Out of Bounds Page 14

  Okay, now I’m getting really sick of the word boundaries, which I have now used at least ten times. Enough already!

  These are the kinds of things I think about when it’s late at night and I should be sleeping. Good thing I plan to be a writer, because I could probably win the Word Nerd of the Week award. Okay, one more thing. Isn’t it weird when you say a word really fast about fifteen times? It doesn’t sound like a real word anymore. It sounds like gobbledygook. (now that is a very cool word)

  Go to sleep, Charlotte. Does anybody else out there think about weird things?

  Ooo! I just saw the most incredible shooting star. It was so beautiful. Now that would be something for Miss Pierce to go out to see. She’d like that. She wouldn’t even have to leave the house to do it. No boundaries adjustment necessary. Be quiet, Charlotte.

  I’m definitely going to bed now. Good thing, huh?

  Marty is licking my toes and it really tickles.

  CHAPTER 17

  Eyes on the Prize

  At the next rehearsal, Henry Yurt as head cheerleader was something to see. Backed by the rest of the boys, the act was more comedy than gymnastics. Even Ms. Ciara and Ms. R were beside themselves with laughter. Henry’s rendition of “We are the Warriors, the mighty, mighty Warriors,” the high school football cheer, was something out of a goofy sports movie. And when his wig flew off at the end as he bowed, Ms. Ciara laughed so hard she had to sit down.

  “I don’t know, Maeve, you may have a little competition,” Avery said.

  Since he made a commitment to participate in the show, Henry Yurt had taken “commitment” to a new level. He even tried to wear his red wig around school. One day, he wore it into homeroom, and Ms. R made him put it in his backpack, saying it was a distraction to the rest of the class.

  “I’m trying to get into character,” Henry protested.

  “Henry, if you think I believe that for one minute, you are living in a sitcom. Now, march,” Ms. R said firmly.

  Ever since he had dumped the water on Anna’s head in science class, Henry Yurt had taken on legendary status at Abigail Adams. Anna still hated him, even though he hadn’t meant to do it. The experiment had been to demonstrate surface tension, but Henry had messed it up. Instead of staying in the bottle, the water had soaked Anna.

  Anna was furious, but the rest of the class found the whole thing hilarious. And since Anna was so mean, no one felt too bad for her. After all, it was only water…no need to make such a big deal about it.

  But something had happened that day—the incident had transformed Henry from Class A nerd to Class Clown. Just thinking of Henry as “head cheerleader” would make people laugh. The red wig would put them over the edge.

  Wig or no wig, Henry was serious about the show. He had started watching cheerleading competitions on cable, and he had even rented movies on the subject. At today’s rehearsal, he was trying to coach the other boys to do splits and lifts like the girls.

  “Yo, Yurt. Guys don’t bend like that,” Nick Montoya said, laughing. Nick was very athletic, and the lifts were no problem for him. But the splits were another thing altogether.

  This wasn’t an official dress rehearsal, but some of the kids had come in costume. Betsy and her tuba band were wearing their marching outfits. Charlotte had a cape and a top hat she had pulled out of the theater’s prop room.

  Seeing people in costume stirred up Kiki’s competitive spirit.

  “Why didn’t you call me back last night?” Kiki asked Isabel. Kiki’s voice had a threatening edge that Isabel didn’t like.

  “I was busy,” Isabel said. “Making posters for the show.”

  “Let somebody else make the stupid posters,” Kiki said. “We need our costumes. My father has a camera crew. They’re going to film us next Tuesday.”

  “You want me to make the costumes?” Isabel was shocked.

  “Yes, I want you to make the costumes,” Kiki said, as if this were something that they had discussed a million times before.

  “But Kiki, I don’t know how to sew,” Isabel said.

  “When were you going to tell me that?” Kiki looked disgusted.

  “You never asked me,” Isabel said.

  “Yes, I did. It was the same conversation where you told me how good you were at computer animation,” Kiki said.

  Isabel was stunned. They never talked about sewing. She would have remembered that. Or would she have? Isabel was becoming so overwhelmed that she was forgetting whom she was supposed to do what for and when.

