Free Puppet Pandemonium by Diane Roberts Page B

fit into the costume and wig. You know my lines. What else do you need to be Betsy Ross?”
    Before I could answer, Murray jumped in. “Just think about it. We
need
Betsy Ross in the play. We've
got
to have her. You can do it, Baker.”
    Mrs. Wilson opened the door. “I think it just might work,” she said, holding Hannah's costume up to my chest. “I'll have to take up the hem since Hannah's taller than you, but it will work just fine.”
    “Are you joking?” I said, looking at Hannah. “I'm not wearing a dress in a school play. I'm sorry you'resick, but I can't be Betsy Ross. I'd be the laughingstock of Franklin, not to mention Buffalo Gulch.” I stormed off and walked to school alone. I couldn't believe they'd asked me to be Betsy Ross.
    I didn't know what I was going to do about Hannah, but I knew one thing for sure. I wasn't about to be Betsy Ross.
    I felt the excitement in our class when I got to school. Everyone was pumped up. They were upset that Hannah couldn't be in the play, but they didn't want to catch the chicken pox either.
    “Don't worry,” I told Mr. Sims. “I'll figure something out.”
    “If you need me to step in, I can,” Mr. Sims told me.
    But I didn't want him to. I was the director. This was my problem to solve.
    When Murray got to class, I couldn't look him in the eye.
    “I understand,” he told me. “I couldn't do it either.” I knew he was upset for Hannah. The only thing I could think of was letting one of the girls read Hannah's part. Maybe Ansley could do it. I decided I'd ask her first.
    “It's too much to learn by tomorrow night,” she told me. “I'm sorry.” And every other girl turned me down too.
    The play was Saturday night. I had to think of a solution quick!

I put Waldo in his suitcase the next afternoon and Mom, Dad, Gram and I headed out to the car.
    Then I stopped. I couldn't just go. I couldn't let everybody down.
    “Wait,” I said. “I forgot something.” I ran across the street as fast as I could. There, hanging from the doorknob, was the Betsy Ross costume and a bag with a wig and flag inside it.
    Hannah knocked on the living room window from inside the house. She wore the biggest chicken-poxy smile I'd ever seen. She didn't look at all surprised to see me.
    “Don't forget to wave the flag,” she called. “And curtsy when you're through.” Then she blew me a quick kiss. Yikes. I couldn't believe it. I looked around to see if anyone had seen. Gram was in the car, grinning. Did that count as my first kiss?
    I should have realized that Hannah had known all along I'd fill in as Betsy Ross. The play was the most important thing to her, and getting to help with it had become important to me, too. Motioning to my family to wait another second, I grabbed our spare key, unlocked my front door, ran inside, and found my cowboy boots. If I was going to please Hannah, I was going to please my dad. When I jumped into the car, Gram gave me a hug.
    When we arrived at the festival grounds, I ran to the makeshift backstage area and changed into the costume and cowboy boots. I still didn't feel steady walking. I buttoned my Yankees jersey over the dress, and pulled the wig over my hair, adding a baseball cap as the finishing touch. When I looked into Mr. Sims's handheld mirror, even I didn't recognize myself. I looked at Waldo.
    “Can you believe I'm doing this?” I asked him.
    “Sure,” he said. “Any dummy would do it for a friend.” He spun his head around and blinked his eyes.
    Twenty minutes until showtime. I hobbled out into the wings. People were rushing around, puttinglast-minute touches on their costumes and practicing their lines. At first no one recognized me. Then they all cheered.
    This was going to be the weirdest character anyone had ever seen. Here I was in a dress and a Yankees uniform, wearing boots and holding a dummy. For once I was glad my friends in Seattle weren't with me. Even if we didn't win the trophy this would be one play that the