Ruby Parker: Shooting Star. Rowan Coleman

      Sean and I went back to the screening room. We watched the film for about another twenty minutes before Sean stood up, yawned and stretched.

      “I’m going to bed,” he said. “Maybe tomorrow I’ll feel OK enough to audition.”

      “That’s a good idea,” Anne-Marie smiled at him. And then he winked at me when he walked out. Which wasn’t all that out of the ordinary. Sean winked at me probably four or five times a day, but just then, just when we were about to sneak out and go and track down his dad in total secrecy, he might as well have had a neon sign on his head flashing “ME AND RUBY HAVE A SECRET!”

      I waited for another ten minutes and then tried out my yawn.

      “I’m off to bed. Gosh, I am tired!”

      Immediately Anne-Marie spun around in her red velvet chair and looked at me.

      “That was such a fake yawn, Ruby Parker. What are you trying to cover up?”

      “Cover up? Me?” I stared at her for a second. It’s well known that lying is not one of my best things. “I am just going to bed, really,” I protested weakly. I knew I had “guilty” written all over my face. Thank goodness the screening room was so dark.

      “Yeah, yeah. So are you going to cave in and phone Danny, or Hunter, or both?” Anne-Marie teased me. “Do you have a direct line to Sherwood Forest? Hey, maybe there is still a slot for the young Maid Marian…”

      “I am not going to phone Danny or Hunter or anyone!” I told her.

      “I knew it,” Anne-Marie said to Nydia. “I knew she still fancied Danny…”

      Anne-Marie stopped in her tracks as she noticed that Gabe and Nydia were holding hands.

      “Yes,” Nydia said, looking sideways at her. “Gabe and I are holding hands. Get over it. And leave Ruby alone. If she wants to phone Danny, it’s up to her. You should know it will be about two in the morning at home though, Rubes.”

      “Well, it doesn’t matter, because I’m not phoning him,” I said as I made my way out of the room.

      “Great, so now I’m a gooseberry,” I heard Anne-Marie say through a mouthful of popcorn. I was pretty shocked that both of my friends thought I was still pining after Danny. But at least I could leave the room without any more questions.

      

      Sean and I had agreed that we should dress up a bit to seem like we were going somewhere, which after all we were. I wasn’t sure what Sean’s definition of dressing up was, but I decided that mine was to wear a dress instead of trousers. I picked a light lilac knee-length dress that I had packed just in case we got invited to any parties and a pair of silver sandals with a low heel that Mum let me wear for special occasions. It was warm outside so I didn’t take a jacket. I just brushed my hair, put a little bit of lipgloss on and waited for Sean’s secret knock that we’d agreed. One slow, two quick, one slow.

      As it was he forgot to knock and just walked in.

      “Sean!” I hissed.

      Sean stood there and stared at me.

      “What?” I said, looking down at myself. “Has it got a stain?”

      “No, it’s just…” Sean put his hand in his pockets and shrugged. “You look really nice.”

      “Oh, well, I’m sorry that it’s such a shock to you,” I said, feeling irritated and oddly pleased, and then irritated again. I closed the door behind him.