  Kiki turned her wrath on Anna and Joline. “I thought you told me she could sew?”

  “I think you’ve got me confused with Katani. She’s the clothes designer,” Isabel said. “Katani can sew up anything.”

  “I don’t care who sews as long as someone does,” Kiki said, handing the magazine design to Isabel. “This is what I want,” Kiki declared.

  Isabel stared at the dress. “You want me to ask Katani to make these dresses?” she asked in disbelief. There was no way that was going to happen.

  “I don’t care who you get to do it,” Kiki said. “I just want it done.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder and walked away—a super diva in action.

  Isabel stood there gaping after her. Neither Anna nor Joline said a word.

  Since it was their first rehearsal at the Movie House, Maeve, in her glory, showed people around the theater, the prop room, and the secret backstage stairwells.

  Everyone felt it was a better place to perform than the junior high had been. From back in the day when it was a live theater, the Movie House even had a greenroom, where the actors could hang out until their calls. The student performers made themselves right at home. Someone brought in juice. And they dragged in a big couch from the old prop room, which was now a junk room full of old movie cans and lenses, but still had some of the props from old vaudeville routines. The greenroom was a go!

  Mr. Taylor told the kids to help themselves to anything they needed. Little by little, the old props had been finding their way into the skits. Charlotte found her cape in an old costume trunk. Henry Yurt helped himself to the megaphone. Avery dug up a pair of black tuxedo pants with the stripe down the sides. The jacket that went with them was long gone, but the pants fit, once Katani took them in a little and took up the hem. Even Dillon managed to pick up some old tools found in an old locker.

  “These belong to Jerry Carbone,” Maeve said.

  Jerry Carbone was a famous lighting director for theater. He had worked on Broadway, and then moved to Boston. Maeve’s father had him over for dinner once, and he told them all about how lighting could make or break a show. Maeve realized as soon as she said it that Dillon didn’t have a clue whom she was talking about.

  “These belong to someone else?” He started to put the tools back.

  “No, I mean they did once, but you can use them now,” Maeve said awkwardly. This is so not cool, she thought to herself. A few weeks ago, she and Dillon were friends and maybe a little more, but now everything felt really awkward between them.

  It was obvious that they both wanted to say something, but it was hard to get over the awkwardness that had started over Kiki and her act. Plus, Kiki kept watching Dillon from the corner. She wouldn’t take her eyes off him. She was waiting for him to set up the lights for their number, and every time he spoke to Maeve, Kiki grew more annoyed until she finally turned her back in a huff.

  “I didn’t know this was such a serious rehearsal,” Katani said to Isabel.

  “Kiki’s father is going to do a video of us,” Isabel said. “He’s bringing in a film crew.” There was no way Isabel was going to tell Katani about the costume request.

  There had been a lot of changes since Kiki had first asked Isabel to participate in the act. Isabel found herself wondering if the filming would even happen. Most of the stuff that Kiki had promised hadn’t happened yet. Like Paula Abdul helping them. Everyone was aware that Kiki was doing all the choreography. Not that it was bad or any
thing, but Kiki was so totally the star of the Hip-Hop Honeys, everybody wondered what Anna and Joline were thinking.

  Betsy and her band rehearsed their number first. They played a Sousa march, and it was pretty good. Betsy’s part was the longest, and, by the end of it, everyone could tell she was a little dizzy because she staggered backwards after she finished.

  “Maybe you should consider sitting down for this number, Betsy,” Ms. Ciara said. “The stage is really too small to march very far, and I think all that movement is a bit distracting for the audience.”

  Betsy nodded. She was grateful for the suggestion. She didn’t want to fall on the night of the show. Her parents would be so embarrassed and her brother, the one who went to Harvard, was coming too, and so she wanted to impress them all.

  Katani took the opportunity between acts to make an announcement. “I have the posters for the show.” She held one of them up. “We have to place them in busy areas around town so everybody sees them. Here is a list of suggested locations. If each of you could take two of them, we could get this done. If you look down the list, you can find your name and where you need to put the posters.” And then she sat down, a little overwhelmed that she had just told everybody in the class what to do. Even for Katani, that was a lot of taking charge, and she was afraid that maybe kids would resent it.

