Star of the Show (3 page)

Storm tucked his little rusty-colored tail between his legs and looked up at her with anxious midnight-blue eyes.

“What's wrong? Don't you like it?” Tessa whispered after quickly checking that everyone was busy.

“It is a very good disguise,” Storm woofed. “But who is the fierce enemy you are hiding from?”

“I'm not hiding from anyone,” Tessa reassured him. “I have to wear this for the film, the same as Kelly and Fay. We're all dressed up because we're supposed to be three Victorian children who find a magic watch. We have to act in three scenes. You'll get the idea when you see us on set.”

“Where is on set?” Storm barked.

“It's anywhere the day's filming is going to be. They set up lights and pieces of scenery. And the floor's marked out so you know where to stand to say your lines.”

Storm frowned. “It sounds very strange.”

Tessa smiled. “I expect it does if you're not used to it. Acting is really like having the most amazing game of pretend. It's just the best.”

“I like games, too, especially with balls and sticks,” Storm yapped, looking much happier.

“I'll see what I can do about that later,” Tessa promised.

A young man with another clipboard appeared at the door and called for them to follow him to the rose garden at the back of the house.

Tessa let Judith, Kelly, and Fay walk on ahead, so that she could talk to Storm without anyone noticing. At first the tiny puppy kept treading on her long swishing skirts and almost tumbling over his own paws.

“You'll have to walk a little farther away or you'll get swept off your feet,” Tessa told him, trying not to laugh and hurt his feelings.

Storm finally got the idea and padded behind Tessa, keeping his distance.

The rose garden was surrounded by clipped hedges. There was a pretend stone arch and a wrought-iron seat made of painted wood. Thick cables trailed across the ground and there were huge bright lights and cameras all over the place.

Tessa noticed that Fay went and stood all by herself. She was threading her fingers and looking very pale and tense. For the first time Tessa wondered if Fay's seeming unfriendliness was really just a bad attack of nerves.

A tall young man dressed in an old-fashioned dark suit and a shirt with a stiff, high collar walked through the stone arch.

“Look! That's Donny Jenton!” Tessa said excitedly.

“Wow! He's
much
better looking in real life!” Kelly gushed.

Tessa bit back a grin. Kelly was obviously too busy thinking about Donny to think up one of her usual mean comments!

A man got up from a canvas chair which had “Director” on the back and started giving Donny instructions. While they were all waiting for the scene to begin, Tessa saw a woman with a fat little dog on a leash. It had short fawn-colored fur, bulging brown eyes, and a dark muzzle, and wore a collar with “Lady” in sparkling jewels. The woman doled out doggy treats and Lady chomped them all up with a slobbering noise.

Storm licked his lips and gave a hopeful little woof.

Tessa smiled. “That must be Donny's dog. The way Lady's devouring those treats, she'll eat them all in a minute. It looks like Hollywood pooches get the star treatment, too, doesn't it?” she whispered to him. “Don't worry. You won't get left out. I'll get you a treat later.”

Everyone watched in silence as Donny's scene was filmed. He had to say his lines over and over again, while the director shouted, “Keep rolling!” to the cameras.

The director seemed really strict. Tessa began to feel nervous and started fidgeting.

“Are you all right?” Storm barked worriedly.

“I'm worried about messing up my lines,” Tessa whispered.

“I will help you,” Storm yapped eagerly.

“Thanks, but it's just stage fright. Everyone gets it,” Tessa said, smiling. It was sweet of Storm to offer to help. But what could he do? After all, he was just a helpless little puppy.

An assistant came up to Tessa and handed her a gold-colored pocket watch to hold. “When he tells you to, the director wants you to walk over to Donny and give this to him. Okay?” she asked with a kind smile.

Tessa nodded.

“How come
you
get to give Donny the watch?” Kelly complained after the assistant had left. “I've got more lines than you. It should be me who does it!”

“Don't blame me. I'm just doing what I'm told,” Tessa said, wandering away before an argument started. It hadn't taken long for Kelly to go back to her old self.

“Your laces are untied.” Storm leaped forward and started snapping at Tessa's boot lace, which was trailing on the ground.

