Free Polly Plays Her Part by Anne-Marie Conway Page A

accepted. Please enter your username and click on the Ruby door.”
    Diane called me again from downstairs but I didn’t move. I didn’t want to log off in case I had to start all over again. I’d never be able to remember exactly what I’d said and if I answered the questions differently second time round it would be obvious I’d made half of it up. In the end I minimized the screen and left the computer running.
    â€œMorning, Polly.” Dad pulled his chair in so I could squeeze past him to sit at the table. “What happened to you last night? You were spark out. Where did you go with your mum?”
    I shrugged and helped myself to toast. “We didn’t really go anywhere. I had lines to learn so I came straight home.”
    â€œDid you get a good part in the end?” asked Diane. “I know you were a bit worried.” She looked over my head and mouthed something to Dad about the audition being a disaster.
    â€œI wasn’t worried!” I snapped, but then I remembered that I was supposed to be smiling my way through the year. “Honestly, I wasn’t worried,” I said again, doing my best to calm down. “And anyway I had quite a big part in the last show.”
    â€œYes, but I thought this time you wanted the biggest part,” said Dad, but before I could answer, he’d scooped Jake out of his highchair and was galloping around the tiny kitchen pretending to be a horse or something. Jake squealed and squealed and Diane clapped and Dad snorted and neighed and they were so caught up in the game, I managed to slip out with my toast and back upstairs to my room.
    The friend2friend home page was still there and all my answers had been saved. I knew I should go to bed and get some sleep, but I was dying to see what would happen next. I entered my username as “Marcia2” and clicked on the Ruby door and as the screen cleared a new message appeared. It said: “Welcome to the Ruby room, where you get to choose your perfect friend. Answer these few simple questions and we’ll find you the best best friend ever!”
    I couldn’t believe it… more questions… but these ones were easy. I knew exactly what kind of best friend I’d love to have: someone who wanted to be with me all the time; someone I could share everything with – all my secrets and hopes and dreams; and someone who understood me – no matter what.
    I forgot all about how tired I was and how gutted I was about Mum leaving. I described all the exciting things me and my perfect friend would do together; sleepovers and shopping and double dates. Camping and horse riding and West End shows. The list was endless. I was still typing away when Dad called up to say Mum was at the door.
    Mum had never been round to Diane’s – not since Dad had left her to move in here – and for a fraction of a second I wondered if she’d come round to tell me she’d changed her mind about going to Spain after all. I bolted out of my room and down the stairs two at a time.
    She was standing stiffly on the doorstep looking horribly uncomfortable.
    â€œHello, Polly, love,” she said, her lips so thin they’d almost disappeared. “Busy practising your lines?”
    I nodded, barely able to breathe, waiting for her to say the magic words; just waiting for her to make everything okay again. She took a tissue out of her bag and started to dab at her eyes.
    â€œI’ve just popped round to let you know that I’m actually packing up today. Remember that nice couple Mr. and Mrs. Bay, who came to look round the house a couple of weeks ago? Well, they’re moving in tomorrow, so I need to be out of the house by six o’clock this evening.” She dabbed at her eyes again and I could see she was trying so hard not to cry in front of Diane. “I’m only going to be over at number 20. Tracy says I can stay there for a couple of nights, but