Jessi and the Dance School Phantom

  “It’s not exactly round,” she said, “but it’ll have to do.” Stacey was going to be one of the judges. We had decided that not every member of the club should be a judge — only those who could never be accused of being partial to one pet or another.

  I couldn’t be a judge because of Misty.

  Kristy couldn’t be a judge because Karen, Andrew, and David Michael were all going to enter pets.

  Mallory couldn’t be a judge because of Frodo — and because of the mystery pet that Mallory now thought the triplets were entering.

  And we had decided that Mary Anne shouldn’t be a judge because she loves her kitten, Tigger, so much that she might be biased toward any cats that were entered.

  So that left Stacey, Claud, and Dawn as the Official Pet Show Judges.

  Just as we finished setting up the snack tables, we heard a car horn honking out front. It sounded like Charlie’s horn — and it was. In a second, we saw what looked like a parade coming around to the backyard. First came Charlie (with Emily Michelle riding on his shoulders) and Sam. They were going to be spectators. Behind them was Kristy, who was trying to help David Michael control Shannon. Shannon’s not used to walking on a leash, and she tends to lunge all over the place.

  Then there was Karen, who was proudly carrying the small cage that held Emily Junior, her rat. And next to her walked Andrew, pulling a frightened-looking Midgie (I guess he doesn’t like crowds) behind him.

  Stacey looked closely at Emily Junior as Karen set the cage on one of the tables. “What’s on her head?” she asked, puzzled.

  “Mickey Mouse ears!” said Karen proudly. “They’re her costume!”

  Sure enough, Karen had cut out a tiny pair of black ears and stuck them on Emily Junior’s head. Stacey stifled a laugh. “Very nice, Karen,” she said. “And Andrew, this must be Midgie,” she said, turning to look at him. “What a nice little dog.”

  Andrew looked proud. “He is nice,” he said. “Even if he can’t do any tricks. He’s the nicest dog in the world!”

  Kristy got Shannon and David Michael settled and came over to talk to the rest of us. “Are you guys ready for this?” she asked, laughing. “You should have seen us on the way over here. The car was like a three-ring circus! First Emily Junior escaped from her cage. Then, just when we’d caught her and put her back, Shannon started trying to jump out of the car at every stoplight. What a mess!”

  Just then, another car pulled into the driveway. This time it was Mrs. Papadakis, who had brought Hannie and Linny with their pets, and also Scott and Timmy Hsu, who looked a little downcast.

  Hannie was holding Pat the cat in her arms, and Linny was carrying Myrtle the turtle — whose shell had apparently been repainted just that morning. It looked terrific.

  Kristy told Timmy and Scott that they could sit with Sam and Charlie, as spectators. “I’m glad you’re here,” she said. “We need an audience.” They smiled at her, but they still didn’t seem very happy. They looked longingly at the other pets that were being paraded around. Stacey told me later that she felt kind of sorry for them — and that she could understand since she’d never been allowed to have pets, either.

  The next kids to arrive were the Delaneys, and boy, did they have a surprise for the rest of us. When Mr. Delaney pulled his car into the driveway, Amanda got out first. She was carrying a perfectly groomed Priscilla, and she was looking very possessive. Obviously, she had decided not to let Max share her pet.

  Then Max climbed out of the car, and Stacey got the shock of a lifetime. In his arms was a very calm and happy-looking cat. A big, fat cat. It was Boo-Boo! And he didn’t look mean at all. He looked like he’d be happy to let Max carry him around all day.

  Stacey looked at Kristy and raised her eyebrows. “I know,” said Kristy. “Isn’t it crazy? It just seems that Boo-Boo took a liking to Max. You should hear him purring when Max pets him.” Then she stopped and sniffed the air. “What is that smell?” she asked.

  Stacey smelled it, too. “It’s like that perfume my mother sometimes wears — Paris Romance, I think it’s called.” She looked around. “But who would have that on in the middle of the day? My mom only wears it for special occasions.”

  “It’s Priscilla,” said Amanda proudly. “Doesn’t she smell lovely?” The cat must have been drenched in perfume. You couldn’t get too close to her without feeling like you were going to keel over, just from the waves of fragrance that rose from her white fur.

  “Lovely,” said Stacey, wrinkling her nose.

