Page 41 - American Girl (January - February 2019)

and the most important part of my costume had

vanished!
I caught sight of Abby standing in front of a mir-

ror, adjusting her blond Alice wig. She glanced at me

nervously, and then looked away. I’ll bet she took it,

I thought. I stomped over with my hands on my hips.

“Where’s my hat?” I demanded.

She gazed at me, wide-eyed and pale under her

makeup. Judging from her expression, she was

realizing that stage fright doesn’t always go away

before a show.

“How am I supposed to be the Mad Hatter with no

hat?” I shouted. “You hid it!”

“What are you talking about? I didn’t hide your

stupid hat!”

Just then, Gilby and Hannah hurried into the

dressing room. Hannah was holding my giant top a smile. “And you’re both really talented!”

hat while Gilby made adjustments to it. They stopped “Now, will you just hug it out?” asked Gilby,

when they saw Abby and me shouting. glancing at her watch. “You’ve got five minutes
“Frankie, I’m sorry,” Gilby said. “I took your hat. until the show starts!”

I wanted to add these.” She pointed to a border of Abby and I wrapped our arms around each other.

neon pom-poms around the brim. It felt wonderful to be surrounded by my BFFs again.

I could see my reflection in the mirror behind Here we were, backstage at the fifth-grade musical

Abby. In my oversize plaid suit and my orange bow at last. It wasn’t exactly how we’d imagined

tie, scowling and yelling, I looked as crazy as the it, but we were together. And the truth

Mad Hatter. Talk about getting into character. is, that was all that mattered. s

That’s when it hit me: Abby was right. I’d let a few

compliments inflate my ego to the size of that enor-
Meet the Author
mous hat. And I hadn’t been supporting my friend

when she needed encouragement most. Kathy Passero

“You guys,” said Hannah. “You’re putting way too

much into this musical.” About age 10

“I know. I’m sorry!” I told Abby.
Now
“I’m sorry!” she answered. “I was being selfish. I made my first—and last—appearance in

I’m just stressed because I’m terrible as Alice.” an elementary school musical when I played

“I was being selfish,” I said. “And you’re not a spotted rabbit. Like Gilby, I soon realized
terrible. You’re really talented!” that I was far better suited for the audience

“You were both being selfish,” Hannah said with than for the stage!

January/February 2019 39