Free My Life as a Stuntboy by Janet Tashjian Page A

briefly when one of the assistants changes the chalk clapboard to SCENE 43, TAKE 2 but when it’s time to go again, I sail through the junkyard heap like a pro.
    The director shoots a few more
times from different angles, and I nail it every time. She thanks me profusely and tells the crew to set up for the next scene.
    â€œWho knew all that jumping off the roof of the garage and swinging on the zipline would prepare you for your first job?” Mom pulls me in for a hug, then thinks better of it when she sees all the people around. She’s finally catching on that I’m too old for that kind of affection.
    profusely
    Tony calls us over. “Tanya’s shooting the next scene. You want to check it out?”
    I look at Mom, who says she’s happy to stay as long as I want. We follow Tony across the set to the fake backyard where Tanya sits under a tree with the actress who’s playing her mother. The three of us
stand behind the director and out of Tanya’s view.
    â€œYou ready?” Collette asks Tanya.
    She nods and then Collette yells, “Action!”
    â€œChris,” the actress mom says, “you have to stop talking about aliens. You’re starting to worry me.”
    â€œI’m telling you,” Tanya says, “they’ve moved indoors.”
    Collette yells, “Cut!” and she approaches Tanya. From where we are, I can hear her directions.
    furrowed
    â€œThe next line is ‘They’ve moved next door.’ You want to go again?”
    Tanya nods. When Collette goes back to her place, the actress gives Tanya a wink and a smile, but her brow is furrowed.
    The clapboard reads SCENE 31, TAKE 2. Tanya blows the line again. And again. And again.

    Collette tells the crew to take a five-minute break and goes over to Tanya.
    â€œWhat’s going on?” Collette asks softly. “What do you need?”
    My mother gives me a nudge that means it’s time to go but I am riveted to my spot.
    â€œIt’s hard to memorize so many lines,” Tanya says. “I’ve read the script a million times, but I just can’t remember all the words.”
    riveted
    The director holds out her hand and lifts Tanya to her feet. Then the actress playing the mother gets up too. “Let’s all go to your trailer and read the scene together,” Collette suggests.
    Tanya nods and they walk over to the trailer on the edge of the set.
    â€œSee?” Mom whispers as we walk
to the car. “You’re not the only one who has a hard time with words.”
    I don’t need her to translate what this means. Tanya Billings, teen megastar, has something in common with ME!

 
    Â 
    Awkward …
    Ms. McCoddle obviously doesn’t know that Matt and I are no longer friends because she tells us we’re partners for the class history project. When she calls out our names, I expect Matt to sneer, but instead he just looks quiet and sad.
    She passes out a timeline worksheet and tells us it’s due by the end of class. I pretend to look for my pen to buy myself some time before I have to face Matt.
    Sneer
    misfortune
    â€œI took the video off YouTube,” he says. “You were right—it was mean.”
    I could just accept his apology, but I still feel pretty angry that he posted it at all. “What made you change your mind? Did Swifty and Joe get bored with you already?”
    Matt shakes his head. “It’s like making fun of somebody in a wheelchair trying to get down a curb or laughing at someone’s misfortune. It’s just not funny.”
    â€œYou thought it was funny the other day.”
    He traces the doodles on his desk while he talks. “I don’t know … . With Tony picking you instead of me, I just felt left out. Then everyone in school had to make such a fuss.”

    He looks like he’s going to cry, and I know how that feels. I want to do anything to have him be good old Matt again, so I tell him