  By then, Dawn and Mary Anne’s backyard was really filling up. A lot of barking and meowing was going on as the pets got to know each other. Stacey looked around for Charlotte and saw her standing near the tree where Carrot had been tied up. Carrot was nowhere in sight, and Charlotte looked like she was about to cry.

  Stacey ran over to her. “Don’t worry, Char,” she said. “We’ll find him.” They began to walk around the yard, calling for Carrot. He wasn’t near the judging circle, or by the snack table. He wasn’t playing with Shannon and Midgie. “Carrot!” called Charlotte, in a teary voice.

  “There he is!” said Stacey suddenly. She saw Carrot standing next to Matt and Haley Braddock, whom she hadn’t seen arriving. Matt was holding his leash. Charlotte and Stacey ran to him, and when they got closer they saw the sign that Haley was holding.

  OFFICIAL HANDLERS, it said. WE’LL WATCH YOUR PET WHEN YOU NEED SOME TIME OFF.

  “That’s a good idea, guys,” said Stacey. “But you better get permission from the owners before you start holding their pets. You had Charlotte kind of worried!”

  “I’m sorry,” said Haley, after signing to Matt to tell him to hand over Carrot. “We were just trying to help. Carrot looked so lonely, tied up to that tree.”

  Stacey smiled. “I know, but he was fine. Anyway, I’m glad you thought of a way to be part of the show. Let’s go see if anyone can use your services.”

  As she was walking with Charlotte and the Braddocks, Stacey saw the Pikes arrive. The triplets were struggling with a large, mysterious bundle. “What’s that?” she asked.

  “Nothing,” said Adam and Byron together.

  “We were just going to put it over there,” said Jordan, pointing to a large bush by the side of the house.

  Stacey shrugged. “Okay,” she said. “Hey, what have you got there?” she asked, turning to Nicky. He and Margo and Claire stood huddled together over a small box. Vanessa stood off to the side, looking like she wanted nothing to do with her younger brothers and sisters.

  “It’s Frodo,” said Nicky.

  “And wait till you see what they did to him,” added Vanessa. “Show Stacey,” she said to Nicky.

  Nicky opened the lid of the box. Stacey peered in, then jumped back. “What was that green thing?” she asked.

  “That’s Frodo,” said Nicky proudly.

  “They got into the dyes my mom uses for cake frostings,” said Vanessa, rolling her eyes. “Can you believe it?”

  Stacey looked again and laughed. “He looks pretty funny,” she said. “But it is different, I have to say that!”

  “It is different,” said Becca, who had just appeared next to Nicky. She was looking enviously at Frodo’s bright green fur. “I wish I’d thought of that.” She held up Misty, who looked like a regular hamster — one who had had her hair combed neatly.

  “Misty looks nice,” said Stacey. Then trying to change the subject, she said, “Look, here come the Barretts, with Pow.” Sure enough, there were Suzi and Buddy, walking Pow, who was covered with pink ribbons. He looked a little silly, but Suzi and Buddy seemed proud.

  Stacey barely had a chance to say hello to them before Kristy and Dawn ran up to her, out of breath. “Have you seen Myrtle?” Kristy asked. “He ran off, and Linny is so upset.”

  A search party was organized. Matt and Haley were given dogs to hold while their owners ran around the yard, looking for the turtle. Linny looked like he was about to cry as he crawled under some bushes. “Myr
tle!” he called. “Where are you?”

  Just then there was a shout. Timmy Hsu held up Myrtle as he yelled, “I found her! I found her!” Myrtle had been sitting among the rocks in the judging circle, her painted shell blending with the dandelions that spotted the lawn.

  “Thanks, Timmy,” said Linny. “Listen, you can be Myrtle’s part owner, just for today, okay?”

  Timmy nodded happily, but his smile faded as he glanced at Scott, who was standing to one side, looking sad. Then Hannie spoke up. “Scott, since you’re my husband, I guess you can be part owner of Pat the cat.”

  By that time, it looked like just about everybody had arrived. Gabbie and Myriah were the last to come. They had spent their morning running after Chewy, who had, as usual, pulled his leash right out of their hands.

  “I think we’re ready to begin the judging,” said Kristy loudly. Her voice was barely audible over the noise that all those kids and their pets were making.

