Selby's Stardom by Duncan Ball Page B

in a show called
Your Lucky Stars.
And he saw her again acting in the movie the director had made in Bogusville,
A Binding Friendship.
    Selby lay on the lounge in Bonnie’s trailer listening to music. Someone delivered a plate of wonderful food and Bonnie gave half of it to Selby.
    â€˜I
am
in Dreamland,’ Selby thought. ‘I hope it takes a year to make this movie.’
    That evening Bonnie sat next to Selby practising her lines for the next day.
    â€˜What kind of man are you?’ she yelled. Then she tried whispering it through clenched teeth. ‘What … kind … of man … are you? Is money all that matters to you?’
    â€˜She sends shivers up my spine just listening to her,’ thought Selby.
    â€˜Tomorrow’s your big scene,’ Bonnie said to Selby. ‘How do you like that, poochipoo? At least you don’t have to talk. So you won’t get nervous like real actors.’
    â€˜Are you kidding?’ Selby thought. ‘I get so nervous that I could wet my pants — if I had pants, that is. I mean, just because I’m a dog doesn’t mean that I don’t get scared.’
    Bonnie turned the page.
    â€˜You killed him!’ she yelled.
    â€˜Oh, good, someone gets killed,’ Selby thought. ‘This is getting exciting. I wonder who gets it? I hope it’s that Dino creep.’
    â€˜You killed my dog, you scum!’ Bonnie wailed.
    â€˜Hey,’ Selby thought, ‘a dog gets killed. There must be another dog in this film besides me.’
    â€˜You killed my dog, you scum!’ Bonnie wailed again. ‘You killed Selby! How could you do this?!’
    â€˜Selby?’ Selby thought. ‘There’s got to be some mistake. I can’t get killed. The movie’s only just started.’
    Bonnie turned to Selby and put her arm around him.
    â€˜Oh, Selby, it’s been so good having you here with me,’ she said. ‘I’ll be sorry to see you go.’
    â€˜Go? I don’t want to go,’ Selby thought. ‘Where am I going?’
    â€˜You killed Selby!’ Bonnie yelled again.
    â€˜I guess that answers that,’ Selby thought. ‘I was just getting into this film and now I’m history. They’ll be sending me home before I know it.’
    That night Selby lay on the floor of Bonnie’s trailer unable to sleep. He got up and started reading a copy of the script.
    â€˜Oh, great,’ he thought, after he’d read a few pages, ‘Dino runs me over with his car. I don’teven die in a fight or anything. Just get run over and then that’s the end of me. Great.’
    The next day was one of the worst days of Selby’s life. His death scene was the first scene of the day. Artie Schotz made him bark and chase after Dino’s car. Suddenly, the car swerved to miss a hole in the street and ran Selby over. Of course he wasn’t really run over. There was the squeal of brakes and the camera switched back to Bonnie’s face as she screamed, ‘You killed Selby!’
    â€˜
Cut
! That’s perfect!’ the director said. ‘Okay, guys, somebody ring the chauffeur and let’s get Selby to the airport. Sorry, old boy,’ he said, patting Selby. ‘You did a great job but it’s over, pooch.’
    â€˜Great job, my paw,’ Selby thought. ‘You’re the one who made up this story, why did you have to go and get me killed? It would be a much better movie if I lived. People love dogs.’
    Everyone gathered around and gave Selby pats and hugs before they put him in the limo to go to the airport. He could feel tears forming in his eyes as the car pulled away.
    â€˜So that was it,’ Selby thought. ‘My big break and it’s over. I’ll never get another chance like this one. But what can I do?’
    Selby sat there way, way in the back — because this was the longest limo that Selby had ever seen — and wondered what he could