Olivia Plays Her Part (2 page)

It was the end of the school day on Thursday and Olivia was sitting in the classroom, counting down the seconds until the bell.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

Finally!

She jumped out of her seat and raced out the door along with the rest of her class. By the time she reached the bulletin board, a small crowd had already gathered around it.

‘Abbey, you’re the Wicked Witch!’ Matilda squealed from the front of the crowd.

‘
Really
?’ Abbey cried.

Matilda flung her arms around Abbey and they began jumping up and down. Olivia tried to look over people’s heads but she still couldn’t see the board.

‘Emma and I are Emerald City ladies!’ she heard Matilda shout. ‘I’ll get to wear green and you’ll get to wear those pretty dresses, Emma!’

‘Kate, you’re a munchkin!’ cried Emma.

‘What about Olivia?’ Maddie called from behind Olivia. ‘Is her name next to Dorothy?’

‘Hang on,’ said Emma, ‘I’m looking.’

The students were starting to walk away from the board and Olivia moved forward to look at the list.

There, next to the word ‘Dorothy’ was a name. But it wasn’t hers.

‘Lily Ellis?’ said Maddie, looking stunned.

‘Lily from Miss Jacobs’ class is Dorothy?’ said Matilda.

Olivia’s face flushed hot and she felt a twinge in her chest.

‘I’m sorry, Olivia,’ said Emma. ‘You practised so hard.’

‘It doesn’t matter,’ said Olivia, but her voice sounded squeaky. ‘Lily will be great.’

‘What role
did
you get?’ asked Kate.

The six girls scanned the list. Olivia’s tummy did a weird flopping thing. Her name wasn’t anywhere.

‘Here you are,’ said Abbey, finally.

The girls looked to another list where Abbey was pointing, and there was Olivia’s name. But it wasn’t on the cast list. It was beside the title ‘Backstage Manager’
.

‘Backstage?’ Emma said, frowning.

‘That’s weird,’ said Matilda.

Olivia couldn’t have agreed more. Why would Miss Hibbert give her that job? Olivia had never done backstage work, ever!

It doesn’t make sense
, Olivia thought.

‘I’m doing props,’ said Maddie, reading the list. ‘So we can hang out backstage together, Olivia.’

‘Cool,’ said Olivia, half-heartedly.

‘Maybe you should ask Miss Hibbert why she put you backstage?’ suggested Emma gently.

‘No,’ Olivia said quietly. ‘I don’t want to ask her.’

‘I’m really sorry, Olivia,’ said Abbey. ‘It’s not fair.’

‘It’s okay. I’m really happy for you, Abbey,’ Olivia said. ‘You’ll be an awesome Wicked Witch.’

Abbey looked so sad that Olivia’s heart went out to her. She knew Abbey didn’t want to show how excited she was when Olivia was so upset.

‘I’d better go,’ Olivia said. ‘Mum’s picking me up for gymnastics.’

She hurried away before her friends could see the tears in her eyes.

Gymnastics training nights were usually Olivia’s favourite times of the week, but she was finding it hard to concentrate.
I don’t understand
, she thought as she attempted a lunge cartwheel.
Why would Miss Hibbert put me behind the stage instead of on it?

‘Hey, Olivia, are you okay?’

Olivia’s teammate, Sasha, was standing with a concerned look on her face.

‘You seem worried,’ she said gently. ‘Is everything all right?’

Just hearing the kindness in Sasha’s voice was almost enough to make Olivia burst into tears right there on the mat.

‘I’m fine,’ Olivia said as brightly as she could. ‘It’s just my concentrating face.’

Olivia didn’t want Sasha to know that she was upset about being put backstage instead of playing the lead role. It might have sounded a bit whiny.

‘Oh, I do that,’ said Sasha with a grin. ‘My dad says it looks like I’m grumpy, but really I’m just going over a split jump in my head.’

Olivia laughed and her spirits rose.

‘Should we practise our wolf kicks?’ Sasha said. ‘I need a bit of help with mine.’

‘Sure,’ said Olivia.

Olivia got into position and began demonstrating her wolf kicks along the outer edge of the mat, with Sasha following behind her.

‘Fantastic, Olivia,’ Trish called out from the other side of the room. ‘Those kicks are perfect! Well done!’

Olivia felt a warm, happy glow rush through her as she turned to smile at her coach. It felt so good to hear someone tell her she was doing something well, especially today.

I’m going to forget all about the play and focus on my gymnastics
, Olivia thought.

But the next morning at breakfast Olivia found herself thinking again about being backstage instead of on it, and her spirits sank back down to the floor.

‘Are you going to the clubhouse this weekend?’ asked Alice as she slurped the last of her cereal. ‘Can I come? Pleeeease?’

Alice was Olivia’s six-year-old sister and she desperately wanted to be part of the Forever Clover Club. Usually Olivia tried to be patient as she explained that the club was only for bigger girls, but she was in no mood to put up with her sister’s whining this morning.

‘No,’ Olivia said. ‘I’ve told you, Alice, little sisters aren’t allowed.’

‘You’re mean!’ Alice shouted.

‘Okay, Alice,’ Olivia’s mum said as she walked into the kitchen. ‘Go and brush your teeth please.’

Alice stomped out of the room.

‘Is everything all right, Olivia?’ her mum asked. ‘You haven’t been yourself since you came home from gymnastics last night.’

It wasn’t long before Olivia was telling her mum everything.

‘I don’t know anything about being backstage, but I’ve done lots of performing in competitions,’ Olivia said. ‘I just don’t understand why Miss Hibbert would give me a job like that.’

‘There must be a reason,’ said her mum.

‘I don’t think I want to be part of the show anymore,’ Olivia said. ‘I’m going to quit.’

‘Olivia,’ her mum said, ‘promise me you won’t quit until I’ve shown you something at the café this afternoon?’

‘Can’t you show me now?’ asked Olivia.

‘Sorry, love, but it’s time for school,’ her mum said. ‘Now get a wriggle on.’

Olivia got up to rinse out her bowl in the sink. She wished she didn’t have to wait the whole day to find out what her mum wanted to show her.
I just need to know,
she thought,
why Miss Hibbert would give me a job I know nothing about.