Hannah in the Spotlight (4 page)

‘The perfect leader …’ Laura said, her face breaking into a smile as she looked from Meg to Ruby and then back to me.

‘Hannah,’ all three of them said at once.

I couldn’t help smiling too. ‘If you’re sure …’ I said.

‘Yes!’ Laura told me. ‘You can get yourself one of those director’s boards that say “Take 57” on it if you like! Now I’d really better get going. See you at Meg’s tomorrow!’

I was kind of sorry I’d offered to lend Meg my copy of
Ballet Shoes
, because I realised I’d need a copy to look over myself. Anyway, I’d already promised, so I went to drop it in to her right after dinner.

I thought it might be better not to disturb her mum in case she was still trying to avoid telling her about Star Club, so I squeezed through the hedge and sneaked around the back of the house, hoping to see Meg through a window. Luckily she was in the family room on her own. I tapped gently on the window and Meg looked up and smiled, coming over straight away to kneel up on the window seat and open the window.

‘I brought the book,’ I said. ‘I thought I’d come through the garden instead of disturbing your mum.’

‘That hole in the hedge is going to come in really handy,’ Meg giggled.

‘So is she OK about the club?’ I asked.

Meg shrugged. ‘I don’t really know. She had a couple of phone calls after I got home so I haven’t really been talking
to her. I’m kind of hoping she’ll be too busy to think about it.’

Suddenly I heard her mum calling her name. Instinctively I ducked below the window. I heard the door open and Cordelia saying, ‘Time for dinner, honey.’

‘OK, Mum, just coming,’ Meg said. She waited for her mum to leave, then leaned out the window. ‘I’d better go.’

‘Me too,’ I said. ‘See you tomorrow!’

I was glad I didn’t have to go past the kitchen window to get to our garden. Walking home, I remembered that I’d seen at least one copy of
Ballet Shoes
in the library. The library is one of the places I never have to argue with Mum to be allowed go to. For one thing, she likes to encourage reading as much as she can (not that she has to try hard with me). For another, it’s only about a five minute walk away, with no main roads to cross.

I decided I’d head up to the library first thing in the morning. I could even offer to bring some of my brothers and sisters with me so Mum could go to Tiny Tunes, the baby music class, with Emma. I knew it was one of the things she missed during the summer holidays – not because of singing ‘Row, Row, Row Your Boat’ five hundred times in a row, but because afterwards the adults got to have a cup of tea and a chat while the babies crawled around and played with the tambourines and xylophones and bells.

Mum liked meeting up with the other parents, but she couldn’t very well drag Maisie, Bobby and Zach along, so she usually just gave it a miss when we weren’t in school. This time though, I’d tell her she should go. And there was something in it for me as well – if I’d minded the others all morning, surely she wouldn’t mind if I spent the afternoon at the club meeting at Meg’s.

Mum was all in favour of the plan, so the next morning she and Emma headed off to Tiny Tunes. I rounded up Maisie, Bobby and Zach for our library trip. Actually, that makes it sound a lot easier than it was.

First of all Maisie couldn’t find her shoes, and instead of looking properly for them she trailed around the house, as if expecting them to pop out from somewhere. Next Bobby couldn’t find the library books he wanted to return.

‘Where did you have them last?’ I asked patiently.

‘I don’t know,’ Bobby said. ‘I think Zach borrowed them.’

‘No I didn’t!’ Zach said. ‘I wouldn’t read your babyish old books anyway.’

It was about to turn into a full-blown row, so I sent them into separate rooms to search there, while I started a search of my own. I found Maisie’s shoes (in the laundry basket) and Bobby’s library books (one underneath
a cushion on the couch, and the other, surprise surprise, right in plain view on Zach’s locker).

At long last we were ready. The walk to the library took us approximately one-tenth of the time it took us to actually leave the house. I quickly got Maisie settled down with some crayons and colouring pages and sent Zach off to explore the science section and Bobby to pick out a new novel. I sat down with
Ballet Shoes
and started reading.

