Authors: Sue Bentley
Star of the Show (2 page)
Tessa felt her spirits sinking. Fay definitely didn't seem any more bothered than Kelly was about making friends with her.
A wave of loneliness rose in Tessa as she wished that she'd asked her mom to stay a little longer. But she pushed back her shoulders and resolved to make the best of it.
Tessa decided to go straight up to her room and start unpacking. She didn't feel like eating and there didn't seem to be any point in sitting here with Fay and Kelly.
Tessa rose to her feet. “How do I get to our room?” she asked Fay.
Fay looked up at last. She had freckled skin and hazel eyes and would have been pretty if her face hadn't been screwed into a frown. “Um . . . through that door, up two sets of stairs, and turn left. It's the third room you come to.”
“Thanks.” As Tessa went out, she passed Kelly who was on her way back to the table with a glass of Coke. “Too good to sit and eat with us, are you, Princess?” the older girl mocked.
Tessa ignored her, but she felt a lump rising in her throat as she remembered what it was like to be bullied. Well, she wasn't a scared little kid anymore. She was ten years old and had been in tons of TV commercials and theater plays and she was determined not to cry.
Bolting up the stairs two at a time, Tessa found their room easily. She saw that her suitcase had been brought up and left on the rug. She looked around. The two beds on either side of the window had been taken. The only one left was in a gloomy alcove. There was barely room for the bed, a small bedside cabinet, and a battered-looking dresser.
“This just gets better!” Tessa grumbled, picking up her suitcase and dumping it on her bed. She opened her suitcase, grabbed a bunch of clothes at random, and opened the dresser. The door swung wide open with a loud, rusty squeak and Tessa was blinded by a dazzling bright gold flash.
“Oh!” Tessa gasped, staggering back. When she could see again, Tessa saw a tiny puppy with wavy reddish-brown fur, floppy ears, and bright midnight-blue eyes looking up at her from the bottom of the wardrobe.
“Can you help me, please?” it woofed.
Chapter TWO
Tessa stared down at the tiny puppy in complete surprise, wondering where it had come from. The dresser door squeaking open had made it sound like the puppy had spoken! Tessa shook her head at the silly idea.
“What are you doing in there?” she said, bending over to look more closely at the puppy. “You are so cute! You look like a little spaniel.”
“I have arrived here from far away. I am Storm of the Moon-claw pack. Who are you?” the puppy woofed.
Tessa's eyes widened in shock and the pile of clothes slipped from her numb fingers and crumpled to the floor. “You really c-can talk,” she gasped in amazement.
The puppy nodded, looking up at her with large, intelligent blue eyes, as if waiting for her to reply to its question. Although it was tiny, it didn't seem to be very afraid of her.
“I'm . . . um . . . Tessa Churchill. I'm an actress. I'm here to make a movie.”
The puppy dipped its tiny head in a formal bow. “I am honored to meet you, Tessa. I must hide. Can you help me?” he said in a gruff little bark.
“Is someone chasing you?” Tessa asked. She still couldn't quite believe that this was happening, but her curiosity was beginning to get the better of her shock.
Storm's big dewy eyes sparked with anger and fear. “Shadow, the evil lone wolf is looking for me. He has killed my father and three litter brothers and wounded my mother. He wants to lead the Moon-claw pack but the other wolves are waiting until I am strong enough to lead them.”
Tessa frowned. “But how can you lead a wolf pack? You're just a puâ”
“I will show you! Please stand back,” Storm interrupted in a soft bark.
He leaped out of the dresser and stood on the carpet. There was another dazzling flash of bright gold light and sparks sprayed out, floating down around Tessa and crackling where they landed.
“Oh!” she gasped as the tiny puppy vanished and in its place there stood a muscular young silver-gray wolf. Tessa nervously eyed the wolf 's large sharp teeth and powerful paws that seemed much too big for his body. “Storm?”
“Yes, Tessa, it is me. Do not be afraid. I will not harm you,” Storm growled gently.
Before Tessa had time to get used to the majestic sight of Storm as a young wolf, there was a final bright burst of light and he reappeared in the room as a tiny puppy with wavy rusty-colored fur and a swishy tail.
“That's an amazing disguise. No one would know that you're a wolf,” Tessa said, deeply impressed.
“Shadow will know if he finds me. I need to hide now,” Storm whined.
Tessa saw that he was starting to tremble all over. With his startling midnight-blue eyes, wet reddish-brown nose, and little pointed face, Storm was the most adorable thing she had ever seen.
