Free Drama at Silver Spires by Ann Bryant

like they had after my audition. There wasn’t any point in anything any more. I’d been so hoping that something might happen to give me a chance to be in the play after all. But now that chance was dead and buried.
    I looked at my watch. Mia had probably gone down to Pets’ Place to see her guinea pigs, Porgy and Bess. Katy might have gone with her to see Buddy, her rabbit. They often went at this time of day, after piano practice or clubs or whatever they’d been doing after school. I’m not all that into animals and I’m always joking with them about how mad they are, wanting to keep stinky pets that need feeding and cleaning out all the time. But plodding off to find them right now, I didn’t think they were mad at all. In fact I even wished I had a pet myself. Just something to cuddle.
    The door to the shed felt quite stiff, unless it was only me not having the knack of how to open it, but then it suddenly gave way and I kind of catapulted in and practically knocked Naomi over.
    â€œWhat the…”
    â€œOh sorry!”
    â€œGeorgie!” Mia was just putting one of her guinea pigs back in its hutch. She looked pretty amazed to see me.
    â€œHi…I…er…thought I’d find you here,” I stammered.
    â€œWonders will never cease!” smiled Katy. Then she dumped Buddy in my arms. “Here. Have a hold.”
    â€œDo I have to?” I said, wrinkling my nose, because that’s what they expected me to do. But really I loved the feel of the heavy bundle of fur.
    â€œLook at Bess!” said Mia, coming over in a bit of a hurry to show me some new marking on her pet’s fur. “It definitely wasn’t this dark before.”
    â€œIt’s what happens in the winter,” Katy said, sounding knowledgeable. Then she spoiled it. “Actually I don’t know what I’m talking about.”
    Naomi laughed and so did I, but then I stopped abruptly because the memory of how fed up I was had started to seep back into this new little patch of happiness.
    â€œSupper time,” said Naomi, looking at her watch. “Let’s go. I’m starving.”
    Katy grabbed Buddy off me, buried her nose in his fur and said, “Night night, my beautiful Buddy. Sleep tight, and if the bugs bite, bite ’em back!”
    Then there was a flurry of stroking and blowing kisses to every single animal in the place and next moment we were out in the cold air, Katy and Naomi jogging on ahead and Mia and me walking behind. The nearer we got to the dining hall, the more I felt the big gloom taking me over. At least Mia hadn’t asked me where I’d been or why I’d suddenly come along to Pets’ Place – we’d just talked about winter and that had led to Christmas and what presents we were hoping to get. Maybe that explained my gloom, because there wasn’t a single thing I wanted that could be wrapped up and put in a stocking.
    I had the feeling something bad was going to happen from the moment we walked into the dining hall and saw Cara talking to her friends. There were six of them all leaning forwards in a tight little knot listening with big eyes as Cara held everyone’s attention in her usual way. Part of me felt like marching over there and saying, “Huh! Call that saving your voice, Cara?” but the bigger part of me was afraid of what she might be telling them.
    It was when I was on pudding that I found out. Two of Cara’s friends threw me a quick glance as they walked past our table, then sniggered really obviously.
    â€œWhat’s so funny?” Katy asked them indignantly.
    â€œNothing!” they told her. Then they went, but not before giving me another sneer.
    Katy turned to me, looking horrified. “Why are they looking at you like that?”
    My heart was beating faster but I shrugged and tried to sound as though I couldn’t care less. “I dunno…Cara’s probably made some