I soon found myself totally lost in the story. I loved all three of the Fossil girls, and as I was reading I was picturing how they should be played on stage. Petrova is so independent-minded and way more interested in cars than in anything to do with the theatre. Posy has this amazing self-confidence and her only focus in life is her ballet. Pauline has all the sense of responsibility of being the oldest and she is also the one who is head over heels in love with the theatre and wants to learn all she can about being on the stage.

They were all such great characters, but there was no doubt in my mind which one I wanted to play. From the very first time I read
Ballet Shoes
(and this, I reckoned, would be my seventh time to read it) I had identified with Pauline.

Our lives were worlds apart. There was Pauline living in London, nearly a century ago and attending a professional
theatre school. And here was I in this small Irish suburb, not even able to go to drama camp and just planning a little show with my friends. But our dreams were the same – filled with bright lights and sweeping curtains and the thrill of stepping on to a stage.

I really hoped no one else would want to be Pauline. Ruby would be Posy, of course, that was obvious. Either Meg or Laura would be great as Petrova – but what if one of them would prefer to be Pauline? As I imagined what it would be like to have to watch someone else playing the part I wanted so much I almost felt like crying. We were a team, of course we were, and we’d have to agree on it together – I knew I couldn’t go making demands or this club was never going to work out. I just had to hope no one else would want the part as much as I did.

I was so totally absorbed in my thoughts that I’d pretty much forgotten where I was until a shadow fell across my book.

‘Some babysitter you are!’

Standing over me was my arch-enemy – the horrible Tracey Dunne. ‘You shouldn’t bring those little brats out if you can’t control them!’

‘What do you mean?’ I scrambled to my feet, the book abandoned on the seat beside me. ‘What’s going on?’

‘Your stupid little brother thinks he owns the library. I think you need to explain to him that these books belong
to everyone!’ Tracy stood with her hands on her hips and glared at me.

I hurried over to the aisle where I’d left Zach looking through some encyclopaedias. He was holding grimly on to a book while Tracey’s little brother Tyler (who is nearly as horrible as she is) tried to grab it. Zach’s face was red and his jaw was clenched in determination, and I could tell he was on the verge of tears. Even though he’s older Zach is way more sensitive than Bobby, who would probably just have told Tyler to get lost.

‘Hannah!’ His voice wobbled. ‘I had this first. Really I did. And Tyler just tried to take it off me.’

‘He’s had it for ages!’ Tyler whined. ‘It’s not his! I need it!’

He gave an extra hard tug on the book. To my horror there was a loud sound of paper tearing and the book ripped right in half.

Zach immediately burst into tears. I put my arm around him and tried to comfort him, all the while looking at the damaged book and wondering what on earth we were going to do.

I heard the swift patter of feet from behind the bookshelves and one of the library staff appeared. My heart sank. Just our luck that it wasn’t the nice young red-haired lady who often helps me choose books. No, it had to be Mr Jenkins, the grumpiest and meanest librarian who ever lived.

‘What’s going on here?’ he asked.

‘Look what you’ve done, Zach!’ Tracey said. ‘This is all your fault! If you had shared nicely with Tyler this would never have happened.’

Zach was crying too hard to answer.

‘It’s not his fault,’ I told Mr Jenkins, trying my best to speak calmly. ‘Zach was reading this book first, and Tyler tried to take it from him.’

‘I was just asking him to share it!’ Tyler said. ‘I want to learn all about dinosaurs too! I just asked him to share it and he pulled it away so hard it tore!’

‘Yes, that’s exactly what happened, I was watching,’ Tracey said.

‘That’s not true!’ I exclaimed, shocked at the bare-faced lie. ‘Tyler was the one who tried to pull it away from Zach!’

‘Sounds to me like you’re both to blame,’ Mr Jenkins snapped. ‘Well, the book will have to be paid for. Where are your parents?’

‘My mum’s not here,’ I said. ‘I’m looking after Zach.’

‘And I’m looking after Tyler, but I was actually keeping an eye on him, not like Hannah who was all the way over there, ignoring her brother,’ Tracey said. ‘That’s how I know what really happened.’

