“DANA!” AVERY AND Allie ran over to her at the bike racks the next morning. “Do you think Mr. B. will pick you to be Dorothy?”
“Well, I…” Dana unbuckled her helmet.
“Or do you think it will be Janelle? You both want that part, right? Do you think you’ll get it?”
Before Dana could answer, the twins were gone. They had seen Janelle get out of her parents’ car and raced over to her. Dana knew they were asking her the same questions. Either way, it was out of her hands now.
When Dana got into the classroom, there was a message on the board telling the class to head straight to the auditorium. Kids clustered in small groups, talking and laughing. Excitement hummed in the big room. Dana sat down at the same empty seat in the front row and waited. As the second bell sounded, Mr. Bartholomew jogged in, clapped his hands and jumped up on the stage. He grabbed a low stool for himself and asked everyone else to come up and sit in a circle.
“Well,” he began when everyone was ready. “I’m really excited to be working on this project with such a talented bunch. This production is going to be excellent. It’s going to be a lot of work, but if we do it right, it’s not going to feel like a lot of work at all. Thank you to all of you who signed up to be the crew. You’re every bit as important as the actors, and I’m not just saying that. We’ll be counting on you to make everything look and sound spectacular. I’ve written out your jobs on these sheets. You can have a look at them in a few moments, but first, let’s meet our cast. Let’s begin with who will play Dorothy.”
Dana tensed.
“This role—” Mr. B. didn’t get far before Julia cut in. She jumped to her feet, unable to contain herself one second longer.
“Mr. B., we all know you have to choose between Janelle and Dana to play the part of Dorothy. But please—it’s obvious, isn’t it? You just have to give the role to Janelle. You simply have to. Because of all Janelle has been through. And because Dana still has sports and everything else, and Janelle doesn’t.”
It was very quiet. Julia sat down. Dana knew everyone was looking at her. She looked at the floor. She bit her lip, hard. She didn’t want to be angry, but she was. She wasn’t the one who had broken her leg over the summer. It seemed she was going to be punished for that all year long.
Mr. B. smiled. He nodded. “We all know Janelle has been through a great deal,” he said.
Dana took a deep breath and drew in her shoulders. She tried to steel herself for what she knew was coming.
“We also know she had a great audition and that she would do a wonderful—”
Janelle cut in.
“Mr. B.” She stood up, though it took her a second to get her balance. “Mr. B., I can’t take the lead role.”
“What?” cried Julia. “Why not? Is it too much for you? I can help!”
Janelle shook her head. “First of all,” she said, “Dorothy needs to be able to skip and dance. Not limp around like I do.”
Julia jumped in again. “We’ll pretend she twists her ankle in the tornado!”
Janelle laughed. “That’s very creative,” she continued, “but secondly, and more important, I can’t take the part because of Dana.”
“Dana? Why? What has she done now?” Julia’s lips were set in a thin, straight line.
“No, Julia, that’s not what I mean.” Janelle looked around the circle. “I want to thank you, so many of you, for everything you’ve done for me these last few months. You’ve helped me in all kinds of different ways, and I’m very grateful for all your support. But this is really very simple. The lead role should go to Dana because she would be great in it. She’s very talented, and she’s a very special person. She deserves it.”
Janelle sat down. Julia had a puzzled look on her face. Dana’s heart missed a beat. She let out a huge breath and looked up.
Everyone was quiet. They all looked at Dana, then back at Janelle. “Oh, and Mr. B., I need to tell you one more thing,” said Janelle. “I don’t know if it makes a difference, but the part I really wanted was the—”
“Wicked Witch?” asked the teacher.
Janelle looked surprised. She smiled. “Yes, I think my limp will work perfectly with that role.”
Mr. B. laughed. “I’m sure it will add to it wonderfully, Janelle, but limp or no limp, I already had you pegged for that role the first time I heard you cackle.”
Dana looked up. “That was you?”
“Who else?” said Janelle. She cackled wickedly. The whole class laughed and applauded.
When it quieted down again, everyone looked at Dana. “But Janelle,” she asked slowly, “Dorothy? Me? Do you really think so? What about my…” She hesitated. She cleared her throat. “What about my hair?”
“What about your hair? There’s a wig, of course.”
“Oh.” Of course. Why hadn’t she thought of that? Dana stood up. “Okay, I think it’s great that some of you think I can play the lead role.” She stole a look at Jason. He was busy stuffing his shoelaces inside his shoes and didn’t look up. “But, even if it sounds weird, I need to tell you that the part I really wanted was the—”
“Scarecrow?” asked Mr. B.
Dana nodded. She smiled. “Yes, the Scarecrow.”
Julia looked even more puzzled.
“That’s exactly what I thought. You’d be perfect for that part, Dana. It’s yours.”
Dana sat down. Everyone applauded. She felt her cheeks get hot.
“Jason,” continued Mr. Bartholomew, “I have you as the Tin Man.”
Oh. Dana felt her cheeks getting hotter still. The Tin Man? The Tin Man needed a heart. Jason needed a heart. A heart that had room in it for more than kickball. This was perfect. It couldn’t get any better if Dana had chosen the parts herself.
“And Mickey,” said Mr. B., “you’re the Lion.”
Oh well.
Mr. B. waved the papers he had in each hand. “I have a list here for everyone who will play the Munchkins, and a list here for everyone who will be a Flying Monkey. Allie, you’re Auntie Em. Trey, you’re the Wizard. Let’s put that great voice of yours to work. Amber, I’ve chosen you to be the Good Witch. You’ve got such a lovely smile, we want to see you use it!”
That Mr. B. He saw the potential in everyone.
He went on for a few more minutes. “Well, class,” Mr. Bartholomew said at last, “that’s everyone, I think. We’re off to see the Wizard, the Wonderful Wizard of—”
“No, wait,” piped up Julia, shaking her head. “Mr. B., if you didn’t choose Janelle or Dana to be Dorothy…” She looked around. “Who did you pick?”
“Ahhh, of course. Dorothy. I almost forgot.” He slapped his forehead and smiled. “Well, Julia, you’ll remember I said I had a difficult time choosing between two people?” She nodded. “One of them was you.”
“Me?” Everyone was stunned. Even Julia seemed surprised.
“You would be fantastic.”
“I would?”
“She would?” asked Mickey. Allie poked him.
“Of course she would,” said Janelle. She started to clap, and soon everyone joined in.
Julia looked confused. She held her hands up, asking for quiet. “Wait. Wait.” She put her hands on her hips. “But Mr. B.,” she said, “don’t you need me to be the director? I didn’t see that role on the crew list, but I assumed that was because, well…” She looked around. “Isn’t it obvious?”
Mr. Bartholomew laughed—a big, booming laugh. “You know, Julia,” he said, “I was going to do that job myself, but if you would be willing to take it on, that would be excellent. Thank you for offering.” He paused. “Well, then, let me introduce Dorothy, everyone. Neta?”
Neta looked like she’d swallowed the script.
“Me?”
“You.”
“Dorothy?”
“Of course.”
Neta rose to her feet uncertainly.
“Take notice, everyone. This girl can sing!” said Mr. B.
The shoes! The blue-and-white shoes! “That was you?” Dana asked. “In the bathroom? Singing?”
Neta blushed. “The acoustics are good in there.”
Dana sighed with relief. Everyone else jumped to their feet and cheered.