The High Life. The final stretch

Chapter 39

Start of October

Over the next couple of months the drama club really took off and it was going great. Everyone was enjoying themselves and having a good time. All the kids in each group were getting on great. Ben was the oldest in the 14+ group so kept the others in line and told them off if they were doing something they shouldn't be. I was rather enjoying myself teaching drama. I'd decided that we'd do a Christmas related play, me, Charlotte, Jodie, Lilly and Ben had spent several evening deciding what to do. Christmas carol was the first one that popped into my head because it was a film I'd loved loads as a child.

When I had told the children what had been decided to do they were over the moon. Most of their parents had grown up with Christmas Carol so they knew the story. I couldn't wait to get my teeth sunk into rehearsals. But first of all it had to be decided who was going to play which character and for that me, Charlotte, Jodie, Connor and Ashton were going to hold auditions for those that want to have main parts. Not all of the kids wanted main parts but still wanted to be part of the show. So those that don't want or get main parts will be extras. Neither Lilly or Ben want main parts in the show which I thought was strange as Ben was doing preforming art at college and Lilly had taken Drama for GCSE. They both said it was to give everyone else a chance. Which I thought was fair.

It took us a little over a week to get through the audition and to decide who was going to play who.

Monday came and I had wanted everyone to come in so that I could speak to everyone all at once and not have to repeat myself 100 times. I had pinned the cast list on the main notice board in the drama room.

"Guys!" I shouted over the chatter

Everyone went silent.

"I'm sure by now you've seen the cast list. As you know not all of you have main parts and those that are not main character will be extras so you will have a part to play. If you've seen Christmas carol and muppet Christmas carol they're both separated into different sections so in order to make it interesting I have decided to split our play into 5 sections. There will be 4 main extra groups that will take 4 play section. The final section will have everyone in to bring everyone together." I said

"When are rehearsals starting?" Harry asked.

"Next Monday. Right I'm going to read out the extras group." I said pulling a list out of my pocket I started to read from the list and putting the rest of the children into extras group.

"Everyone into groups?" I said looking round

"Great." I said smiling

"I thought that because many of you haven't met each other before and to get you ready for next week then it might be an idea to do some team building skills." I said we then spent the next 20 minutes playing games so the kids could get to know each other.

At half 4 everyone left. Lilly and Ben stuck around to help pack up.

"Ben want to come round for tea tonight?" I asked

"Yes please." He said smiling

"Great come on then lets get home." I smiled

As the next couple of weeks went by rehearsals got under way. But October half term came and because we hadn't been away over the summer me and Connor were taking the kids to Disney for the week. A family holiday just the 8 of us.

"Right." I said over the heads of the kids at rehearsals on the Friday before the holidays

"There will be no rehearsals over the holidays as i'm going on holiday so those that have lines keep going over them and keep practicing. Rehearsals will continue, Monday after the holidays." I said smiling

"Where you going Miss?" Alice asked

"Disney Alice." I said smiling

"That's so cool Miss." Scarlet said

"Yeah it is pretty cool." I smiled at Lilly

Over night flight to Florida so that the kids could sleep so when everyone had left the label and Jodie had picked Ben up me and Lilly headed straight for Heathrow airport. Where Connor, Jessie, Casper, Blake, Grace and Evie were waiting for us.

"Hey babe." Con said kissing me

"Hey." I said Evie was making a fuss I took her off Con and gave her some milk Evie was now 14 months old and developing a little character of her own. She was a lot like Lilly when she was that age. She also had a massive love for books and loved listening to Lilly read to her.

"You making a noise." I said sitting down on a seat to feed her so that she was asleep for the flight

"Ah." She said through a mouth full of milk which caused her to choke a little she coughed and sprayed milk over Casper.

"I'd move Casp." I said

"Yeah." He said getting up and standing a bit away from me

Evie was asleep Blake and Grace had also both fallen asleep by the time we got on the plane an hour later. Lilly, Jessie and Casper were all in their Pjs but awake. Lilly had her headphones in and was listening to the audio book of Harry Potter. Jessie and Casper were sat next to each other watching a film on the TV screen in front of them. I placed Evie in the cot that was next to my seat and settled down to sleep myself. It was a bit weird going on holiday without the others not something me or Connor or the kids were used to. When we had been away in the past most if not all of the others had come with us but we had left Ben in charge of looking after the 2 corn snake's and Squirt Lilly's tortoise while we're away.