Sam in the Spotlight Read online

  “Hello, gorgeous,” she said, holding her arms out.

  It was Crystal.

  And I was so relieved to see her I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

  “Crystal!!!” I flew into her arms, half-laughing, half-crying.

  “What a welcome!” Crystal hugged me close and then pushed me away to look at me. “Hey! You’re not getting snot all over my T-shirt, are you? Why so sad, Sam? What’s going on?”

  “What’s going on?” I squealed, beating her chest. “Where have you been? Why haven’t you been returning my calls? I got the invitation and then nothing. I’ve been going mad.”

  She pulled me back into her arms. “I’m sorry,” she said into my hair. “It’s just been crazy; the wedding and the business and Tyler’s music. I haven’t had a second to think about anything else. I should’ve called, I know, but hey! I’m here now.”

  She hugged me one more time, then grabbed my arm and started pulling me down the street.

  “Come on, you old slowcoach. You don’t want to hang about school on a Friday afternoon. Let’s go down to the park. I’ve got so much to tell you.” She was half-running, shouting at the top of her voice, her eyes wild with excitement. I ran along with her, caught up in the moment – caught up in her crazy mood – just like always.

  There’s a small playground a few streets away from school and we flew in through the entrance, out of breath and laughing.

  “Hey, I’ve got something to ask you,” she said, as we collapsed down on the big-kid swings to get our breath back. “Why were you standing outside school by yourself? Who were you waiting for? I haven’t ruined some hot date, have I?”

  “Don’t be stupid!” I said. “I’ve had a massive row with Ellie. That’s why I was by myself. I was standing there like an idiot hoping she might show up so we could sort things out, but it’s hopeless.”

  “Oh Sam, not you and Ellie.” She reached across and linked her arm through mine. “What did you fight about? It wasn’t a boy, was it?”

  “How did you guess?” I said, half-smiling. “It was about a boy, but it wasn’t really my fault. You see Ellie met this awful guy Eddie on holiday. She says he’s not her boyfriend but they keep hanging out together all the time. She sees him more or less every Saturday, and honestly, Crystal, he’s such a creep.”

  “Nightmare!” said Crystal.

  “I know, and that’s not all,” I said, the words tumbling out. “You see I kind of like Adam at drama – you know, he was my husband in The Dream Factory – and he kind of asked me over to practise our scenes together at his house, but when I got there his mum said he’d gone out with Catharine from drama. So now I’m thinking he doesn’t even know I exist. I mean, I might as well be invisible. I probably am to him.”

  “What, you? Invisible?!” cried Crystal. “Impossible!” Then she jumped off her swing and plonked herself down on my lap. “Oh sorry,” she said, leaping up, “I didn’t realize anyone was sitting there.”

  “Shut up!” I said, but we were both laughing.

  We swung back and forth for ages, our feet trailing on the ground. Crystal filled me in on how well her jewellery was selling and described all the new pieces she’d been working on. Her arms were jangling with some bangles she’d just made, thin silver circles with shiny crystals embedded into the metal. She was full of exciting ideas. She was going to make brooches and mirrors, and candleholders with crystals dotted around the rim.

  She told me about her flat, and about Tyler and The Garlic Pickers and how well their gigs were going. She barely paused for breath as she raced from one topic to another.

  “They’re actually about to get some big news, and I mean really BIG! But I can’t tell you what it is because I’ve been sworn to secrecy.” She zipped her mouth shut.

  “What, you mean like a recording contract or something?”

  “Seriously, I can’t say. We don’t know all the details yet anyway, but when we find out you’ll be the first to know, Sam, promise!”

  She went on and on, telling me about all the different markets she worked at and how weird it was to do her own washing and cooking. She laughed hysterically at some of the disasters she’d had, like forgetting about her bath running until the water started dripping through the neighbours’ ceiling, and how she’d burned the dinner so badly she’d had to throw the pans straight into the bin. The only thing she didn’t talk about was the wedding.

  I knew I should tell her that Mum was doing the flowers for Sophia Malone’s wedding on the same day as her wedding, but I didn’t know how to bring it up.

