Dazzling Danny Read Online Free

Allbright, you’re an idiot!” and went racing off across the playground, leaving me standing there. I thought she might have been a bit more sympathetic. She was supposed to be my friend.

    I got very desperate. There were only three weeks to go before the dress rehearsal. I had to do something! But what?
    In the middle of the night, this brilliant idea came to me. I would fall down some steps and break a bone! Nobody could be expected to dance with a broken bone. I would be saved!
    The best steps I could think of were the ones in the back garden, leading down from the patio. There were six of them, and they were made of concrete. Really hard! If I hurled myself madly down them, surely something would break? Even just an arm would be enough. Even just a wrist. Just a finger.

    I decided that I would do it on Saturday morning, when Mum and Dad were there, because then they could take me to the hospital. I quite fancied the idea of going in to school on Monday with my arm in plaster; or better still, walking on crutches. Everyone would go “Ooh!” and ‘Aah” and “How did you do it?” And Miss Pringle would be sorry that I couldn’t do her dancing for her, but at least she wouldn’t be hurt. I’d be the one that was hurt! Only I wouldn’t mind.
    Saturday morning I went into the garden and stood at the top of the steps. I’d thought it would be quite simple to hurl myself down them, but I think perhaps I am not very brave. At the last moment I got cold feet. Suppose I broke my neck ? I might never be able to walk again!

    I was still dithering when Carrie and her friend Jade Sullivan came screaming through the patio door. They’re always screaming, that pair. And they never bother to look where they’re going. I didn’t have to hurlmyself because those two great clumsy girls went and barged into me and sent me sprawling. Thump, bang, clonk, down to the bottom of the steps.

    “What are you doing?” bawled Carrie. Like it was my fault.
    Carefully, I picked myself up. I patted at myself. All over. Arms, legs, ribs. Nothing! Not even as much as a bruise. I hadn’t even broken a finger!
    “Just look where you’re standing in future!” shrieked Carrie.
    Perhaps I should have got the spade out of the garden shed and told her to whack me with it. She’d probably have broken both legs for me straight off.

Chapter Five
    One morning, driving in to school, Mum said to me, “Aren’t you having a show this term?”
    I said, “Sh–show?” Like it was some foreign word I’d never heard before.
    Mum said, “Yes! Show! You know? Singing, dancing, acting… end of term show ?”
    “Oh! That,” I said.
    Then there was this long pause, while Mum waited for me to go on and I tried to think of something to say.
    “It isn’t any good this year,” I mumbled.
    “Really?” said Mum. “Why’s that?”
    “Dunno. Just isn’t. Not worth coming to.”
    “Don’t be silly,” said Mum, “of course we’ll come! If you’re going to be in it.”
    “Yeah, well, this is it,’ I said. “I’m not.”
    “Oh?” Mum sounded surprised. “I thought they always included everyone?”
    “Not always,” I said. “It’s just singing and dancing this year.”
    “Well, you certainly can’t sing,” agreed Mum.
    “Can’t dance, either,” I said.
    “So you’re not in it?”
    I said, “No. Hey, look, there’s Darryl!” I opened the window and stuck my head out. “Oy! Darryl!”

    Darryl saw me, and waved. Mum let me out the car. She said, “Off you go, then” and I tore across the pavement and through the gates. Phew! Another escape!
    Mum didn’t say anything more about the show, so I hoped she’d forgotten it. I thoughtthat if she asked me again I’d say it was too late to get tickets, they’d all been sold. But then something else happened. Miss Pringle said that next Wednesday we were going to have the dress rehearsal, and that this would mean staying on at school for an extra two hours. She gave us all a