CHAPTER 1
The sign on the auditorium door read:
Tryouts for the
Halloween Show
After School Today
"Well, guys. Wish me luck," said Beth Barry. She
was standing across the hall from the auditorium with the rest of The Fabulous
Five, trying not to let her nervousness show.
Christie Winchell grinned. "Luck? You're a cinch to get
a part."
"Right," said Katie Shannon. "After all, you
were the star of the drama club's last play."
"Yeah," said Melanie Edwards with a dreamy sigh. "You
and Chet Miller were star-crossed lovers in a modern version of Romeo and
Juliet. What a part!"
"But this is a variety show instead of a play,"
Beth insisted. "There will be magic acts and things like that and two
skits, so there are only a few speaking parts."
"Do you know which part you're trying out for?"
asked Jana Morgan.
Beth nodded. "The skits and variety acts will be
introduced by three emcees who are the three witches from Shakespeare's Macbeth .
You know, the ones who say, 'Double, double, toil and trouble.' I'd love to be
one of them. I've even been practicing my witch voice at home."
Suddenly Melanie poked Beth in the ribs. "Look, there
goes Laura McCall into the auditorium."
Everyone glanced toward Laura, who was the leader of The
Fantastic Foursome, the rival clique of The Fabulous Five.
Beth wrinkled her nose. "I heard her telling Tammy
Lucero that she was planning to get the part of one of the emcee
witches."
"Let's go on in," said Katie. She crossed the hall
and opened the door for the others. "With us in there to give you moral
support, you could get the part blindfolded."
The five girls tiptoed into the auditorium and took seats in
the fifth row. Beth sat down next to Molly McHugh, an eighth-grader with large
glasses, which she constantly pushed up her nose. Kids were scattered
throughout the room, and Mr. Levine, the drama coach, sat on the edge of the
stage, clipboard in hand.
"Okay," he said, "we're going to begin the
auditions for 'The Witches' Caldron.' I think most of you know that that's the
name of our Halloween show. It's a variety show with both skits and variety
acts, and each one is supposed to be an ingredient in the witches' brew."
Giggles rippled through the audience.
"Today I'll be casting the speaking parts as well as
some individual variety acts," Mr. Levine continued. "The important
thing is that all of the acts will be centered around the Halloween theme. The
skits, the music, the costumes—everything—will have something to do with
ghosts, black cats, witches, that sort of thing.
"And by the way," he added, "if you're interested
in working on props, costumes, or setup crews, there's a sign-up sheet at the
left side of the auditorium."
Molly murmured, "That's me. I'm signing up and then I'm
outta here." She slung her book bag over her shoulder, tossing her
ponytail to one side. "Hey, Barry, good luck."
Beth sighed. "Thanks. I'm really nervous."
Molly gave Beth's arm a playful punch and left.
Jana, who had been sitting on the other side of Molly, moved
into her place. "Uh-oh," she muttered. "Look who's sitting in
the front row right under Mr. Levine's nose."
Beth sighed. "I noticed. Good old Laura. She's probably
sitting there sending Mr. Levine phony little smiles, trying to butter him up."
"Of course," Jana said.
Beth watched Laura for a moment. "What's she doing with
her hair?" she whispered.
"It looks as if she's unbraiding it," Katie said.
Beth squinted at Laura. Katie was right. Laura was
methodically undoing the long braid that started at the top of her head and
fell over one shoulder. The braid was her trademark, and she switched it like a
cat's tail when she was angry. "Laura's up to something," Beth
muttered.
"Okay, everybody. We're ready to start," Mr.
Levine called from down front. "We'll begin with the variety acts. First
up is Chet Miller."
Beth sat up with interest. Chet, a ninth-grader who had
starred with her in the Romeo and Juliet play, got up from one of the
middle
The sign on the auditorium door read:
Tryouts for the
Halloween Show
After School Today
"Well, guys. Wish me luck," said Beth Barry. She
was standing across the hall from the auditorium with the rest of The Fabulous
Five, trying not to let her nervousness show.
Christie Winchell grinned. "Luck? You're a cinch to get
a part."
"Right," said Katie Shannon. "After all, you
were the star of the drama club's last play."
"Yeah," said Melanie Edwards with a dreamy sigh. "You
and Chet Miller were star-crossed lovers in a modern version of Romeo and
Juliet. What a part!"
"But this is a variety show instead of a play,"
Beth insisted. "There will be magic acts and things like that and two
skits, so there are only a few speaking parts."
"Do you know which part you're trying out for?"
asked Jana Morgan.
Beth nodded. "The skits and variety acts will be
introduced by three emcees who are the three witches from Shakespeare's Macbeth .
You know, the ones who say, 'Double, double, toil and trouble.' I'd love to be
one of them. I've even been practicing my witch voice at home."
Suddenly Melanie poked Beth in the ribs. "Look, there
goes Laura McCall into the auditorium."
Everyone glanced toward Laura, who was the leader of The
Fantastic Foursome, the rival clique of The Fabulous Five.
Beth wrinkled her nose. "I heard her telling Tammy
Lucero that she was planning to get the part of one of the emcee
witches."
"Let's go on in," said Katie. She crossed the hall
and opened the door for the others. "With us in there to give you moral
support, you could get the part blindfolded."
The five girls tiptoed into the auditorium and took seats in
the fifth row. Beth sat down next to Molly McHugh, an eighth-grader with large
glasses, which she constantly pushed up her nose. Kids were scattered
throughout the room, and Mr. Levine, the drama coach, sat on the edge of the
stage, clipboard in hand.
"Okay," he said, "we're going to begin the
auditions for 'The Witches' Caldron.' I think most of you know that that's the
name of our Halloween show. It's a variety show with both skits and variety
acts, and each one is supposed to be an ingredient in the witches' brew."
Giggles rippled through the audience.
"Today I'll be casting the speaking parts as well as
some individual variety acts," Mr. Levine continued. "The important
thing is that all of the acts will be centered around the Halloween theme. The
skits, the music, the costumes—everything—will have something to do with
ghosts, black cats, witches, that sort of thing.
"And by the way," he added, "if you're interested
in working on props, costumes, or setup crews, there's a sign-up sheet at the
left side of the auditorium."
Molly murmured, "That's me. I'm signing up and then I'm
outta here." She slung her book bag over her shoulder, tossing her
ponytail to one side. "Hey, Barry, good luck."
Beth sighed. "Thanks. I'm really nervous."
Molly gave Beth's arm a playful punch and left.
Jana, who had been sitting on the other side of Molly, moved
into her place. "Uh-oh," she muttered. "Look who's sitting in
the front row right under Mr. Levine's nose."
Beth sighed. "I noticed. Good old Laura. She's probably
sitting there sending Mr. Levine phony little smiles, trying to butter him up."
"Of course," Jana said.
Beth watched Laura for a moment. "What's she doing with
her hair?" she whispered.
"It looks as if she's unbraiding it," Katie said.
Beth squinted at Laura. Katie was right. Laura was
methodically undoing the long braid that started at the top of her head and
fell over one shoulder. The braid was her trademark, and she switched it like a
cat's tail when she was angry. "Laura's up to something," Beth
muttered.
"Okay, everybody. We're ready to start," Mr.
Levine called from down front. "We'll begin with the variety acts. First
up is Chet Miller."
Beth sat up with interest. Chet, a ninth-grader who had
starred with her in the Romeo and Juliet play, got up from one of the
middle
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