  “What about you and Mum?” I said in the end, when she finally stopped for a second. “When are you going to tell her and Dad about you and Tyler getting married?”

  Crystal stopped laughing. Her face closed up and she pulled her arm away.

  “I don’t want to talk about Mum.”

  “But you’ve got to, Crystal. The wedding’s in six weeks. You can’t get married without telling Mum. And what about Dad…and Aunty Mags?”

  “I don’t know what to do about Dad,” she said quietly. “He’s just got stuck in the middle of this mess with Mum.”

  “But what is the mess? Why won’t anyone tell me? Is it something to do with what Mum said to you at your party that night?”

  Crystal leaped up from the swing and turned to face me.

  “That night was supposed to be special,” she said. “It was my eighteenth birthday. All my friends were there. It was my night.”

  “I know and it was brilliant. I was there, remember?”

  “Yes, but you weren’t there at the end when Mum and I had our little chat, were you? You weren’t there when I told Mum I wasn’t taking up my place at uni.”

  Her eyes were glistening with tears. “Come on, we’d better be getting back.” She pulled me up off the swing and started walking out of the park, striding ahead in her big black boots.

  “But what did she say?” I said, running to catch up. “How bad could it be? Can’t you sort it out?”

  Crystal turned back towards me, sighing. “It’s not some little row over a boy like you and Ellie. It’s serious, Sam, and it’s up to Mum to sort it out, not me. I do want to invite them to the wedding but I can’t – not until Mum faces up to what she’s done.”

  We walked back in silence. The sky was full of heavy black clouds as if a storm was brewing. I wanted to ask her what Mum was supposed to be facing up to and how she expected me to keep such a big secret. I wanted to know where she was living and why she didn’t call me more often, but her mood had changed. It was heavy and black like the clouds and I didn’t know how she’d react if I started asking her a whole load of questions.

  “Hey, Crystal – you remember when I used to dress up as Sam from Green Eggs and Ham, don’t you?” was all I managed in the end. We were almost home, about to go our separate ways.

  “Course I do,” she said. “How could I ever forget that little red hat?” She hugged me tightly. “I love you, Sam Lester!”

  “I love you too,” I mumbled into her shoulder – and then a second later she was gone.

  I dragged myself out of bed the next morning after the worst night. I was actually dreading Star Makers for the first time ever. It was bad enough Ellie not speaking to me at school, but it was going to be even worse at drama. I was literally bursting to tell her about Crystal turning up, and the wedding dilemma – I could just imagine her face – but when I got there she wouldn’t even meet my eye, let alone talk to me. And then there was Adam. I was planning to stay right out of his way, but he came straight over the second I walked in.

  “Hi, Sam, how’s Riley getting on? I’ve missed him like crazy, you know!”

  “I haven’t seen him,” I said as airily as I could, even though my heart was racing at a hundred miles an hour. I half wanted to ask him why he’d gone out that day – and whether he actually fancied Catharine – but even if I’d had the guts, I didn’t really want to hear the answers.

&n
bsp; As soon as everyone had arrived, Mandy got us up onstage to practise the scene where Monty B and Phoebe discuss the clues they’ve found around the castle. Ellie comes on halfway through to serve tea to everyone, but as she went round each of the characters she purposely left me out.

  “That’s a bit babyish, isn’t it?” I said, totally fed up with the whole situation.

  “Not as babyish as you warning me to stay away from Eddie!” she shot back.

  “Hang on a sec!” said Monty B. “That’s not in the script, is it? I thought I was the only one who made things up around here!”

  “Oh, Sam’s the expert at making things up!” said Ellie. “Everything she says is a load of made-up rubbish.”

  “Speak up, guys!” said Sandeep suddenly. He was sitting at the back of the hall to make sure we were projecting our voices properly.

  “She said, Sam’s the expert at making things up!” Sara shouted at the top of her voice. “And that everything she says is a load of made-up rubbish!”

  “Shut up!” I snapped.

  “What’s going on?” said Mandy. “Can we just get on with the scene?”

