Layla isn’t waiting for Tally at the start of the day, and it takes every ounce of courage that Tally possesses to walk into the classroom alone. The room is bustling with noise and activity as everyone hangs up their costumes and chatters about their nerves, and Miss Balogun is racing from one part of the room to the other, shouting orders and ticking off items on her clipboard, but Layla is sitting alone at her desk, her face deep in thought.
“I’m sorry,” says Tally, sliding into the seat next to her. “I shouldn’t have taken the necklace and I’m going to make it better, but I need you to help me, OK?”
Layla glances up at her, with eyes that look sad.
“I didn’t think you could ever do something so mean,” she says quietly. “And I’ve never heard you tell a lie before either.”
Tally shakes her head. “I didn’t lie,” she says hurriedly. “I just didn’t tell the truth. And I didn’t take it from her drawer – I just found it on the floor. Honestly.”
Layla squints at her. “That’s just as bad,” she says. “Carrie was really upset about her lucky charm and you should have given it back.”
Tally opens her mouth to explain. She knows that if she tells Layla about everything that’s been going on – the appointment with Dr Zennor and the autism diagnosis – Layla will understand. She won’t think that Tally is such a bad person any more.
But then she remembers what Mum told her yesterday. Autism is a reason but it’s not an excuse.
“I know that now,” she says. “And I really am sorry. Please will you help me to make it better? I’ve got a plan.”
She will tell Layla because she’s her best friend and she’s always there for Tally, no matter what.
Just not today.
And not for the wrong reasons.
Layla looks at her, puzzled. “What plan?”
And so Tally leans in close and whispers her idea and the more she talks, the more that Layla smiles, and by the time she has finished explaining, her best friend’s face is shining with excitement.
“So will you help?” repeats Tally.
“Of course I will!” Layla squeals, before clamping her hand to her mouth and glancing around guiltily to check that nobody heard. “This is going to be brilliant!”
“I need to talk to Miles as well.” Tally stands up and grins at Layla. “If it’s going to work then we need him to change the opening lights to make it as dramatic as possible.”
“No way.” Miles stares at Tally like she’s suddenly grown horns. “You want me to change the opening light sequence with only four hours’ notice?” He shakes his head. “It can’t be done.”
“It can,” Tally assures him. “But only by you.”
He stares at her for a moment and then stands up.
“Miss Balogun? I have to go and check the light board and I need Tally to come with me. Is that OK?”
There is a crash as Lucy drops a box of props and the teacher flinches.
“Do what you need to do,” she calls distractedly before striding across to where Lucy is crouching on the floor. “Is anything broken? Please tell me that Grandmother’s glasses are still in one piece?”
Miles grabs hold of Tally’s hand, whisking her out of the room and down the stairs, not releasing her until they’re safely in the privacy of the hall.
“Tell me what’s going on,” he demands.
“Just sort the lights,” begs Tally. “Please.”
“I’ll sort the lights when you’ve told me why.” Miles plants his feet firmly on the floor. “Has this got something to do with Carrie’s lucky charm?”
Tally’s head snaps up, and she gazes at him in shock.
“What do you know about that?” she murmurs. “How do you know about that?”
Miles pushes his glasses up his nose and bends over the light board. “It was obvious. You kept going on and on about needing good luck and then all of a sudden you got the part in the production and Carrie was off sick. It was easy to deduce that you had the necklace and that it was giving you all the luck.”
Tally’s mouth drops open and Miles glances up at her with laughing eyes.
“I’m kidding,” he tells her, sniggering quietly. “I told you – I don’t believe in luck.”
“So how did you know?” Tally asks him.
“You just told me, didn’t you?” Miles smirks and looks back at the light board. “And besides, you’re always getting it out of your pocket. I’m just surprised nobody else spotted it. You’re not very cunning.”
“Do you think I’m horrible?” Tally’s voice is quiet.
Miles shakes his head. “No.”
“Shall I tell you why I took it?”
He shakes his head even harder. “I guess you had a good reason. Now – tell me what I’m supposed to be doing and why.”
Tally blinks and tries to focus.
“I’m going to make it better,” she says. “And I need you to make the opening lights as dramatic as you possibly can. Look – I’ll show you.”
Tally runs across the hall and up the small steps to the stage.
“At the moment, the lights are already on when Little Red enters the stage,” she calls. “But I want you to change that. Let her come on while it’s still dark.”
“OK.” Miles lowers a lever and the stage is plunged into darkness.
“And then, after a few moments of waiting, to really get the audience’s attention – boom! A single spotlight.”
“Right. Like this?”
Miles flips a switch and a strong beam of light shoots down from the ceiling, making a golden puddle on the wooden stage. And in the middle of the light, there is Tally, her arms spread wide and a huge grin on her face.
“That’s perfect,” she breathes. “Can you do that again later?”
Miles scribbles some notes on his lighting plan and makes a huffing noise. “It’s going to mess up the next sequence,” he mutters. “I’m going to have to reconfigure the whole first act. But I can do it.”
He flicks the room into brightness again and Tally looks down at him.
“But will you do it?” she asks. “Please will you do it?”
He nods and she leaps off the stage, coming to join him at the lighting desk.
“You know next year, when we’re at Kingswood Academy?” she says. “They have a massive drama department and an entire room just for the technical stuff. I’ve been going for extra visits so that I can get used to what it all looks like, and they showed us the stage and everything on our last trip. We met the drama teacher too – her name is Mrs Jarman and she’s a bit scary but there’s something good about her. You’re going to love it there!”
Miles puts down his pencil and looks over Tally’s shoulder.
“I’m not going to that school,” he tells her. “I’m going somewhere else. Somewhere a bit smaller. My parents think I might find it easier to make some friends there.”
Tally’s stomach flips over, like a pancake.
“I thought you weren’t that bothered about friends,” she says. “You told me that you didn’t want to fit in and be like everyone else.”
Miles smiles at the floor. “I don’t. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t want friends. Now – I need to figure out how to change the lights so that you can have your dramatic entrance, and you need to go and get your costume sorted. You’re going to shine like a star, Tally – and I’ll help you.”
She could tell him that the light isn’t for her. Or she could leave it as a surprise, just like it’s going to be for everyone else.
“Thank you for helping me.” Tally takes a step towards the door. “You’re a good friend, Miles. I think you’re going to make lots of new friends at your new school.”
And then she’s gone, back up to the classroom where Layla is waiting to put the finishing touches to their plan into action.