Snakes Don't Miss Their Mothers by M. E. Kerr

call for Ballbat,” he said. “Are you with Boss Models?”
    Jimmie said, “My agent sent me here. I’m not a real model yet.”
    â€œI was with Boss for a year, but I switched to Ford. I’ve done over a hundred jobs in sixteen months.”
    â€œWhat kind of jobs?”
    â€œI was the Rope Slacks sailor and the Turton Tuna.”
    â€œâ€˜Be certain it’s Turton.’”
    â€œRight!” said Cole Cane. “I did print ads for Kmart, Gottex, DKNY, and the Gap.”
    â€œWow!”
    â€œYeah. Fierce! And I’m up for a Calvin Klein jeans campaign to be shot by Steven Meisel!”
    Jimmie said, “I was up for Jane Brain of BrainPower Limited.”
    â€œI was up for the part of Art Smart, but that creep Quick said I looked too loopy to have a thought in my head.”
    â€œHe didn’t like me because I said ‘consensus of opinion,’” Jimmie said.
    â€œWhat’s wrong with saying that?”
    â€œIt’s redundant,” Jimmie said.
    â€œHey, Jimmie, I remember you now. I saw you last year. You danced with this great dog.”
    â€œDancer.”
    â€œAt Radio City! He was something!”
    â€œWasn’t he?”
    â€œI sing and dance myself, but in commercials. I decided to model rather than act right now, because the money is in modeling. If I save enough money, I’ll go to Yale. I’ll go to the drama school they have there.”
    â€œI think I’m too short to model,” said Jimmie.
    â€œChase Cutler is short.”
    â€œWho’s she?” Jimmie said.
    â€œShe’s with Ford. She has freckles the size of lima beans down her back to her butt, but she covers them with makeup. She does a lot of work. She’s about your age, thirteen, fourteen.”
    â€œI’m eleven. How old are you?”
    â€œGuess.”
    â€œSixteen? Seventeen?”
    â€œI’m fourteen.”
    â€œYou don’t look it.”
    â€œThanks.”
    Ms. Fondaloot arrived and put a protective arm around Jimmie’s shoulders. “Don’t let Cole Cane make you nervous,” she whispered to Jimmie.
    â€œHe doesn’t.”
    â€œI knew him when his mother was taking him around to cattle calls for background crowds. Now he’s hot, but he’s not that hot!”
    â€œI like him.”
    â€œHe and the chorus have all the lines, but never mind, cupcake. Work is work.”
    â€œI don’t say anything?”
    â€œI warned you! This is what happens when you speak out of turn! You’re the crumb, cupcake. You just stay put, and remember to keep your head inside until the chorus sings. Then you poke your head out whenever you hear the words ‘like some.’ You look ashamed. You duck your head back inside. Got it?”
    â€œWhy can’t I say ‘like some’?”
    â€œBecause it’s not in the script!”
    â€œNo lines at all?”
    â€œWhat do you want, cupcake? You might have had a job with Mr. Quick. But you had to go and say ‘consensus of opinion’!”
    Jimmie was zipped up into her costume while Cole got into a baseball suit and cap. Three girls dressed as dancing baseballs were standing by an oversized cookie package.
    Cole Cane picked up a ball bat.
    After Jimmie got her head all the way under the brown velvet, someone shouted “Action!”
    The dancing baseballs began to sing.
“Where did the little crumb come from?
    Not from a Ballbat cookie!
    It was not from a Ballbat peanut butter big fat raisin cookie …”
    Then Cole Cane sang out in a deep voice (for someone fourteen!):
Raisin cookie eaters don’t
    Ever leave a crumb!”
    Then the chorus:
    â€œLike some!”
    Jimmie’s head popped up.
    â€œLike some!”
    Jimmie’s head disappeared.
    As the chorus began all over again, a voice called, “Cut!”
    Then another voice came through the bullhorn. “The cookie crumb’s eyes are