After being bombarded with requests from her classmates for props needed for the play, Erica ran off. Alison chased her out the kitchen door, finally catching up with her at a picnic table outside.

"You know, it's okay about the phone call, Yuk," said Alison.

"You knew I had stage fright, you knew!" exclaimed Erica.

"What are you talking about?"

"You knew the moment you met me. You knew you'd get the lead role."

"Yes," she said sarcastically, "I'm psychic. Just get the props please."

"You know I don't have them. Why, Alison Ashley, why did you have to be better than me at everything? Why did you have to have a better life? Why did you have to be slightly better looking? Why?"

Alison sighed. She was getting very annoyed. "Listen Erica. I am sick of this competition you think we have going. Think I've got it all over you? Fine, think that. But at least your family is turning up to see what you've done. Where's mine?" She paused a moment. "Just do what you're supposed to do." Alison turned and walked back to the kitchen, trying to stop herself from crying.

After lunch, Alison headed over to the dining room. She was still working on the costumes for the play that night. It gave her something to do, something to focus on so she didn't think about her mother not coming. Secretly, she still held the hope that her mother would turn up, even at the last minute. And she didn't know if her father was coming, but she doubted it since her mother most likely would have told him that he couldn't see her. So she put all her energy into making the last few costumes for her classmates and rehearsing her lines in her head. She was a little nervous about performing, despite being good at it. She was too distracted to notice that Erica had walked in, until Erica sat down across from her.

"You were right. I was being selfish and I'm sorry. Please talk to me again," said Erica.

Alison looked up, tears fresh on her cheeks. She shook her head, still a little angry with Erica and her attitude towards everyone. She put her head back down and continued working.

Night came quickly for Alison. She was still nervous, but she was also excited. And she was feeling a little sad that her mother still hadn't turned up. The play was going to start in ten minutes, and all the other parents and families had already arrived. She had avoided Erica for the rest of the afternoon, so she wasn't surprised when Erica came out of the kitchen and tried to talk to her again. Alison just looked away and walked inside to the back of the stage. She took a few deep breaths and then stepped onto the stage once the curtains were open to begin her opening monologue.

"It was raining, the first day I walked into Mercy General Hospital. It was as if the skies opened to was away the city's dirty sins. No chance..."

Alison took a step back as an 'ambulance' made it's way onto the stage, carrying a badly injured doctor. Two of Alison's classmates, dressed as nurses, moved Barry onto a table and then moved away so that Nurse Ella, or Alison, could get to work.

"Let me go first. After all, I was the one who spurned his advances at the hospital ball, causing him to set that fire in which he nearly died," said Alison dramatically.

"My god woman, you're a nurse. Control yourself," said Tom.

Alison shook her head. "I was mean to him. I need to do this."

Everyone around her laughed. She sounded funny talking that way.

Fifteen minutes later, Alison came back onto stage, sitting in a wheelchair with Barry kneeling at her feet.

"You see," she began, "when I first got here, I thought I could do it on my own. I felt alone, and miles away from home. But you taught me home is a place you keep inside of you for the ones you love, and I know my home is with you."

Alison waited while Barry pretended to kiss her hand, then stood up and took a bow while the audience all clapped. When she stood up straight again, she noticed that Erica had returned and that Miss Belmont was about to tell her off.

"Author!" she yelled. "Author, author!"

Alison stepped to the side and let Erica step between her and Barry. Together, they took another bow. Then Alison looked around, trying to find her mother. She knew she wouldn't be there, but was still disappointed. After Erica and Barry stepped off the stage, Alison stepped down and walked away, knowing that everyone was too busy with their families to notice her slip out the door. She headed over to a picnic table that was partially hidden by trees and sat down, letting her tears fall. She was too upset to hear footsteps come up behind her.

"Maybe she had a problem at the restaurant," said Erica from behind her.

Alison took a deep breath as Erica came around to sit with her. "She didn't turn up for the same reason she never does. Because, I'm, like, priority number 703. I bet she won't even meet me at the bus."

"Lucky," said Erica softly as she gently wiped away some of Alison's tears.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you're coming with us in Lennie's truck, aren't you?"

Alison smiled. "Yeah. Yeah, I'd like that." She took a breath and then said: "But you know what my mum's like. I mean, I'll probably have to..." She noticed a phone in Erica's hand. "Right." She took the phone and then dialed her mother's number before walking off to the side. "Yeah, listen, it's me...You don't have to pick me up tomorrow."

"Why not?" asked Mrs Ashley.

"I'm staying at Erica's."

"Who is Erica?"

"She's a friend."

"From where?"

"She's from Barringa East."

"I don't like you having friends from there."

"That's your problem then, isn't it?"

"You are my child and you are going to be like me Alison."

"Well, guess what? I'm not you." She hung up the phone and then walked back to Erica. "This is one of those camera phones, right?"

"Yeah," said Erica. "It's Lennie's. You need them in the spy game."

"Right," laughed Alison.

The girls laughed at each other as Erica's mother and Lennie came over to them. Erica mentioned Alison needing a lift and Lennie smiled.

"Of course. Any friend you want to bring home is more than welcome," said Lennie.

Mrs Yurken nodded her head in agreement.