Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 121460 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 607(@200wpm)___ 486(@250wpm)___ 405(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121460 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 607(@200wpm)___ 486(@250wpm)___ 405(@300wpm)
“I don’t know about you two, but I am completely out of my depth as a stage director.”
They chuckled, and Ellen nodded. “I’ve done it a time or two, but I’m warning you both, it will be stressful on top of everything else we have going on.”
That’s what I was worried about.
“And,” David said, leaning forward, his gaze flicking between me and Ellen, “Cooley is determined to make Ardnoch Primary’s reputation as stellar as Ardnoch Academy, so she wants the plays on social media, and she wants it to have potential to go viral. No pressure.”
I frowned. “Why? We’re a tiny village in the north of Scotland. Also, Ardnoch Academy is a secondary education facility that provides learning in a specialized field. It’s not an ordinary high school. I should know, I went there.”
He smirked. “All I know is, Cooley reckons that if we make the school adored by the public, she might get more in her budget next year from the council. Like the academy.”
“Ardnoch Academy is given its budget based on its success rates, and it has a pretty high success rate of sending its pupils on to higher learning. Cooley wants us to traipse the kids out like zoo animals on social media to get a bigger budget?”
“Don’t look at it like that.” Ellen gave me an admonishing look. “We can still make this fun for the kids and give Anita what she wants. Stop calling her Cooley, David. You’re not one of the children.”
He scowled at her like one of the children, and I inwardly sighed. I’d worried when I realized the three of us would have to work together. While I got on individually with both of them (so far), I’d noticed within only a few weeks of working at the school that Ellen and David often clashed in the staff room.
How were the three of us going to write and direct a play?
“Any favorites on that list?” I nodded to the paper in Ellen’s hands. We’d been told that while we had to organize the entire school to open show night with a medley of Christmas songs, the plays themselves did not need to be Christmas themed. The lower school had already chosen The Nutcracker.
“We did Guys & Dolls in high school,” David offered with a shrug. “Is that on the list?”
I grimaced. “No. And it’s a little mature, is it not?”
“There’s something called Everybody’s Talking About Jamie.” Ellen squinted at the paper.
“Again, a bit mature.”
She looked at me blankly, suggesting she didn’t know the content of most of the plays on her list.
Wonderful.
I sighed. “I was thinking … The Wizard of Oz.”
“Let’s do it,” David replied.
“Just like that?”
“We need to apply for the license now or there will be no musical.”
“Agreed.” Ellen surprised me with her emphatic nod.
“Okay. The Wizard of Oz it is. Let’s apply for that today. Now.” I grinned a little hysterically at them. “Assuming we get the license… how do we direct a musical?”
“My uncle could help.”
I startled at the young voice.
Lewis Adair stood just inside my classroom, his big eyes round and eager.
Unfortunately, I hadn’t processed his words. “Lewis, what are you doing here? Lunchtime isn’t over.”
“I left my apple in my backpack.” He gestured to the wall of hooks where the children hung their bags.
“Okay, grab it and go, please.”
“Wait, wait.” Ellen stopped him. “Lewis, which uncle could help us with the play?”
What?
Panic shot through me, and I sat ramrod straight.
Lewis gave her a small smile and stepped forward. “My uncle Brodan. He’s a movie star.”
He said it like we didn’t already know that.
“Talk about making the school go viral,” David murmured, his eyes huge with excitement. “Brodan Adair directing.”
No.
No. No. NO!!!!!!
“We have to direct it ourselves,” I answered hurriedly, trying not to snap for Lewis’s sake. “We can’t have outside help.”
“Not true.” Ellen shook her head. “Last year, the P7s did the Christmas play, and a parent directed it. Brodan Adair is Lewis’s uncle. That’s like a parent.”
“No. That’s like an uncle. Plus, we can’t impose on Lewis’s uncle because I’m sure he’s not staying in Ardnoch permanently.”
Lewis stepped forward again, his breathing a little faster with enthusiasm. “I can ask him. I’m sure he’ll say yes.”
“That would be wonderful, Lewis.” Ellen beamed. “Could you ask your uncle this week and give us an answer by Friday?”
“Yes, Mrs. Hunter.”
“Thank you!”
“Nice.” She and David shared an ecstatic smile.
Fuck. My. Life.
BRODAN
* * *
“How did the writing go today?” Walker asked as I drove us to Thane’s for dinner.
“It’s going good. I think I’ll have the first draft finished soon.” I still couldn’t quite wrap my head around the fact that I was writing and actually enjoying it. “You’re good at this life management shit, you know. You could take it on as a second career.”
Walk grunted as he stared out at the passing scenery. “Managing your life is enough for now.”