‘Well, you’ll both have to come up to the desk and show me your library cards so I can put it on your accounts,’ Mr Jenkins said. ‘There’ll be no more borrowing books until that fine is paid.’

I trailed after him, my arm still around Zach. I was furious that Zach was being blamed in the wrong, but there didn’t seem to be anything we could do – it was Tracey’s word against mine.

We stood at the desk while Mr Jenkins made a great show of bringing up the right files on the computer, grumbling all the while about young people today having no respect for library property. I felt a little tug on my sleeve. Bobby was standing there with a big pile of books in his arms.

‘Not now, Bobby,’ I whispered.

I didn’t know whether Mr Jenkins was going to ban us all from taking out books, or just Zach.

‘Hannah …’ Bobby said, tugging at my sleeve urgently.

‘I said not now!’ I repeated in a fierce whisper.

I wondered how much the book would cost to replace. It was a big encyclopaedia so it was probably pretty expensive. Even if Tyler was going to have to pay half of it, I wasn’t sure I had enough money for Zach’s share.

Mr Jenkins was still muttering away. ‘Disgraceful behaviour … completely careless … think they’d been brought up in a zoo … not like in my day …’

‘But Hannah!’ Bobby said loudly.

‘SHUSH!’ said Mr Jenkins. ‘No shouting in the library!’

Bobby ignored him. ‘Hannah, I can’t find Maisie.’

With a jump I realised how long it was since I’d seen Maisie. I had been so caught up in the book, and then in the row, that I hadn’t even glanced over to the table where she’d been colouring.

Tracey sniggered. ‘You really shouldn’t be allowed out. Those children need a proper babysitter. You know, one who doesn’t let them tear up books, and generally knows where they are?’

I ignored her. ‘Stay here,’ I ordered Zach and Bobby.

‘Hey!’ shouted Mr Jenkins, forgetting his own rule about not shouting in the library. ‘Where do you think you’re going – I haven’t finished!’

I ignored him too. I rushed over to the children’s section. No Maisie at the colouring table, no Maisie at the comfy chairs along the window. No Maisie in any of the book aisles. No Maisie in front of the audiobooks and DVDs.

I checked the toilets, even though I didn’t really think Maisie would have gone in there on her own – she’s scared
of the noisy handdryers. No one there either.

I was starting to panic now. Where could she have got to? Surely she wouldn’t have left the library all on her own – would she? Maisie was a daydreamer – what if she got it into her head that we’d gone home without her, and decided to follow us?

I rushed to the window and looked out onto the road. The first thing that caught my eye was the church hall where Mum had taken Emma to Tiny Tunes. Could Maisie have tried to go there to find Mum? It was on the other side of the road, across four lanes of traffic.

I felt sick with fear. Maisie was only five – there was no way she should be out on her own, never mind trying to cross a busy street. Desperate, I ran back over to the desk.

‘Now look here …’ Mr Jenkins began once again.

‘Don’t tell me you’ve lost another one!’ Tracey could hardly keep the glee out of her voice.

‘What’s going on?’

I could have cried with relief. Rebecca, the nice young red-haired librarian, was standing behind Mr Jenkins, a look of true concern on her face.

‘I’ve lost Maisie,’ I told her, trying to hold back the tears. ‘I’ve searched the children’s section, and I can’t find her anywhere.’

Zach had pretty much stopped crying about the book, but looked like he was on the verge of crying about Maisie
instead, and even Bobby wasn’t far behind him.

‘Don’t worry, I’m sure she hasn’t gone far,’ Rebecca said. Her voice was so calm and kind that I felt reassured at once. ‘Now, why don’t you two boys come and sit down over here with your books, and I’ll help Hannah look for Maisie.’

Taking absolutely no notice of grumpy old Mr Jenkins, Rebecca steered the two boys over to a couch in a central spot where we’d be able to keep an eye on them. She turned back to me. ‘Now, she’s definitely not in the children’s section?’

‘No. I looked everywhere,’ I told her, my voice trembling.

‘And she’s not in the toilet?’

