Olivia Plays Her Part (3 page)

‘Maybe it was a mistake,’ said Maddie. ‘Oliver Hall helped out backstage last year. Maybe Miss Hibbert accidentally wrote
Olivia
instead of
Oliver
?’

‘It couldn’t be that,’ said Olivia. ‘I saw Oliver’s name on the Munchkin list.’

Olivia and Maddie sat at their table in the classroom and got out their exercise books. Maddie leaned over to Olivia.

‘I know you’re really upset about not getting Dorothy,’ she said softly. ‘But I think you’ll be an awesome Backstage Manager.’

‘Thanks,’ Olivia said, ‘but I’m just not sure I’m the right person for the job.’

For the rest of the morning, Maddie, Kate, Emma, Matilda and Abbey tried hard to distract Olivia from thinking about the show. Abbey kept everyone entertained during recess with a funny story about her little brother, Archie, and Emma described the new bracelets she was making with a brand new packet of beads. Unfortunately, Olivia’s friends couldn’t do anything to stop the announcement that was made at the end of recess.

Could all cast members for
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
please go to the hall at lunchtime for a rehearsal meeting?

The announcement blared through the speakers in the playground. Olivia’s tummy began to churn.
That’s not me
, she thought.
I’m not a cast member
.

Emma leaned over and squeezed Olivia’s hand. ‘Hey, will you help me with my beading at lunchtime, Olivia?’ she asked.

‘I’d love to,’ said Olivia.

‘And I’ll come and help when I finish soccer,’ said Maddie.

Olivia knew her friends were trying their hardest to make her feel better and she was grateful to them.

Olivia’s brain was working overtime as she walked towards her class after lunch. She knew she needed to stop being upset about not getting into the show, but it was hard, especially because she was so competitive. Years of doing gymnastics had made her very determined and used to winning.

I have to be happy for Abbey and the others
, she thought.
Even if I do feel like I’ve let myself down.

Olivia was so lost in her thoughts that she bumped into someone coming around the corner.

‘Oh, sorry, I…’ Olivia froze when she realised that it was Miss Hibbert.

‘Hello, Olivia,’ Miss Hibbert said. ‘You’re in a hurry!’

‘Um … yes, I …’ Olivia suddenly felt tongue-tied. Part of her wanted to ask Miss Hibbert straight out why she put her backstage and the other part was too nervous to hear her answer.

‘I was just coming to pop these in the classrooms,’ Miss Hibbert said, handing Olivia a sheet of paper. ‘It’s a list of jobs for the backstage crew, including your duties as manager. Just come to me if you have any questions.’

Miss Hibbert hurried off down the corridor before Olivia could say anything. Olivia glanced down at the paper in her hand and saw the words,
Backstage Manager: Duties and Responsibilities
. Under this was a very long list that included things like,
Prop Checklist
and
Blocking Notes.

Olivia felt a wave of panic begin to rise up inside her. She had no idea what a blocking note was!

There’s no way I can be in charge of this job all on my own
, Olivia thought.
This is totally out of my comfort zone.

Olivia wanted to run after Miss Hibbert and tell her that she had decided to quit, but then she remembered her promise to her mum.

I don’t know what Mum wants to show me
, she thought,
but I can’t see how anything is going to change my mind.

Davey’s Bay Café was unusually quiet when Olivia and Maddie arrived later that afternoon. Olivia’s mum was sitting to the side of the counter doing some work while two of her staff cleared tables. Olivia loved her mum’s café, especially because she and her friends got to eat all the yummy food on the menu.

‘Where’s Alice?’ asked Olivia.

‘Ella’s taken her to the park,’ her mum said. ‘I wanted to talk to you without any interruptions.’

Olivia nodded. Alice could be distracting so it was good that Olivia’s older sister, Ella, had taken her out.

‘Your mum was in here earlier, Maddie,’ Olivia’s mum said. ‘She’s coming back to pick you up in half an hour.’

Maddie’s and Olivia’s mums were best friends. So Olivia and Maddie had always thought it made perfect sense for their daughters to be best friends, too.

Olivia’s mum pulled a photo album out of her bag.

‘Oh no!’ Olivia groaned. ‘Are you going to embarrass me with baby photos?’

‘No,’ said her mum, smiling. ‘This is an album of photos from before you were born.’

Olivia and Maddie raised their eyebrows at each other.

‘There,’ Olivia’s mum said, pointing to a photo. ‘That’s me with my crew at university twenty years ago. We worked backstage on a production of
Chicago
.’

Olivia looked closely at the photo. A very young woman – who Olivia almost didn’t recognise as her mum – was standing on a stage with a group of people. They all had their arms around each other and were beaming into the camera.

‘I was the lighting person on the show
Chicago
,’ Olivia’s mum said. ‘And it was one of the happiest times of my life.’

‘Really?’ asked Olivia. ‘Even though you weren’t on stage?’

‘You don’t have to be on stage to be part of a show and have a good time,’ her mum said. ‘In fact, most of the time the real fun happens backstage.’

Olivia and Maddie continued to flick through the photos while Olivia’s mum went to serve some customers.

‘Wow, these photos are so cool,’ Maddie said. ‘It looks like we’re going to have heaps of fun, Olivia.’

‘But I showed you that list Miss Hibbert gave me,’ Olivia said. ‘What if everyone is relying on me to make sure everything runs smoothly and I make a mistake? If I was performing, at least I’d know what to do. Why couldn’t Miss Hibbert have seen that and given me a role?’

‘You’ll be great,’ said Maddie. ‘You know how super organised you are.’

Olivia knew her best friend was trying to help, but the nagging feeling of worry in her belly wouldn’t go away. Being Backstage Manager was a huge responsibility. What if she couldn’t find the witch’s broom in the dark and Abbey had to go on without it? What if she told someone to go on stage at the wrong time?

Olivia had to admit that backstage work did look like fun in her mum’s photos, but she still wasn’t sure that Miss Hibbert had chosen the right girl for the job.

Friday night was sleepover night and this week it was Abbey’s turn to host. As Olivia packed to figure Chapter her overnight bag, she was still trying out why Miss Hibbert had made her Backstage Manager, but she was having no luck coming up with an answer. She decided to pack her special doll just in case she couldn’t stop worrying and had trouble going to sleep.

Olivia had an idea as her mum was backing out of their driveway.

‘Sure,’ said her mum with a smile. ‘Let me guess. Choc-mint?’

Olivia nodded. Surely her favourite icecream would help take her mind off her worries.

Her mum pulled up outside the small local supermarket and handed Olivia some money.

‘I’ll wait in the car,’ she said. ‘Say hi to Mandy for me.’

Mandy was the lady who owned the supermarket and she was always giving Olivia and her friends treats when they popped in. Olivia’s favourites were the chocolate love hearts on the front counter.

Olivia walked into the shop, said hello to Mandy and headed for the freezers at the back of the store. She was peering through the glass, trying to find the choc-mint icecream without the peanut crisps, when she heard a voice behind her.

‘Well, hello again!’

Olivia looked up to see Miss Hibbert standing in front of the yoghurts.

‘Isn’t that funny?’ said Miss Hibbert. ‘We seem to be destined to keep bumping into each other today.’

Destined?
Olivia thought.
Maybe we are! Maybe this is my chance to find out once and for all why Miss Hibbert made me Backstage Manager!

‘Miss Hibbert, can I ask you something?’ Olivia said.

‘Of course,’ Miss Hibbert said.

‘Why did you make me Backstage Manager instead of giving me a part in the show?’

Miss Hibbert smiled kindly, as if she had been waiting for this question all day.