Taffy Sinclair 011 - Nobody Likes Taffy Sinclair (7 page)

"I j
ust couldn
'
t believe how amateurish the whole thing was,
"
Taffy complained for the hundredth time. She was talking to Cory on the telephone and had spent the past ten minutes filling him in on the after
-
school Media Club meeting she had gone to.

"
So don
'
t join,
"
said Cory.
"
After all, you
'
re big-
time. You don
'
t owe them anything.
"

"
I know,
"
Taffy said slowly. She twisted the phone cord around a finger and considered.
"
But it might hurt Shawnie
'
s feelings if I don
'
t join, and there really is a lot I could teach them. I
'
m going to think it over some more before I decide.
"

"
In the meantime, why not come over to my house Saturday afternoon and listen to The Dreadful Alternatives rehearse,
"
offered Cory.
"
We won
'
t tell Kimm why you
'
re really there,
"
he added with a sly laugh.

A thrill raced through Taffy. Singing with Cory
'
s band couldn
'
t compare to Hollywood, but it would be a lot more fun than the Media Club.

"
But what about Kimm?
"
she wondered aloud.
"
And the guys, too? Won
'
t they think it
'
s a little funny that I
'
m there?
"

"
Naw,
"
Cory assured her.
"
Craig usually invites Shawnie to rehearsals on Saturdays. That
'
s how Shawnie and Kimm got to be friends.
"

So that was it, Taffy thought, frowning. She had wondered how the two of them had gotten so friendly while she was in Hollywood. Keeping an eye on Kimm was another good reason for her to accept Cory
'
s invitation.

"
I
'
d love to go,
"
said Taffy,
"
and if Shawnie
'
s going, we
'
ll ride over together on our bikes.
"

Shawnie was ecstatic at school the next morning when Taffy mentioned she
'
d be going to the rehearsal that Saturday.
"
That
'
s terrific,
"
she cried.
"
I knew he
'
d ask you to come. You won
'
t believe how much fun the rehearsals are.
"

"
I
'
ll come by for you on my bike,
"
Taffy volunteered.

"
Great,
"
said Shawnie.
"
Then we can ride over and get Kimm.
"

Anger flared in Taffy for an instant, but she tried not to let it show. She didn
'
t want Shawnie to know she was jealous.

"
You like Kimm a lot, don
'
t you?
"
she asked cautiously.

Shawnie nodded.
"
So will you when you get to know her better. She
'
s really nice, and besides that, she
'
s . . . well, she
'
s interesting.
"

"
She seems like an ordinary person to me,
"
Taffy grumbled.

Shawnie thought for a moment.
"
She is an ordinary person. At school she seems like everybody else. But didn
'
t I tell you that one of her grandmothers came to this country from China and I learned to eat with chopsticks at her house? I
'
ve never known anyone like her before. She
'
s fun to be around. Just wait, you
'
ll see.
"

Taffy was glad that the bell rang then. They headed for their lockers, Taffy trying to figure out why Shawnie thought Kimm was so fascinating. So what if she was partly Chinese and ate with chopsticks at home? What had she ever done that was as special as making a movie? Maybe going by for Kimm on Saturday was a good idea after all, Taffy decided. It would give her a chance to look Kimm over more closely.

When the phone rang Saturday morning, Taffy heard her mother answer it and then continue talking. Disappointed that it wasn
'
t for her, she started upstairs to her room but stopped midway when she heard her mother calling her.

"
Taffy, honey. Good news. Merry Chase is holding a special acting class this afternoon, and she said you absolutely have to be there. Channing Crandall is in town, and he
'
s going to be there, too! Isn
'
t that wonderful?
"

Taffy blinked in surprise. Channing Crandall was the Hollywood casting director who had auditioned her for the starring role in
Nobody Likes Tiffany Stafford.
What on earth was he doing in town?

