“I know.” I suddenly felt uncomfortable under the gaze of her piercing brown eyes. “I was just worried, that's all. You look … I don't know, tired.”
“I know, I've had to pull a few all-nighters trying to catch up. But like I said, I got this. And by the way, I think it's so cool that you're going to be in a school play.”
“Thanks,” I said absently. She'd changed the subject yet again.
“When's your audition?”
“Monday and Tuesday. I'm so hoping I get the part of Wendy Darling,” I said, finally smiling again.
She returned the smile. “You'll get it. You're a Devereaux.”
“Yes, I am,” I said smugly. “Well, I'm gonna go call Riss.” I made a motion to leave.
“Tell her I said hi. Oh, and by the way, can you stay out of my room when I'm not here?”
I paused at the door, turning around with a quizzical look. “What?”
“I mean, I don't mean to be rude, but I respect your privacy, all I ask is that you respect mine.”
Now I was just confused. “I haven't been in your room all week, Kirsten. Until now, I mean.”
She stared at me for a few moments, and I couldn't tell if she believed me or not. “I'm just saying, that's all.”
And like that, my guts tightened again. Now she's accusing me of something?
I didn't want to say anything that would make her angry, so I turned and walked out of her room, closing the door behind me.
I immediately went to my room, sat down on the bed and stared out my window. A brisk wind had picked up since dinnertime, causing the familiar scrape of the branches against the window. A brisk rain also fell.
I've only been a teenager for a few months, and already childhood seems like a distant memory. Between the play, the Coven, and whatever the hell is up with Kirsten, it's a wonder my brain hasn't exploded.
I almost dreaded what was going to come next.
Chapter 17
~ Day 43 (Mon.) ~
AYDEN
Once the sixth-period bell rang, I met up with Simon and we headed for the cafeteria, where auditions were going to take place. When we arrived, around thirty kids were milling around in front of the stage area. The JMMS cafeteria also served as the school's auditorium, and the stage was decent-sized, more than adequate for a school play.
After we put our names on the sign-in clipboard, I looked for the girls, and found them standing in a group off to the side. “Hey, guys,” I said as we walked up. I smiled, somewhat stupidly, at Marissa, who returned it.
“Hey Ayden, hey Simon,” said Sophie. I could tell she was trying hard to disguise her nervousness. “So … I guess this is it, huh?”
I was probably more nervous than she was, but I also felt a strange tingle of excitement building inside me. I'd been through the entire script at least a dozen times, and I had most of Peter's lines memorized, but I was suddenly terrified I would forget them all. I also had no clue how many other boys I was going to have to beat out to win that starring role. Given my complete lack of previous acting experience, I knew I'd have to kill it.
“Yeah, this is it,” I said, scanning the competition. Many were classmates that I knew by name, and there were a bunch of others, seventh-graders most likely.
“Remember,” said Marissa, putting her arms around Sophie and me, “Do it just how we practiced, and don't worry about anything else.”
“We got this,” said Sophie, straightening herself up. She stuck her hand out, right in the center of our little circle. “Come on, everyone, hands in. We're gonna kick total ass today, right?”
One by one, the rest of us put our hands on top of each other, except for Kayla, who was standing a few yards away, deliberately averting her gaze from the rest of us. She stared uncomfortably back toward the east entrance. “Come on, Kayla, you too,” said Sophie.
She met Sophie's gaze, a strange little smile playing over her face. “But I'm not auditioning –”
“No, but you're part of our group, so get your eidetic butt over here.”
Kayla walked over and put her hand on top of ours. Sophie smiled and said, “Neverland, here we come!”
“Neverland, here we come,” we all repeated, and I felt a surge of energy run through all of us. We were ready.
As we broke, I heard a voice come from right behind us. “Kayla?”
We all turned to see a girl standing there, watching us. She had long reddish-brown hair tied back into a cool braid, pale skin with a few freckles, a pointy nose, and a retainer in her mouth. I was so surprised to see her there – and, judging by the silence, so was everyone else – that no one spoke until Kayla stepped forward, smiling and putting her arm around the girl's shoulders. “Autumn! Glad you could make it!”
“Autumn Kirkland?” Michelle said, still shocked by Autumn's presence. “You've come to audition?”
“No, uh …” she said flatly, looking at Kayla.
“I invited her,” Kayla explained. “Autumn and I are in second-period Algebra together, and we've been talking ever since Alexis and I had our … um, disagreement. I told her about what was going on, and I talked her into coming. She's going to help me and Ms. Hough with set design.”
I blinked several times. My admiration for Kayla, who just never seemed to stop surprising us, went up a few more notches.
“That's so cool!” said Sophie. “It's great to see you here, Autumn.”
“Thanks,” she said, blushing a little. “So when does this all –”
“Oh my God, you guys made it!” said a familiar Irish voice, the owner of which rushed up to where we were congregating. “I'm telling you, this play is gonna be great! You guys ready?” Siobhan was grinning from ear to ear, and her manic energy only added to my own.
