Phoebe Finds Her Voice (18 page)

I closed my eyes tight. Surely even my dad would realize that you can't just go round telling people that your name is Eagle Dust?

“…just call me…Rob.”

I opened my eyes. Everything was normal. Monty B was chatting away, like he does, about turquoise walls and Christmas angels and stolen costumes, and then bang in the middle of a sentence he spotted his nan and went bounding off in the opposite direction.

“See you later, Frankie,” he called over his shoulder, before crashing into a row of chairs and landing on his bum. He looked up from the floor and blew me a kiss, then hauled himself up and lurched across the hall.

“Crazy as ever,” I said, giggling, and steered Dad and Sara out of the hall. We went to eat at McDonald's even though Dad said he wouldn't touch the food himself, but I was so hungry I ordered two burgers and a large fries.

I was halfway through my second burger when Polly walked in with her dad.

“Look, there's Gobstopper!” Sara shouted out, waving and pointing. “Hey! You were really, really good!”

“Oh, thanks,” said Polly, blushing a bit, then she looked at me and smiled. “You were really good as well, Phoebe.”

I was so surprised I nearly choked on my burger, but I recovered enough to smile back.

“Yeah, you were something else, Phoebe,” Dad said, totally unaware that anything weird was going on between me and Polly. “You lit up the stage, you really did. It was so great to see you up there on the stage performing; I could hardly believe it was you.”

I wanted to thank him for not telling Monty B that his new name was Eagle Dust, and for not saying anything embarrassing to any of my friends, and most of all for not mentioning how I'd ruined my solo, but I was still trying to get my head round the fact that Polly Carter had actually said something nice to me.

“Do you mean lit up like a Christmas tree, or something?” Sara twittered on, feeding her chips to Barney. “You know I can't wait to join myself; it's going to be so brilliant! I thought you were really good as well, Phoebs, apart from stuffing up all your lines at the end.”

“Never mind about stuffing up my lines, I'll stuff my chips down your throat if you don't shut your mouth!”

“You know what, Phoebs?” said Dad. “I wish I could come and watch the show again tonight.”

Sara snorted. “I know it was good, Dad, but it wasn't
that
good!”

Back at the hall with an hour to go until the evening performance, I started to feel quite excited. I pushed the small matter of my solo to the back of my mind and went to find the others. Julian was there again helping Mandy put out the extra chairs. They were listening to really loud music and mucking about and when I walked past them, Julian winked at me and said, “Make way for the star of the show!”

Everyone was in the dressing room at the back, signing each other's programmes and sorting out their make-up with Tara's mum. Adam had put on Sam's costume for a joke and he was teetering about in her high heels and ultra-short mini-dress.

“Bend down! Bend down!” cried Monty B – and he stuffed the front of the mini-dress with a pair socks.

“Oh my God, Adam! I am so going to bribe you at school with this,” shrieked Neesha, taking a load of photos of him with her phone.

“You're just jealous, Neesh,” said Monty B. “Here, I've got some spare socks if you want them.”

“As if,” said Neesha grabbing the socks and then wrestling Monty B to the floor.

She was just in the process of stuffing the socks down his trousers when Mandy came in.

“Hey! What's going on? Actually I don't think I want to know, but be gentle with him, Neesha; I can't face sewing any more costumes! Oh, and Phoebe, your mum just popped in to buy an extra ticket. She's lucky because it was literally the last one available – it's standing room only now!”

I didn't even know Mum was bringing someone and I wondered just for a second if it might be Dad. The thought of them watching me in the show together gave me the most amazing tingly feeling right down to my toes, even though I knew there was actually more chance of Mandy getting married to Arthur than of Mum and Dad sitting next to each other for more than five minutes without getting into a huge row.

“Take a photo for me, will you?” I asked Catharine, giving her my phone and I pulled Ellie and Sam and Tara and Neesha round me. Mum and Dad might not be able to sort themselves out – but I wasn't going to let that spoil my first ever show at Star Makers.

“Say ‘Monty B'
,”
said Catharine, and we all made stupid faces and collapsed on the floor, laughing. Then Monty B and Adam came over and actually sat on top of us and Catharine took another picture.

By seven-thirty the hall was packed. It was so full some of the parents had to stand at the back, and the atmosphere was electric. Waiting to go on I felt like it was my birthday and Christmas all rolled into one and I knew there was nowhere else in the world that I'd rather be.

Mandy popped backstage just before we were due to start. She looked amazing. Her hair was black with bright, yellow tips, and she was wearing a silky yellow top, with tight black jeans and these outrageously high-heeled boots.

“Give it your best, guys. It's your last chance – just give it everything you've got.”

A few moments later the lights went down and the show began.

It was so much better than the opening night
and
the matinee. I couldn't believe how good everyone was. Nothing went wrong and every song got a massive cheer. I tried to spot Mum in the audience but it was too packed and the lights were too bright. When Monty B came on wearing his pink tutu I thought I heard her laugh but
everyone
cracked up so I couldn't be sure. I was having so much fun I wanted it to go on for ever but the whole performance seemed to pass in seconds and suddenly it was time for my solo.

As I walked to the front of the stage something made me look out across the hall. It was just a feeling really. And there, through the dazzling lights, right at the back in the middle, I could just about make out Mum
and
Dad. They were standing next to each other, sort of together but separate, looking right at me, as if somehow
I
had the answer. And then as Mandy played the introduction to my song, Dad held out his hand to Mum – and without taking her eyes off me for even a second, Mum reached her hand out back to him.

