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The mad musician had mad plans for Milly Clarke. Milly was glad she had Angela in her corner.
She was meeting her at the music block. Angela was in the corridor with her boyfriend Fred. Angela was so pretty and tall - although Milly felt she looked a tad alien. She acted a tad alien too.
Fred’s buzzcut had grown out a bit - it was a bit better now. They were laughing and facing each other - fingers interlocked. Milly was definitely intruding.
“Mountain Queen!” Angela and Fred said in unison.
“What?!” Milly said surprised.
“That’s your nickname,” Fred said.
“I don’t know about that,” Milly said embarrassed.
“No way - you are defo a Mountain Queen,” Angela smiled, “She’s going to be in the school musical - trust.”
“What?!” Milly said. It was too early in the morning for a heart attack.
“Come come my pupil - I have plans for you yet,” Angela said, pulling Milly by the shoulder, and saying farewell to Fred.
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Milly had never been in the staff room in the music block. There were a bunch of old guitars leaning up against the wall - many without strings.
Angela knocked on the door.
“Come in,” Mr Zimmerman said - his German accent almost a caricature. He was a plump pigeon-bodied man with circular spectacles and a tuft of balding beige hair.
“Is this her?” He said with a strained voice and annoyance. How could a mess of curls and grumpy dog-face like Milly be in the musical? This was a bad idea. She couldn’t do this.
“Yes, this is Milly,” Angela said proudly, “Her voice is muy perfecto and is exactly what we need.”
“Brilliant - I really need a win right now,” he said looking at Milly, “Milly… Please show us what you are made of.”
What was Milly made of? Maybe something brittle or stinky like goat’s cheese. Why was she thinking that?!
Milly wanted to be in the play - she wanted to be cheered for and adored. But even this was impossible.
There was a long pause as Milly tried to find her voice, but only air came out. Nothing.
“Ah… Okay,” he said before turning on his chair and back to scribbling on his script. He gave up on her. Milly wanted to run, but she was frozen. She always did this to herself.
Suddenly there was a voice. Milly turned to see Angela sing.
“Lights are flashing, music’s blasting,
Here with you, we're everlasting..”
Angela was kind of bad - her voice was frog croaky with pitchy squirrel squeaks. Angela smiled and gave Milly the que for the next line.
“Heartbeats racing, bodies chasing,
Every step, we’re embracing,” Milly sang.
Mr Zimmerman turned around.
“In this moment, we’re unstoppable,
Dancing like it’s phenomenal baby…
I am going to dance with you baby,
I am going to romance you baby…” Milly and Angela both sang and then broke into a genuine laugh.
It wasn’t so bad.
“Excellent! Quite excellent!” He said, “ah yes… with some work…”
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They finally left the office. Mr Zimmerman wanted Milly to try a few lines in his script - maybe more than a few lines because she was late for first period.
Angela and Milly stood in the corridor smiling.
“Thank you… I didn’t know if I… if it wasn’t for you…” Milly said.
“Not a problem kid. I have plans for you yet Mountain Queen - now you gotta buy me candy,” Angela walked away with a wink.
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“Can’t hang out today - got soccer club,” Stevie said, giving Milly a quick hug in the corridor before zipping around the corner.
No time for Milly… At least she was in good spirits. Ellen’s advice had really changed her.
Milly was alone again. She normally hid in the garden pocket, but she didn’t have to do that anymore.
She wandered into the school cafeteria and bought an orange juice.
“Milly! The dignified lady I just wanted to see,” Viraj said.
“Viraj. You- you sell out,” Milly said.
“Ouch! What did I do?” Viraj said.
“You destroyed FilmSoc for a girl,” Milly said.
“Everything has its time - plus this not just any girl - Luds is my queen,” Viraj shrugged.
“I just want to hang out with you and Stevie again,” Milly said.
“We can hang, but I won’t with her,” Viraj said.
“Why do you hate her now?” Milly asked.
Viraj looked over Milly’s shoulder. Somebody had waved at him.
“I gotta -“ he said.
“Go,” Milly said with a grumpy frown.
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Milly left the cafeteria. Viraj was such a jerk. Stevie dodged a bullet with that jerk!
Milly sipped on her orange juice in the courtyard. It was a sunny day. She remembered the feeling of the sun on her skin when Zahra confessed. There had also been a bitey wind. Milly still hadn’t responded to Zahra’s confession. To be honest, she had been avoiding Zahra all day. She wanted to say ‘Yes! I like you too! Let’s be together!’ But it wasn’t so easy.
She had never messaged Zahra. She looked for Zahra’s profile on social media. Zahra had a public profile with a tonne of glossy photos. How the heck could she like Milly? Milly had 26 followers.
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Jojo Minerty was a long haired pipsqueak who talked about his hamster, Gremlin, and had weird kale cakes for lunch. The boy Milly was talking to was more like Mojo Minerty.
He had gotten a short haircut and dyed it red. He had two metal studs in his ears and an eyebrow piercing. Milly was sure that he had grown taller too.
“What happened to you?” Milly said.
“I am just being the real me,” he said.
”You’re a vampire?” Milly said, turning her head sideways.
“Ms Carruthers says I need to be authentic,” he said.
”I don’t know if this is what she meant,” Milly said.
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Milly took Jojo into the pocket in the garden. They lazed around talking about how FilmSoc had imploded. She felt like this was the first time she had really talked to him. Milly was blown away by his bluntness. Who was she talking to?! Mojo!
”Viraj is a lame loser,” he said.
“He is not a loser,” Milly retorted.
“Yeah he is… he lost Stevie - she’s like the prettiest girl I know. If that’s not a loser, I don’t know what is,” he said.
Wait. Jojo liked Stevie? Milly remembered Stevie telling her that Jojo liked Milly. Then again Stevie had the worst perception ever.
“Jojo… Why are you being like this?” Milly asked.
”Like what?” he said, flustered.
”A vampire,” she smiled.
“People fade in the background without a gimmick. I just want to be seen,” he said.
“You don’t need to be anything other than -“ Milly said before being cut off.
”Yes I do. Don’t worry… I’m doing it for me,” he smiled.
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Milly set the table. Mom had made chicken curry and rice. It smelt amazing.
“Call Mama down for dinner,” Mom said.
”Mama!” Milly yelled from the bottom of the staircase.
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Mama was a short lady with pale skin, ice blue eyes, and a knot of grey-brown hair. She wore a ratty pink bathrobe.
“Honey - I am going to throw that out if you keep wearing it,” Mom said.
”You’ll have to throw me out too. It’s toooo comfy,” Mama said with a cheeky smile.
They ate while Mama droned on about the current effects of a new drug called Boebixum. She was a pharmacologist.
“I might be in the school musical,” Milly said quickly.
There was silence.
“Amazing baby!” Mom said.
”Brilliant,” Mama said.
They got out of their chairs and came on either side of Milly and hugged her.
She felt safe with her two most important people in the world.
Might… Milly thought.
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