It’s the last day of school! I can’t believe there’s no more school for six weeks. SIX WHOLE WEEKS! We sang ‘six whole weeks’ all the way home on the bus. Well, Mari did – at the top of her voice! She is so funny. Everyone else on the bus was giving us strange looks. Although Tom wasn’t really looking at Mari. I think he was looking at me…!
Oh, why do I do this to myself?! It’s not as though he even knows who I am! I mean, he knows I’m Fliss, but he only knows my name because Mari yelled it across the bus one day. ‘FLISS! SEATS OVER HERE!’ I nearly died, I was so embarrassed. I hate that kind of moment, when everyone turns round to look at you and you go so red you feel like your face is on fire.
Victoria says it’s weird that I feel like that when I love acting on stage. But I keep telling her, it’s not the same thing at all! When I’m on stage, I have lines to say. I know what to say because I’ve learned it beforehand. It’s not like that in real life. It’s much worse. I only ever think of what to say long after I should have said it – and then it’s too late.
Like yesterday. I was talking to my mum about the summer holidays, and she started going on about this activity week she wants me to go on – quad-biking, tennis and all that. All the things I hate! And I couldn’t say a word! I just stood there like a dumb person, trying to work out how to say I didn’t want to go.
And then later I went back downstairs and mentioned that the Circle Youth Theatre is doing another show this summer. And Mum stared at me like I was deranged and said, ‘Well, why didn’t you say so before? Now I’ll have to cancel everything!’ And I felt really stupid.
BUT…I can’t let myself think about that because…I’ve heard a rumour that the Youth Theatre might be doing a Shakespeare play!! I know Mari will moan about it, and I’m sure Victoria won’t be pleased (she has enough trouble remembering lines as it is) but I can’t WAIT!! What if…WHAT IF…it’s Romeo and Juliet? I think I might die with excitement! (Only quietly in a corner so no one notices). It’s only my favourite play ever!
Whew. Slow down, Fliss. Stop racing ahead. For now, it’s enough that it’s the summer holidays AND it’s nearly time to start rehearsals for a new production! Plus my two best friends are sticking around all summer too! Life can’t get any better, can it?
Jo Cotterill 