Stage Fright (4 page)

“But it's too late for anyone else to learn the words!” rasped Bella. “Oh, the phantomime is going to be ruined, and it's all my fault. I'm so sorry!”

“Hang on,” said Lee. “I've got an idea …”

Chapter 4

The Show Must Go On

The show began at three o'clock. At a quarter to three, Lee's mom and dad arrived backstage with his friend Ollie Talbot, who went to Chaney Street School for young werewolves.

“Hi, Ollie,” said Lee, who was now dressed as a vampire dwarf, with a short green cape, pointy red hat, and a fake red beard.

“Hi, Lee,” said Ollie. “Cool costume! You should wear that to school every day.”

“Ha-ha, very funny,” said Lee. “This beard itches like crazy! I hate having hair all over my face.”

“Oh, you get used to it,” grinned Ollie.

“Good luck, Lee,” said Dad cheerfully. “Seeing you on stage takes me back to my days with the Bat City Strollers. Did I ever play you our recording of “Fang-A-Lang”? It got to number ninety-eight in 1979.”

“Yes, Dad,” sighed Lee. “Only about a million times.”

“Gimme a break!” came Billy's voice behind them. They turned to see Billy, dressed as the hunter, struggling to untangle his bow from the folds of Snow Fright's cape.

“Don't pull so hard,” said Bella. “You'll tear it!”

Billy finally yanked the bow free.

“It's bad enough trying to remember my lines without having to carry this stupid bow,” he moaned. “It just gets in the way!”

“Just relax,” said Lee. “You'll be fine. You're only on in the first scene.”

Lee's mom looked at her watch.

“It's five to three!” she said. “We'd better get back to our seats. The hall's almost full. All the parents have come, and lots of friends, as well as a party of werewolves from Ollie's school. I've spotted several mummies, too, and there's even a row of zombies right next to us. But I think they've fallen asleep.”

“No, they haven't,” said Ollie. “They always look like that.”

Mom blew Lee a kiss.

“Good luck, darling. And try not to look so angry. I'm sure it'll all be fine!”

“I'm Gnashful,” said Lee. “I'm meant to look angry!”

“Right,” said Miss Gargoyle after Mr. and Mrs. Price and Ollie had taken their seats. “It's three o'clock. Let's go for it!”

She strode out in front of the audience. “Good evening, everyone! The children have all worked really hard for tonight's show, and we hope you enjoy it. I have great pleasure in presenting
Snow Fright and the Seven Dwarfs
!”

She returned backstage and smiled at the children.

“Ready, Wicked Queen?”

“Yeth, Mith Gargoyle,” simpered Lucy West. Lee, Bella, and Billy had to admit that she did look rather splendid in her Wicked Queen costume.

As the applause died down, the Wicked Queen stepped through a cardboard doorway and onto the stage. She stood in front of her magic mirror and declared:

“Mirror, mirror on the wall,

Who is the fairetht of them all?”

The phantomime had begun.

Chapter 5

A Screaming Success

There was one mishap during the beginning of the phantomime. Billy was so nervous that he accidentally knocked the Wicked Queen's pointy hat off with his bow. The audience found it very funny, especially when Lucy hissed, “You thtupid idiot! You've methed up my hair!”

But things went smoothly after that. There were no more mess-ups and no one forgot their lines. Even Bella appeared to have found her voice again when she came on as Princess Snow Fright. She was a little husky and faint when she spoke, but she sang as sweetly as anything:

“One day my count will come.

He has sharp fangs, he's not so dumb.

To his creepy castle I'll ride

by my spooky sweetheart's side.”

“That was lovely,” whispered Lee's mom.

“Yes,” agreed Mr. Price. “But I thought all the dwarfs were in this scene? There are only six of them.”