Natalia Takes the Lead

Chapter Ten

The next several days, Emma and Zoe promise to chip in with walks with the dogs, without being asked. Emma is willing to walk the dogs with Natalia in the morning, and Zoe comes over after school before rehearsal to walk them with Natalia in the afternoon. Although Natalia didn’t need help, she is willing to admit it’s nice having it.

At school, Zoe comes up to Natalia. She tells her that Ms. Andrews wants the leads at rehearsal early that afternoon to work on music, so she won’t be able to make that afternoon’s walk. “No, it’s totally fine,” Natalia says. She can handle doing two walks, one with Jasper, Daisy, and Bandit, and one with Ruby separately, before she has to be there for rehearsal.

Well, things didn’t go as planned. Bandit was so slow, and Daisy escaped Natalia’s grip and Natalia had to chase after her. By the time Natalia rushed into the theater, she was twenty-five minutes late for rehearsal. Ms. Andrews, all the people on stage, and all the people sitting in the audience, turned around to look at her. Ms. Andrews mentions she’s late, and next time, she should enter more quietly next time.

By the time they call Natalia’s scene, she learns there’s three Apple Trees. Most of the lines belong to the First Apple Tree one, a fifth grader a little younger than Natalia. They ran through the scene a couple of times. By the third full run through Natalia’s brain is drifting off. She’s thinking about the final performance. Her costume will be big and elaborate. She’ll wave her branches threateningly.

Then suddenly, she’s jolted back to the present by Ms. Andrews. Apparently, Natalia missed her cue for one of her lines. She says it quickly, and tries to focus the rest of rehearsal.

Afterwards, Zoe comes up to her. Zoe apologizes for not being there to walk the dogs. She didn’t realize that her not being there would make Natalia late. Natalia responds, “Everything’s totally fine.” She’s got it covered.