Party at Silver Spires (15 page)

“Miss Morgan's right, isn't she? I mean it's much harder to make ballet look good onstage, compared to any other type of dance, isn't it? Unless you're a professional ballet dancer, I guess.”

My heart began to thud. They were talking about a ballet performance. Miss Morgan? Yes, I'd heard of her. She was the Silver Spires dance mistress.

What? A ballet performance? Here? At school?
said the
other me
, forgetting, as usual, that the
new me
didn't want to know these things.

And a few seconds later Olivia gave me the answer. She sounded half nervous, half sulky. “It's going to be so scary on that stage when just about everyone in this place thinks ballet is the least cool thing ever. They just don't get it, do they? I mean, they've got no clue how hard it is.”

I didn't stay to hear any more. I just got up, switched off the TV and left the room. I wished I'd never found out about this ballet performance. The very thought of it made waves of tension zap through me. I knew it had nothing to do with me. It wasn't as if I'd be dancing myself. But it was still ballet, and that wasn't supposed to be a part of my new life here at Silver Spires. I'd done everything I could to avoid it, yet it had crept up on me again.

I raced up to the dorm and sat on my bed, trying to calm down, telling myself that I didn't have to watch the performance if I didn't want to. Surely it wouldn't be compulsory to attend. In fact, I didn't even know if Year Sevens would be invited. No, I'd just keep right away from it and everything would be fine.

But the
other me
wouldn't leave the subject alone.

It sounds like Abi's really good. I'd like to see her dance
.

Then the
new me
slammed the door shut.
Well, you're not going to. It would only upset you. Ballet's in your past.

To find out what happens next, read

Ann Bryant's School Days

Who
was your favourite teacher?

At primary it was Mr. Perks – we called him Perksy. I was in his class in Year Six, and most days he let me work on a play I was writing! At secondary, my fave teacher was Mrs. Rowe, simply because I loved her subject (French) and she was so young and pretty and slim and chic and it was great seeing what new clothes she'd be wearing.

What were your best and worst lessons?

My brain doesn't process history, geography or science and I hated cookery, so those were my least favourite subjects. But I was good at English, music, French and PE, so I loved those. I also enjoyed art, although I was completely rubbish at it!

What was your school uniform like?

We had to wear a white shirt with a navy blue tie and sweater, and a navy skirt, but there was actually a wide variety of styles allowed – I was a very small person and liked pencil-thin skirts. We all rolled them over and over at the waist!

Did you take part in after-school activities?

Well I loved just hanging out with my friends, but most of all I loved ballet and went to extra classes in Manchester after school.

Did you have any pets while you were at school?

My parents weren't animal lovers so we were only allowed a goldfish! But since I had my two daughters, we've had loads – two cats, two guinea pigs, two rabbits, two hamsters and two goldfish.

What was your most embarrassing moment?

When I was in Year Seven I had to play piano for assembly. It was April Fool's Day and the piano wouldn't work (it turned out that someone had put a book in the back). I couldn't bring myself to stand up and investigate because that would draw attention to me, so I sat there with my hands on the keys wishing to die, until the Deputy Head came and rescued me!

To find about more about Ann Bryant, visit her website:
www.annbryant.co.uk

Want to know more about the Silver Spires girls?

Or try a quiz to discover which School Friend you're most like?

You can even send Silver Spires e-cards to your best friends and post your own book reviews online!

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www.silverspiresschool.co.uk

Check it out now!

First Term at Silver Spires

Drama at Silver Spires

Rivalry at Silver Spires

Princess at Silver Spires

Secrets at Silver Spires

Star of Silver Spires

…all featuring the Amethyst Dorm girls

Party at Silver Spires

Dancer at Silver Spires

Dreams at Silver Spires

Magic at Silver Spires

Success at Silver Spires

Mystery at Silver Spires

…all featuring the Emerald Dorm girls

Check out more exciting stories at
www.usborne.com/fiction

This ebook edition first published in the UK in 2016 by Usborne Publishing Ltd, Usborne House, 83-85 Saffron Hill, London EC1N 8RT, England.
www.usborne.com

Copyright © 2016, 2010 by Ann Bryant

The right of Ann Bryant to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988.

Cover illustration by Rui Ricardo for folioart.co.uk

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are Trade Marks of Usborne Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or used in any way except as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or loaned or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author's and publisher's rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogues are products of the author's imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ePub ISBN 9781474917568

Batch no. 01569-03