"Replica03 - Another Amy - Kaye, Marilyn" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kaye Marilyn)

Right now he didn't see anyone in the gym who looked like Amy. But if this other clone was the star of the movie, he imagined she wouldn't be hanging out with wannabe extras.
A shrill whistle, like the one his basketball coach used, pierced the air. This was followed by a woman's voice speaking into a microphone. "Boys, please line up on the right side of the gym. Girls, line up on the left side."
It was decision time. Amy's face popped into Eric's head. He walked over to the right side of the gym.
Unfortunately, it turned out that the woman was talking about the right side as perceived from her end of the gym, not his. He found himself joining a line of giggling girls. With his face already flushed, he hurried over to the other side and got into line, just behind a major dork from his biology class, a guy named Nick, who always reminded him of one of the animals they dissected. Eric wanted to die.
Each of them was handed a large index card with a number on it. Eric's number was twelve. They were instructed to turn, face forward, and hold the cards up in front of their chests.
As this was happening, Eric checked out the girls facing him on the other side of the gym. He recognized Jeanine, who took gymnastics with his sister, and who was always flipping her hair over her shoulder. He hoped they wouldn't be extras together. She made him nervous.
Now a woman with dark hair and a lot of makeup was conferring with a gray-haired man. They split up, and the man walked slowly down the row of girls. The woman walked in front of the boys, scrutinizing each one. Suddenly Eric thought he knew how a piece of beef must feel when his mother was choosing meat from the butcher's counter in the supermarket. He hadn't felt this exposed since taking his physical for the basketball team. At least he was fully clothed here.
When the woman finished perusing them, he had no idea what to expect next. What if they were asked to dance? Or sing? Well, if that was the case, Amy could just forget itЧhe was out of here.
The woman came back down the line. He could feel his face getting redder by the minute. In two seconds he was going to bolt.
The woman and the man conferred again. Then the woman spoke into the microphone. "If we call out your number, please take a seat on the bleachers. The rest of you may leave. Two, five, eleven, twelve . . ."
TwelveЧthat was him! Eric was surprised. Was that it? All they cared about was how the students looked? He was actually a little flatteredЧuntil he realized that number eleven was Nick, the toad from biology. He wanted to die again.
He took a seat as far from Nick as possible. But then Jeanine came over and sat down next to him. He didn't know which was worse.
"Eric!" she exclaimed. "I didn't know you were interested in acting!"
He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Do extras have to act?"
"I don't know. I'm not an extra," Jeanine bragged. "I have a real part. With a name."
"What kind of a part?"
Jeanine giggled. "I don't know. I guess I'll find out pretty soon. Ooh, Eric, maybe you could help me memorize my lines!"
He looked at her in horror. But now the man was standing in front of the bleachers, calling for their attention.
"Good afternoon. My name is Mr. Hardy, and I am the director of Middle School Maniac. All twenty-five of you have been selected to be extras in this film, because together you represent a realistic-looking class of middle-school students."
Eric suddenly felt better about being in the same group as Nick. After all, every school had to have its share of nerds.
"How many of you have any film experience?" the director asked.
"Do home movies count?" someone yelled.
"No." Mr. Hardy gazed over the group. "Fine. Now, let me tell you what you'll be doing."
As Eric listened to Mr. Hardy describe the job of being an extra, his spirits began to rise. They wouldn't have to memorize any lines. They'd actually be excused from some classes to participate in the filming! And the best news of allЧthey would be paid! Not a fortune, but enough to buy Island Treasure 2.
"And now," Mr. Hardy continued, "let me tell you about Middle School Maniac. This is the first production in what is anticipated to be an ongoing series about a psychotic killer who stalks middle-school students. When the killer was in middle school, he was beaten up and ridiculed by other kids for his unattractive appearance. He vowed to take revenge on them when he grew up. He becomes a substitute teacher and goes from middle school to middle school, where he maims or kills every kid who reminds him of his old classmates."
A hand went up. It was Nerdy Nick. "Why doesn't he just go after the people who really hurt him?"
