for the lead this year, and Iâm just incredibly nervous.â
Zoe blinked. âThatâs exactly what Dara said: âI was just incredibly nervous.ââ
Isadoraâs face lit up. âYou mean she finally auditioned?â
âYeah. She did, actually.â Zoe watched Isadora brush her hair. Then something occurred to her. âWhat do you mean, âfinallyâ?â
âWell, I knew she desperately wanted to, but she was always too scared.â
âReally? How did you know that?â
âShe told me, I think.â
â Dara told you that? When?â
âI donât remember. Sometime last spring, maybe, when she was over here. Why? She never told you?â
Zoe shook her head.
âWell, maybe she was too embarrassed. Or too self-conscious. Or too, I donât know, something. â Isadoraslipped on a big pair of dangly earrings. âListen, Zoe, Dara has a fabulous voice, but what theyâre looking for more than anything is stage presence. And tryouts can be so cutthroat; a lot of Hubbard kids just really know how to turn it on. So try to be there for her when they post the cast list. The important thing is that sheâs finally brave enough to audition.â
Isadora lip-glossed her mouth and made a kissy face in the mirror. She studied her reflection. âZit city,â she announced.
Then she grabbed an enormous black leather bag and slung it over her shoulder. âAs for you, dah-ling, stay out of trouble, think happy thoughts, bye-bye!â
7
Tuesday morning Zoe was the second one up. (The first one up was Dad, who always left for his painting jobs before any other Bennett was awake.) Today Zoe was dressed for school and eating her breakfast at seven ten. Her plan was to get to school as early as possible, to find Lucas.
But just as she was finishing her waffles, her little brother Spencer marched into the kitchen. âMom said make waffles for ME!â he yelled.
âReally? Why canât Mom do it?â
âSheâs ASLEEP. She said YOU had to do it, Zoe. This minute!â Spencer held out his arms like airplane wings and ran around the kitchen in little circles. âWaffles, waffles, waffles!â he sang. âWith syrup, syrup, syrup!â
âShh,â Zoe said, glancing at the clock. âYouâll wake up everybody else.â
âToo late,â grumbled Malcolm, shuffling into the kitchen. âThat little monster learned how to climb up into my bunk. Which he did at precisely four thirty, Eastern Standard Time.â
Zoe patted Malcolmâs shoulder as he sat down in front of a bowl of Rice Krispies. Her older brother was a pain, but he was sharing a room with Spencer. That definitely earned him a few bonus points.
âAny chance you could make the little monster some waffles?â she asked hopefully.
âWhy canât you?â
âBecause I want to get to school early.â
âYou?â He shoveled cereal into his mouth. Two wet Krispies clung to his lower lip. âWhat for? To hang out with Dara, you mean?â
âNo. Actually, Malcolm, I do other things besides hang out with Dara.â
âLike what? Multiply colors? Feed frogs?â
âRIBBIT, RIBBIT, RIBBIT,â shouted Spencer. âI want waffles!â
âYouâre getting them,â said Zoe, burning her fingertips as she grabbed them from the toaster oven. âAnd Isaac doesnât even have frogs. And if youâre going to tease me all the time, why should I tell you anything, Malcolm?â
âBecause I am your lord and master. Bow down to me and confess all!â
âOh, stuff it, Mal, all right?â She checked the kitchen clock again. Seven twenty-five. Now it was probably toolate to see Lucas before homeroom. Well, never mind; sheâd confront him about the notebook during Ancient Civs. Or better yet, at lunch. Maybe in the hallway outside the cafeteria, where she