On Pointe by Sheryl Berk Read Free Book Online

Gracie?”
    Gracie walked to stage right and waited for the music to start. She executed a perfect aerial cartwheel and then squatted on the floor with her arms crossed over her chest. She kicked her legs out to either side without a single wobble.
    â€œ
Spasibo!
” Mr. Minnelli cheered. “That’s Russian for ‘thank you.’ That, gentlemen, is what I want to see!”
    Gracie beamed as the cast applauded.
    â€œGreat job,” Liberty whispered. “You are the best dancer here.”
    â€œReally?” Gracie said. “You think I’m better than even you?”
    Liberty gritted her teeth. “Well, I wouldn’t gothat far …” Then she smiled sweetly. “But you’re the star, Gracie. And as the star, you should get everything you want.”
    â€œWhat do you mean?” Gracie asked.
    Liberty noticed the crew working on the Land of Sweets backdrop. They were hard at work creating a mosaic out of multicolored candies that spelled out “Welcome to the Shore.”
    â€œYou see those candies over there?” She pointed to a mountain of gummy bears, lollipops, and jellybeans scattered on a table backstage.
    â€œYeah! Yum!” Gracie said, licking her lips. “There must be a gazillion of them.”
    â€œRight, so you certainly help yourself to as many as you want,” Liberty said, egging her on.
    Gracie’s eyes grew wide. “I can? I mean, I can!” She marched over and scooped up a pile and began popping them in her mouth. There were so many different kinds for the taking.
    â€œHey, what are you doing?” one of the scenic designers asked her. “Drop those props right now! Those are property of
A New Jersey Nutcracker
!”
    â€œAnd I’m the star of
A New Jersey Nutcracker
,” Gracie insisted, swiping another handful off the table. “So I can have them.”
    Scarlett overheard the exchange and raced over. “Gracie! Give ’em back!” she pleaded.
    â€œNuh-uh,” her little sister replied, taking a bite out of a red licorice twist. “Liberty says I can have as much as I want.”
    â€œI’m so sorry,” Scarlett said, apologizing. “She didn’t understand this was for decoration, not eating. She won’t take any more.”
    â€œI
did
understand.” Gracie stamped her foot. “I’m the star and I make the rules.” She marched away in a huff, leaving a trail of jellybeans behind her.
    â€œWhat was that all about?” Rochelle asked.
    Scarlett shook her head. “I don’t know. But whatever it is, Liberty’s behind it.”

Chapter 10
Scene and Heard

    â€œI want to run the snow scene,” Mr. Minnelli called from the back row of the theater. “How are we doing with the flakes?”
    â€œDoes he mean us?” Bria asked Scarlett.
    Scarlett pointed to a box of white confetti floating high above their heads. “I think that’s what he means. It’s a snow machine.”
    On cue, delicate white flakes wafted down from the ceiling. “Cue the music!” Mr. Minnelli shouted.
    The “Waltz of the Snowflakes” song filled the air.
    â€œToo loud!” Marcus yelled to the sound crew.He was seated at Mr. Minnelli’s side, frantically taking notes on what needed to be fixed.
    The girls began their dance. A white flake fell on Bria’s nose. It tickled, and she tried to subtly sweep it off before it made her sneeze.
    â€œNo flicking flakes!” Marcus bellowed at her.
    She was so busy dodging clumps of white confetti that she didn’t realize she was
pirouetting
to the left while everyone else was going right.
    â€œYou!” Mr. Minnelli barked. “You’re going the wrong way!”
    â€œI’m sorry,” she apologized. “I was kind of daydreaming.”
    Marcus stormed down the aisle of seats and up the stairs to the stage. He repositioned Bria stage right.
    â€œPay