Under My Skin Read Online Free PDF

shoulder.
    â€˜No.’ Sally nudged at some gravel with her Converse-clad toe. ‘I won’t be on the list. I might as well get it over with. I kinda hope I’m not on it. I only auditioned to keep Mum off my back.’
    â€˜You sure?’
    â€˜Yeah. I’ll see you at registration.’ Sally took off across the lawn and under the archway that led into the courtyard by the fountain. The cast list would be pinned to the arts noticeboard, which was why the musical kids all hung out by the fountain – it was their hub of information regarding rehearsal times and practice rooms.
    There was already a crowd at the noticeboard, kids climbing over each other to get a clear view of the list. A couple of girls came away from the huddle obviously disappointed. ‘We’re not even in the chorus? How does that make sense?’ said one distraught girl that Sally remembered from the auditions. She’d been tone deaf, so it wasn’t a massive surprise.
    From the centre of the scrum, she heard a high-pitched voice cry, ‘Who on earth’s Sally Feather? Which one was she?’
    â€˜You know, that one with the . . . plait thing,’ someone else replied.
    The crowd parted to let Melody, Eleanor and Keira out of the centre. Melody threw her a glance so hate-filled that it almost knocked Sally off her feet.
    There’s no way . . .
    Sally slipped in through a gap and fought her way to the board. The list was printed on a piece of acid green paper, no doubt selected to be the same shade as the man-eating plant from the show.
    Sally’s heart raced as fast as it had at the audition. The main part was Seymour and that had gone to Joshua Parnell. She was delighted for him – effeminate he may be, but the guy could sing circles around anyone else at SVHS. In the not-too-distant future, when he was on Broadway, Sally suspected he’d get the last laugh.
    The next part was Audrey. She could scarcely look. The role had gone to . . . Melody Vine. Oh. Well, that was an anti-climax. What was the filthy look for, then? Sally continued to scan the list past Mr Mushnik, the voice of Audrey II – the plant – and Orin, the evil dentist. Then she saw her name. She’d been cast as Chiffon. Chiffon, Crystal and Ronette were the Motown girl group who narrated the whole play. Thinking logically, although she wouldn’t get a big solo spotlight, she would get to sing more than any other individual character.
    Her hand flew to her chest, her skin suddenly hot and prickly. She’d actually got a part. A really good part – her mum would be thrilled. The elation lasted about a second before a cartoon anvil of panic smashed onto her head. How on earth was she going to get up on stage, most likely in a tight, sequinned dress, and perform song after song? She felt sick. Maybe she could pull out and not tell her mum.
Yes . . . tell a white lie, get out of it
.
    And then it got that little bit worse. While Ronette was being played by Keira, she saw that Eleanor had only been cast in the chorus. Initially Sally figured that was what Melody’s death glare had been about, but then she saw the very bottom of the list. Seymour had an understudy and so did Audrey.
    AUDREY (UNDERSTUDY) . . . . . . . . . . . . . SALLY FEATHER
    Oh, well that explained it. Sally’s head spun like she’d been punched by an iron fist. This was all a lot to take in. She pushed her way out of the huddle only to find herself face to face with Melody and she did not look pleased – her face was flushed and her lips were pursed like she’d gorged on lemons. ‘Don’t get excited, Sally.’ She sounded as sour as she looked. ‘I’ve never missed a performance in my entire career.’
    The congregation turned to witness their conversation. Who doesn’t love a catfight? Sally’s brain felt like a blob of chewing gum and she struggled to form words. ‘I . . . I don’t want