Authors: Sue Bentley
Star of the Show (4 page)
Kelly's mouth dropped open in shock. “Um . . . Tessa's . . . right. That's exactly what happened. I'm sorry for getting angry, too,” she said.
Judith looked from one girl to the other. She didn't seem convinced but after a moment she nodded. “No harm done, so we won't say anything else about this. But please remember that you need to behave yourselves on the set at all times if you want to be taken seriously as actresses.”
“We will,” Tessa said.
“Definitely,” Kelly agreed. When Judith had walked away out of earshot, she grudgingly turned to Tessa. “You're not so bad for a spoiled rich kid, Princess.”
“Thanks for nothing!” Tessa murmured, barely managing to contain her anger as Kelly walked away.
The final call for her came and Tessa had just enough time to flutter her fingers in a tiny wave to Storm. Then excitement took over as Tessa prepared for her first scene with a major Hollywood star.
“Andâaction!”
Despite her nerves, Tessa remembered her lines perfectly. When she stood on the right mark and gave the watch to Donny he winked at her encouragingly. Time seemed to fly and then she had to pretend to be shy and run away.
“Andâcut!”
“Thank you, Tessa. Good job,” the director said. He turned to Kelly and Fay and waved to them to come onto the set.
Tessa sat on a chair with Storm on her lap, watching Fay and Kelly act. They were both good but Tessa had goose bumps while Fay was speaking. It was obvious to everyone that the shy girl had something special.
“She just lights up when she's acting,” Tessa said, stroking Storm's silky head. “I wish I was that good.”
“You are. You just don't see it in yourself,” Storm woofed loyally.
“Okay, we're done for now.” The director glanced toward Judith. “I'll need all the girls back on Thursday afternoon.”
Tessa felt a little disappointed. Thursday was two whole days away.
Judith smiled as she led them back to wardrobe and makeup. “Good job. This director doesn't say very much, but I could tell that he was happy with all of you.”
Later that day when Tessa and Storm were alone, Tessa gave the little puppy a big hug. “And you were great today, too, Storm. I didn't know you could do magic like that! Thanks for getting the gold watch back from Kelly.”
“You are welcome,” Storm barked happily.
After dinner, Tessa took Storm for a walk. He rushed around, ears flapping, as he investigated the flower beds and sniffed around the trees.
Back in the big house, Tessa called her mom and dad.
They were delighted to hear all about the scene she had acted in with Donny. “And how about the other girls? Are they nice? Did you become friends with them?” Mrs. Churchill asked at the end of the conversation.
“I have made one great new friend,” Tessa said, beaming at Storm.
Tessa said her good-byes and went up to her room. Storm scampered eagerly upstairs beside her.
Fay was sitting on her bed in a pool of light from her reading lamp. She wore a pair of yellow pajamas with pink teddies and had her diary open on her lap. “Where's Kelly?” she asked Tessa.
Tessa shrugged. “I don't know. Maybe she's in the living room. Judith and some other people are in there watching a movie on TV. It was great today, wasn't it? I really love acting.”
Fay smiled shyly and her hazel eyes sparkled. “Me too. It wasn't half as bad as I'd expected. I was really dreading it.”
“But you were really good. Everyone thought so,” Tessa said, surprised. Fay had said her lines perfectly and she'd only had to do them once before the director was satisfied.
“Do you think so?” Fay asked anxiously. “I always try so hard, but I never think I'm good enough.”
“My dad says that you can't do any more than your best,” Tessa told her. “That's what I think of when I get stage fright.”
“I'll remember that. Thanks,” Fay said. She got into bed and slipped her diary into her night table before turning off the lamp. “Night. See you in the morning, Tessa.”
“Night, Fay.”
Storm leaped onto Tessa's bed and turned around in circles, making himself a soft nest in the blanket. As Tessa got undressed, she smiled to herself. Perhaps she might leave Harpford Manor with more than one new friend after all.
