Blue Ribbon Champ (4 page)

O
kay, kids! As soon as our stagehands are finished, I’ll explain what we’ll do next and give out some more parts!”

Pastor Newman, reading glasses perched on the end of his nose, studied a clipboard intently. He stood before the Youth for Truth teenagers packed into the front two center pews in the Community Bible Church. Mr. and Mrs. Chambers and another couple were busy on the platform moving scenery and props. The first Friday night practice for the Fourth of July program had already gone on for two hours, and the entire group looked like they hadn’t slept for three days.

After another grueling afternoon with Joey and his horse, Skye let out a sigh of relief when Joey somehow found himself on the opposite end of her pew. “I am
so
glad tomorrow is Saturday,” she whispered to Morgan, who was sitting on the aisle in her wheelchair. “I don’t think dynamite could get me out of bed before eight.”

“You said it.” Morgan rested an elbow on the chair and nestled her cheek against her fist. “I am beat as in
capital B-E-A-T. Something tells me we’re in for a month of hard work. But I think it’ll be a lot of fun too.”

Chad leaned forward from the pew behind Skye and whispered, “Girls, girls, never mind the hard work. We’ll be glad we did this when it’s all over.”

Skye studied Pastor Newman as if Chad were not even there.
Hannah Gilbert! Humph!

On the platform, the four adults finished rearranging plywood and cardboard scenery and props. In the back under an illuminated wooden cross where the youth choir would sing, a set of risers had already been assembled. On the left front stage stood an eight-foot-high bell tower. To its right, the men had placed a series of waist-high panels painted like a country road through thick shrubs and bushes. Adjoined to the panels was a facade of colonial row houses with windows and four wooden doors that swung open.

“All ready, Pastor!” Mr. Chambers said. He and the other adults shuffled off the platform and plopped into a pew in front of the piano.

“Thanks, Tom and crew.” Pastor Newman managed a tired smile, glanced at his clipboard again, and spoke to the teens. “Did I tell you that we can thank the staff and kids from Junior Church for making all the scenery? I think they did a nice job. What do you say?”

A tired round of applause with a few weak whistles echoed through the small country church.

“And let me just say that I am pleased with your cooperation too.” The exhausted man’s hazel eyes slowly swept over the entire group. “You all look as tired as I feel, so we won’t be here much longer. Mrs. Chambers needs to get the youth choir organized while I briefly discuss the third scene of the program with those involved.” He pulled out several half sheets of paper from his clipboard. “Everyone who doesn’t have a speaking part in this third section will be singing in the choir. You may go home after Mrs. Chambers meets with you.”

Mrs. Chambers stood and forced out a tired smile. “We’ll go down to the choir room, go through the medley once, and come back here to show you where you’ll stand on the risers. Then we’ll be done.”

“All right!” several teens said. A few others eked out faint whistles.

The pastor added, “And while the choir is doing that, I’ll meet with those who are in this third part. I’ve chosen the six of you who need to get your instruments ready for the grand finale the night of the program. You’ll be able to do that in the choir room during the fourth scene. At our next practice, we’ll go over that scene in detail. I did hand out those parts earlier, didn’t I?” With his chubby fingers, he scratched the back of his gray head, then shuffled through the papers on his clipboard.

They all mumbled yes.

“Whew! I knew I had those papers here earlier,” he said. “I was beginning to think I’d lost them.”

“They say the first thing to go when you’re old is your memory!” one teen teased.

“Just so I can remember who I am in the morning.” Pastor Newman chuckled too. “Anyway, you kids in the fourth scene should have no problem learning your lines before we practice again next week. We don’t have time tonight to run through your parts, but you
can
start learning how to sing the ‘American Pride Medley’ with Mrs. Chambers.”

Joey stuck his hand in the air and waved. “Ooh, Mister Pastor, kin I sing too? I love to sing.”

While most of the others took Joey’s words in stride, Skye rolled her eyes. “Joey, I have something special for you,” Pastor Newman said. “I’d like you to stay here with these kids: Melissa, Bobby, Chad, Morgan, and Skye. You’ll be in the third part of the program with them, okay?” He then spoke to the choir members. “Now the rest of you may go with Mrs. Chambers.”

The Teen Choir, led by Mrs. Chambers, shuffled out the back.

“I hope we don’t have to practice a lot,” one tired teen complained.

