Free A Traitor Among the Boys by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

… uh …,” and she stumbled about awkwardly onstage.
    The audience gasped.
    “Caroline!” came a stage whisper from behind thecurtain, and another arm reached out and tried to grab her.
    “Caroline!” cried Mrs. Malloy from the second row, and immediately got up and exited through the little door beside the stage.
    “Let go!” Caroline was crying, flailing at the hands—three of them now—that were trying to grab her. “I'm Beulah! Please! I'll be the sickly daughter, then! I am sick! Oh, please let me be in the play!”
    But at that point Mrs. Malloy herself stepped onstage, encircled her feverish daughter in her arms, and whisked her away.
    Wally could not believe his eyes. The fake clover fell out of his mouth.
    Beth and Josh continued to hold hands, staring after Caroline, and the narrator shakily began reading again. Offstage, Wally could hear Caroline's muffled protests as she was led outside, and Tracy Lee's sobs, but the show went on, as it always must, and when it was all over, the audience broke into loud applause.
    Josh, Wally, and Beth stood in the wings talking after the final curtain.
    “I was so embarrassed!” Beth kept saying.
    “It's not your fault,” Josh told her. “Everyone knows that.”
    “Everyone knows it was my sister, though! She was acting half crazy. She must be even sicker than we thought!”
    Tracy Lee marched by with fire in her eyes and said to Beth, “I never want to be in a play with your sister again. She just has to have all the attention, doesn't she? Well, she got it, and I hope she's satisfied.”
    But family members were crowding backstage now. The art teacher from school was there.
    “Josh, is this true? The program said you painted the set. It's wonderful!”
    “Yeah. It was lots of fun,” Josh told her.
    “Wonderful job, Josh,” said another teacher.
    “Just great,” said Mr. Hatford.
    Wally was glad that the play was over and that neither he nor Josh had goofed up. He was glad that everyone had liked the set. But there was another feeling he had never, ever felt before, and he could hardly believe he felt it. He was really, truly a little bit sorry for Caroline Malloy.

Fifteen

The Awakening
    C aroline had only the dimmest recollection of what had happened. She vaguely remembered getting out of bed when she heard her family leaving for the theater, but she had no memory at all of pulling on her coat and boots.
    She did remember that it had been cold outside, and that it had seemed a very long three blocks to the theater. But when she went in the stage entrance, she stood by the radiator a minute, which warmed her, and then she heard Beth and Josh saying their lines, and after that … she only remembered how bright the lights had seemed and how dark the audience, and all the hands reaching … reaching … to pull her back.
    Mrs. Malloy was sitting by her bed when she opened her eyes again, and so was Dr. Raskin.
    “It sure looks like strep,” the doctor was saying.“We'll take a throat culture to be sure, but I'd bet my last dollar.” Caroline gagged when he swabbed her throat. It was so very sore.
    “I know you're feeling rotten, Caroline,” the doctor went on, “but I've given you a shot of penicillin and we're working on that fever.” He looked at Mrs. Malloy. “She should be better in a day or two. Call me if you need to.”
    And with a pat on Caroline's knee, he picked up his bag and left the room.
    Mrs. Malloy sat down again beside the bed.
    “I feel awful,” Caroline whispered huskily.
    “I know,” said her mother.
    “My head hurts and my throat's on fire.”
    “I know,” her mother said.
    “And I had the most awful dream! I dreamed that I went onstage in my pajamas.”
    “I know,” Mrs. Malloy said again.
    Caroline closed her eyes and slept once more, and the next time she opened them, Beth and Eddie were sitting beside the bed.
    “Hey, Sleeping Beauty, how are you feeling?” asked Eddie.
    “Awful,” said Caroline. “I