Chapter 6 - Stacey

The next day, at school, I noticed Mary Anne was having trouble with Dawn. Why? 1) Mary Anne wasn't talking to Dawn and 2) Dawn kept preventing Mary Anne to tell us how excited she was because it was the first day of the rehearsal. Later, Logan told us why Mary Anne was very angry with Dawn and we were all shocked.

"Why did Dawn tell you Mary Anne's not special to play Annie?" asked Kristy.

"Beats me. I did tell her to drop it," replied Logan. "Mary Anne heard Dawn and got very upset. I told Mr. Spier about that."

"Good," said Claudia.

"Dawn needs to learn to cut it out and not to hurt Mary Anne," said Kayla.

"I agree with you," said Kaylee.

That was when Mary Anne went right by us. She was still very unhappy.

"Poor Mary Anne," said Kristy.

"She is so immature," said Dawn.

Not one of us said a word to Dawn.

"I'll go find Mary Anne," said Kristy as she took off to find her best friend.

"Leave her...," Dawn started off.

"Why did you hurt Mary Anne by telling Logan that she's not special playing Annie?" I interrupted her.

"At this moment, you're the one who's immature," added Claudia.

"Yeah," agreed the Willis twins.

"Come on, let's go see Mary Anne," said Logan.

We left. Both Mary Anne and Kristy were in the library when we found them. Poor Mary Anne was still hurt because of Dawn.

"How is she?" asked Claudia.

"She's still upset," replied Kristy.

"Forget about the whole thing and get lunch with us," I said.

"I don't want anything right now," said Mary Anne.

"Do you still want to be with us though?" asked Claudia.

"I guess so," replied Mary Anne.

"Come on," said Kristy.

At lunch, Logan joined us, which he usually does. Mary Anne wasn't in the mood to have anything at all.

"I'm sure you'll ignore it during the rehearsal," said Kristy.

"I hope so," said Mary Anne.

"I know so," smiled Kristy.

"I agree," said Kayla.

"Me, too," said Kaylee.

After school, we went to the auditorium for our first day of practice. Mary Anne is starting to forget about what Dawn did, which was a good sign. She's too busy getting excited to start practicing. At three, Mr. Jackson got on the stage to the microphone.

"Hello, everyone. Congratulations to the ones who made the auditions and welcome to your first day of rehearsal," said Mr. Jackson. "I'll giving you the folders with your names and parts as you come on the stage to get started."

That's what he did by calling our names by ABC orders. We were all set after the last person came on.

"This is your singing coach, Mrs. Lydia Johnson, she'll be helping with your singing voices and will be the pianist during the play," announced the director.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you all," said Mrs. Johnson.

"Let's start warming your singing voices before practicing," said Mr. Jackson. "Oh, I want to the meet the dog who is playing Sandy first."

That was when the dog came to Mr. Jackson.

"This is Rocky. Mary Anne, he'll be playing your dog, Sandy," said Mr. Jackson.

"You mean when Annie met him during the scene of Tomorrow and the officer thought Sandy was a stray when Annie says he's her dog and would have to prove it by calling him?" asked Mary Anne.

"That's right," replied the director.

We were surprised on how she knew that.

"How did she know that?" asked Marci.

"That because one of my old friends was in Annie and sent me a copy of the play version that was video taped. She played Annie and she loved it," explained Mary Anne.

"Wow," said Kayla and Kaylee.

"Why don't you try calling Rocky to practice?" asked Mr. Jackson.

"Okay," said Mary Anne as she knelt down. "Rocky. Here, Rocky."

He went to her and sat down.

"Good boy, Rocky," said Mary Anne.

"Good job," said Mr. Jackson.

We started warming up for the songs.

"First up Mary Anne singing Maybe," said Mr. Jackson.

Mary Anne came up and sat down as the song started.

"Maybe far away or maybe real nearby. He may be pouring her coffee. She may be straightening his tie. Maybe in a house, all hidden by a hill. She's sitting playing piano. He's sitting paying a bill. Betcha they're young, betcha they're smart. Bet they collect things like ashtrays and art. Betcha they're good. Why shouldn't they be? Their one mistake was giving up me. So, maybe now it's time and maybe when I wake. They'll be calling me baby. Maybe," sang Mary Anne.

"Good, now onto the second part of Maybe," said Mr. Jackson as the piano was still playing.

"Betcha he reads, betcha she sews. Maybe she's made me a closet of clothes. Maybe they're strict as straight as a line. Don't really care as long as they're mine. So, maybe now this prayer's the last one of its kind. Won't you please come get your baby? Maybe," sang Mary Anne as the song ended.

We all noticed Mary Anne sang without the script.

"Good job. And you had the vocals where you wanted to be," said Mr. Jackson.

"Thanks," said Mary Anne.

"Next up are the orphans with Mary Anne for It's the Hard-Knock Life," announced the director.

The piano started playing.

"It's the hard-knock life for us, it's the hard-knock life for us," they sang.

"Instead of treated," sang Mary Anne.

"We get tricked," they sang.

"Instead of kisses," sang Mary Anne.

"We get kicked. It's the hard-knock life," they sang. "We got no folks to spoke of, so it's the hard-knock role we hoe."