  But Ms. Ciara said, “Great idea, Katani. Let me see a show of hands of those who can’t do it.” She looked around the theater quickly. Not one student raised their hand.

  “Okay, we are good to go on the posters. Katani, why don’t you give them to Ms. R, and she will hand two to everyone who leaves the theater. And now, let’s get going, people. Time’s running out…and Katani, I would like to see you for a few minutes after rehearsal.”

  “Get it done!” Henry Yurt cheered as Katani walked back to hand the posters and lists to Ms. R.

  “Do we have any publicity yet?” Joline asked.

  “No, but I’m working on it,” Katani said.

  “We might need some kind of angle,” Avery said, “something to get the attention of the TV people.”

  “Like a real live publicity stunt?” Maeve was thinking old-school Hollywood, the things people did to get noticed. She was thinking of Lucy and Ethel from I Love Lucy. They had the wackiest stunts that always seemed to attract a lot of attention.

  “Yeah, something really cool that looks good on TV,” Avery said.

  “I think Avery’s right,” Katani said. “We need something to call attention not to the show but to the cause. This place.”

  “What if we all got together and did a group hug?” Henry Yurt was kidding, but it struck a chord.

  “Of each other?” Avery asked, appalled.

  “Of the Movie House,” Henry suggested.

  “Like hugging a tree or something?” Nick asked.

  “Only with the theater instead,” Katani said, starting to understand.

  It wasn’t a bad idea.

  “What do you think?” Katani asked Ms. Ciara.

  “I think it’s a great idea,” Ms. Ciara said. “Providing your father approves. It certainly would attract some attention.”

  “Yeah, we might all get on TV,” Dillon said.

  “I think we should take our banners and go in costume,” Betsy said.

  Everyone looked at Henry Yurt. He threw his wig up in the air and yelled, “Woo-hoo!”

  After a short break, the rehearsal resumed. The Beacon Street Girls’ Magic Show went on next. Avery was thrilled to find that Marty was listed as a member of the act. “Marty made the cut,” she said, beaming.

  “He’s in the show under the following conditions,” Ms. Ciara said. “You’re going to have to keep him tied up and away from Kiki. Her mother says it was the mold that was the reason for her allergies, but we need to keep him away from Kiki.”

  “No problem,” Avery said. Avoiding contact with Kiki was something Avery was already an expert at.

  The girls didn’t do a run-through of the magic act; they were still at the approval stage. Charlotte set up the magic box. The teachers inspected it. They actually put Avery in it. “She goes in here and then, abracadabra, she escapes. Just like that,” Charlotte said. But when Charlotte opened the door, Avery was still inside the box.

  “I can’t believe it,” Anna said. “You still haven’t figured out how to do that trick? You’re going to look so stupid and ruin the show.”

  Kelley, who had come to meet Katani after her art program had ended, heard Anna’s comment, and came to the girls’ defense. “They do so know how to do the trick.”

  “Sure they do,” Anna said.

  “You’re so silly, Anna Banana, even I know how to do that trick,” Kelley said.

  “Oh yeah? How?” Anna turned to Kelley.

  “Abracadabra,” Kelley said. “It’s magic, that’s how.”

  “Right, it’s magic…and I’m the Easter Bunny,” Anna said.

  Katani shot Anna a warning look. No one was going to mess with Kelley, not even Anna.

  Kelley looked at Anna, considering. “Now I know you’re just plain silly. You’re not the Easter Bunny, you’re Anna Banana,” Kelley laughed.

  Anna huffed off to join Kiki and Joline.

  “Well, they’re no competition,” Anna said loud enough for them to hear. “They don’t even have an act.”

  Kiki and Joline were deep in discussion with Isabel.

  “You can say anything you like,” Isabel said to Kiki. “But I’m not doing the costumes. And I’m not asking Katani to do them either.”

