Stage Fright (2 page)

“No, Miss Gargoyle!” chorused the class.

“Thank goodness for that,” said Miss Gargoyle with relief. “There's enough to think about as it is!”

Later that night, Miss Gargoyle's class was performing
Snow Fright and the Seven Dwarfs
in the school hall. Lee had the part of Gnashful, the dwarf who was always angry.

“Mith Gargoyle! Mith Gargoyle!” piped up Lucy West, who was going to be the Wicked Queen. “My cothtume is bound to be the betht. Shall I show it to the clath?”

“Typical West the Pest,” whispered Bella. “Any excuse to show off!” Bella was playing Princess Snow Fright.

“I know,” agreed Lee.

“At least she's stopped boasting about how many fangs she's lost.”

“Yeah,” said Billy, who was playing the hunter who took Snow Fright into the forest. “And about how the Fang Fairy gives her two dollars for each fang.”

Lucy scowled at them and stuck her tongue out.

“We'll see all the costumes after break, when we have our dress rehearsal,” said Miss Gargoyle firmly. “Until then, it's lessons as usual.”

“Aw, miss!” groaned the class.

“Quiet, please, everyone!” said Miss Gargoyle. “Today we are going to practice the Three Ss. Does anyone know what that stands for?”

“What about scaring, staring, and startling?” suggested Bella.

“Or shrieking, screaming, and screeching?” said Big Herb, secretly popping three candies into his mouth when he thought Miss Gargoyle wasn't looking.

“More like scoffing, slurping, and stuffing your face,” chuckled Lee. Nobody had been surprised when Miss Gargoyle had chosen Herb to play Chompy, the greediest of the Seven Dwarfs.

“Good guesses,” said Miss Gargoyle, neatly swiping Big Herb's hidden stash of candies. “But to begin with, let's all turn into bats.”

Everyone said the words that Miss Gargoyle had taught them:

“I'm a bat, a bat is me.

A bat is all I want to be.”

And with a volley of soft
POP
s, they all became bats, fluttering merrily around the classroom.

Big Herb managed it on his second try. The first time around, his mouth was so full of candy that he said
mat
instead of
bat
and turned into a flying carpet.

“Now, listen and watch carefully,” squeaked Miss Gargoyle, who was now a little brown bat. “The first two Ss are swooping and swerving.”

Miss Gargoyle swooped and swerved all around the room, skillfully dodging columns, walls, desks, and other bats.

“Wow!” said Lee. “Cool! Wait till I show Boris!” Lee's friend Boris was a real bat who lived in the school clock tower.

Miss Gargoyle hovered in midair to get her breath back.

“The third
S
,” she went on, “is skulking. This is particularly handy when you need to turn into a bat—or back into a vampire—without any Fangless folk seeing you. When you need a place to skulk, my tip is to remember the Three
C
s: columns, curtains, and corners.”

“What kind of corners?” said Lee.

“Three-
D
ones are best,” said Miss Gargoyle.

“What?” asked Billy. “As in a 3-D movie?”

“No,” said Miss Gargoyle. “As in dark, damp, and dingy. Okay class, now you all have a try.”

They practiced the three
S
s until the bell rang for break.

“Well done, everybody,” said Miss Gargoyle. “That's the end of our lessons for today. See you after break in the school hall for the dress rehearsal.” She glanced over at Lee. “And don't forget your costumes!”

Chapter 2

First Night Nerves