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    Pop Quiz
    Pop Quiz
    Pop Quiz
    Ebook83 pages1 hour

    Pop Quiz

    By Tom Ryan

    ()

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    About this ebook

    Fifteen-year-old Aiden is a minor cast member on a long-running high school "dramedy" with a low budget and a loyal following. Aiden and his friends are excited that they're being promoted to lead roles for the upcoming tenth season of Pop Quiz. But then they learn the show is being canceled. According to the producers, no one even watches TV anymore, with kids preferring the antics of YouTube stars. With the help of some former cast members and a group of hardcore fans, Aiden and his friends attempt to create a movie special to wrap up the storylines and give the series the send-off it deserves.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherOrca Book Publishers
    Release dateSep 12, 2017
    ISBN9781459812246
    Pop Quiz
    Author

    Tom Ryan

    Tom Ryan served as publisher and editor of the Newburyport, Massachusetts, newspaper The Undertoad for more than a decade. In 2007 he sold the newspaper and moved to the White Mountains of New Hampshire with miniature schnauzer Atticus M. Finch. Over the last five years, Tom and Atticus have climbed more than 450 four-thousand-foot peaks.

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      Book preview

      Pop Quiz - Tom Ryan

      Acknowledgments

      One

      It’s quarter to three on Friday afternoon, and Ms. Burke is droning on and on about the major battles of the War of 1812. Four seats back, one aisle from the window, Dane Pierce is fighting a battle of his own, a battle to stay awake.

      The only thing keeping Dane from falling asleep and sliding out of his desk onto the floor is Penny Vaughan. Penny is sitting one row ahead of him and one aisle over, which means Dane has a clear view of her. As always, Penny looks as fresh as a daisy, with sunlight streaming through the window onto her hair.

      Penny is one of the smartest people in his grade, and, unlike Dane, she’s managing to pay attention.

      Dane realizes the room has gone silent. He turns to look at Ms. Burke, who’s staring right at him. She seems to be waiting for something. He sits up, not sure what to do. He coughs. He doesn’t really need to cough, but he feels like he should do something.

      Dane? the teacher asks.

      Yes, Ms. Burke? Dane responds, eyes widening. He tilts his head to indicate he’s not quite sure what she’s getting at.

      Do you know the answer? she asks patiently.

      Dane swallows. Um, can you repeat the question?

      Ms. Burke lifts an eyebrow and waits a long moment. Dane feels everyone in the room turning to look at him. The lesson might be boring, but now that there’s a chance to see someone getting embarrassed, the class is starting to show some interest.

      Prashant, Dane’s best friend, lets out a low whistle.

      That’s enough, Prashant, says Ms. Burke. The question is, Dane, in which city did the Battle of the Plains of Abraham take place?

      Ummm, says Dane. Chicago? The room erupts with laughter.

      Not even close, says Ms. Burke. Perhaps if you spent more time listening and less time staring at Penny, you’d pick up some of these details.

      Dane drops his head onto his desk and groans.

      From behind him, Prashant leans in and whispers, Don’t worry, Dane, love is the greatest lesson of all.

      Cut!

      The laughter abruptly stops, and I sit back up in my seat. A short man with a cool haircut, dressed all in black, hurries up the aisle from the back of the room.

      Chill Bill Lee stands next to Ms. Burke and turns to speak to the class.

      Nice work, guys, he says. Let’s run through it one last time, and then we’ll break for lunch. Then he looks right at me. Good job, Aiden. This time try to make Dane look even more lovesick when he’s staring at Penny, okay? He makes a goofy goggle-eyed face, and we all laugh.

      He turns to Anais, who plays Penny. Don’t worry, Anais, he says with a wink. He’s just acting.

      She rolls her eyes and turns around to grin at me. I smile back, trying to look like I’m in on the joke. The thing is, I’m starting to wonder if my crush on Anais—ummm, I mean Penny—really is just acting.

      Bill points at Satri, the kid who plays Prashant. Good job, Satri, but try to whisper a bit louder this time.

      Got it, says Satri.

      Everybody ready? asks Bill, moving to the back of the room.

      Pauline, the hair and makeup lady, comes over to me and powders my cheek and then lightly musses my hair. She pulls back and squints, then gives a thumbs-up. Looking good, Aiden, she says.

      Around the edges of the room, the electrics, who are responsible for lights, check with the camera operators, and equipment is shifted around and tweaked once again for another run-through of the scene.

      Through the window, I catch a glimpse of some kids strolling down the sidewalk. They’re chatting away, towels around their necks. I assume they’re heading to the community pool. It’s the dead of summer, and school is out for another whole month. But for those of us who attend Cherry Lane High School, class is still in session.

      Cherry Lane High School, CLHS for short, is the fictitious secondary school that has been the main setting for the popular cable TV show Pop Quiz for nine seasons. For the past two years, I’ve played a supporting role on the show. Even though I spend a lot of my summer vacations working, I love it. As far as I’m concerned, it’s the most fun job a fifteen-year-old could ask for.

      I’ve been performing since I was a little kid. When other kids my age were starting to play hockey or practice piano, I was writing plays and performing them in my backyard. Eventually my parents got the hint and enrolled me in acting lessons. For years, they drove me to private and group lessons twice a week, and to make a long story short, it paid off. When I turned thirteen, I was finally old enough to audition for Pop Quiz. To my surprise, I got a part.

      Because the show relies on teenage actors, production has to take place during the summer months. It doesn’t bother me at all, since this is how I want to spend my time anyway. I know the rest of my castmates feel the same way. Acting is fun, and—I won’t lie—it’s pretty cool to be on TV. Pop Quiz isn’t a massive hit or anything, but it’s popular enough to keep chugging along, and we definitely have a following. I get recognized when I go to the mall, and I even get fan mail sometimes.

      Places, everyone, says Dexi Beales, the assistant director. The two camera guys step

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