  The rest of us helped to round up the kids and get them into line for the parade past the judges. After the parade, each pet would be shown briefly in the judging circle. Then the judges would consult with each other and the prizes would be announced.

  Everybody got quiet as they led their pets past the judges’ table. The tension increased as each pet had its time in the ring. Some pets, like Carrot, did tricks for the judges. Others just sat there, looking — or in Priscilla’s case, smelling — pretty.

  We’d all forgotten about the triplets’ mystery pet until Adam ran to the judges to tell them that there was a late entry. Then he ran back to the bush where the bundle had been left and reappeared, leading — a pony! Jordan and Byron were dressed up as the front and back of a horse, and Adam led them proudly past the judges’ table. The pony pranced and bucked and kicked until the kids and the judges were nearly hysterical.

  After the judging, Kristy led the pet owners to the snack table while the judges conferred. I saw Becca looking nervous as she ate a cookie and waited for the results. But she had nothing to be nervous about. Guess why. Because of my idea. Here’s what it was: Every pet in the show would get a prize — not first prize or second prize, just a prize that said something about why that pet was special.

  The idea was a total success. I saw a lot of happy faces when the judges announced the prizes, starting with “Most Unusually Colored Pet,” for Frodo, and going on through “Best-Smelling” (guess which white cat won that) and “Smartest.” (Carrot won that one.)

  “Funniest Pet” went to the triplets, while “Largest Pet” was awarded to Shannon. “Nicest Pet” went to Midgie, and Myrtle won “Prettiest Shell.” Karen was thrilled when Emily Junior won “Best Costume,” and Scott and Hannie looked proud when Pat the cat won “Cutest.” Pow won “Shortest Legs.”

  Gabby and Myriah laughed when Chewy was named “Strongest Pet,” and even Matt and Haley got a prize for being “Best Pet Handlers.” Boo-Boo won for “Best Personality.” (That was a surprise!) And what did Becca win? Well, I predict that Misty’s ribbon will be hanging in Becca’s room for a long, long time. Here’s what it says: “Best All-Around Pet.”

  Opening Night. I think that those two words may be the most exciting in the English language. I get a chill just hearing them. And now it was finally here. Opening Night.

  We’d had a pretty good dress rehearsal earlier in the week. A few small problems were ironed out that night. For example, my tutu. I think someone mixed up my measurements with the ones belonging to Jumbo the circus elephant. But that’s what dress rehearsal is for. And Aunt Cecelia had no trouble taking it in for me. By opening night, my tutu fit perfectly.

  “Try it on for me one more time!” begged Becca. She loves to see me all dressed up like a “real” ballerina.

  “There’s no time,” I said. “You’ll see me in it when I come onstage. But remember, you have to be quiet while I’m dancing.” Once, when Becca was younger and I was dancing in The Nutcracker, she’d yelled, “Hi, Jessi!” when I made my entrance. Everybody in the audience laughed, and I almost died of embarrassment.

  “I won’t,” she promised. “Don’t forget that you promised to give me your toe shoes after the show.”

  I was going to autograph them and give them to her for a souvenir. That’s what the really famous ballerinas do for their fans. Toe shoes usually can’t be worn for more than one or two performances — they just don’t last under that kind of use.

  “Ready, Jessi?” my mom called up the stairs. “I think your friends are here.”

  I looked out the window and saw Charlie’s car parked in the street. He was going to drive my friends to the performance. But why were they here? I was going to be driving with my parents.

  I ran downstairs and out the door. My friends had gotten really dressed up for the occasion. “Wow, you guys look great!” I said.

  “So do you,” said Kristy. I was wearing my black velvet dress. I wanted to have something nice to change into after the performance.

  Claudia looked extremely cool and exotic, as usual. Her hair was braided with silver ribbons, and she wore a shimmery dark blue minidress. On her feet were silver sandals, with laces up the calves — kind of like toe shoes.

  Stacey had on a tuxedo! That’s right, a tuxedo, just like one a boy would wear. But it was made to fit her perfectly, and she looked great. She must have gotten it in New York.

