Free Clementine Rose and the Special Promise 11 by Jacqueline Harvey

asked the woman in the hat. ‘I wonder what she’s wearing. I hope it’s that lovely purple dress I got for her last Christmas.’
    â€˜Who’s that?’ Joshua said, prompting a round of shushes from Mrs Bottomley and the other children.
    Saskia tore the corner of her script and kept her head down.
    Mrs Bottomley glanced at her watch and searched the stage for Drew. She caught his eye, hoping for good news, but the man just shook his head. ‘Right, children, time to get on with the show,’ she said.
    Saskia baulked. ‘What about my microphone?’
    â€˜You’re just going to have to use your loudest voice,’ Mrs Bottomley replied. ‘If Mr Barnsley manages a miracle in the next few minutes, we’ll give it to you.’
    Mrs Bottomley signalled for the children to stand and nodded at Mr Smee, who turned the house lights down and began to open the curtain. Mrs Wang’s fingers burst into a flurry of activity, dancing along the piano keys as the children started to sing.

The oldies were soon tapping along to the medley of songs that formed the first part of the concert. Mrs Bottomley’s arms flew all over the place as she conducted the group. The children finished and took a bow, then sat down on the risers.
    Saskia stepped forward. ‘Good morning, everyone, and welcome to Grandparents’ Day. My name is Sassy Baker and I’m the host for this morning’s show. Today the children in Kindy, Year One and Year Two aregoing to perform a variety of items for your pleasure.’
    The woman in the front row with the peacock hat waved. Her smile couldn’t have been any wider. ‘Hello Sass!’ she trilled.
    â€˜Where’s your microphone, darling?’ the man beside her called out.
    â€˜I thought she said she didn’t know any old people?’ Poppy whispered to Clementine.
    â€˜Can you speak up, please? I can’t hear anything down the back here,’ a man in a cobalt cardigan yelled.
    Saskia glared at him. ‘Our next performer,’ she yelled at the top of her lungs, ‘is Astrid, who will read a story that she wrote.’
    â€˜You don’t have to screech,’ the man shouted back at her. ‘I’m not deaf, you know.’
    Astrid stepped into the centre of the stage and, in her best loud voice, read her story about a princess who slays a dragon. After the girl received lukewarm applause, Mrs Bottomley waddled back onstage and stood in front of the music stand. She tapped the batonon the stand, then turned to face the crowd. ‘Good morning, everyone. My name is Ethel Bottomley and I am the Kindergarten teacher here at Ellery Prep.’
    A woman squinted through thick glasses. ‘Did she just say she has a big bottom?’ she whispered. The people on either side of her began to guffaw. ‘Well, she has, hasn’t she? I can’t see my Evie at all when she stands there.’ The woman’s lips disappeared into a tight line.
    Mrs Bottomley gave the signal to Mrs Wang and the children began to sing again. Although a significant number of audience members couldn’t hear the words, they hummed along to the tune and some even joined in at the chorus.
    Meanwhile, out the back, Drew was out of ideas. He had searched high and low and couldn’t find any logical reason for the sound system not working. He was about to give up when he noticed a cord running under the tiered seating that the children were on.A boy was holding the end of it and fiddling with the plug. Drew waited for the next round of applause before he dived in behind them and gave the cord a good yank.
    Joshua Tribble’s head snapped in his direction. ‘Hey, what are you doing?’ he said.
    â€˜Give that to me!’ Drew hissed.
    Joshua wrinkled his nose and reluctantly parted with it. Drew hurriedly plugged it in and there was a loud poomf as the microphone came to life. He circled around the back of the children