Holly Meredith woke up with first-day jitters. High school seemed daunting to the freshman teen. The building seemed big and imposing compared to her grade school. She would have to get the hang of changing classes and wearing a gym suit. Holly didn't know if she was excited or nervous. She finally decided she experienced a mixture of both emotions.

"Hurry up, Holly," her mother called up the stairs. "You don't want to arrive late on your first day."

Holly plunked down onto her pillow and yanked the quilt over her head. She wasn't ready to get up. Nevertheless she pushed the covers aside just as quickly. Wandering across the hall, she turned on the shower and, sliding out of her babydoll pajamas, stood beneath the hot spray.

Dressed in her new poodle skirt and white blouse, Holly pulled her hair into a high ponytail. She added a pink bow and fluffed her bangs. It felt exciting to wear new clothes, but she remained fluttery about high school.

"Breakfast," her mother called, appearing at the bottom step.

"Coming, Mother," Holly hollered back. Yesterday, she said, Mommy; today, she felt older, more sophisticated.

"Mother, huh?" Shirley Meredith snorted when Holly bounded downstairs. "Since when?"

"Since this morning, Mother Darling." Holly pecked her cheek as she rushed past. "And how shall we break our fast this morning?"

"Toast and jam, same as always." Shirl frowned at her daughter. High school, she muttered to herself.

"Groovy," Holly exclaimed. Her ponytail bounced on her shoulders as she marched into the kitchen.

Timmy looked up from his cereal bowl. A drop of milk dripped from his chin, and he grinned at his big sister. Holly cast her eyes above him as though he didn't exist. She was fond of the little ankle-biter, but he was a drag, too. Timmy wore a coonskin cap and watched Howdy Doody after school. Baby stuff, Holly thought.

Holly stood beside the counter and, spreading jam on her toast, ate her breakfast. Ignoring her orange juice glass, she poured herself a cup of coffee. Her mother nearly said something about it but hesitated. If her daughter thought she was grown up, she would indulge her a little.

Outside, a horn tooted. Holly dropped her toast plate in the sink and rushed through the door. She practically skipped along the driveway despite her mother's caution to slow down. Maureen Haskell leaned out of her brother's jalopy, waving at her like mad. Tony Haskell sat behind the wheel; his best friend, Caleb Markham, took up the shotgun position.

Her mother disapproved of Caleb. She called him a lazy, good-for-nothing beatnik. His uncombed sandy hair made him look like he had just rolled out of bed, and he wore a goatee. Maureen had a crush on him, and Holly took an interest in Tony.

Sliding into the backseat, Holly leaned toward Maureen. Maureen whispered into her ear, and they both giggled. Tony glanced back at them, grinning widely. Holly buried her head in her best friend's shoulder. She blushed madly. Tony was handsome with a cleft chin and wavy blonde hair.

The high school was only four blocks away. Tony left the girls at the front entrance and parked his jalopy in the student parking lot. Maureen grabbed Holly's hand and pulled her inside. They pushed through the crowded rotunda and stood before the bulletin board.

"Let's sign up for drama club," Maureen suggested, scanning the signs on the board. Grabbing a pencil, she quickly scrawled her name. Holly hesitated momentarily, then added hers.

The drama club met three days a week after school. Everyone who signed up was guaranteed a role in at least one of the three annual school plays. Holly dreamed of becoming an actress. She wanted to go to Hollywood. California offered more excitement than staying in New Hampshire. A little experience might go a long way toward a movie career.

"I wonder what the first play is," Maureen asked, more to herself than anyone else.

"'Our Town,'" a tall willowy girl answered.

The freshmen girls turned toward the voice. They recognized the tall girl as Stacy Wills—a senior. Tony had dated her the previous year, but she broke up with him when school ended. Nevertheless, jealousy rose in Holly's heart. She wanted Maureen's older brother all to herself.

"'Our Town'?" Holly blurted out. She didn't recognize the play title.

"Of course, 'Our Town,'" Stacy remarked snidely. She treated all freshmen like imbeciles. "You know, Grover's Corners. It's a New Hampshire thing. All the high schools put it on at least once a year."

"Oh." Holly and Maureen opened and closed their mouths.

"Were you two fish in another life?" Stacy asked. Before they could answer, she turned to walk away.