"Cotton blankets," sang Mary Anne.

"Instead of wool," they sang.

"Empty bellies," sang Mary Anne.

"Instead of full, it's the hard-knock life," they sang.

"Don't it feel like the wind is always howling?" sang Mary Anne.

"Don't it seem there's never any light?" sang Claudia and Kristy.

"Once a day, don't you wanna throw the towel in?" sang Mallory and Jessi.

"It's easier than putting up a fight," sang Marci and Cokie.

"No one's there when your dreams at night get creepy, no one cares if you grow or if you shrink, no one dries your eyes when they get weepy," sang Mary Anne.

"From the crying you think this place's sink. Oh!" they sang. "Empty-bellies life, rotten-smelly life, full-of-sorrow life, no-tomorrow life."

"Santa Claus we never see," sang Mallory.

"Santa Claus, what's that? Who's he?" sang Mary Anne.

"No one cares for you a smidge when you're in the orphanage," they sang.

"You'll stay up till this dump shines like the top of the Chrysler Building," said Mallory pretending to be Miss Hannigan.

"Yank the whiskers from her chin. Jab her with a safety pin. Make her drink a mickey finn," they sang. "I love you, Miss Hannigan."

"Get to work now! Strip the beds! I said get to work!" said Mallory.

"It's the hard-knock life for us, it's the hard-knock life for us. No one cares for you a smidge when you're in an orphanage. It's the hard-knock life, it's the hard-knock life, it's...the...hard-knock...life!" they sang as the song ended.

"Good work. Now, it's Mary Anne with Rocky and the officer for the song of Tomorrow," announced Mr. Jackson.

The song started.

"The sun'll come out tomorrow bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow there'll be sun. Just thinking about tomorrow clears away the cobwebs and the sorrow til there's none. When I'm stuck with a day that's gray and lonely, I just stick out my chin and grin and say, oh. The sun'll come out tomorrow so you gotta hang on til tomorrow. Come what may. Tomorrow, tomorrow I love ya tomorrow you're always a day away," sang Mary Anne.

"Hey, you! Little girl. Come here," said Mr. Lins the officer.

Mary Anne went to him and said, "Yes, officer?"

"That dog there. Haven't I seen him around here before? Isn't he a stray?" asked Mr. Lins.

"A stray? Oh, no, officer, he's my dog," replied Mary Anne.

"Your dog, huh? So, what's his name?" asked Mr. Lins.

"His name? Oh, his name is, um, Sandy. Yes, that's right, Sandy. I call him Sandy because see, his fur is a nice, sandy color," said Mary Anne.

"Sandy color, alright. Let's see if Sandy answers to his name," said Mr. Lins.

"Answer? You mean when I call him?" asked Mary Anne.

"Right. When you call him by his name, Sandy," said Mr. Lins.

"Well, you see, officer, I just got him," said Mary Anne.

"Call him," said Mr. Lins.

"Okay," said Mary Anne going to the center stage and kneels down. "Sandy. Here, Sandy. Here, boy."

Rocky went to her.

"Good, Sandy. Good old Sandy," said Mary Anne.

"Maybe he is your dog. But the next time you take him out, I want to see him with the leash and the license otherwise he goes to the pound and they'll put him to sleep. Do you understand?" asked Mr. Lins.

"Yes, sir, I understand with the leash and license," said Mary Anne.

"Now get along before you catch a cold in this weather," said Mr. Lins.

"Oh, I don't mind the weather," said Mary Anne as the piano started up again. "When I'm stuck with a day that's gray and lonely, I just stick out my chin and grin and say...oh! The sun'll come out tomorrow so you gotta hang on til tomorrow. Come what may! Tomorrow, tomorrow I love ya tomorrow you're always a day away. Tomorrow, tomorrow I love ya tomorrow you're always a day...away!"

The song ended.

"Good job," said Mr. Jackson. "Let's take a break for a bit before we can continue on."

We did and talked. We even commented how good Mary Anne was to sing without any scripts so far. After the rehearsal, Mr. Jackson gave us the schedule; we'll be practicing every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from three to five. That's good because we can just walk over to Claudia's for BSC meetings on those days. Dawn's still punished, so she can't attend any meetings or baby-sit.

At Claudia's and the meeting, I said, "Guess what today is?"

They all groaned as they gave me the money since it was Dues Day. As a treasurer, I collect them every Monday. We use it for Claudia's phone bills, Kristy's brother to give her rides, and so on.

"I'll tell Charlie not to get me until six since the practice ends at five on the meeting days," said Kristy.

"This means no one's available until after five on the meeting days, but free on non-meeting days," said Mary Anne doing her part as a secretary.

The phone rang. We made sitting arrangements for Mary Anne to baby-sit Jenny tomorrow and Thursday.

"I'm unavailable this weekend. April's coming down from Maine until Sunday," said Mary Anne as she puts her name in unavailable list.

"So, you won't able to baby-sit for the entire weekend?" asked Kristy.

"That's correct. April and I are thrilled to be together," said Mary Anne.

"I bet. Claudia and I haven't seen her since grade school," said Kristy.

"I know," agreed Claudia.

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