Molly Moon & the Monster Music by Georgia Byng Page A

his sequined costume over in his hands. “Look at this stupid outfit. I like being a pop star about as much as I like eating rotten eggs. An’ I feel so sick, Gerry—like I eaten rotten eggs.” Suddenlyhe got up. “Excuse me.” He disappeared through a door into the adjoining room.
    â€œThat’s the bathroom,” explained Chokichi. “He’s throwing up. By the time he gets onstage he’ll be so wiped out from being ill that he won’t be nervous.”
    Molly went to the fridge and pulled out a fizzy drink. She cared as much about Toka’s problems as a hyena might about a zebra’s.
    The time for the show drew closer. The brothers put on their first costumes: red winged outfits. Makeup and hair technicians came in. Molly was made up, too.
    The dressing room’s soundproof door was opened. Immediately a swell of noise—the frenzied clapping and cheering of an expectant crowd—filled the air.
    Molly walked behind all the boys, cool as a cool breeze.
    â€œGood luck!” Gerry called after them.
    The curtain of the Tokyo Dome stage opened and the boy band were on. Holding his sticks in the air, Toka knocked them together. TAP, TAP, TAP . The microphone picked up the sound.
    â€œ KONEECHIWA , TOKYO! And hello to everybody who isn’t Japanese, too!” Hiroyuki nodded particularly to Molly, who was sitting a little distance from Gerry and Petula on the edge of the stage. “Hope you enjoy show!”
    The show was even more spectacular than the one in Ecuador. The boys sang and danced, electrifying the packed, adoring crowd. One unforeseen happening was Toka excusing himself from the stage because he felt so ill—but the audience was sympathetic and Chokichi took over some of the drumming. As they finished their last song, Hiroyuki took the microphone.
    Hiroyuki thrust his arm out at Gerry, who sat on a chair with Petula on his lap, and beamed at him. “Meet Gerry, and Petula,” he said in English.
    Gerry looked appalled to have so much attention focused on him. Uncertainly he picked up Petula’s paw and made her wave to the crowd. This caused a massive response.
    â€œOOOOH!”
    â€œAAAAHHH!”
    Gerry blushed and shook as the audience clapped. He got up. Awkwardly he bowed, then he waved. But his wave wasn’t one of greeting—it was a good-bye. Walking as fast as he could without appearing to be rude, Gerry left the stage.
    Hiroyuki explained to the crowd that Gerry wasshy and that he’d probably gone off to see Toka. The audience clapped some more.
    â€œAnd now we have surprise for you,” he said. “Our guest today! Meet Molly Moon!”
    Molly stood up. She strode over to join the boys and smiled at the crowd. She dipped her hand into her pocket.
    â€œMolly,” Chokichi explained, “is AMAZING on the harmonica. Aren’t you, Molly?”
    Molly could have shrugged and said something modest, but instead she replied conceitedly, “You bet.
    I’m the best!”
    The audience laughed, thinking she was joking, and then she began.
    She started with a huge blow, making her harmonica sound like some sort of groovy locomotive whistle. Then she stopped and leaned toward the microphone. “The music train is coming,” she said coldly.
    Again the audience read her wrongly, thinking her iciness was an act. Molly started again. She blew into the instrument as though she’d been blowing it since birth. The audience began to clap and sway. Each person, without knowing it, was becoming a passenger on Molly’s hypnotic train.
    As soon as Molly finished, a tsunami of awe-inspired applause crashed over her.
    Hiroyuki and Chokichi beamed at Molly. She smiled back. She stepped toward Chokichi’s silver guitar and picked it off its rack.
    â€œMay I?” she asked.
    With an amazed look on his face, Chokichi nodded. Molly hitched the guitar’s strap over her head and made herself