Mr. Hardy clearly hadn't expected any questions. "Because . . . because he's a psychotic killer," he replied. "Everyone thinks the murders are being committed by another student, Marco, who was recently released from a mental institution. He was committed there after killing his evil twin brother, who had planned to destroy the world. So this boy actually did everyone a favor, but they don't know that. And now I would like to introduce the actor who will be playing that student." He paused dramatically, then yelled out, "Rory Keller!"
Squeals went up from some of the girls. "Who's Rory Keller?" Eric asked Jeanine.
"He was on a soap opera, Malibu Secrets," she told him excitedly. She was applauding wildly as the boy came into the gym.
Eric had never watched Malibu SecretsЧor even heard of itЧso the boy who stood before them was a total stranger. But Eric had to admit, Rory Keller looked like someone who would kill his own brother. He had black hair, piercing black eyes, thin lips, and a surly expression. And he was scrawny. While the girls continued to squeal and applaud, Eric tried to understand what they would see in a guy like that. He figured it was just another female mystery.
Rory took a bow. Mr. Hardy went on with the story of Middle School Maniac.
"But there's one person who doesn't believe that RoryЧor Marco, I should sayЧis responsible for the middle-school murders. She's committed to finding the real killer. In the role of Amanda, a young lady you may not know, but who is destined to become a great star. Aimee Evans!"
The applause was not quite as enthusiastic for the unknown actress, but Eric watched her come into the gym with real interest. She did look like Amy, except that she was blond and looked older, but that was probably the makeup. She was kind of pretty, in a dressed-up way. She didn't look any more like a clone than Amy didЧbut then he didn't know what a clone should look like, anyway.
Aimee smiled brightly and took her bow. Then she joined the other movie people at a long table.
Mr. Hardy continued, "If any of you kids have weak stomachs, I'd better warn you right now, you're going to see some pretty gory stuff. There will be the usual stabbings, drownings, and strangulations, plus some dismemberment and general mutilation. And, of course, buckets of blood. Anyone have a problem with this?"
No one expressed any concern. "Sounds good to me," whispered someone sitting behind Eric. Jeanine wrinkled her nose and made a noise that sounded like "eeew," but she didn't speak out.
Mr. Hardy was satisfied. "Okay, we're cool, we're happening. My production assistant will hand out contracts. Take them home, get them signed by a parent, bring them back here tomorrow morning at eight o'clock."
Eric's stomach plunged. Eight o'clockЧa full half hour before he normally had to be at school! Amy had better appreciate this. And then, of course, there was the money. . . .
The forms were distributed and the kids were excused. Now it was time for Eric to make his first contact with the actress. He had absolutely no idea what he was going to say to her. He just hoped something would come to him.
But as he approached the long table he saw that he wasn't the only one who wanted to meet Aimee Evans. Jeanine had already cornered her. Eric ambled over anyway.
"I'm so excited to be in this movie," he heard Jeanine say. "But I still don't know what role I'm playing! I was going to talk to Mr. Hardy now, but then I thought maybe I'd talk to you first. Because you'd be more sympathetic."
In Eric's opinion, Aimee Evans didn't look particularly sympathetic, but Jeanine continued. "You see, I'm supposed to be more than an extra, and I'm sure Mr. Hardy knows that. This could be my big chance to break into the movie business, so I want a really good part. Anyway, I was wondering if you could put in a word for me."
Aimee smiled. "Sure. No problem."
"Really? That's so sweet of you! I really, really appreciate this, Aimee. I just know we're going to be great friends." And Jeanine skipped off.
Aimee stared after her. The smile disappeared. She spoke in a low voice, but loudly enough for Eric to hear. "In your dreams."
Eric was startled. Okay, Jeanine was a stuck-up pain, but Aimee couldn't know that, not yet. Or maybe she could. He tried to remember whether Amy had ever said anything about clones being hypersensitive to personalities.
Or maybe he'd just heard wrong. After all, he didn't have any superpowers.
He was about to approach the actress, but a short, plump woman got to her first. "Aimee, I need for you to try on the long dress for the formal dance scene."
"Now?"
"Yes, now."