“How long have you guys been here?” Amelia looks us up and down, moving slightly away when she notices Salmon. She claims she’s allergic, but secretly, I think she’s just afraid of black cats. “Do you have your scripts yet? What’s the episode about? Pepper better have good lines this year, or I swear I’m quitting. Why haven’t I gotten mine?”

“Hello to you too, Amelia,” I mutter. “And no, we don’t have our scripts. No one got theirs before you.” Amelia is constantly worried she’s being left out.

As if on cue, Paul Chin, the show’s creator, steps onto the little landing outside Stage Five, where we’re shooting the show. He spies us and smiles. “How are my stars? Want to come on set? I’d love to introduce you to some people.”

He gestures to a guy who’s stepped onto the landing behind him. To our surprise, it’s Morton York, a producer who created this other kids’ show called Motor Clowns that was using Stage Five before us. It had been unexpectedly canceled mid-season, which was why we were able to move in. Honestly, I can’t believe the show ever made it on air—it was about race car–driving clowns. Personally, I couldn’t get through a single episode without feeling a little weirded out by all that clown makeup. Guess I wasn’t the only one.

But even though that one show was a flop, Morton’s famous—he’s won a ton of Kids’ Choice Awards, has a million followers on social media, blah blah blah. My friends and I exchange a glance.

“What’s he doing here?” I whisper.

“Didn’t you hear?” Amelia has her know-it-all voice. “Mr. York’s consulting on season two of Sadie Solves It.” She stands a little taller. “I’ve been talking to him a lot. He’s looking to cast people in a new movie, and I think I have a great shot. Last one there’s a rotten egg!” She sprints for the door to Stage Five.

Aubrey rolls her eyes. We’re all on the same page when it comes to Amelia’s annoyingness.

We walk over to the stage as well. As I head up the ramp, I notice a plaque on the wall bearing the names of all the other shows that have filmed here. A lot of the names are ones I recognize. There are even some really famous movies, and the dates go all the way back to the 1960s. I feel an excited shiver. Soon, our show’s name will be on the plaque too!

I push through the heavy door that leads to sets. The stage is freezing. All stages are. That’s because the lights on the sets get really hot, and that makes the actors sweaty, but sweaty people don’t look so great on TV. The crew makes it extra-chilly to balance things out.