“Thanks, Storm, I could have tripped over that,” Tessa said, horrified by the idea of falling in front of everyone.

She found a low wall to sit on and carefully placed the watch beside her before crossing one leg over the other to retie the boot.

To her annoyance Kelly dashed over and sat down on the wall next to her. She really hoped Kelly wasn't going to start teasing her again. But instead Kelly smiled warmly. “Break a leg, Tessa!” she said, which was something actors often said to each other. It meant good luck for acting in the coming scene.

“Er . . . thanks,” Tessa said, wondering why Kelly was being so friendly all of a sudden.

“See you on the set,” Kelly said abruptly. She got up and hurried away, her long skirts swishing.

Tessa frowned, puzzled. “What was that all about?” she said to Storm.

“I do not know,” Storm woofed, but he was watching Kelly closely and his midnight-blue eyes were thoughtful.

“The director's almost ready for you. Let's move a bit closer,” Judith told Tessa. “You'll be on first.”

Tessa's heart began to beat fast. It was a good thing she was still sitting down because her legs had turned to water. “Oh, I need the pocket watch!” she remembered.

She reached under her skirts and felt along the top of the wall, where she'd placed it. But it wasn't there.

Tessa looked all around for the watch. She checked on the other side of the wall in case it had fallen over, but there was no sign of it. “It has to be here. I only put it down a minute ago. Oh, this is awful! The director's going to be furious!” she cried in dismay.

Storm gazed fixedly at Kelly who was watching Tessa with a smug look on her face. His little muzzle wrinkled in a growl. “I have an idea where it is!”

Suddenly, Tessa felt a warm tingling sensation flowing down her spine.

Something very strange was about to happen.

Chapter FOUR

Tessa watched in utter amazement as huge gold sparks ignited in Storm's wavy reddish-brown fur and his ears and tail crackled with electricity. Raising a little front paw he sent a burst of glittery light zooming toward Kelly.

The light divided up into glowing streamers which whizzed up and down and around and around her as if searching for something. Then, just as if someone had given them a signal, all the streamers shot toward Kelly's dress pocket and disappeared inside. No one else seemed to have noticed anything and Tessa realized that only she could see Storm's magic at work.

Tessa saw Kelly's pocket bulging and churning as if it was filled with Mexican jumping beans.

Kelly stiffened. Her eyes widened. “Ye-ow!” she yelled. Grabbing handfuls of her skirts, she shook them wildly so that her pocket tipped open and something shiny fell out and plopped onto the grass.

“The watch!” Tessa said, realizing all at once how Kelly had distracted her before stealing it off the wall.

Storm gave a triumphant little woof and then sat down, looking pleased with himself as every last gold sparkle faded from his fur.

“Thanks, Storm. You're the best!” Tessa whispered, petting his little head after quickly checking that no one could see her doing it.

Kelly stood looking down at the watch lying on the floor as if it might jump up and bite her. As Tessa bent down to pick it up, Kelly edged away. “I wouldn't touch that if I were you. There's something weird about it!” she warned.

“Seems fine to me,” Tessa said, holding the watch. “How come it was in your pocket anyway?”

“I . . . er . . . saw you drop it. And I was just coming over to give it back to you,” Kelly said.

“Yeah, right,” Tessa said, annoyed. “That was a really mean trick to play just so I'd get into trouble. I bet you were hoping the director would ask you to give Donny the watch instead. You're just a scene-stealer!”

“I'm not . . . I didn't—” Kelly shouted.

“Quiet on the set!” the director's annoyed voice interrupted. He glared at Tessa and Kelly. “I don't need this. Someone figure it out. Now!” he shouted.

Tessa saw Judith striding toward them with a stern look on her face. “I expected more from you two. What's going on? Out with it!” she demanded.

Kelly froze and threw Tessa a scared look. “I . . . um. It w-was . . .” she stammered.

However angry Tessa was, she wasn't a tattletale. She thought quickly. “I couldn't find the pocket watch for our scene. And I got worried that the director would be angry. Luckily Kelly found it and she was just giving it back to me. Sorry. I didn't mean to make a scene,” she apologized to Judith.