Holly watched Stacy's retreating back enviously. The older girl wore a tight grey wool skirt and a tighter pink cardigan. Her derrière wiggled as she walked. Holly looked down at her wide poodle skirt and Peter Pan blouse. When she left for school, she felt sophisticated. Watching Stacy, she felt like a child playing dress-up.

"Don't listen to her." Maureen stood a step behind her. Standing on tiptoes, she watched Stacy also.

"I hope she doesn't sign up for drama." Holly sighed. The first warning bell rang. They still had to find their homeroom.

The girls shared their first period and then split up for their other classes. Holly got lost trying to find the biology lab and missed most of her lunch hour. She couldn't figure out the numbers on her locker's combination. Frustrated, she finally joined Maureen and Tony in the cafeteria. To everyone's astonishment, Caleb sat on a tabletop yoga-style and beat a set of bongos.

"Lay it on us, man," a voice yelled out. Caleb slapped his drums harder.

After school, Holly and Maureen entered the assembly hall for their first drama club meeting. Most of the folding theater seats held students who also signed up. To their chagrin, Stacy Wills sat close to the front. They already knew she would get the lead role in all the plays.

"Most of them will drop out before the next meeting," Caleb Markham stated, sauntering in as the drama teacher began closing the doors. Holly was surprised to see him. "Happens every year, you dig? Everyone signs up; most drop out."

"We won't," Holly and Maureen chimed together.

"Expect to get bit parts," Caleb continued coolly. "Freshmen usually end up with one-liners or parts in the chorus if it's a musical."

Holly shrugged and then turned her eyes toward the stage. Mr. Clark stood behind an onstage podium and addressed the crowd. The drama teacher welcomed the students to his club and explained that he would hand out scripts early next week. Auditions would start afterward.

"Our first play is a New Hampshire specialty—' Our Town' by Thornton Wilder," Mr. Clark announced. "There are several excellent roles available. Chose wisely, students."

Everyone started talking at once. The teacher hushed them, then dismissed them. After he left, the room exploded with voices again. Holly noticed Tony standing close to Stacy. He had his arm around her waist. She flushed hotly, the jealous feeling surging beneath her blouse.

"Introducing George Gibbs and Emily Webb." Caleb bowed extravagantly toward the couple. "Homecoming King and Queen, King and Queen of the Prom, etc. It's inevitable. Popularity rules. I'm going for The Stage Manager part."

Holly's mind whirled. She couldn't stand seeing Tony standing beside Stacy. Maureen nudged her, and she came back to earth.

"So, are we trying out or what?" her best friend asked.

"I don't know about you, but I'm auditioning to play Emily Webb," Holly announced loudly. Several heads turned in her direction. Caleb clicked his tongue audibly and shook his head. She knew she would never get the part but was determined to try.

After school, Holly walked to the local library. She checked out a copy of 'Our Town.' Sprawling across her bed, she memorized the Emily Webb part. Perhaps she could play the understudy if she didn't get the role. Stacy had a much better chance than she had, but that wouldn't stop her.

Holly lived and breathed the Emily Webb persona when the auditions began. She practiced in front of the mirror each morning. After dinner, she read her lines to her mother, who responded as George Gibbs.

The forthcoming play made high school enjoyable. Holly and Maureen quickly found their way around. The drama club held their interest, and they began to make friends. Many of the freshmen who joined dropped out within the first few weeks. The girls were among the handful who remained. The Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors were all members from previous years.

"You two misfits still hanging around?" Stacy asked, sulking at them. She clung to Tony like a second skin.

"What's it to you?" Caleb broke in.

"Not much." Stacy flounced her shoulder-length blonde hair and led Tony away.

"Don't pay attention to her," the beatnik exclaimed. His hair was more unruly than ever, and his goatee was unkempt. He carried his bongos beneath his arm.

Holly was paying attention to Stacy. Her eyes narrowed as she watched the Senior girl retreat. She wanted to run up behind her and give her a hard shove. Instead, she assured herself she had another plan: ousting Stacy from the lead role.

Mr. Clark began auditioning the smaller parts. Maureen urged Holly to try for Rebecca Gibbs, George's sister. Holly encouraged Maureen likewise. She continued to wait for the more significant opportunity. Finally, the drama teacher announced the leading auditions would take place the following day. He asked that only those who were genuinely interested show up.

"I'm as jittery as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs," Holly exclaimed. She waited backstage with Caleb for her turn to audition.

"You'll do fine." The beatnik squeezed her upper arm.

