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  ‘Nothing,’ she replied. ‘It's just we always either hang out here or seem go to one of Dan's mates' houses.’ She rested her chin on her hands. ‘Sometimes I wish we could do something else for a change. It's so boring living in a village.’

  Just then Tom came downstairs. ‘Is Dad around?’

  ‘He's talking to the producer,’ I said. ‘He should be back in a minute.’

  ‘Great,’ Tom said. ‘I need him to take me to a band practice.’

  Jessica looked up. ‘Can I come with you?’

  ‘Sure.’ Tom shrugged.

  ‘Brilliant. I won't be a minute,’ she said, hurrying to her room.

  When Jessica came down a few moments later, she had put mascara and lipstick on and changed into black trousers and a white halter-neck top. Looking at her outfit, I wondered just how much her interest in the band practice had to do with music and how much with the supposedly gorgeous lead singer, Zak.

  ‘Tom and Dad have gone to the car,’ I told her.

  ‘See you,’ she called as she ran out of the door after them.

  By Saturday I had read the script through about ten times and highlighted my part with a yellow pen. I spent all afternoon learning my lines. Mum had left the night before to start her first Purr-fect for Pets job, looking after two cavalier King Charles spaniels in a village about half an hour away. She was staying there for two nights. It was strange not having her around.

  ‘All right, who votes takeaway pizza tonight?’ Dad asked that evening as we gathered in the kitchen.

  ‘Me!’ we all said.

  As Dad fetched the pizza menu, Jessica's mobile rang. She checked the number and walked into the lounge to take the call.

  ‘What do you all want?’ Dad asked.

  ‘Ham and mushroom please,’ I said.

  ‘Spicy pepperoni – large,’ Tom said.

  ‘What about Jess?’ Dad said.

  ‘I'll go and ask her,’ I said.

  I went through to the lounge. Jessica was talking on the phone. Her voice sounded warm and flirty. ‘Yeah, eight o'clock tomorrow, then,’ she said. ‘Me too. I'm really looking forward to it.’ She saw me and her voice changed instantly. ‘I'd better go,’ she said. ‘See you tomorrow. Yeah – later!’

  She turned the phone off. I forgot about the pizza. ‘Who was that?’

  She shrugged. ‘Zak,’ she said casually.

  ‘Zak!’ I echoed. ‘You're going out with him?’

  ‘Not going out going out,’ she said quickly. ‘Just going out as friends.’

  ‘Are you going to tell Dan?’

  She looked uncomfortable. ‘There's nothing for him to know about. Zak and I are just friends.’

  ‘So why don't you tell Dan that you're seeing him, then?’

  ‘Because he wouldn't understand,’ Jess said. ‘You mustn't tell him, Soph.’

  As if I'd tell! I don't dob people in. ‘I won't, but…’ I was about to tell her that what she was doing wasn't right, but just then Dad came into the lounge and I quickly shut up.

  ‘There you are,’ he said. ‘I thought you must have gone upstairs. What sort of pizza do you want, Jess?

  ‘Tuna and sweetcorn please,’ Jessica said, turning her irritation off in a flash. She went over to him. ‘Do you want me to lay the table, Dad?’ she asked sweetly.

  ‘Thanks,’ Dad said, looking surprised but pleased.

  Jessica hurried into the kitchen, avoiding my eyes. I stared after her. I hoped my supposedly in-love, supposedly going-steady-with-her-boyfriend sister knew what she was doing.

  Jessica looked really nice when she went out the next night. She was wearing a red dress that showed off her curves.

  ‘Have fun,’ Dad said as she left.

  ‘Bye!’ she replied, hurrying out of the room before I could say a word.

  I found it hard to settle to anything that night. I tried to learn my lines but I just kept thinking about Jessica. She'd said she and Zak were just going out as friends, but what if it turned into something different? What would happen to her and Dan? I wanted them to stay together.

  I was in bed but still awake when she came in at 11.

  ‘Night, Dad,’ I heard her say.

  I jumped out of bed and opened my bedroom door just as she came up the stairs.

  ‘Sophie!’ she said in surprise.

  ‘How did it go?’ I demanded.

  ‘Great.’ She shrugged. ‘Good night.’

  She walked into her room, but I wasn't going to be put off that easily. I followed her.

  ‘What did you do?’