‘No, I looked there too.’

‘Then let’s try the adult section. She may have wandered over there looking for you.’

Rebecca led the way, calm and efficient. I was so glad to have someone else take charge. I followed behind her, my eyes darting all over, hoping Maisie would just suddenly appear.

Rebecca walked along one side of the rows of shelves and I walked down the other. I even looked under the shelves, just in case Maisie was hiding under there for some reason. I spotted discarded books, an empty water bottle, and lots and lots of dust – but absolutely no sign of a cute
little five-year-old with blonde plaits and a blue dress.

I was just beginning to feel a bit frantic when I heard Rebecca calling. ‘Hannah!’ I knew from her voice that it was good news. ‘Over here!’

I found Rebecca standing in the doorway to a room at the back of the library. It was a big bright room, normally used for book clubs and meetings and talks.

Rebecca turned to me with a big smile. ‘Looks like your little bookworm just wanted a quiet place to read!’

I looked where she was pointing. At the back of the room, curled up underneath a table, was Maisie! She had a book in her hand and was completely oblivious to her surroundings. She didn’t even look up when Rebecca and I went into the room, and I had to bend right down under the table and say her name before she noticed me.

‘Maisie! What are you doing here?’

Maisie looked up, wide-eyed and perfectly calm. ‘Those boys were being so noisy. I needed somewhere quiet to read.’

I was too relieved to be cross, and I gave her a big hug. ‘I’m glad you’re all right. I think it’s about time we headed home, don’t you? You can find somewhere quiet to read there. Oh …’ I remembered about the books.

‘What’s wrong?’ Rebecca asked.

‘It’s just we were all hoping to take out some books, but I don’t have enough money to pay the fine first,’ I said,
blushing. ‘For the book that got torn, you know – it wasn’t Zach’s fault …’

‘Don’t worry about that,’ Rebecca said. ‘I know you’ll pay it the next time you’re in. Come with me and I’ll check those books out for you.’

She led the way to the desk, completely ignoring Mr Jenkins, who was still grumbling, and checked out all our books. Bobby and Zach brought theirs over and Rebecca put those in the pile too. She handed them to me with a big smile. ‘Now you’re good to go – that should give you enough reading material for a few days!’

‘Thanks so much,’ I said. ‘I’ll have the money next time, I promise.’

I rounded the children up and headed for the door. I’d never felt so glad to be leaving the library before. But it had all ended a lot better than it could have. I shivered as I saw cars flying along the main road at top speed, and clutched Maisie’s hand tightly. I was never letting her out of my sight again!

The library drama seemed to have had quite an effect on both the boys, who went off to their room to read their books without me even suggesting it. Maisie curled up on one end of the couch with hers, and I sat down with mine too. There was just time to read a bit more before I needed to start thinking about getting some lunch ready. Soon I was lost in the Fossils’ world again, standing in the wings
with Pauline feverishly going over Tyltyl’s lines from
The Bluebird,
waiting for the cue to step onto the stage.

I made cheese and salad sandwiches for lunch, and cut up enough apples for everyone (Maisie and Bobby won’t eat apples unless they’re chopped up). I had just finished when Mum and Emma came through the door. Emma was cranky – she always gets like that when she’s been out all morning and is late having her lunch.

‘I’ll take her, Mum,’ I said, reaching out for my little sister.

‘Thanks, Hannah.’ Mum put her into my arms and went to call to the others.

I sang to Emma as I brought her over to her highchair, swaying her over and back in time to the song. She was smiling again by the time I handed her her own bread and cheese cut into easy-to-hold fingers.

Mum came back into the kitchen and planted a kiss on top of my head. ‘Oh, Hannah, I don’t know what I’d do without you. You’re such a great big sister.’

Apart from losing Maisie, and letting Zach get into a row with Tyler, I thought to myself, feeling a bit guilty. But there was no point in worrying Mum now that it was all over so I just mumbled, ‘Thanks’ as I went to put the sandwiches on the table. I was glad to be finished with big sister duties for the day – and I’d definitely do a much better job the next time.