  Kristy had put on a dress, for once, and it was strange to see her in something other than a turtleneck and jeans. She looked really pretty. And Mallory, standing next to her in her best skirt and blouse, looked great, too. Dawn and Mary Anne must have traded clothes — they do that a lot — because I recognized Mary Anne’s new Laura Ashley dress on Dawn, and Dawn’s pink jumpsuit on Mary Anne.

  “We just came by to wish you luck,” said Mallory. “I know you’re going to do a great job. We can’t wait to see you dance!”

  “And don’t worry about you-know-who,” said Dawn. “I’m sure she won’t pull anything.”

  I nodded. But I wasn’t so sure. I was still worried about Hilary. It wouldn’t take much to ruin my performance and make me look like a jerk in front of everybody. She’d only have to give me a shove, or spill something on the stage before I went on. I just didn’t trust her.

  “Thanks for coming by, you guys,” I said. “I’ll see you after the show, okay? You’re all invited backstage.”

  “Great!” said Stacey. “Break a —” Then she stopped. “I can’t say it,” she said.

  I was just as glad. I was worried that if somebody said “break a leg” I really might, especially if Hilary decided to pull one of her tricks. I waved at my friends as they got back into the car. “Have fun!” I yelled, as they drove off. By then, Becca had come out of the house. She grabbed my hand and pulled me over to the car.

  “I have a surprise for you,” she said. “But I’m not going to tell yet. I promised.” I wondered what she was talking about. She looked very excited. She also looked very cute, dressed in her ruffly pink party dress.

  I got into the car to wait for Mama and Daddy and Aunt Cecelia, but then I jumped back out. I’d forgotten to say good-bye to Squirt! Logan was going to sit for him so that the rest of my family could come to the ballet.

  Mama was just telling Logan about Squirt’s bedtime when I burst through the door. Squirt was sitting in his high chair, and I picked him up carefully after making sure that he didn’t have too much food on his face (he was eating creamed spinach). “‘Bye, Squirt,” I said, kissing him. “Wish me luck!”

  “Uck,” said Squirt. I laughed.

  “Do you think he’s wishing me luck, or just telling us what he thinks of creamed spinach?” I asked Mama.

  “I don’t know,” she said, laughing. “But we’d better get going. All set, Logan?”

  He nodded.

  And then it was time to leave. We piled into the car and drove to the civic center. In the parking lot, I said good-bye to my family. Then I went through the backstage entrance.

&nbs
p; Backstage before a performance is an exciting place. People are running around and yelling things like, “Where’s the blue filter for the spotlight?” and, “Has anyone seen my tiara?” Some of my classmates had already changed into their costumes and were warming up in the wings. The orchestra was making tootling noises in the pit in front of the stage.

  I took a minute to peek around the curtain. The audience looked huge! At first I couldn’t find my family. Where were they? Then I spotted them, sitting in the middle of the third row. And my friends were seated right behind them. I waved to Mallory, but I knew she couldn’t see me. Then I ran to the dressing room.

  I changed into my costume carefully, making sure not to rip out any of Aunt Cecelia’s careful stitches. I was wearing a brand-new pair of pink tights, to match my pink tutu. After I’d braided my hair, I pinned on my headpiece — a crown of roses. Later I’d replace it with a (fake) diamond tiara, but for the Rose Adagio I wore flowers in my hair.

  I decided to do my makeup before getting into my toe shoes, so I sat down at the big mirror that ran across the wall of the dressing room. As I was putting on some blusher (which I never get to wear in real life), I looked behind myself in the mirror and saw Hilary looking right at me. She smiled shyly when she caught my eye.

  “Good luck,” she said. “You look beautiful.”

  “Thanks,” I said cautiously. “So do you.” Did she really mean it? Or was she just trying to throw me off?

  I finished my makeup and then took one last look in the mirror. Suddenly I didn’t look like Jessi Ramsey, sixth-grade baby-sitter anymore. I looked like a ballerina.

  The pink tutu was fluffed out perfectly around my waist. The crown of roses sat elegantly on my head. And my face looked — different. Older, more sophisticated. I hardly recognized myself.

  “Five minutes!” yelled somebody from outside the dressing room door. Oh, my lord! I hadn’t even warmed up yet! For a minute I felt totally panicked. Then I remembered. I wasn’t even in the first act! I had plenty of time.