  For a moment I thought she was going to tell me to get out, but then her face seemed to go all soft and glowing.

  ‘Nothing much. Just saw a film and talked.’ Her eyes shone. ‘Zak's amazing. He writes songs and he's into things like poetry and stuff.’ She sat down and wrapped her arms round her chest. ‘He told me this really good poem about a gazelle and said it reminded him of me.’

  ‘Did you kiss him?’ I asked, looking at her dreamy face in alarm.

  Relief washed over me as Jessica shook her head. ‘He knows about Dan.’

  ‘So it was just a one-off. You're not going to see him again?’

  She shrugged. ‘I don't know. I might.’

  ‘Jess, you can't What about Dan?’ I said, thinking how hurt Dan would be if he found out.

  She didn't answer.

  ‘Jess!’ I insisted.

  ‘I'm going to bed,’ she said, getting up without answering my question. ‘Night, little sister.’ She turned me round and started propelling me towards the door.

  ‘All right, I'm going,’ I said, shaking her hand off my shoulder.

  I went back to my room and climbed into bed, feeling worried. Just what was Jessica getting herself into?

  Over the next few weeks, Jessica saw Zak several times. She didn't tell me, but she didn't have to. It was obvious. She always got herself really dressed up when she saw him and hurried out of the house really quickly. Still, I didn't have much time to worry about it. My life was totally busy. There were all my lines to learn and a whole load of end-of-term stuff was happening at school – the leavers' disco, the school play, induction days at Charles Hope and, of course, the summer fair.

  Tom's band played and, miracle of miracles, Ally was right, it was actually quite cool that he was my brother. Justine Wilcox even asked me to get his autograph for her! Then, almost before I knew it, it was the last day of term and everyone was packing up their things and promising to be friends forever.

  ‘I can't believe we won't be coming back here,’ I said to Ally and Harriet as we walked out of school for the last time that afternoon.

  ‘I know,’ Harriet said. ‘What do you think it's going to be like at Charles Hope?’

  ‘Scary,’ I replied.

  ‘I'm sure I'm going to get lost,’ Harriet agreed. ‘And –’

  ‘I can't believe you two are talking about school!’ Ally interrupted. ‘It's the start of the summer holidays! We should be talking about fun things! She linked arms with us and declared, ‘This is going to be the best summer holiday ever!’

  I nodded and took a deep breath. Ally was right –it was!

  Chapter Eight

  ‘Is this where the read-through's going to be?’ I asked Mum as we drove into the car park of a large country-house hotel the very next day.

  She nodded.

  ‘It's really posh,’ I said, looking at the tall, imposing building. It was made of grey stone and had turrets almost like a castle.

  ‘The actors who don't live locally are all staying here during the filming,’ Mum explained.

  She parked. As we walked up the smart stone steps to the entrance, I felt suddenly nervous. This was it. I was about to meet everyone else in the film. What if they didn't like me?

  The receptionist behind the front desk smiled at us. ‘Good morning. Can I help you?’

  ‘We're looking for the Durrell Room,’ Mum said. ‘We're here for the film read-throug
h.’

  ‘I'll show you where to go,’ the woman said, coming round the desk. We followed her down a long, red-carpeted corridor. My palms felt sweaty. What if I messed up my lines? A vision of a roomful of people laughing at me filled my mind.

  ‘Here we are,’ the receptionist said, pushing open a grand wooden door to reveal a large room with big bow windows. There were lots of people milling round and for a moment I just wanted to turn and run back to the car.

  But then, to my relief, I saw a familiar face coming towards us. It was Cathy from the auditions.

  ‘Sophie, Mrs Tennison,’ she said warmly, ‘do come in.’

  We left the receptionist and walked into the room. ‘There's tea, coffee and juice over there.’ Cathy pointed to a table in one corner with several huge silver flasks of tea and coffee and jugs of orange juice on it. ‘Help yourselves to whatever you want. We'll be starting the read-through in about ten minutes.’ She looked round. ‘Ah, there's Ismene Brooks and her mum.’ She motioned to the window, where a woman and a girl about my age were standing. ‘I must introduce you. Issy's playing the part of Becky.’

  I looked at the girl. She was wearing black jeans, high-heeled shoes and a black strappy top. Her shiny strawberry-blonde hair fell to her shoulders, sleek and straight. She looked very glamorous and grown up, and also kind of familiar.

