Out of Bounds by Annie Bryant Page A

Fest, and Scream was her favorite movie. Maeve, who was about to add in her special effects noises, caught sight of the look on Ms. Ciara’s face and thought better of it. It was clear that the guillotine trick was heading right for the cutting room floor.
    â€œYou don’t like it?” Charlotte said, reading the look as well.
    â€œIt’s a standard magic trick,” Avery added. “All the great magicians do it.”
    There were snickers from the Hip-Hop Honeys.
    â€œThe set is going to be really beautiful,” Isabel volunteered. She felt bad that she hadn’t even started to paint the box. It might have made a difference if the box had been as pretty and fanciful as Isabel imagined it would be when it was done.
    â€œIt’s not that it isn’t a good trick,” Ms. Ciara said. “And I think it’s impressive the way you have it all figured out. I just think it might be a bit too… graphic for some of our younger audience members.”
    â€œAudiences have seen the trick before,” Avery said. “Millions of times.”
    â€œBut there will be children in the audience,” Ms.Rodriguez volunteered. “They might actually believe it’s true.”
    â€œIn the end, we put everything back together,” Avery volunteered. “So there is a happy ending.”
    â€œYes, but…” Ms. Rodriguez said.
    â€œYou wouldn’t want to scare the children,” Ms. Ciara said.
    Katani thought of Kelley. Ms. Ciara might be right.
    â€œNo,” Charlotte said.
    â€œBut it’s a really great trick,” Avery insisted.
    â€œI have no doubt that it is,” Ms. Ciara said. “Tell you what. Show us some of the other tricks you have planned, and let’s all take some time to rethink this one.”
    Charlotte looked confused. The fact was they didn’t have anything else prepared.
    Avery stepped forward. “I have a trick I want to demonstrate,” she said. “I’m going to pull a rabbit out of a hat!”
    â€œWhat are you doing?” Charlotte whispered to Avery.
    â€œDon’t worry,” Avery said, putting the sports bag up on the stool. “Pretend this is a hat,” Avery said, pointing to the bag.
    â€œBut it isn’t a hat, it’s a bag,” Kiki said. “The hat is over there.” She pointed to the magician’s hat that Charlotte was holding.
    â€œSuspend your disbelief,” Avery said dramatically.
    â€œBut…” Kiki started up again, but Ms. Ciara held up her hand to silence her. “Go ahead, Avery.”
    Avery reached into the bag and fiddled with something. Then, satisfied, she borrowed Charlotte’s magic wand.
    â€œAbracadabra,” Avery said, waving the wand over the bag three times. Then she tapped the side of the bag, and, very slowly, two rabbit ears began to protrude. As they emerged from the bag, the audience realized that they were attached to Marty’s head.
    As soon as she saw the look on Marty’s face, Avery realized that she should have practiced the trick more. Over the last few days, she had mastered the trick of pulling Marty out of the bag, but the rabbit ear headband was something she had just added this morning when she found it in an old box of Easter decorations in the coach house.
    As soon as he was out of the hat, Marty began spinning in circles, pawing the rabbit ears until he got them off. He jumped on them a few times as if they were an animal he was trying to knock unconscious, then he held them in his teeth and began shaking them. When he was finished, Marty lay down on the floor and ripped the ears apart.
    It was mayhem. The whole auditorium was hysterical, even Ms. Ciara. Except Kiki, who was sneezing violently.
    â€œI should have known that there was a dog in here!” Kiki shrieked. Her first sneezes had been genuine. It wasn’t that these weren’t, but she had certainly taken it up a notch. Kiki rushed