Before she could ask, her mother went on,
"
I
'
ll bet he has news about the TV series. Won
'
t it be wonderful if he wants you to come back to Hollywood right away?
"

Taffy nodded, but deep inside she wasn
'
t sure. She missed Hollywood terribly, but things were going so well here now that . . .
Cory!
Taffy jumped as if she had been stuck with a pin. How could she have forgotten about Cory and about going to The Dreadful Alternatives
'
rehearsal this afternoon?

"
Mom, I
'
m—
"

"
You
'
ll have to forget about any plans you have with your friends this afternoon,
"
Mrs. Sinclair interrupted as if she had read Taffy
'
s mind.
"
This is
much
too important.
"

Taffy raced up to her room and slammed the door behind her, sprawling across her bed. She needed time to think. What if there was going to be a television series based on the movie? And what if
she
was chosen
to play Tiffany Stafford again? It would mean living half the year in Hollywood and half the year at home.

"
I almost lost my best friend when I was gone for only six weeks,
"
she said aloud.
"
What would happen if I left for six
months
?
"

She closed her eyes tightly and pulled the pillow over her head, not wanting to think about such a possibility.

"
On the other hand,
"
she argued a moment later, tossing the pillow aside and sitting up,
"
maybe Chan
ning Crandall just happened to be in this part of the country and decided to stop in and say hello. After all, he travels all over the United States looking for talented actors and actresses.
"

Reluctantly Taffy went to the phone and called Cory, telling him she would have to miss his rehearsal.

"
It
'
s some kind of special acting class,
"
she explained, being careful not to mention Channing Crandall or what his presence might mean.
"
I have to go. Mother laid down the law. Maybe I can come to rehearsal next Saturday,
"
she added hopefully.

"
Sure,
"
Cory said without much enthusiasm.

Next Taffy called Shawnie, giving her the same story.

"
Gosh, that
'
s too bad,
"
said Shawnie.
"
I know you would have had a blast. I guess Kimm and I will have to go without you.
"

Taffy started to say good-bye, but Shawnie spoke again.

"
Are you sure you can
'
t get out of going to acting class?
"
she asked.

"
Positive,
"
said Taffy.
"
Why?
"

"
Well,
"
Shawnie said slowly,
"
I may be wrong, but I think that Kimm has a crush on Cory.
"

Taffy put down the receiver a moment later and stared into space. Now what am I going to do? she thought
.

Ta
ffy climbed into the car beside her mother and slumped against the door. She stared out the window, but she didn
'
t really see anything. She was thinking about her conversation with Shawnie. What if Shawnie was right about Kimm
'
s crush on Cory? What did Cory think of Kimm? Was he as fascinated with her as Shawnie was? Kimm certainly was pretty with her long, dark hair and her almond-shaped eyes. Anything could happen between Cory and Kimm if Taffy had to return to Hollywood for six long months.

When Taffy and her mother arrived at The Merry Chase Acting Studio, Channing Crandall was standing at the front of the classroom conferring with Merry Chase. He had silver hair and a California tan, and he
wore large diamond rings on both hands and a heavy gold chain on one wrist.

"
Hello, Taffy,
"
he called out.

Just as Taffy started to return his greeting, her mother rushed forward and began shaking his hand.
"
Oh, Mr. Crandall, it
'
s so good to see you again,
"
she gushed.
"
Is it possible that you have some good news for us today?
"

Taffy looked around in embarrassment. Why did her mother always have to make a big scene? The other boys and girls had stopped their talking, and everyone was looking at her mother and Channing Crandall.

"
Come on, Mother,
"
she urged.
"
Let
'
s sit down.
"

"
It
'
s all right, Taffy,
"
said the casting director.
"
I understand your mother
'
s concern. As a matter of fact, things look good for the TV series. We
'
ll know definitely in a couple of weeks, as soon as the movie is shown on television.
"

"
Oh, thank you, Mr. Crandall. Thank you so much,
"
said Mrs. Sinclair.

Just then Merry Chase raised her hand for quiet, and Taffy and her mother found seats.

"
Good afternoon, loves,
"
said Merry Chase in her deep, throaty voice.

