How to Get Famous Read Online Free PDF Page B

right actually. Even though that
Mary's a right misery when she arrives,
isn't she? She's like a female version of my
dad actually.
    Still, both her parents did die in a
cholera epidemic in India, so you can see
why she turned a bit sour. And then she
goes and stays in this big, old house in
Yorkshire, with an uncle who never wants
to see her.
    It's just lucky that country-lad Dickon,
the animal-tamer, pops up. At first it was
Dickon I wanted to portray – I quite
fancied myself playing a pipe with all the
animals grooving around to my beat. But
no, Colin's the one for me.
    He's Mary's cousin, and he's also an
invalid and can hardly walk, so practically
all his scenes are in bed. This means I can
just lie back on my pillows concentrating
on my acting – which is handy.
    But also Colin starts off all miserable
and bad-tempered, yelling at everyone (he
and Mary have a screaming match, which
Georgia and I will love doing).
    But then he begins to change. He and
Mary become friendly. And she tells him
that with the help of a robin she's found
the key to a mysterious, walled-up garden.
It was all gloomy and overgrown, but she
and Dickon have totally transformed it.
And then Colin wants to visit it too,
because he thinks there's magic in the
secret garden, which will help him get well
again.
    The scenes when Colin hangs out in the
garden are the best in the book. I'd just
love to act out those. In fact, I really would
give up my right arm to play Colin. And
that's no exaggeration.
    So it's all sorted – practically. I've just
got to think of an amazing audition piece
now.
    11.57 p.m.
    Had a thought about that already. How
about if I whip off my clothes to reveal
pyjamas underneath? That would show I'd
done my research and know about Colin
not walking and having to be in bed all the
time. I bet no one else thinks about doing
that.
    I'm convinced now that I've found that
lucky break which every superstar needs.
But I shall work night and day and then
some more to make the most of this
chance. For I want this so badly.
    Overall, this has been an incredible day
– and very likely an historic one too.

Chapter Five

    SUNDAY MARCH 14TH
    Been working on my audition piece all day.
Thought I'd act out the part where Colin
first sees Mary standing in his room in the
middle of the night and cries out, 'Who are
you? Are you a ghost?'
    Then this evening I slipped round to
Georgia's house, all set to display my acting
talent. I said to her, 'You've got to
imagine me doing this scene in pyjamas.'
    'Oh, I'd rather not,' she replied, giggling.
    'This is a scene of raw power I'm about
to perform for you, so show some respect,'
I cried. I went out of the room and got
myself all psyched up. Then I burst inside,
my eyes all wide and staring and Georgia's
face went so red I thought it was going to
burst.
    'You want to laugh, don't you?' I said.
    Georgia nodded and then this laugh just
exploded out of her. 'I'm sorry, it's just the
way you were rolling your eyes,' she said.
    'It's called acting, Georgia,' I replied.
    'Do it again . . . I promise I won't laugh.'
    'No, I tell you what, I'll watch you
instead this time.'
    Georgia began acting out a scene in
which she's looking round the secret
garden for the first time. And then her
shoulders began to shake and she was
howling with laughter again. 'I'm sorry,
but I can't be serious with you watching.'
    Then her mum came in and said with a
frown, 'There's a lot of hilarity in
here . . . you haven't got much time, you
know. Other children will probably have
been working on this for weeks. Also, I
think you need to be more original than
just acting out a scene from the book. You
want to stun those judges with your
pieces. So may I make a suggestion?'
    Before either of us could reply she swept
on, 'I really think you'll concentrate much
better if you both work on this completely
on your own. Don't even tell each other
what you're going to do. Let it be a secret
until the day.'
    I must have looked a bit