“We’ll run through the medley just once.” Mrs. Chambers’ voice trailed away. “Then we’ll come back up here to see where you’ll stand on the risers. That’s all.”

“Good. I’m beat.” Other expressions of fatigue echoed faintly above the chatter as the group plowed through a set of swinging doors.

Chad, Bobby, and Melissa joined Skye, Joey, and Morgan in the front pew.

“Ooh, I get to stay with my girlfriend, Cloud,” Joey exclaimed as he squeezed himself tightly against Skye.

“Joey, knock it off!” Skye yelled. Like a shot from a pistol, her words ricocheted off the walls of the large, hollow room.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Cloud.” Joey’s voice quivered. “I—I didn’t mean anything. I’m sorry. Don’t be mad at me.”

Church or no church, Skye could hardly take one more second of Joey Klingerman. Slumping in the pew, she crossed her legs, folded her arms, and simply stared at nothing.
Just great! Now I have lines to learn for this thing, and I can’t even get away from him.
Skye’s attention shifted to Pastor Newman. Glancing beyond Joey, she caught the looks of those on the front row, who now were all staring back at her. The room was as quiet as a tomb. Skye’s usual cool turned into a lather of sweat as her body cringed and her cheeks glowed with shame.

“Oops!” A poor excuse for an apology squeaked out of Skye’s lips. Farther down she slid, almost to the floor, while slapping her hands over her mouth. Her eyes darted over to Mr. Chambers, whose furrowed eyebrows gave one clear message:
Young lady, we’ll discuss this at home!

Pastor Newman made an obvious attempt to help Skye out of her jam. “Now, kids, in this third scene,”
he said quickly and ruffled the papers on his clipboard, “we’re going to reenact Paul Revere’s last ride. Bobby, you’re going to be in the bell tower. All you have to do is raise two lanterns and yell, ‘One if by land, and two if by sea!’ and ‘The Regulars are out!’”

“Wait a minute,” Skye said, scratching her head. “What does ‘the Regulars are out’ mean? I thought the British were coming.”

“A lot of people have that wrong,” Chad said.

“That’s right,” Pastor Newman said. “Paul Revere’s ride came before the signing of the Declaration of Independence, at which point the colonists still thought of themselves as ‘British.’ Revere wouldn’t have yelled ‘The British are coming’ because it would have made absolutely no sense to the people he was trying to warn. What he actually yelled was ‘The Regulars are out!’ The ‘Regulars’ were the professional soldiers in the British army.”

“Wow,” Bobby said, “I never knew that.”

“Me neither,” the others said.

“You mean all I have to say is ‘the Regulars are out’? Cool.” With obvious delight, Bobby fidgeted with his glasses. Even his spiked hair seemed to stand up straighter.

“That’s all.” Pastor Newman handed Bobby a small slip of paper. “You’ll need to focus on getting your trumpet ready for the instrumental finale with the choir. I think you’re all going to sound great.” The pastor’s glance roved all over his clipboard again. “Let’s see if I got this straight from Mrs. Chambers. Chad, you have a guitar; Melissa a clarinet; Morgan…let’s see…a flute; and Skye, you play the violin. Is that right?”

While the others said yes, Skye nodded weakly.

“But we only have a month to practice,” Melissa said.

Slowly, Skye pushed herself upright and listened more intently.

“Now don’t worry,” the pastor said. “Mrs. Chambers told me she’s simplifying your music scores so that our
American Medley Band—that’s you!—will sound great, and without having to kill yourselves with long practices. How does that sound?”

“Cool,” Chad said. The others nodded in agreement.

“Ooh,” Joey chimed in, “kin I play a inskooment too? I love music.”

Skye’s negative thoughts had already done enough damage. She simply stared straight ahead.

“Yes, Joey,” the pastor said. “Mrs. Chambers is going to teach you how to play the tambourine.”

“Ooh!” Joey clapped his hands and asked, “What’s a tambaline?”

“We don’t have one here, Joey, but Mrs. C. will show you at home,” the pastor answered. “I’m sure you’ll love it.”

Joey clapped again. “Thank you, Mister Pastor. I’ll do my best. You’ll see.”

“I know you will,” the pastor said. “And you have another important part in the play too.”

“I do?” Joey said.

“Yes, you do. Now, how about if you and Bobby come up on the platform with me? In fact, all of you can come, and I’ll show you how this little scene will work. You other four are going to be thrilled with your lines.” A fleeting smile flickered across his weary face as he turned.

