STORY "A Pretty Face" - Chapter Two
Zoe
Has an Idea
On Tuesday evening the next week,
Zoe and her friend Annie are drinking coffee in the Newport Café. Annie is a
student at Newpport College and sometimes in the evenings she and Zoe meet at
the café.
Suddenly, Zoe sees a boy sitting
at the table across the room.
“Who’s that boy?” she asks Annie.
Annie laughs. “Do you like him?
He has a nice face,” she says. “His name’s Mike. I often see him at the
college.”
“Mike?” Zoe says, “Mike who?”
“Mike Morrison.” Annie says.
“That’s Mike Morrison?” Zoe says.
She is furious.
“Yes, why?” Annie asks.
“He writes reviews for the
Newport Weekly News?” Zoe says.
“That’s right,” Annie says. “His
aunt is the editor.”
“He…oh!” She stops suddenly and
looks at Zoe. “The review of Romeo and Juliet…”
“Right!” Zoe says.
“Do you remember it? Zoe Baker
acts the part of Juliet’s mother. She has a pretty face and she speaks her
words well. But she is young girl in an older woman’s costume, and we all know
it,” Nice face or no Nice face, I hate him.”
Annie laughs, “Ok. Go and tell
him,” she says. “Go and say, I hate you, Mike Morrison. You write stupid
reviews for the newspaper. Go on.”
But Zoe isn’t laughing. “Yes, all
right!” she says furiously, and she begins to get up from her chair. Then she
stops, suddenly.
“What’s wrong?” Annie asks. “Are
youo afraid?”
“No.” Zoe says, “I have a better
idea. Does he cme into this café often?”
“Every Tuesday and Thursday
evening, I think.” Annie says, “He has a writing class at the college, and he
comes here after it finishes.”
Zoe thinks for a minute or two.
“That’s very interesting.” She says at last.
“Is it?” Annie says. She looks
across at Mike Morrison, then at Zoe, “Why is it interesting? What are you
thinking of doing?”
“Tell me, am I good actress?” Zoe
asks.
“Yes, you are,” Annie says.
“But…”
“Ok. Zoe says. I’m a good actress
and I want to prove it to Mr.Mike-Nice-Morrison.”
“How do you want to do that?”
Annie asks.
Zoe smiles and begins to tell
Annie about her idea…
_to be continued
