Worse Than Boys(54)

What an entrance we made. Wizzie pushed through the double doors, making such a clatter I was sure the doors were coming off their hinges.

I walked after her, with Grace and Sonya. We left Lauren to glide in behind us, like a queen. Everyone turned to look. I clocked them. There was big Anil, folded over a seat – probably didn’t even have to audition, big show-off. Zak Riley was there too. Surely he didn’t expect a part? But the ones my eyes searched out – the only ones I was interested in – were Erin and co. They were right at the front, no surprise there, and Erin got to her feet to watch us. She stood rigid, the way she always did when she was spoiling for a fight. The rest stood up too and turned to look at us.

Wizzie held up her hands. ‘It’s OK. No applause. Not at the moment. Autographs later.’

We took our seats at the back and spread ourselves out. Mr Hammond hurried towards us. ‘What are you doing here? You better not be here to cause trouble.’

‘Us, sir?’ I said, all innocence.

‘We’re here to audition.’ He stared at Wizzie when she said that, disbelief written all over his face in big letters. Don’t know why he looked so surprised. Seeing her sitting there, with her wild hair and her eyebrow pierced, I thought she would have made a great Rizzo, the leader of the Pink Ladies.

‘Don’t worry,’ Wizzie said. ‘I’m not going into your daft play.’ She pulled at Lauren’s pink cardigan. ‘She is.’

Mr Hammond’s eyes travelled to Lauren, all pink and fresh and pretty, and stayed there, as if he was trying to figure out if he knew her. ‘My goodness, Lauren, I wouldn’t have recognised you. I didn’t know you could sing.’

‘Wait till you hear her,’ I said. ‘Hidden talents.’

He turned his attention to me then. ‘Ah, so this is your doing. And what part is Lauren auditioning for?’ He was asking me, not Lauren. I could almost see Lauren ready to say she’d take anything, but I was having none of that.

‘The main part. Sandy. That’s the only one she’s interested in.’

His eyes narrowed. ‘I see,’ he said.

‘You’ll give her a fair shot at it, won’t you, sir?’

Mr Hammond didn’t think Lauren stood a chance. None of them did. He still thought we were here for a laugh, to make a complete mess of his audition. ‘Of course I will. But I’ll be keeping my eye on you,’ he said, and then he hurried back down to the front of the stage.

It would have been hard not to make a fool of the auditions. How some people have the nerve to get up and sing beats me.

The boys were first. And that was such a laugh. Everyone knew the main part would go to big Anil. He didn’t even need to sing. But he did, just so the girls could swoon at him.

Another couple of boys tried out for the same part, but they didn’t stand a chance.

There were no surprises when Mr Hammond announced that Anil would play the lead. I called up to the teacher, ‘Cheat! He was definitely miming, sir!’

Almost everyone laughed, even big Anil. Only the Lip Gloss Girls kept their faces straight and solemn. And Mr Hammond. He shook his head in a warning, still sure we were here to make trouble.

Zak Riley got a part too, as one of the more stupid members of the gang. ‘Type casting!’ I called up when we heard that news.

Then it was the girls’ turn, and that was even funnier. Mary Fortune got up and belted out ‘Simply the Best’ as if she was Tina Turner herself. She was awful. We stamped and whistled when she’d finished as if she’d been brilliant. She knew we were making a fool of her and glared daggers at us. She was so busy glaring she tripped and fell off the stage. That only made us whistle and cheer even louder. Mr Hammond came up and warned us to shut up. ‘I’ll put you out if there’s any more of that.’

Lauren whispered as he walked away, ‘I’m definitely not getting that part now.’

She looked nervous. Little bubbles of sweat dotted her top lip. I glanced at Rose. She didn’t look nervous at all. Confidence oozed from her. I could see Erin and the new girl, Geraldine Mooney, whispering in her ear, probably telling her how wonderful she was going to be. They would be sure she would walk this one. So had I, once.

Until I had heard Lauren sing.

Eventually, it was Rose’s turn. She stood up, smiling, and walked straight-backed to the stage. Erin and the rest started cheering and stamping and whistling, just as we had done, but Mr Hammond didn’t rush to silence them.

And Rose started to sing ‘Summer Lovin’.

Lauren turned to me. ‘That’s the song I’m going to sing!’