Sinister Scenes by P. J. Bracegirdle

Author:P. J. Bracegirdle
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

CHAPTER 16

The street in front of Madame Portia’s was jammed with white trucks and trailers that morning, stretching right along the Boulevard all the way to the park. Marveling at the unprecedented scene, Byron walked along the opposite side of the street, holding a walkie-talkie in each hand.

“Psst. Hey, kid. Over here,” came a hoarse yet girlish voice unmistakably directed at him. “Do you want to come in for a soda pop?”

Terrified, Byron stopped, looking around for the source.

“It’s just me,” said Joy, grinning from a little window set in one of the parked trailers. “Come around and check it out.”

Still feeling uneasy, Byron crossed the street and slipped through a narrow gap between two of the parked vehicles. On the other side he found Joy hanging out of an open door.

“What is this place?” he asked, his eyes opening with wonder as he regarded the large mobile structure. “Is it a bathroom?”

“No, it’s not a bathroom, Byron,” Joy replied, miffed. “It’s actually my own personal trailer. The honeywagon”—as Joy had just learned they called the bathrooms—“is down at the other end.”

“Your own trailer?” he repeated in disbelief. “What do you need that for? Our house is, like, only two blocks away.”

Joy sighed, shaking her head. “Byron, don’t you know anything about the movie business?” she asked. “All the lead actors get their very own trailers. It’s just how things work around here.”

Byron examined the open door. “Okay, so isn’t there suppose to be a star with your name on it outside?”

Her brother did raise a good question, Joy had to agree. Craning around to the other side of the door, she confirmed that there was indeed no star. Maybe it was just an oversight. Should she get in touch with someone? she wondered.

But on second thought, maybe they left it off on purpose. “Actually, real stars don’t like to advertise what trailer they are in,” she told Byron, deciding it was the most likely explanation. “Movie stars are private people, you know, and it gets pretty tiring to have people hanging around, constantly hounding you for your autograph. That’s why they prefer to be anonymous and hide out in their trailers until everybody’s gone.”

“Okay,” Byron answered, a hurt look crossing his face. “So does that mean you want me to go away now too?”

“Of course not!” Joy exclaimed. “You’re family! Come in and have a look.”

Byron climbed up the steep steps, slipping under Joy’s arm. “So where’s this bunny wagon? Because I really, really need to go.”

“Honeywagon,” she repeated, closing the door behind him. “Us stars have our own private bathrooms, of course. But you can hold it long enough to have a quick look around first, can’t you?”

Frowning, Byron followed his sister down the cramped hallway.

“Now, this is the kitchen area,” Joy said, gesturing to the fridge, stove, and cabinetry as if each were a prize on a game show. “Over here is the lounge, where I get to hang around and entertain guests, which sometimes may include some famous people.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.