"
Good afternoon, Merry Chase,
"
called out the students.

Taffy sighed. It was always the same.

"
I
'
m sure all of you recognize Channing Crandall, the casting director from Hollywood who was here a few months ago and auditioned our own Taffy Sinclair for her movie role,
"
said Merry Chase.

A ripple of excitement flowed through the crowd. Merry Chase pierced the air with a blood red fingernail, signaling quiet, and went on.
"
He
'
s here today looking for more talented boys and girls, because if
Nobody Likes Tiffany Stafford
does become a television series, there will be room for more actresses and actors in the cast. He
'
d like to see each of you perform.
"

All around her kids were going bananas. Most of the girls had whipped out brushes and were frantically working on their hair. Others ducked behind the seats in front of them to peek into mirrors and apply eye shadow or lipstick. The boys were mostly horsing around and acting like jerks—as usual, thought Taffy.

Beside her, Mrs. Sinclair squirmed nervously.
"
I don
'
t understand what
'
s going on here. He wouldn
'
t
dare
replace you in the starring role of Tiffany Stafford,
"
she whispered angrily.

"
Merry Chase said he
'
s just looking for more kids to fill other roles,
"
said Taffy with a trace of annoyance at her mother.
"
Naturally a TV series would have a bigger cast than a movie.
"

"
Humph. I certainly hope that
'
s what it is,
"
grumped Mrs. Sinclair.

Taffy scrunched down in her chair. She had never considered the possibility of losing her starring role. What if she blew this audition on purpose and Mr. Crandall picked someone else?

At least then I wouldn
'
t have to leave home again just when I
'
m starting to fit in, she thought. I could keep my best friend and my boyfriend. And I could replace Kimm as the band
'
s singer. The idea seemed suddenly appealing.

Channing Crandall moved to the center of the stage.
"
Boys and girls,
"
he said in a booming voice,
"
so that I may see each of you at your best, I
'
m going to ask you to do some improvisation. Who can tell me what improvisation is?
"

Hands shot up all over the room, but Mr. Crandall chose an especially pretty brunette in the front row named Summer Lacey. Taffy had never liked Summer. She was too conceited. Taffy would die if Summer stole her part.

Summer stood and flashed a big smile at the casting director as she told him her name.
"
Improvisation is acting without a script,
"
she said importantly.
"
It
'
s making up the story and the lines as you go along.
"

"
Thank you, Summer. That
'
s exactly right,
"
said Mr. Crandall.
"
Improvisation lets you use your imagination to the fullest. I
'
m sure Merry Chase has told you the importance of imagination in
becoming
the character you
'
re playing.
"

Kids nodded all around the room. Taffy bit her lower lip and thought about how easy it would be to improvise poorly. Then perhaps Channing Crandall would decide to cast someone else in the role of Tiffany Stafford. She stole a glance at her mother, sitting beside her, and thought about how disappointed she would be. She would just have to understand, Taffy thought stubbornly.

"
Summer, since you
'
re already standing, won
'
t you go first?
"
asked Channing Crandall.

Some of the color drained out of Summer
'
s face, and Taffy thought she saw her flinch slightly at his words. It was awful to be first, and Taffy almost felt sorry for her. Nodding slightly, Summer went to the front of the room.

The casting director rested his chin in his hand and looked at her pensively for a moment.
"
You are a babysitter,
"
he began, waving a finger in the air as an orchestra conductor waves a baton.
"
You are caring for three preschoolers who are each trying to get into mischief.
"

Giggles rippled through the room.

"
One is getting into the refrigerator. Another is climbing up the front of the cupboards. And the third has the cat by the tail. The phone rings. It
'
s the children
'
s mother. You must stop all three disasters while talking to her and not let on to her that things are out of control.
"
He paused for Summer to visualize the scene and then gave the signal for her to begin.

Summer looked flustered for a moment. Then she began swatting the air around her ankles and grabbing for imaginary children as she kept a pretend telephone receiver clamped between her shoulder and her ear.