  “What’s going on?” Anna wanted to know.

  “Isabel has decided not to be a team player,” Kiki said.

  “That’s so not fair,” Isabel said.

  “We talked about this,” Kiki said.

  “No, we didn’t,” Isabel said. “I would have remembered.”

  “So what are we going to do now?” Joline asked.

  “I don’t know what you’re going to do now,” Kiki said. “But I want this dress.” She pointed to the magazine picture.

  “That’s a $400 dress,” Anna said.

  Kiki shrugged. “I’m wearing this dress. I’m not going to let some non team player ruin my shot at a music video. I’m ordering the dress.”

  “What are we supposed to do?” Joline said. “I can’t get my parents to buy me some $400 dress to wear as a costume.”

  “Then I suggest you all go shopping,” Kiki said. “Get anything you want. Only stay away from red because that’s my color.” She walked off.

  “Stay away from red because that’s my color,” Anna’s voice imitated Kiki’s, in her sing-song way.

  Isabel and Joline both turned to look at Anna, but she was walking away.

  According to the schedule, the Hip-Hop Honeys were supposed to rehearse their entire number. It was going to be their official run-through. But Kiki kept changing the steps, and Anna kept bickering with her about the changes. Finally, Ms. Ciara stopped them. “This is not productive,” she said. “You can do the entire number at dress rehearsal,” she said. “That will give you enough time to make any changes you want between now and then. And Kiki, decide on the routine and stick to it. It is not fair for Isabel, and Anna, and Joline. It gets too confusing. Do you understand me?” Kiki nodded, but anyone could see that she was not happy.

  Katani and Maeve looked at each other.

  “Anna’s really mad at Kiki,” Maeve whispered.

  Anna almost quit right then, but she didn’t. Eyes on the prize, she told herself. The prize was herself on video. Now that she knew Kiki’s father worked with a lot of famous people, there was no way she could drop out. And Anna figured that once she got the video in her hands, she could have it edited down to just her parts. Her mother told her that she could. It would be good for getting modeling jobs.

  No, there was no way Anna was going to quit now. She had come too far and put up with too much of Kiki and Joline’s worship of Kiki to quit before the show.


  The Beacon Street Girls stayed behind after the rehearsal to wait for Katani. They could see Katani’s head nodding back and forth, following Ms. Ciara’s gestures closely. They wondered whether Katani had overstepped her bounds by organizing the poster list. Some teachers were funny that way. They didn’t like you taking charge unless they gave you the formal okay.

  Finally, Ms. Ciara turned to leave, and Katani walked back toward her friends.

  “Was she mad, Katani?” Maeve asked sympathetically.

  “No, she wants me to assist her with the show. She said that it was a really big job with lots of responsibility. I have to help manage the acts backstage, and if things aren’t working, I have to help her figure out what to do.”

  “Wow,” said Avery. “That is a really big job. I mean, what if the Hip-Hop Honeys decide to get in a fight or something on opening night?”

  “You can handle it, Katani,” Isabel said. “Look how you took charge of getting us organized to make posters.”

  “That’s different,” Katani laughed. “We all like each other.”

  “We better practice our trick before they kick us out of here,” said Charlotte. Katani’s new job was set aside as the girls focused on their biggest problem: How to get Avery to disappear!

  The girls had already pulled a fast one on the other performers…They had all agreed: It was better to look as if they didn’t know the trick than to have Kiki and Queens of Mean try to sabotage their act. Only after they were sure Kiki was safely out of the building did they practice the real Houdini trick.

  Then the girls got into action. They dragged an old mattress out of the prop room.

  “Oh, goody,” Kelley said. “Are we having a sleepover?”

  “Not today, Kel,” Charlotte said.

  Kelley looked disappointed then intrigued as she watched Avery unlatch the door to the orchestra pit. Once the latch was undone, the trapdoor opened inward, which was just what was needed for this trick. Then they rolled the mattress into a tube and shoved it down the hole. It popped out of sight.

  Kelley started to clap, thinking this was the real trick. “Good one!” She laughed.