Free The Cannibals by Cynthia D. Grant Page A

don’t gain any weight. She explained that people tend to photograph heavier than they really are and she looked right at Shelby while she said it. Too bad Shelby can’t get a slight case of the pukes. Just kidding. Bulimia is nothing to joke about, and I’m getting a little concerned about Ashley, even though she insists she’s not trying to throw up, she’s just got a sensitive stomach.
    I wanted to ask Ms. Stuart about my part, and if I’m the head of the Cannibal Vampire Cheerleaders like I am in real life. But she was yukking it up with the school board members, so I went outside and spotted Mr. Goldman talking to Campbell, who was still in his uniform and dribbling a basketball the whole time Mr. Goldman was talking.
    I hurried over to see what was happening, but just as I got there, Mr. Goldman handed Campbell his card and said, “Think about it.” Then he went back inside the gym.
    â€œWhat was that all about?” I queried.
    â€œHe wants me to be in the movie,” Campbell said, shooting a basket, then passing to his teammate, Tim. “He wants me to play the captain of the basketball team.”
    â€œThat’s fabulous!” I hugged him. “You heard what they said; only a few of us will get speaking parts.”
    â€œNo, I didn’t hear them. I was outside,” Campbell said, shooting another basket.
    â€œYou’re going to do it, aren’t you?”
    â€œNo.”
    I couldn’t believe it! How could Campbell act so impossibly childish just because his stupid game got canceled?
    Well, not stupid. You know what I mean.
    I said, “For heaven’s sake, Campbell. It’s only one game!”
    â€œAs usual, Tiff, you’re missing the point,” he said. “You can’t see the forest for the artificial trees.”
    â€œWhat’s that supposed to mean? Will you please stop dribbling?”
    â€œTiff, get a grip,” he said. “Who are these people? How do you even know they’re for real? They come in here with this cheesy movie—”
    â€œIt’s not cheesy!” I said. “And they are for real! The chamber of commerce checked them out!”
    He said, “The chamber of commerce would start a stampede downtown if they thought it would attract publicity.”
    â€œCampbell,” I said, “I’m very disappointed in you. How can you be so selfish?”
    He actually laughed at me! Then he said, “T-Rex, it’s just a movie.”
    Just a movie ? How could he even use those two words in the same sentence?
    â€œâ€˜Just a movie’?” I said. “What about Titanic , or Gone With the Wind ? I suppose those are ‘just movies,’ too.”
    â€œ Scream Bloody Murder is no classic,” he said. “It’s just another dead teenager flick, with plenty of naked bodies.”
    I was shocked. How could Campbell be so crude ?
    I said, “It may not seem like a big deal to you, Mr. I’m-too-good-to-be-a-model, Mr. Seen-and-done-it-all-in-LA. But try looking at things from my point of view. My dream is coming true! And this is only the beginning! I’m not going to play vampires forever!”
    â€œWhy not?” He passed to Tim. “They never die.”
    â€œI’m going to do important movies!” I said. “About things that really matter! Like life! And death! And dysfunctional families! You can’t start at the top , you know; you have to start at the bottom and work your way up!”
    â€œOh, Tiffy,” Campbell sighed. “You just don’t get it.”
    To my horror, I suddenly burst into tears. They flooded down my cheeks. It was awful .
    â€œI know what people think of me!” I cried. “They think I’m stuck-up and conceited and phony and don’t care about anyone! But that’s not true! I know that millions of people in the world are starving! I could cry my eyes out, but what good would that