Showtime. Jean Ure

cheeks went a bit sizzly at that. I hardly ever blush but even I can feel embarrassed on occasion. I muttered that I was sure Tiffany could have done it, which caused Amber to cry that Tiffany was absolutely brilliant! Which in turn obviously embarrassed Tiffany, cos instead of preening, as she normally would, she quickly said, “I’m nowhere near as good as Maddy. The way you got through that speech was amazing.”

      It is not like Tiffany to be so generous, especially towards me. She finds it difficult, what with me having a mum and dad who both used to be members of the company, not to mention a brother who is one of their leading dancers. But then, when I think about it, I am perhaps not always very generous towards her. We simply don’t get on! Still, if a person is good at something you can’t not say so; that would be very small-minded. I’d found it really rewarding, doing a scene together. Not having to grit my teeth every few seconds or listen to Shakespeare’s words being messed up. (Venora! I ask you.) It didn’t alter the fact that what I still wanted more than anything was for Ms Turnbull to choose me as Juliet. We didn’t have English again until later in the week. I reckoned that the next big scene we came to would be the balcony scene, where Romeo sneaks into the Capulets’ orchard and sees Juliet appear on her balcony.

       What light through yonder window breaks?

       It is the east and Juliet is the sun.

      I knew the words so well, even if I’d never seen the play. I think they are probably words that most people know. Juliet’s, too:

       O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?

      I did so long to do the balcony scene! As soon as I arrived home I rushed upstairs to my bedroom to start practising it. I needed to be word perfect and to know the meaning of every line.

      “So where are you off to in such a hurry?” demanded Mum.

      “Got homework,” I said.

      “Oh?” Mum sounded agreeably surprised. I am not, as a rule, so eager! “Sean’s going to be here in a minute. He’s coming to have a word with Dad about the new ballet. I’m only telling you,” said Mum, “because last time you complained about being kept in the dark and not having a chance to say hallo. But if you’re going to be busy with homework—”

      “No, no,” I said. “I want to see him!”

      I’m always happy to see Sean. I don’t count school, where we practically have to behave like strangers. I do like to be able to talk to him sometimes, though usually when he calls round he claims he’s in a mad rush and doesn’t have a moment to spare. You have to catch him at just the right time and practically beg for an appointment. In spite of that, we do actually get on really well. Caitlyn, with her mad hero worship, used to be horrified at all the bad mouth she says I give him. But it’s no more than he gives me! It’s our idea of fun. He might be an important person in the company, but he’s far from being grand. He is really quite easy-going, so long as you don’t try interfering in his life like I did last term when he and Danny temporarily split up and everyone warned me not to get involved, only I did anyway, cos that’s the sort of person I am, rushing in where (Dad says) angels fear to tread. Sean got quite mad at me, just like Jen had told me he would. It was worth it in the end, though, when he and Danny got back together. Sean even apologised for chewing me out.

      I leaned over the banisters and called down to Mum. “Let me know before he goes!”

      “Yes, all right,” said Mum. “Just get on with your homework! I’m glad to know you’re being so conscientious for once.”

      It’s easy to be conscientious when you care deeply about something. I don’t honestly care very much at all about maths or geography, which was our official homework for that evening. Usually I just do enough to scrape by. But I suddenly cared so much about being picked to read Juliet that it almost hurt. I wouldn’t be able to bear it if Ms Turnbull chose one of the others and they messed it up!

      I turned to the balcony scene and settled down on my bed to read it. Some of Romeo’s speeches were rather long, so I mostly skipped through those and concentrated on Juliet. I did hope, if I got chosen – fingers crossed! – I really did hope that whoever was picked as Romeo would be able to make proper sense of all his words. Maybe it helped that I’d seen the ballet so many times. I not only knew the story and all the characters but even when I came across words I’d never met before I was mostly able to work out what Shakespeare was saying.

      I became so engrossed that I almost forgot I was in my bedroom, sitting cross-legged on the bed. I really felt that I was Juliet, standing on my balcony in the moonlight, exchanging forbidden words with my beloved Romeo.

       Oh, Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?

      I actually jumped when I heard someone tapping at my bedroom door. For a moment I thought that Nurse had arrived and that I’d been caught out! And then a voice said, “Mads? OK if I come in?”

      The door opened a crack and Sean’s head appeared. “Mum said you wanted to see me?”

      “Oh. Yes!” I sat up straight against my pillows.

      “So.” Sean closed the door. “What can I do for you?”

      I was about to admit that all I’d wanted was the chance to say hallo, but then I thought that maybe, if he was in a good mood and not in his usual rush …

      “Well? Speak!”

      “I don’t suppose you could spare a few minutes?” I said. “Or are you in a hurry?”

      “Not specially. Why?”

      “D’you think you could read a bit of Shakespeare with me?”

      He sighed. “If I must.”

      I said, “Please?”

      “All right, all right! Anything to oblige. What are we reading?”

      “Romeo and Juliet. The balcony scene.”

      “Oh.” He sat down next to me on the bed. “Slurpy lurv!”

      “It’s not!” I was indignant. “It’s beautiful!”

      “You think?”

      I flapped at him with my Penguin Shakespeare. “You know your trouble?” I said. “You are just so unromantic.”

      “Yup! That’s me.”

      “Romeo and Juliet is one of the world’s greatest love stories.”

      “Yeah, yeah!”

      “I don’t know how Danny puts up with you. If I were him I’d—”

      “Well, you’re not, so just get on with it. Romeo, Romeo—”

      “But you’ve got a great long speech before Juliet comes in.”

      “Soft what light through yonder window breaks it is the east and Juliet is the sun blah blah blah …do you really expect me to wade through all that?”

      “Maybe just the last few lines?”

      “Let’s skip straight to Juliet. Go on! Off you go.”

      “Ay, me?”

      “No! Her first actual speech … there.”

      He jabbed a finger on to the page. I immediately sprang up and made like I was standing on my balcony, staring out into the orchard.

      “O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?

      Deny thy father and—”

      “Hang about, hang about!” Sean held up a hand. “Gotta stop you right there. What exactly do you think she’s saying?”

      “Well …” I knew what she was saying. It was obvious! “Romeo, Romeo, where are you?”

      “Wrong. What she’s saying