"
Hello, Mrs. Jones,
"
she said.
"
Yes, everything
'
s fine. The little angels are behaving perfectly. In fact, they
'
re coloring a picture for you right now.
"

Watching in amusement as Summer continued to improvise, Taffy joined in the applause when Mr. Crandall indicated she could return to her seat. Summer was good. Very good. Taffy felt little prickles of jealousy creep up the back of her neck at all the attention Summer was getting. Even some of the mothers were congratulating her on a good job.

Next Mr. Crandall called Cynthia Cameron to the
front of the room. Tall, blond Cynthia was Taffy
'
s biggest rival for modeling jobs and had almost stolen a television commercial away from Taffy last spring when Taffy had been too busy trying to recover her lost diary to attend an audition. What if Cynthia got my role in the television series? Taffy thought in horror.

Taffy narrowed her ey
es and watched Cynthia improvise
for the casting director. He told her that she was alone in a burning building. There was only one way out, through a window, and the flames were quickly closing in on that window. But she couldn
'
t escape yet. Fido, the dog she had loved all her life, was still somewhere in the burning house.

Cynthia began swatting at the flames and smoke and calling out to Fido. She looked under imaginary furniture and then toward her shrinking escape route with an expression of terror on her face.

She
'
s good, too, thought Taffy. Terrific, as a matter of fact.

When Cynthia finished her scene, the applause was even louder than it had been for Summer. Taffy made a face as she watched both girls. Summer looked so superior that anyone would think she was already a star. Well, she isn
'
t, thought Taffy.
I
am.

Cynthia was smiling and batting her long eyelashes at Channing Crandall as if he were the most wonderful person on earth.

"
It
'
s disgusting,
"
Taffy whispered to herself.
"
Totally disgusting!
"

When the room grew quiet again, the casting director turned to her.
"
Taffy, we all know what a good actress you are. I
'
d like for you to show the rest of the class how you do improvisation.
"

Taffy didn
'
t move for a moment. This was it, the moment when she would have to decide if she wanted to stay at Wacko Junior High and let someone else become a star in her place or if she wanted to prove again to Channing Crandall and everyone in the room, especially Summer and Cynthia, what a terrific actress she was.

"
Go on, honey,
"
urged her mother.
"
What are you waiting for? Break a leg.
"

Cynthia Cameron put a hand over her mouth to deflect the sound and began imitating Mrs. Sinclair.
"
Go on, honey. Break your neck.
"

Giggles broke out all around Cynthia, and Taffy felt the anger rising in her face. Now she certainly couldn
'
t blow her improvisation and let Cynthia make a fool out of her. Tiffany was
her
part.

Taffy raised her head and smiled as she stepped to the front of the room.
"
I
'
d be happy to improvise for you, Mr. Crandall,
"
she said demurely, and immediately the giggles stopped behind her.

The casting director thought a moment and then said,
"
You are in love with a very special young man. It took you a long time to find each other, and you are very happy together. But now something urgent has come up, and you must go away. You must find the right way to break the news to him.
"

Taffy stared at Channing Crandall for an instant, thinking how close he was to describing her own life. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, Cory Dillon was standing beside her. Only this was an old-fashioned Cory, wearing a powdered wig and dressed in knee-length breeches. He was smiling and motioning for her to walk into a garden with him.

Taffy smoothed her long hoop skirt and said,
"
There
'
s something important that I must tell you.
"
They walked along in silence for a moment as she tried to find the words. Finally she stopped and sat down beneath a tree, looking into his handsome face as he knelt beside her.

"
I must go away soon. Tomorrow, as a matter of fact.
"
She held up her hand to prevent him from interrupting.
"
It is because of a letter I received, containing proof that I am not who you think I am. According to the letter, my parents were traveling actors who stopped here one cold winter night and left me in the care of the people I
'
ve always called my parents. They left me here because I was frail, and they were afraid I could not survive the hardships of traveling from town to town. Now they are dying, and I must go to them before it is too late.
"