  Monty B walked over to the edge of the stage. “Now I know I’m only a fictional detective called Biscuit, but using all the clues I’ve gathered in the last two and a half minutes I’d say that Sam and Ellie aren’t talking because Sam made something up about Ellie and her new boyfriend Eddie. How impressive is that?”

  “You can shut up as well!” I said to Monty B.

  “Sam, can you please stop telling everyone to shut up,” said Mandy.

  “Oh my God, yeah,” said Neesha. “This is like one of those documentaries on TV when they follow a group putting on a show. You know, like A Drama Within a Drama! Whatever happens, someone always runs out in tears.”

  “Seriously, Sam,” said Mandy, “if you’ve had a row with Ellie, sort it out later.”

  “I don’t want to sort it out,” I muttered. “She’s the one who’s turned it into some big thing!”

  Ellie rounded on me, furious. “If you were a real friend you’d be happy for me,” she yelled. “Eddie was right! It’s just because you weren’t the first one to have a boyfriend!” She folded her arms, challenging me to disagree.

  “I thought you said he was just a friend,” I taunted. “And anyway, I don’t want a boyfriend, thanks very much.”

  “What? Not even that most gorgeous, cute and adorable boy you like at drama?” said Sara in an even louder voice than before. “Not that I’d ever say who it was,” she added, staring right at Adam.

  “Girls!” snapped Mandy. “That’s enough! If you can’t get on with each other, come off the stage.” I didn’t need asking twice. I gave Ellie and Sara the most evil look I could muster and stormed off the stage and out of the hall.

  “Told you!” I heard Neesha call out behind me. “Someone always runs out in tears.”

  I wasn’t in tears but I was close. Everything was going wrong. Crystal was getting married to Tyler in secret. Sara kept embarrassing me in front of Adam – as if I wasn’t embarrassed enough already – and Ellie was treating me like I was her worst enemy. I couldn’t believe our friendship was over. She probably thought I didn’t care but I did – more than anything.

  I’d switched off my phone so it didn’t ring during drama but when I turned it back on there was a message from Mum asking me to come straight down to Everything’s Rosy. I rushed along the high street, thinking about Ellie and how angry she was. I suppose it was true that I hadn’t really given Eddie a chance, but I didn’t get why he kept saying things about me and why Ellie was so ready to believe him. Maybe our friendship wasn’t as strong or as special as I’d always thought it was.

  As soon as I walked into Everything’s Rosy I started to feel a bit better. It’s like stumbling across a secret hideaway full of hidden treasure. It’s crammed full of frosted-glass vases, each one packed with brightly-coloured exotic flowers. Ivies trail out of hand-made plant boxes and there are reams of fancy ribbons for tying bouquets. But most amazing of all is the smell; a gorgeous mix of all the different flowers and the big scented candles that burn slowly throughout the day.

  “Thank heavens you’re here, Sam,” said Mum, emerging from her office at the back as the front-door bell jingled behind me. “Myra and Keeley both called in sick. Can you believe it? On a Saturday! I’m literally drowning in orders. You couldn’t give me a hand, could you?”

  I dumped my bag in the back and got straight to work. I’d learned how to arrange flowers years ago when Mum was starting out. Crystal would come in to help out at the weekends and I’d tag along, desperate to keep up with whatever she was doing.

  I knew how to choose the colours so they matched and how to bulk out the orders with delicate ferns and sprays of shiny viburnum. Once I’d done that, Mum would trim them down and wrap them up. She could transform a simple bunch of flowers into the most beautiful bouquet in seconds.

  We didn’t really talk – there was far too much to do. I didn’t feel much like talking anyway. I couldn’t tell her about drama because I’d only end up blabbing about my part – and I didn’t know how to talk to her about Crystal without her going off the deep end. We worked right through the orders, only stopping when a customer came in or the phone rang. It was nearly four when the van was finally loaded up and ready to take the last deliveries.

  Mum slumped against the door, groaning. “You’re a lifesaver, Sam! Thanks so much for helping.”

  “That’s okay. I’ll just go and grab my things.”

  “You wouldn’t have a quick look at some of the designs I’ve done for the wedding before you go, would you?” she said. “It’ll only take a few minutes.”