  She looked up curiously as Mum and I walked over with Cathy. I had the strange feeling that I had seen her somewhere before.

  ‘Issy, this is Sophie Tennison,’ Cathy said. ‘She's playing Sara.’

  Issy smiled. ‘Hi.’

  Cathy glanced round as some more people came in. ‘I'd better go,’ she said. ‘I'll leave you all to introduce yourselves properly.’

  She hurried off.

  Mum introduced herself to Issy's mother. ‘Annie Tennison.’

  ‘Caroline Brooks,’ Issy's mum replied, holding out her hand. She was very elegant-looking, with the same thick strawberry-blonde hair as her daughter, only hers was cut in a short shining bob.

  ‘Caroline Brooks,’ Mum said, frowning slightly. ‘Are you the newsreader?’

  ‘Yes, on the ten o'clock news,’ Mrs Brooks said with a smile.

  Wow! I stared at her. I'd never met a proper famous person before.

  Suddenly I realized Issy was looking at me. ‘How many films have you done before?’ she asked. Her green eyes were curious.

  ‘None,’ I replied. ‘How about you?’

  ‘It's my fourth.’ Issy said it casually, as if it was no big deal.

  ‘Issy's always in one thing or another,’ Mrs Brooks put in. ‘She goes to Hampton Academy of Performing Arts. She's in The Fortune Hunters on children's BBC at the moment.’

  The Fortune Hunters! It was one of my favourite programmes. Suddenly I realized why she looked so familiar.

  ‘You're Alice!’ I gasped.

  Issy nodded.

  ‘But I love The Fortune Hunters,’ I blurted out. ‘I watch it every week. It's brilliant and I think you're really good.’

  As the words babbled out of me, I suddenly realized what I was saying and my cheeks blazed. How uncool could you get? Issy was bound to think I was just sucking up because she was in a TV show.

  However, she didn't seem to mind. She smiled in a really friendly way. ‘Thanks,’ she said. She looked round. ‘Look, do you want to get a drink? I'd like another orange juice.’

  I glanced at Mum, who nodded.

  We went over to the drinks table. At least five people said hello to Issy on the way and one woman hugged her.

  ‘You seem to know everyone!’ I said enviously.

  Issy shrugged. ‘They're just people I've worked with before.’ She looked at me curiously. ‘So, how did you get the part of Sara?’

  I hesitated. What if she looked down on me because I didn't go to drama school? I realized she was looking at me expectantly. Taking a deep breath, I told her all about it.

  Issy's eyes widened as she listened. ‘That's so cool!’ she exclaimed as soon as I'd finished. ‘Half of the girls in my school auditioned for the part. You must be really good! That's just amazing!’

  I felt a warm glow rush through me. It was OK! She sounded really impressed.

  She grinned at me. ‘You know, I think we're going to have fun doing this film!’

  Feeling suddenly happy, I poured a glass of orange juice. ‘So, who do you know in the cast?’ I asked.

  ‘Well, over there there's Sasha Knowles,’ Issy said. ‘She's playing Miss Amelia. I know her.’ The actress she was pointing to was wearing a white trouser suit and had long shiny dark hair. I recognized her from a TV sitcom, Mad House. She was also always in the papers.

  ‘How do you know her?’ I asked.

  ‘I did an episode of Mad House a year ago.’ Issy shrugged.

  She was so cool! She was talking about being in all these TV programmes and things as if it was just a normal part of life.

  ‘Who's the woman she's talking to?’ I asked eagerly. ‘Is she an actress?’

  The woman was very striking-looking. She was about fifty and had reddy-grey hair tied back in a bun.

  ‘Yes. She's called Gillian Grace and she's playing Miss Minchin in the film,’ Issy replied. ‘She's done some theatre stuff I think,’ she said vaguely. ‘But not much telly or film. She's not really that famous –’ She broke off suddenly. ‘Oh, look. There's Georgina Morrell.’

  I followed her gaze. A girl was coming into the room. She looked about twelve and had a round face and big blue eyes. Her pale-blonde hair was tied back in a single plait and she was wearing trainers, tight blue jeans and a red football shirt.

  ‘I did a TV show with her last year,’ Issy told me. ‘She's playing Ermyngarde in the film.’

