Chapter 8 – Not so Smooth!
For the show, the rehearsals had begun, and had gone on for a long time. At first they all went very smoothly, with the girls eager and enthusiastic. But Carlotta, set as 2nd producer, was hard as well as sharp-tongued. The explosion came on a weary evening.
It was Carlotta’s turn to take the rehearsal that night, when the other producers took a rest. After she finished her rehearsing as the Devil, it was the Big Row.
“Girls! Get up here and sing your two-part song.”
And to Carlotta’s tremendous annoyance, the girls chattered and giggled as they came up to stage by the wrong side.
“You know perfectly well you don’t come up this way. Don’t be such a mob of idiots! Go back down and come up again.” So they did. Girls naturally obeyed Carlotta’s hard, curt voice!
Very glumly Elsie played the song – and the intro. The girls sang weakly, slowly and without any power. Then Carlotta noticed that Sophie wasn’t singing. She made a cutting action in the air and the music stopped.
“Sophie! You aren’t singing! You’ll probably be the worst in the show. I bet you don’t even know the words. Step down and sing the song by yourself. If I find that you don’t the words or music, I’ll chuck you out! I’ll get some third-graders to replace you.” So Sophie stepped down and sang weakly in her reedy voice.
“Stop!” cried Carlotta. “You don’t know any of it! I’m not head of anything! So you don’t need to respect me, do you? I’m not Esther, or Celine or Alice, so I better go into hiding so no one needs to see me! I don’t need to be respected! I’m just a silly old second producer! Not even first! So just go! You don’t want to be with me anyway! It must be a mercy to you!”
“You brat!” cried Sophie. “You’re the worst producer. Girls, what do you think? Shall we chuck her out instead of her chucking me out?”
The girls were not in the mood for anything at all, let alone quarreling and fighting.
“Oh, just shut up and do what she says,” sighed Regina.
Sophie turned and walked away, sick at heart. What had she done wrong? Wasn’t it Carlotta who was unjust?
She didn’t understand that Carlotta, chosen as producer, must be respected. She was a leader, and everybody must do what she said. Sophie didn’t see that. True – Carlotta was a bit unjust – but since she was a leader, they might as well put up with it or tell Miss Kellie. Sophie had not respected Carlotta enough – the other girls too – but Sophie chose to be foolish and actually show it, which was the trigger to the fight. Carlotta might be hard and sharp-tongued, but she was sensible too. She knew it was impossible to have everybody respect her and like her. But she also knew that only the stupider person would show it.
The next day Carlotta was called by Sadie to go and play tennis. She went to the shoe lockers with Alice, who was also called upon. Together they took out their shoes. Right in Carlotta’s shoes was a note. She read it and cried out in dismay.
This was the note:
TO CARLOTTA:
YOU THINK YOU’RE SO SMART, DON’T YOU, TO BE CHOSEN AS A PRODUCER? WELL, YOU’RE WRONG! IT’S ONLY BECAUSE YOU ARE STUPID THAT YOU ONLY SEE THE SHALLOW LAYER OF RESPECT ON OUR FACES BECAUSE YOU ARE SO HARD ON US! WOULDN’T YOU LIKE TO KNOW WHAT WE THINK OF YOU? WELL, SOMEONE MUST TELL YOU, BUT CERTAINLY NOT
ME
“What’s the matter?” said Alice. She glanced at the note and had a shock. “An anonymous letter!” she gasped. “Just that and no name at the bottom! Don’t you want to tell Miss Kellie?”
“No,” replied Carlotta, shaking her head.
“Why not? Don’t you feel that you must find out who it is?”
“I know who it is. It’s that idiot of a Sophie.”
Alice felt doubtful about it. Sophie might be foolish – but Alice knew that she was also cowardly. She simply would not do this kind of thing.
Carlotta told Alice not to tell anybody except those who could be trusted.
Alice wanted to tell Esther, but she waited to see if it was only Carlotta who got it, or the whole grade, or what?
The next day, Carlotta reported that she got another letter.
Here is the letter:
UNFAIR, UNJUST, UNKIND, DEAR PRODUCER OF THE PANTOMIME! SO SWEET AND GRACIOUS TO EVERYBODY, ISN’T SHE! HOW DULL ARE THE EYES! HOW ADORABLE IS THE BLACKNESS OF THE ROUGH SKIN! BEAUTIFUL NOSE, FLAT AND HUGE! SUCH FAT ARMS AND LEGS! BUT WHO WOULD WANT THAT DESCRIPTION? DEFINITELY NOT
ME
“It’s hateful!” cried Andrea, who was one of the five girls, including Alice, who had seen the letter. “I shall box her ears, whoever wrote this.”
Esther acted in her calm, dignified manner. She observed the handwriting, but it gave her no clue, for the words were all printed boldly in capitals. She gazed at the letter in dismay.
“It won’t help if we fuss over it,” said Bianca sensibly. “We had better wait until she gives us a clue that it is her. But to think out a letter like this is witty and requires a smart brain. Even if she gives us a clue, she must be smart enough to defend herself or make it seem untrue. As for Sophie writing out a letter like this, it would be quite impossible, for she is firstly too much of a coward to do this, and secondly, she is neither witty nor spiteful enough. To find out who is this despicable person, we shall have to wait and see. One day, her sins will find her and the truth will be revealed in front of the world. Her loathsome act will be held in disgrace of her person, and that shall be a lot of punishment, especially for a young girl like her.”
The others agreed. Bianca was sensible and would always say everything she thought, but in a polite and polished manner, as to make whoever she was talking as to be in the wrong not to be hurt.
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