Stage Fright (3 page)

During break, Lee, Bella, and Billy sat together. Lee gobbled up a packet of Drac's Snacks, but Billy and Bella ate hardly anything at all.

“I—I can't eat,” quivered Billy. “I'm so nervous about this stupid phantomime. I dunno why I said I'd be in it. I hate acting!”

“You'll be fine,” said Lee. “The hunter hasn't got much to say, not like—”

“ATCHOO!”

Bella sneezed so loudly that Lee dropped his snack and Billy almost jumped out of his seat.

“Yikes, Bella!” said Lee. “That was loud enough to wake up a zombie!”

“Sorry,” said Bella. “I've got a little cold. I don't think I should have done so much skulking during the last lesson.”

“Well, you did manage to find the darkest and dampest corner,” said Billy. “It took us forever to find you.”

“My throat feels funny, too,” said Bella.

“You're probably just nervous,” said Lee. “After all, you have the biggest part.”

“And you have to sing those songs all by yourself,” Billy chipped in. Miss Gargoyle had asked Bella to play Snow Fright because she had the best voice in the class.

“Yeah,” said Lee. “In front of the whole school.”

“And lots of parents and friends,” said Billy.

“Oh thanks, guys!” groaned Bella. “You've really cheered me up!”

Lee hastily changed the subject.

“Miss Gargoyle said there's going to be a special mystery guest,” he said. “I wonder who it is.”

“No idea,” said Billy. “Didn't she say the mayor is coming? Maybe it's him.”

“Oh, durrr!” snorted Bella. “The whole point of a mystery guest is that you don't know who it is, silly.”

“All right,” said Billy. “Keep your cape on!”

“It's no good,” said Bella. “I just can't eat. Does anyone want my snack?”

Big Herb was at the next table. Hearing the offer of free food, he whizzed around like a tornado.

“I'll have it!” he said through a huge mouthful of black pudding sandwich, some of which sprayed out onto his shirt. Then he looked at Bella's tub of beetroot salad and shook his head. “Yurggh! Actually, no thanks Bella. I forgot you're a vegetarian.”

Chapter 3

Snow Fright in a Flap

After break, Lee, Bella, and Billy went straight to the hall and changed into their phantomime costumes.

“OK, seven dwarfs,” said Miss Gargoyle. “Let's run through the “Work Song” one last time.”

Lee and the six other vampire dwarfs all marched across the stage in a line. They were Gappy, Snappy, Flappy, Creepy, Chompy, Gnashful, and Shock.

As they marched, they sang—

“POP-POP! POP-POP!

We'll work until we stop!

We're a scary sight,

but we won't bite!

POP-POP! POP-POP!”

On the final
POP!
they all changed into bats and fluttered off into the wings.

“Excellent!” said Miss Gargoyle. “Now, let's hear Snow Fright's song.”

Bella stood up and opened her mouth.

“Someday my count will—URK!”

She coughed and started again.

“Someday—URK!” Bella spluttered to a halt. “I can't do it!” she croaked faintly. “I've lost my voice!”

“Oh dear!” said Miss Gargoyle anxiously. “What are we going to do? We can't do
Snow Fright and the Seven Dwarfs
without Snow Fright!”

“Perhaps someone else could be Snow Fright?” suggested Lee.

Lucy West stepped forward.

“I'll do it, Mith Gargoyle!” she said. “I've memorized all the wordth. And I can thing much better than Bella any day,” she bragged.

Bella glared at Lucy, but Miss Gargoyle said, “Sorry, Lucy. If you play Snow Fright, we'll just need someone else to play the Wicked Queen. We'll be back where we started.”

“And no one could be a better Wicked Queen than you, Lucy,” said Lee innocently. “You're perfect for the part!”

He winked at Bella as Lucy stomped off with her nose in the air.

“What we need,” said Miss Gargoyle, “is someone who can sing but doesn't have a very big part.”