  Georgina saw us and headed over.

  ‘Issy! Hi!’ she exclaimed, looking delighted.

  I smiled a greeting but she totally ignored me.

  ‘How are you?’ she said, looking at Issy. ‘It's been ages since you e-mailed me last.’

  ‘You know what it's like,’ Issy said quickly. She turned to introduce me. ‘Georgina, this is Sophie. She's Sara.’

  ‘Oh, hi,’ Georgina said, turning to look at me.

  ‘It's an amazing story how she got the part,’ Issy went on excitedly. ‘She doesn't even go to a performing arts school. She –’

  ‘I was so glad when I heard you were going to be Becky,’ Georgina said, interrupting her. She linked her arm through Issy's and turned her back slightly to me. ‘It's going to be brilliant working together again, isn't it? It'll be just like last year.’

  Disappointment stabbed through me as I stood to one side, feeling like a spare part. I know I'd only met Issy five minutes ago, but I'd been hoping that we might be friends. However, Georgina was making it very clear that Issy was her friend and that she didn't want me trying to tag along.

  ‘So, have you spoken to Lucy or Danny?’ she was saying to Issy. ‘I went to Tiff's party last month…’

  I shuffled awkwardly on the spot and wondered if anyone else would come and talk to me. There were some older girls and one who looked a lot younger, maybe about eight. But the only people my age were Issy and Georgina. My heart sank.

  Bill clapped his hands. ‘All right, everyone. If you'd like to come and take a seat at the table with your scripts and we'll get started.’

  At last! A chance to escape. I hurried thankfully back to Mum.

  ‘Here's your script,’ Mum said. ‘I've just spoken to Cathy. She says there's no need for me to stay while you do the read-through, so I'm going to go and have a coffee outside with Caroline. You don't mind, do you? I'm sure you'll concentrate better if I'm not here.’

  I swallowed. I'd have liked to ask her to stay, but I didn't want to seem babyish. ‘That… that's fine,’ I muttered.

  ‘Go and sit down, then,’ Mum encouraged me.

  I looked at the big table. People were sitting down and getting out bottles of water, pens and scripts. Where was I going to sit?<
br />
  Just then, Issy hurried up to me. ‘There you are! Why did you disappear like that? Come on. Let's sit together. There are two seats over there by Sasha.’

  I looked at her in surprise. ‘What about Georgina?’ I could see the blonde girl already sitting at the table with an empty seat beside her. ‘Aren't you going to sit with her?’

  ‘No. Why should I?’ Issy looked confused. ‘Don't you want to sit by me?’

  ‘Yeah, but… well, I thought you two were friends,’ I said.

  ‘We are, sort of,’ Issy replied. ‘But not like best friends.’ She lowered her voice. ‘Georgina's OK, but she can be really annoying at times and she's got no idea about clothes. Just look at what she's wearing! I mean, a football shirt and tight jeans! Pur-lease!’

  She linked arms with me and we went over to the table together. As we approached, Georgina frantically patted the chair beside her, but Issy just shrugged and smiled and sat down next to Sasha Knowles.

  ‘Hi,’ she said to the glamorous actress. ‘Do you remember me? I did an episode of Mad House with you last year.’

  I watched in amazement as she chatted away. I'd never met anyone this confident. She was so bright and lively. She just seemed to assume that people would like her – and they did. Sasha was soon laughing with her and chatting back.

  I looked across the table at Georgina. She seemed very fed up. I tried to smile at her, but she just scowled and looked away.

  At last everyone was sitting down and Bill held up his hand. ‘OK, guys. Quiet please! I think what we'll do first is go round the table and introduce ourselves. I'll start. I'm Bill Armstrong and I'm the producer.’

  Laurence was sitting next to him, his long hair pulled back in a ponytail. A baseball cap was on the table beside his script. ‘I'm Laurence and I'm the director.’

  I waited nervously for my turn. Sasha Knowles spoke and then Issy and then everyone turned to look at me. I swallowed, feeling my cheeks go red. ‘I'm Sophie Tennison,’ I announced, trying as hard as I could not to sound nervous. ‘And I'm playing Sara.’

  I saw people's faces register interest but, to my relief, before I had time to feel embarrassed, the man sitting next to me spoke.

  ‘I'm Alan Thomas and I'm playing Mr Crewe, Sara's father.’