Morgan motored up a ramp behind the organ, while the others followed the pastor. A petulant Skye trailed behind.

“Why will we be thrilled?” Melissa brushed back her long blonde hair. “What about our lines, Pastor?”

“Well, you’re each going to be behind one of those doors.” Pastor Newman pointed to the plywood row houses. “Joey’s going to ride his horse up to your door and yell, ‘The Regulars are out!’”

“The Regulars are out!” Joey yelled and then said, “I get to ride a horsey too?”

“Not a real horse, Joey. You’ll have a broomstick horse,” Pastor Newman said.

Everyone chuckled, except Skye, her face set in neutral.

“A broomstick horsey?” Joey asked.

Mr. Chambers spoke from the front pew. “Joey, we have that at home too. We’ll show you later. Just listen to what Pastor says now.”

“Okay, Mr. C.,” Joey said. “I’ll listen real good.”

The pastor turned toward the remaining four in Joey’s group. “All you have to do is swing your door open and yell in response to Joey, ‘The Regulars are out?’”

“That’s it?” Chad laughed. “A piece of cake…although you better give me my line on paper so I can work all week on memorizing it.”

Everyone chuckled except Skye, who folded her arms.
Hannah Gilbert will help you!

“What are we going to wear?” Morgan asked.

“Oh, that’s right. I didn’t tell you about that, did I?” Pastor Newman poked his glasses back.

The group shook their heads.

“I’ve checked with Rent-a-Garb downtown. They have late eighteenth-century outfits for all of you. You guys will have breeches to your knees, long-sleeved white blouses, and vests with gold buttons. The girls will have long, full skirts, aprons, and little white hats called mobcaps. You’ll look your part, believe me.”

A dress?
Skye’s bad attitude stuck out its ugly head again.
I can hardly wait.

Pastor Newman directed Bobby to the bell tower. “Now, let’s just run through this once or twice, and we’ll call it a day. Bobby, up you go into the bell tower. Climb the ladder to the seat secured in the back. Just be careful.”

Mr. Chambers hurried to the platform. “I’ll make sure he’s stable. Come on, Bobby.”

Pastor pointed to the row houses. “I think it would be wise to put Morgan at the end house next to the ramp so
it’s easy for her to get on and off the stage. Next to her is Skye, then Chad, then Melissa.”

“You’re on!” Chad gave Skye the dimpled smile that usually made her heart melt, but tonight her heart was a lump of ice.

The four teenaged actors shuffled to their stations behind the assigned doors. From behind the facade, Skye did her best to look right through Chad to see what the pastor was doing with Joey.

Pastor Newman touched Joey on the shoulder. “Now, young man, you come over here to the left side of the platform.”

Joey followed the pastor. “Okay, whatever you say.”

With Joey following, Pastor Newman walked down three steps between the piano and a wall. “We’re going to have a chair here for you, Joey. You’ll sit here so you’ll be hidden from the audience. But at the right time, you’ll ride your horse onto the stage and say your line. How about if I just do it once for you, and then you can try it.”

“Okay,” Joey said again. “I’ll do my best.”

“I know you will,” Pastor said and turned toward the belfry where Bobby had just stationed himself. “All set, Bobby?”

“Yep, all ready,” he answered.

Mr. Chambers shouted from behind the tower, “I’m going to stay back here and keep the ladder and prop steady for him. He’s as snug as a bug in a high rug!”

Everyone laughed. Skye even managed a giggle.

“Are you four ready?” From behind her door, Skye heard the pastor.

“Ready!” she yelled with Chad, Melissa, and Morgan.

“All right!” Pastor Newman held the reins of a phantom horse. “Now, Joey, watch what I do. Here we go. Bobby, raise both lanterns and say your line! Ready, roll ’em!”

Skye watched as Bobby raised two brass lanterns and yelled, “One if by land, and two if by sea!”

Pastor Newman rode his horse up the three steps and galloped to the foot of the bell tower, looking up at Bobby.

“The Regulars are out!” Bobby shouted.

“The Regulars are out!” Pastor Newman yelled and rode across the platform to the row of houses. He knocked on the first door.

“The Regulars are out!” he shouted again.

Melissa casually swung her door open and said in a singsongy tone, “The Regulars are out?”

“Whoa, Melissa,” Pastor Newman said. “And you other three back there, stick your heads out your windows and look here a minute.”

The teens did as the pastor asked.