Hannah in the Spotlight by Natasha Mac a'Bháird Page B

me lunch.’
    Meg and I exchanged a grin as Laura tipped the sandwich into the bin and put on some toast instead.
    ‘Wait till you see the great costumes we found,’ Meg said. She went to retrieve them from the hall, and came in modelling the green gingham dress.
    ‘Oh, that’s brilliant!’ Laura said. She reached for the long black skirt. ‘Is this for Madame Fidolia? It’s perfect.’ She pulled it on over her jeans and started striding around the kitchen, proclaiming, ‘Marvellous, children!’ She declared that she felt more Russian already.
    The doorbell rang and Ruby rushed in, full of apologies for being late. ‘Sorry – ballet camp ran over, then I had to get some lunch.’
    ‘That’s OK, we’re a little behind schedule here too,’ I told her as Laura started to spread peanut butter on hermountain of toast.
    We finally got down to some rehearsing once Laura had devoured her toast and the rest of us had drunk several cups of tea. It was amazing how wearing our costumes really helped us get into character. Wearing the old-fashioned kilt and brown jumper we’d chosen for Pauline helped me to feel more like her, and with all the advice Sadie had given me running through my head I found it easier to stop being Hannah and start being Pauline. And Laura was much more convincing as Madame Fidolia in her long black skirt – it seemed to make her move more like a grown-up lady than a twelve-year-old girl. By the time Meg’s mum came to collect us, I felt like we were really getting somewhere.
    ‘My house on Monday?’ I suggested as we gathered up our stuff.
    ‘It’s a date!’

    ‘So when are we going to see this show of yours?’ Dad asked.
    I had my parents all to myself for once – the others were all, finally, in bed. I get to stay up an hour later than Zach and Bobby because I’m older, but usually by the time they’re all in bed and the dinner dishes are done, Mum and Dad are so exhausted they just collapse in front of the TV. This evening the sun was still shining so the three of uswere sitting in the back garden having a cup of tea.
    ‘I’ve been hearing all about it from Mum – it sounds like you’ve been putting a lot of work into it,’ Dad went on.
    ‘Yes, we have,’ I said. ‘We’re not ready to show anyone just yet though. Maybe in a few weeks.’
    ‘I think you need to set a goal for yourselves,’ Dad said. ‘Otherwise it can be hard to stay focused.’
    ‘We could do something for the end of the holidays maybe,’ I said.
    ‘Oh, I know!’ Mum said. ‘You can be the entertainment for Maisie’s birthday party!’
    I stared at her.
    ‘It’d be perfect,’ Mum enthused. ‘We can have it here in the garden, and all Maisie’s friends can come and watch. Then we can give them pizza and birthday cake and we’re done – perfect party!’
    ‘Sounds like a great plan,’ Dad said. ‘And less likely to result in broken bones than a bouncy castle.’
    ‘Cheaper than a magician,’ Mum added.
    ‘Less mess than a paddling pool party,’ said Dad.
    ‘And much less stress than Pass the Parcel and Musical Chairs,’ Mum finished.
    They looked extremely happy with their little plan.
    ‘What do you think, Hannah?’ Mum asked at last.
    ‘Ummm … we could, I suppose …’ I said slowly. ‘We’regoing to need a LOT more rehearsals first though.’
    ‘Have as many as you like!’ Dad said. ‘Believe me, it’ll all start to come together quickly when you have a date to aim for.’
    I started to feel a bit excited. They might only be a gang of six-year-olds, but it would still be our first proper audience. I pictured a big gang of them sitting on the grass, and my friends and I on the raised patio area, which would make a perfect stage. The only question was, could we do it on time? Maisie’s birthday was only three weeks away. And even though our rehearsal that day had gone well, I knew we needed a lot more practice. Sadie had inspired me to strive to give the best