It was as if everything else had been one long rehearsal leading up to this point. I looked across at Mandy and she gave me a huge, encouraging smile. I could hear all these voices in my head. Mum and Dad arguing, Sara announcing at breakfast that morning that my life was about to change, Polly saying sorry at the hospital. But loudest of all I could hear Mandy telling me that it was my time to shine. I took a deep breath, opened my mouth and without the tiniest quiver of hesitation, I sang my solo.

The audience leaped to their feet cheering wildly and a thousand sparkly fireworks exploded around the hall. Well, inside my head anyway! It was like magic. Coming on for the bows I glanced down at
my
feet to see if they were still touching the stage because I felt as if I was at the top of that mountain I thought I'd never be able to climb. I'd found my voice! Finally, after all this time I'd found my voice and I felt like a star. I wanted to fling my arms around everyone and tell them I loved them!

Mandy came onto the stage after we'd finished the encore and gave out presents to Ellie's dad, my mum, Monty B's nan, Tara's mum, and a few other people who had helped out with bits and pieces, and then she turned to us.

“My biggest thanks, of course, go to this awesome bunch of children who have been a total pleasure to work with from beginning to end. I told them when they first joined Star Makers that we were starting out on an adventure, and I hope so much that this weekend is just the first of many more exciting times together. They're all stars – every single one of them! Let's show them again how much we enjoyed the performance.”

I could still hear the clapping and cheering as I got changed. And I could definitely hear Mum and Dad cheering louder than anyone else, just like when they came to see me in my school play all those years ago.

“Wasn't that amazing!” said Monty B coming over to give me a hug. “And your solo was even more amazing – it was awesome!”

“That's because I'm truly gifted,” I said, grinning. “By the way, did you see? My mum and dad are here
together.
”

“Yeah, I know, I saw when we came on at the end. What's going on?”

“I'm not sure but I'm going out to see them now. I'll talk to you later.”

“If you get the chance, Frankie, ask your dad if I can still borrow his guitar.”

I stopped dead by the door and turned back. “Please tell me you're joking,” I said.

“Yes, Phoebe Franks, I'm joking. When are you going to get my sense of humour?”

“Erm…when you start being funny!” I said, and we looked at each other and burst out laughing.

The hall was packed with parents and grandparents milling around, waiting for their children to come out of the dressing room. Ellie and Sam were standing to the side with Adam and Neesha.

Ellie pulled me over and gave me a big hug. “You were wicked, Phoebe.”

“Oh my God,” said Neesha. “I swear I nearly cried when you sang your solo.”

“Yeah, Ellie was right,” said Sam. “You have got a brilliant voice.”

Adam winked at me. “But surely not as brilliant as yours, eh, Sam.”

I started to blush and giggle at the same time.

“There will be no giggling in my factory,” Adam called after me as I pushed my way through the crowds to the back of the hall where Mum and Dad were waiting.

“Look who's here,” said Dad, as I reached them. He smiled – a proper smile that reached all the way up to his eyes. “The star of the show.”

Mum threw her arms round me. “You were fantastic, Phoebe, we were so proud of you we didn't know what to do with ourselves.”

I could hardly recognize Mum. She was all dressed up in some new jeans, a lacy black top, and a pair of boots I'd never seen before. And she'd had her hair done.

“You look lovely, Mum,” I said, staring at her. I couldn't remember the last time she'd made such an effort.

“Yes, you look lovely, Maxine,” said Dad. “Really lovely.”

I was lying on my bed later on reliving every detail of the whole evening. I smiled to myself thinking about how Monty B had sent me a text saying:
What happened after the show? R u ok? Thought I might shave my head…what do u think?
And about how I'd said goodbye to Mandy and then on the spur of the moment, without really thinking, I'd given her a quick hug and whispered, “Thank you for everything, Mandy. I love you.”

And most amazing of all, about how Polly Carter had come up to me just before we left and asked me to sign her programme. And then before I could lose my nerve or run away in the opposite direction I'd said, “Look, I know you said sorry that day at the hospital about hiding my script and everything, but I still don't get why you did it. Or why you did all that other stuff.”

She just stood there for a second and I was sure she was going to walk off without answering, but then she looked right at me and said, “Remember the first day at Woodville, Phoebe?”

Of course I remembered. How could I forget? Mum and Dad had just split up but decided it would be
nice
if the whole family was there to wave me off on my first day and I was so nervous I was nearly sick and Sara was going on and on about how Barney's paw was hurting and he really needed me to kiss it better.

“Anyway, I saw you standing there with your mum and dad and your sister,” said Polly. “And you were just like the perfect family.” She blushed a bit. “Your mum and dad looked so nice and your sister was standing there holding her teddy and I was there with my dad because, you know, my mum was in too much of a state to get out of bed that morning. And I was sure everyone knew my dad had moved in with our neighbour, Diane. And at that moment I just wished so much that I was you.” She looked down at the ground and scuffed her shoe. “It's stupid, I know.”

I nearly burst out laughing. I couldn't believe it. Polly Carter jealous of
me
!

“It
is
stupid,” I said. “
Us
the perfect family – that's the biggest joke ever. My mum and dad had just split up as well – my dad had gone totally loop-de-loop – and Sara was driving me nuts.”

“I am sorry, you know,” she said. “It's just that everything was such a mess and I guess I took it out on the wrong person.”

And then before I could say anything else she leaned over and gave me a hug. Polly Carter gave
me
a hug. I nearly pinched myself to see if I was awake. After I'd recovered from the shock I signed her programme,
C U at the next show, love Phoebe x.
And she signed mine,
U were gr8t, love Polly xx.