Danger Magellan's Invasion of Earth

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The next day, I begged my mom to take me to school early. "I need to go to the Drama Club meeting!" I told her, despite the fact that Dan wasn't even awake yet. On the other hand, I was ready to go. All I needed was a ride to school.

"Ask your father," Mom said. "He might be able to take you on the way to work."

I went to find Dad, who was making scrambled eggs in the kitchen. "Dad? Can you take me to school early today?" I asked.

"Why do you need to go in early?" he asked.

"There's a Drama Club meeting, and I have to go!" I exclaimed. "They're announcing the fall musical today and I need to find out what it is!"

"I get it, Nora," Dad said. "This is important to you. I'll take you after breakfast is done."

"Is there anything I can do to make it go faster?" I asked.

"How about you set the table?" Dad suggested.

I immediately ran off to get forks and knives, and once I found them, I put them on the table. By the time I was done setting the table, Dan was finally awake, and Dad's eggs were finished. "What's all of the hurry for?" Dan asked.

"There's a Drama Club meeting in twenty minutes!" I shouted. "If I don't hurry, I won't make it, and then I won't know what the fall musical is or when auditions are. If I don't know when auditions are, I won't be able to audition, and then Leona Klein will get the lead in the musical! That can't happen!"

"It can't be that big of a deal," Dan said.

"It is a big deal!" I said as I shoveled eggs into my mouth. "There's nothing more important than the school musical, so I have to go to this meeting!" I finished my breakfast as quickly as possible, and then said, "Dad, I think I'm done. Can we go now?"

"Sure Nora," Dad said. "Dan, tell Cynthia that I'm leaving for work."

"Okay, Mr. Gallagher," Dan said as he continued to eat at a leisurely pace.

I ran into the car, still eager to get to Drama Club as quickly as possible. "Dad, why aren't you driving faster?" I asked as he pulled out of the driveway and started driving towards the school.

"I'm driving at the speed limit, Nora," Dad said. "I can't go any faster than this without getting pulled over."

"I bet they're already starting the meeting without me," I said, repeatedly glancing at the time. The meeting wasn't supposed to start for another fifteen minutes, but Mrs. Oswald occasionally started her meetings early.

"They wouldn't start this early," Dad reassured me.

"You don't know that," I said.

Dad pulled into the Spragueville High School parking lot. "Have a nice day, Nora," he said. I jumped out of the car and sprinted to the drama classroom, where the meeting was being held. To my surprise, nearly everyone in the drama program was there, but Mrs. Oswald wasn't there yet. I recognized almost all of the faces, but there were a handful of new kids. I thought there would be more freshmen here, I thought. There were dozens of freshmen at the first Drama Club meeting the previous year.

"Hi Nora," Cody said from the back of the room. "Why don't you come sit with us?"

I made my way back to Cody's table, which consisted of a variety of talented actors and actresses, perpetual ensemble members, and hopeful freshmen. "Hey everyone," I said.

"Hi Nora," several of my fellow drama kids said.

"So what do you guys think the musical this year is going to be?" Jonas asked. He could give Cody a run for his money during the spring play, but his poor singing skills usually meant that he was restricted to smaller parts for the musical.