Free Claudia and the Genius on Elm Street by Ann M. Martin

Crystal."
    "I'm Rosie." Rosie smiled tightly, then stared straight ahead.
    Crystal got the message. She nodded a little, frowned a little, then walked away with her parents.
    I dared to say to Rosie, "She seemed pretty nice."
    Rosie shook her head. "It's important not to make small talk on the set. That kind of thing can destroy your concentration, especially before a performance."
    "That's right, dear," Mrs. Wilder said, putting her hand on Rosie's shoulder.
    I thought that was a little weird, but I didn't say anything.
    Soon Uncle Dandy came racing across the set with a clipboard in his hand. His'hair (or toupee) had so much spray in it, it looked like a helmet. "Where are all the kids?" he shouted.
    "Some of them are in the green room, Mr. Beasley," a bearded guy replied from behind us.
    "What are they doing there?" Uncle Dandy demanded. "We're at half hour. Get them in here!"
    Then he turned to Rosie and Crystal and gave them a huge smile. "Howdy. 'Dya have a nice trip here?"
    "Uh-huh," Rosie and Crystal said.
    Uncle Dandy looked up to see the bearded man talking to someone. "Now, Bickford!" he ordered.
    He kept doing that — practically barking at the adults, but using this sugar-sweet voice for kids.
    When the other talents came in, he led them
    all onto the set. The Wilders, the other families and friends, and I squeezed into the studio audience chairs.
    We listened to Uncle Dandy's pep talk. "Wow, here we are!" he exclaimed with a goony smile, clapping his hands. "Is everybody excited?"
    "Yes!" the kids screamed.
    Then he put on a serious expression. "Boys and girls, this is a super-duper big day. It's our premiere show! Believe me, I know how you must feel. All these lights and cameras, everyone in Central and parts of Southern Connecticut watching . . . but I want you to know Uncle Dandy is behind you a hundred and a half percent. I want you all to have the bestest, funnest, Uncle Dandiest time! Remember, we're one big, happy family!"
    The speech was so corny, I don't know how the kids kept from cracking up.
    As Uncle Dandy spoke, beads of sweat formed on his forehead. He was smiling broadly, but his eyes were darting all around. He was making me nervous, and I wasn't even on the show! After the speech he announced the order in which the performers would appear. Rosie was going to be last, with her two songs.
    "They always save the best for last," Mr. Wilder whispered to his wife and me.
    Soon the performers were taken into a waiting room, out of sight. Ms. Yu arrived late, waved to us, and stood against the wall. The audience lights dimmed and these huge spotlights lit up the stage so brightly I had to squint. Then this incredibly loud, tinny-sounding music started. Uncle Dandy ran onto the stage so fast he almost fell over. "Who-o-oa! Har har — that was a close one! Well, hello out there, boys and girls! It's time for Uncle Dandy's Star Machine]"
    He pointed to the neon lights, which flashed on and off. But two letters were dead, so when it lit up it looked like UNCLE ANDY'S TAR MACHINE.
    Off to the side, a woman held up a sign that said WILD APPLAUSE. We all applauded loudly.
    "Yes, well, we have quite a show for you today . . ."As Uncle Dandy bounced to the beat of the music, his shirt came untucked. And then I discovered he was wearing a toupee, because it began to slip forward on his forehead. I almost burst out laughing.
    Did I ever breathe a sigh of relief when the first act began. A little girl danced to some rock music.
    She was pretty good, and so were most of the other acts — a ventriloquist, a ballerina, a
    few singers, a tap dancer (which caused Mrs. Wilder to whisper, "She's no Rosie!" to Mr. Wilder), and a kid who walked on stilts and juggled.
    When Rosie went onstage, I felt a chill race through me. My stomach churned. 1 looked at the Wilders. They were holding hands and smiling calmly.
    As Rosie played a complicated classical song, two camera people rolled toward her. They swooped close to her