The Superstar Sister Read Online Free PDF

kidding?
    “And how about this cupboard? Will youinvestigate it for the audience and make sure it’s solid and intact?”
    Deep, sinister music began to play. The effect was definitely suspenseful.
    “Now, Jenny, will you assist me in getting into this straitjacket and fastening the handcuffs on tight behind my back? Make sure there’s no way for me to escape.”
    Jenny secured Jason into his bindings, showing the audience how tightly he was bound. He entered the cupboard, and she shut and locked the door.
    “Everyone, count with me,” Jenny cried. “Ten, nine, eight …”
    The audience joined in. The auditorium boomed with each chanted number.
    “Four, three, two …”
    B held her breath. On the count of one, Jason burst from the cupboard, completely free from his handcuffs and his jacket. He took a flamboyant bow, and the audience went wild.
    Clifton Davro shoved his shades down the bridge of his nose. “You’ve got it, kid,” he said. “I’ve got a feeling we’ll see you in a couple of days.”
    Jason punched the air with his fist, then bowed once more. Jenny Springbranch helped him carry his stuff off the stage.
    B drooped. Poor George! He must be devastated right now. Mozart climbed up B’s arm and onto her shoulder, as if he wanted a better look.
    “And now, for our last contestant,” the announcer said. “George Fitzsimmons!”
    George hopped onto the stage, wrapped from head to toe in rope and padlocks. His face was glum but determined. He had apparently abandoned his thought of telling jokes while he did his escape act. B figured that was probably just as well. But after Jason’s spectacular performance, no one seemed to pay attention to George. Even the judges were whispering among themselves and writing on their notepads. They barely even looked at him.
    George struggled on and on with his rope. Finally Clifton Davro looked at his watch.
    “Time’s up, son,” he said in a kindly voice. “Thanks for showing us your act. It’s got potential. You just need to practice escaping faster.”
    George stopped wriggling, nodded, and shuffled off the stage. Nancy appeared by the scoring table and collected sheets from all the judges, then hurried back offstage near where B stood to tally her results. B hid behind a curtain to watch. Music played from the speakers to pass the time while the votes were counted.
    Nancy rose to take the results back to where the judges waited. Just then, her cell phone beeped. She set her clipboard back down and flipped open her phone. “Hi. What’s up? Yeah, I can’t really talk right now. I’m … Okay. Give me one sec.” She looked both ways, then slipped through the backstage door and out into the hallway.
    B couldn’t help herself. She tiptoed to the table to look at the clipboard. There in black and white were the results — the names of the contestants whowould progress to the final round and compete against winners from nearby cities for the coveted place on the television show. Nancy had listed the top vote-getters in order:
    Beatrix
    Jason
    Dawn
    B had won the first round!

Chapter 8
    I won the talent show, and I didn’t even mean to enter.
    B let the thought sink in.
    I even beat Dawn.
    Jumping jinxes. This couldn’t be happening.
    But Dawn had earned her spot through talent and lots of hard work. B’s accidental gig was based solely on magic — that, and Mozart’s crazy personality. She had to put a stop to this somehow.
    “Nancy? You still back there?” It was Clifton Davro’s voice. At any second the director would return from her phone call. There was only one thing to do.
    “C-H-A-N-G-E,” she whispered, staring at her name on the page. B’s name faded from view asthough an invisible hand had scrubbed it out with an eraser, stroke by stroke. But before a new name could appear, the door opened, and Nancy ran back through, looking flustered. B retreated out of sight just in time. Nancy snatched the clipboard off the table and hurried back