Could be a Star

Chapter 22

Max doesn't come to rehearsal on Monday lunchtime. I text him but he doesn't reply. He's nowhere to be seen in Tuesday or Wednesday either, and when I haven't got a reply by then, I go to Mr Sharp.

'Mr Sharp,' I say. He looks up from his script and smiles through his wrinkles.

'How's it going, Jack?'

'Oh, I'm fine but...'

'You've been doing really great so far, better than I could have expected,'

'Thanks, but,'

'Not long now, only a few weeks until opening night! I've arranged a rehersal with the band so that we can...'

'Sir?' I interrupt 

'Is everything okay, Jack?'

'It's just that Max hasn't been here all week,'

'Oh,' Mr Sharp says with a pause 'Well I'm sure it's nothing to worry about, he already knows exactly what he's doing for the show,'

'It's just that I haven't heard from him, sir,' I say very quietly

'I'm sure that Max has every reason to keep his where abouts to himself,' 

'You know where he is, don't you, sir?' I feel a bit cheated that a teacher knows where my friend is and I don't.

'Look, Jack,' he says, looking right at me 'Please don't worry about it. You're going to find out sooner rather than later,'

I look at Mr Sharp, probably with sad eyes and he just smiles. I smile too as I leave, to be polite, but to be honest, I'm really annoyed that he didn't tell me where my friend is and I don't usually get annoyed with people.

I keep on texting Max but he never replies.

By Friday, when I still know nothing, I'm really down in the dumps. I'm at tap but I'm one hundered percent not feeling it.

'Jack, now you know the Angry Dance, and I'm happy that you do, I think it's time for you to do it properly,' Mr Anderson says.

'What do you mean?' I screw up my face because I feel upset and everything is annoying me and, for the first time since the rehearsals begun, can't be bothered. 

'I mean,' he says 'The dance is called Angry Dance for a reason and you don't seem very angry to me when you're doing it,'

I don't say anything.

'So I want you to go outside and not come back in again until you're angry enough to do the dance!'

I stare at him, blankly.

'Go on!' he almost shouts, pointing at the door.

'Fine!' I say and storm out of the room into the corridoor. 

That was totally not like me. Truth is, I already am angry. I'm angry that Mr Anderson sent me out to get angry, I'm angry that I have no idea where Max is and I'm angry that Alex is such a douche. I'm angry that Max is getting all of this hate and there is nothing, absolutely nothing, I seem to be able to do about it. I'm angry because I don't want to be here, I want to go home. I'm angry that Mr Anderson dosen't think I'm good enough to act being angry, he thinks I actually need to feel the anger and do you know something? He got what he wanted because here I am, out in the corridor pacing up and down getting really really properly angry and I want to punch a wall or scream or something but I don't because I remember why I'm out here and I march back into the class room. 

'Lets go,' I say, without looking at Mr Anderson.

'Are you ready then?'

'I said, lets go!'

He starts the music and the tention inside me is bigger than I've ever felt it before. I dance without having to think about the steps, which is a new thing for me. I am angry and I feel angry and I feel the anger in my feet. I even make the angry noises and I dance the angry steps in the angry classroom in this angry world. I just sort of seem to forget that I'm here and I just dance, letting the anger take over me.

When I finish, I stay in the final position for a while, breathing heavily. 

'Jack, that was... amazing,' I hear Mr Anderson say 'I wasn't expecting that!' 

I give him a long stare then thank him with a whisper. 

'Maybe,' he says 'Maybe you should sit down,'

I suddenly stand up and begin to move around, gathering my things and changing my shoes. 

'No, but thank you,' I say 'There's somewhere I have to go,'

And I head of the classroom and out of the school gates as fast as I possibly can. It's not that hot, but I'm sweating as I pick up my pace. I'm heading toward Max's house. I'm worried about where he is and so so angry that he hasn't told me even though Mr Sharp obviously knows. 

I reach his house and knock on his door as loud as I possibly can. 

I hear foorsteps and see a figure unlocking the door from behind the glass window.

It's Max.

I was so ready to shout at him and tell him how angry I was but when I see him standing there with his dark hair and slightly tanned skin and forever tinkling eyes, I sort of breathe out all the anger and I'm not cross or annoyed or upset anymore. 

'Max,' I say very softly.

He dosen't say anything, he looks really guilty. 

'I was worried. You didn't tell me where you were,' I say.

'I know,' says Max looking at the floor 'I'm sorry,'

'Well, are you going to tell me?'

'I'm sorry, Jack,' he looks at me now, right into my eyes 'I can't. I swear I would if I could,'

I honestly don't feel cross with Max anymore for whatever reason, but I'd planned what I was going to say and of course I still want to know where he's been.

'I was hoping you might care enough about me to let me know you were okay,' I say

Max looks hurt now, and urgent. His eyes widen.

'I do care!' he says 'I'm sorry, I'm really sorry,' 

'Well,' I smile slightly 'Just as long as you're okay,'

He looks at me really closely and gives me his look that lets me know he's telling the truth.

'Jack,' he says 'I'm more than okay,'