Chapter FIVE
After class the following morning, Judith drove Fay, Kelly, and Tessa, with Storm invisibly snuggled up on her lap, into the nearest big town. “I thought we deserved a treat, and since you're not needed until tomorrow we have some spare time,” she told them.
“I wonder where we're going,” Fay said to Tessa as Judith looked for somewhere to park.
“We'll find out in a minute, won't we?” Kelly mocked. “How come you and Princess are suddenly all buddy-buddy, anyway?”
“We're not!” Tessa snapped without thinking and then she noticed Fay's hurt look. “I mean, we are kind of . . . And if you don't stop calling me âPrincess' . . . !”
“Huh! Who dented your crown?” Kelly drawled.
“Look!” Fay called hurriedly as they passed a movie theater. “Donny Jenton's latest film is showing.”
“I know,” Judith said, grinning. “That's where we're going.”
The film was great. It was all about thieves who are trying to steal a rich prince's fortune, and had tons of special effects. Meera Brook, a gorgeous young actress, was starring with Donny. She had long dark hair and wore amazing dresses.
They all watched the movie screen, spellbound.
Storm was a bit scared of the loud noises and flashing lights at first but he soon settled down and enjoyed the movie when he realized there was no danger. “See, Storm, it's all just pretend,” Tessa said soothingly.
Storm took the movie very seriously. He growled when Donny's carriage was attacked and woofed excitedly when Donny rescued Meera from a horrible bandit with a bristling beard who was slashing around with a curved sword.
“Oooh, Donny looks so hot!” Kelly said. “I wish I was Meera Brook.”
After the film ended, Judith took them all for pizza. Tessa got permission to go into the superstore that was two doors down. She went straight to the pet department and bought a small bag of doggy treats and a dog bone.
Once they all got back to Harpford Manor, Tessa found a quiet spot outside to give Storm his treats.
“These taste good,” he woofed, licking his chops.
“Well, I don't see why Lady should be the only pampered dog around here!” Tessa said. “But if you eat too many you'll soon be a little porker!”
Storm polished off the dog bone, too, and then flopped onto the grass and rolled onto his back with his tongue hanging out. Tessa smiled as she rubbed his fat rusty-colored tummy. She felt a surge of affection for the gorgeous little pup. “I wish you could stay with me forever. When I become a famous actress, you can travel everywhere with me.”
Storm rolled onto his front and then stood up and shook himself. “That is not possible. One day I must return to my own world and lead the Moon-claw pack. Do you understand that, Tessa?” he asked, his midnight-blue eyes wide and serious.
Tessa nodded sadly, but she didn't want to think about that now. She decided to change the subject instead. “Would you like to take a long walk before I call Mom and Dad?”
“My favorite thing!” Storm woofed, eagerly wagging his tail.
They went down tree-lined paths and past clipped hedges until they came to a gate leading to an open field with a river at the bottom. Colorful wild flowers swayed in the grass and there was a footpath that seemed to lead to a village in the distance.
Storm lifted his head, his little brown nose twitching. Suddenly, he shot forward like a rocket. “Rabbits!” he yapped happily.
Tessa smiled as Storm zigzagged after the rabbits, his short, sturdy legs going like pistons. They scattered in all directions and shot down their rabbit holes. Storm didn't seem to mind that they all avoided him easily. He was happy with snapping at disappearing white cottontails.
After half an hour, Storm ran over to Tessa, panting heavily, with his floppy ears flying out behind him.
Tessa bent down to pat him. “You look worn out. I bet you're thirsty after all that running around. Let's go back and you can have a drink in our bathroom. It'll be quieter than the kitchen and no one will notice what we're doing.”
As they got closer to the main house, Tessa saw Fay sitting on a bench, reading
The Stage
newspaper in a patch of late afternoon sunlight. Tessa waved to her and Fay waved back.
The Stage
newspaper in a patch of late afternoon sunlight. Tessa waved to her and Fay waved back.
Tessa and Storm went inside the house and made their way straight upstairs. As she approached their room, Tessa heard someone chuckling. “That sounds like Kelly. What's she up to?”
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