  We squashed into her little office at the back and she poured me a cup of tea.

  “Sophia can’t seem to make her mind up about what she’s after, so Lavender, the wedding planner, keeps ringing me every five minutes with some great new idea. It’s all ‘Oh darling!’ this and ‘Oh darling!’ that. I’ve never done a job like it before – it’s crazy.”

  “Come on then, darling,” I joked. “Show me what you’ve done. Is she really called Lavender?”

  Mum nodded, rolling her eyes. She opened a big sketchbook and I sipped my tea, relaxing properly for the first time all day.

  “I haven’t actually decided on anything yet,” she said, looking a bit worried. “I’ve come up with a few ideas but I’m not sure they’re very good. You know me, I don’t have any problem with the business side of things, but I’m not so confident about the really artistic stuff.”

  “You need Crystal for that!” I blurted out. “She’s the creative one!”

  Mum snapped the book shut, her hands trembling suddenly.

  “I’m just saying, you know, because she’s so good at that sort of thing and I saw her yesterday and her jewellery designs are so beautiful…” I trailed off.

  Mum’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean, you saw her yesterday? You didn’t tell me? Where did you see her? I thought I made it clear that I don’t want you going round to that flat of hers.”

  “Mum! I didn’t go to her flat. I don’t even know where it is. What are you going to say next – that I’m not allowed to see my own sister? How long is this going to carry on?” I scraped my chair back and flounced out of the office. It was like living in the middle of a war zone, but Mum and Crystal were both so stubborn that there was no getting through to either of them.

  Mum followed me out of the office. “Well, thanks for helping,” she said tightly. Her eyes were bright and I could tell she was trying not to cry. “You’d better get off now – I’m sure you’ve got lots of homework.”

  I breathed in, clenching my fists. I felt like saying, I have, I’ve got tons, but I’m not doing any of it until you and Crystal make up. I know it was immature but, seriously, how did she think I was supposed to concentrate on my homework when all this other family stuff was going on? If my grades started to slip, it wouldn’t be because
I had a big part at drama.

  I stomped off towards home, furious. Mum couldn’t stop me seeing my own sister – and when was she going to admit how much she was missing Crystal herself? I was almost back when I saw Aunty Mags coming towards me from the opposite direction. She had Riley with her on the lead, wriggling and squirming all over the place.

  “It’s his first proper walk, Sam,” she called out, waving. “Why don’t you come down to the park with us?”

  Riley loved the park. There were so many new smells that he went crazy sniffing his way around the grass in a total frenzy, pulling Aunty Mags after him.

  “As soon as he’s old enough he’s going straight to obedience classes,” she said. “He’s already chewed half the house to bits!”

  “I bet that’s what Mum would like to do,” I said glumly, “send me to obedience classes.”

  Aunty Mags burst out laughing. “Oh come on, Sam, it’s not as bad as all that, is it?”

  “I just wish she’d make up with Crystal – but even more than that, I wish she’d realize how important acting is to me. I’ve got one of the biggest parts in the show, but I can’t even tell her. She’s already warned me that if I have too many lines to learn she’ll stop me going.”

  “Oh Sam, I know she wants you to do well at school, but I’m sure she wouldn’t go as far as that.”

  “It’s true, Aunty Mags. She’s been on at me about it ever since Crystal left. She’s even threatened to get me a tutor on Saturday mornings and I love going to Star Makers more than anything. Well, I did until I started this show. You wouldn’t believe what happened this morning, it was a nightmare.” I told her all about rowing with Ellie – and Sara embarrassing me in front of everyone – and how difficult it was to act with Adam.

  “The awful thing is I’m a bit like Sara myself,” I admitted. “Always shooting my mouth off and thinking I’m the bee’s knees! I don’t even know if I can face going back, to tell you the truth.”

  “No, you must!” cried Aunty Mags. “And I’m going to come and watch you and I’ll cheer so loud they’ll hear me in the next town. You’re nearly thirteen, Sam, you’re going to get all sorts of crushes on boys. You can’t give up your drama club just because you like someone. And anyway, I thought you were serious about being an actress?”