Holly liked how he stayed close to her and kept her under his wing. Despite her mother's objection, she really liked Caleb.

Stacy and Tony hovered nearby. Confident in their chances of gaining the leading roles, they criticized the other applicants as they auditioned. They knew no one else had a chance at the main parts.

"You haven't a snowball's chance in hell," Stacy whispered into Holly's ear. "Freshmen don't get lead roles anyway, so why bother?"

"It's still a free country," Holly remarked in return.

Caleb beat on his bongos to emphasize Holly's point. Then he did a 'ha-cha-cha' like Jimmy Durante. His companion grinned and nearly laughed. Instead, she caught her giggles as Mr. Clark called her to the stage.

Holding her head high and her shoulders straight, Holly walked sedately toward center stage. As she strutted forward, Stacy stuck out her foot. Holly tripped over it and sprawled into the limelight. Tears sprang to her eyes. It was different from the entrance she anticipated. Behind her, Caleb urged her to get up. Mustering all her dignity, Holly took her position and acted out the lines Mr. Clark gave her.

"I don't have a chance," Holly wailed, falling into Caleb's arms. Her tears broke loose, and she sobbed into his chest. He enfolded her in a warm embrace and kissed the top of her head.

Mr. Clark called Stacy Wills and Tony Haskell onto the stage together. They auditioned for the George Gibbs and Emily Webb parts as a team. As she listened to them, Holly knew she didn't stand a chance. The decision was inevitable. The drama teacher knew his choice the entire time.

Turning away, Holly bowed her head and exited the theater. She had made a complete fool of herself. She should have known better. She may have a better chance next year after Stacy and Tony graduate. Caleb followed and grabbed her elbow.

"Can I buy you an ice cream sundae?" he asked. She nodded, unable to speak.

They walked down the sidewalk to the drug store and sat at the soda fountain counter. Caleb ordered hot fudge sundaes without asking Holly what she wanted. She smiled for the first time, knowing he'd picked precisely what she always ordered. They ate, and then Caleb sat cross-legged on the table and beat his bongos. Someone put a coin in the jukebox, and the kids began to dance.

Holly laughed out loud when Caleb stood up and jigged on the tabletop. He extended his hand and helped her up. Free-spirited, she danced with him. When a slow song came on, they wrapped in each other's arms and swayed together. Caleb kissed her and told her he loved her.

"What about Maureen?" Holly asked when Caleb walked her home.

"Maureen who?" Caleb asked, raising his eyebrows saucily.

"Oh," she breathed. Suddenly, she realized Caleb wasn't interested in Maureen the same way she was in him.

"Keep your chin up, Hol," Caleb stated when they reached her front door. "If you don't get the part, there's always next year."

"I know." Holly squeezed his hand, then kissed his cheek.

When Holly awoke the following morning, she felt sick to her stomach. Her butterflies were at war with each other. She buried her head under her pillow until her mother yanked it away. Ordering her up, Shirl told her daughter to get ready for school.

"I don't want to go," Holly muttered, reburying herself.

"Get up. You can't stop the inevitable," her mother announced, yanking on the quilt. "It's better to know than not to know."

"I expect you're right." Holly sighed and sat up.

When Holly arrived at school, a crowd gathered around the bulletin board. Maureen grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the announcement. A secret glittered behind her best friend's eyes. When Holly peered at the list, she couldn't believe her eyes. Suddenly, Caleb Markham stood beside her. His name stood beside the Stage Manager's part. It was the following line that astonished Holly.

"Emily Webb," Holly breathed, excitement welling inside her. But how? Then, her heart began to pound. She had beat Stacy Wells, after all. "Tony Haskell as George Gibbs." Before she knew it, Maureen grabbed both her hands. They jumped around in a circle while other students congratulated her.

Further down the hall, Stacy Wills slammed her locker door closed. Holding her head high, she walked toward the celebrating crowd. As she approached, her face crumpled. Dropping her books, she spun on her heel and raced toward the door. Tony pushed through the students and ran after her.

As Holly watched Tony approach Stacy, she realized she never loved him. She suddenly saw him as the weak stooge he always was. Caleb took her hand and led her in the opposite direction. Although she would play her Emily Webb beside Tony Haskell's George Gibbs, Holly's heart belonged to the Stage Manager. And she knew they were about to put on the best production of 'Our Town' the state of New Hampshire ever saw.

!!COMING SOON!!

VIRGINIA