Her heart went out to the helpless little puppy who needed a friend as much as she did.
“I'll look after you. You can sleep here with meâ” she began and then stopped as she realized that pets probably wouldn't be allowed. “I could try and hide you, but I'm sharing this room with two other girls. Fay's all wrapped up in herself, so she might not notice. But I bet Kelly would love to tell on me, just to get me into trouble!” she guessed.
Storm showed his little pointed teeth in a doggy grin. “I would love to stay here with you, Tessa. I will use my magic so that only you will be able to see and hear me.”
“You can make yourself invisible? Cool! Then there's no problem. You can stay in here and Kelly and Fay won't know a thing.” Tessa bent down to pick Storm up and pet his soft little head.
“Thank you, Tessa!” Storm snuggled up to her, wagging his little red-brown tail.
She was glad that her bed was in the dim alcove now. It would be much easier to cuddle up with Storm and talk to him without attracting attention from her roommates.
As Tessa put Storm down and then picked up her clothes to hang them up, the tiny puppy jumped onto her blanket. He gave a contented sigh and curled up for a nap.
Tessa smiled to herself in delight. This was better than any film and Kelly's and Fay's unfriendliness didn't matter anymore. She wouldn't be lonely now that she had this amazing magic puppy for company.
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Tessa woke up early the following morning. She could feel a warm weight tucked into the crook of her arm. Feeling her stir, Storm sat up and stretched.
“Hello, Storm. Did you sleep okay?” Tessa whispered so that the other girls couldn't hear her.
“Very well. This is a good place,” Storm woofed.
The bedroom door opened and Judith popped her head in. “Rise and shine, everyone!” she said brightly. “Come down for breakfast as soon as you can, please. School lessons start in an hour.”
“Okay. I'll be right there!” Tessa said.
Judith flashed a smile at her before going out and closing the door.
“It's a shame that our schools have to send us work. I can't wait until I'm older and then I can act all day,” Tessa whispered to Storm.
Kelly jumped up, got straight out of bed, and went to the bathroom, but Fay sat up blinking and rubbing her eyes sleepily.
Tessa wasn't surprised. Fay had been writing something in a big green book for a long time before she went to sleep. It was there on top of her night table.
“Is that your scrapbook?” Tessa asked Fay. She knew that most kids who went to acting schools kept a book of clippings and photos from their performances.
“It's my diary and it's private,” Fay said, slipping the book into a drawer and slamming it shut.
“Okay. I just asked,” Tessa murmured as she threw back her blanket and quickly got dressed.
Storm trotted invisibly at Tessa's heel as she came downstairs to the dining room. The delicious smells of eggs and bacon and toast floated toward them. Tessa asked for a big breakfast and then slipped bits of bacon and egg under the table for Storm when no one was looking.
Lessons with Judith started immediately. Storm curled up for a nap on Tessa's lap. When a tiny rumbling snore rose from him, it was all Tessa could do to stifle her giggles.
It was history today and Tessa worked steadily, but she was glad when class finished for the day. “I wonder when the director will want us,” she commented to Storm as she, Fay, and Kelly put away their schoolbooks.
“Duh! When he's ready,” Kelly scoffed. “Or maybe you think you deserve special treatment, Princess?”
Tessa blushed. She must have spoken louder than she meant to and Kelly had heard and thought she was talking to herself. She realized that she was going to have to be a lot more careful about keeping Storm a secret.
“Stop calling me âPrincess'! I don't like it!” she snapped at Kelly.
“Okay, Your Royal Highness,” Kelly crowed.
Chapter THREE
“Fay Hinson, Kelly Lucas, Tessa Churchill to wardrobe and makeup, please!” a woman with a clipboard called out later that afternoon.
Judith Raunds showed them the way and they all set off eagerly.
“Yay! This is it. We're going to get our costumes and have our hair and makeup done,” Tessa whispered to Storm as he trotted beside her.
There was a big sign that read “Wardrobe” on one of the rooms. Inside thousands of gorgeous dresses hung in neatly labeled rows and there were countless shelves and racks of hats, gloves and shoes, and wigs on stands. Assistants fetched armfuls of Victorian clothes, complete with underwear, petticoats, and black boots for the three girls.
As Tessa was helped into her costume, she noticed that her name was sewn into every item, just like a real movie star. Once the girls were dressed they went to hair and makeup. A whole hour passed before Fay, Kelly, and Tessa were finished. Tessa hardly recognized herself under the curly brown wig! She did a twirl in front of Storm so that her skirts swung out with a silken rustle.
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