the same time.
“There’s nothing like oatmeal and stewed fruit to get your day off to a great start,” Ms. Dodge said cheerfully.
“You’re telling me,” said Stevie.
The waitress came over and said, “It’s so nice to see a young person eating a sensible breakfast. My daughter won’t eat anything but sugared cereal.”
“Poor you,” said Ms. Dodge. “Stevie likes to start the day with a well-balanced meal.”
“That’s me,” said Stevie.
“You’re an angel,” said the waitress.
One of Stevie’s classmates choked.
After breakfast Mrs. Martin gathered the class in the lobby of the hotel. “The beautiful weather is gone,” she said. “The storm that plagued Willow Creek has
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