“We've been practicing for weeks,” I said. “We're ready.”
“It'sgonnabesoawesomegoodluckyouguys!” she replied, slapping me and Simon on the backs. And then she was off, bounding into the crowd again.
Michelle let out a breath. “Somebody needs to hook that girl up to a generator or something. She could power a small town.”
“No doubt,” said Sophie.
Mr. Danbury appeared at the foot of the stage, waving his arms and calling for attention, directing us to gather around. He was very tall, with short dark hair, a regal-looking face, and a jaw so square it would put Superman to shame. He addressed us in a deep, booming, vaguely British, theatrical voice, immediately invoking an image in my head of him onstage, dressed in fancy Shakespearean garb, talking to a human skull or something.
“For those of you who don't know me, my name is Arthur T. Danbury, and I am the drama teacher here at James Madison. I have an extensive background in theater, including a four-year stint with the Royal Shakespeare Company in England. I have performed to sold-out houses all over the world, and tis' my pleasure, and duty, to pass on my knowledge to young actors such as yourselves. And if you're wondering why, after such an illustrious career and being the idol of millllllllllions …” he paused, winking at us, “I discovered a new passion: teaching. I realized teaching youngsters was not only more fulfilling, but a lot more fun. Plus, grown-up actors are soooooo demanding.” We laughed.
“Now, as you all know, we're performing Peter Pan this semester, and we have only six weeks to whip you all into shape. I have an adaptation of the script that I think will work well, given the confines of our theater and our timelines for rehearsal. Trust me, kids, you are going to love this. You all excited?!”
“Yes, Mr. Danbury!” a lot of students replied, including me. He seemed to have us all in the grip of his infectious personality.
“Those of you who aren't here to audition, or those students for whom we simply don't have parts, may help Ms. Hough, our matron of set design.” Mr. Danbury pointed off to the side, where a middle-aged woman with short blonde hair and a friendly smile was standing. She gave us a cheery wave.
“I do not expect perfection,” Mr. Danbury continued, “but I do expect ef
fort. Those that put forth the most effort will land the leading roles, as well as the smaller, but no less important, supporting roles. Those who do not get selected for a part, but still wish to contribute, can work on the set or a thousand other tasks necessary for a production of this scale. I'll be posting the list of cast selections on Friday. I'll also post a bunch of other positions that need to be filled, such as stagehands and curtain-pullers. This is how I've done things for the last fourteen years, and it works. Does anyone have any questions?”
The girl sitting in front of me, a tall brunette named Rebecca Mack, raised her hand. “Will we all be practicing together?”
“Great question! Glad you asked,” he replied. “Once the roles have been assigned, I expect the primary cast members to stay after school twice a week so we can go through the script. In the two or three weeks leading up to the actual performances, we will increase that number to three practices a week, including one on Saturdays. The practices in the week prior to the live performances are mandatory for all cast and crew, and you will be in full costume. Now, if there are any more questions, please save them for later. We have a lot of auditions to get through, and very little time, so let us begin forthwith.”
He walked over to a nearby table and took a seat behind it. Flipping open a copy of his own script and grabbing the sign-in clipboard with his other hand, he proceeded to call out names.
One by one, students auditioned in front of Mr. Danbury while the rest of us studied the assigned lines belonging to either Peter or Wendy. Several auditions went so badly that it elicited laughter from the crowd, laughter that was met by a stern look from Mr. Danbury.
After about half an hour and twelve auditions, Mr. Danbury called, “Ayden Saunders?”
Just like that, my heart was pounding, my palms were sweating, and for a moment I wondered if I was going to faint. Swallowing hard, I pushed down my nervousness and climbed to my feet.
As I did, I felt someone grab my hand. Looking down, I saw Sophie smiling up at me. “You can do it, Ayden.” Marissa, sitting right next to her, smiled at me as well, and that was all the encouragement I needed.
I took the script from the last luckless student to audition, who sat back down with a despondent look. I faced Mr. Danbury, who said, “Just start from the top, please.”
With a smile, I walked toward Mr. Danbury's table, placing the script down in front of him. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, I leapt into my audition.
“Good evening, Ladies and Gentlemen!” I bellowed, spreading my arms wide as I faced my fellow students. “Welcome to a wonderful story all about … MYSELF!” I shot a glance at my friends, who were all smiling at me. Simon gave me an awkward thumbs-up, and I nodded at him before continuing. “For what could be more wonderful than a story about ME? I mean, a boy who can fly, who hangs out with fairies and has sword-fights with pirates and never grows up? What could be better than that?”
Then, Mr. Danbury read the next line from the script, a line that belonged to Tinkerbell. “Tell them who you are.”
I pulled a comical face and struck a dramatic pose. “Me? Why, everyone knows who I am! I'm Peter Pan, of course!”
I looked over at the crowd, who were sitting there, eyes wide and mouths agape. For a second, the horrible thought that I'd totally mucked it up entered my mind, but after a few more moments, Sophie beamed from ear to ear and started clapping. Marissa soon joined her, as well as Simon, Michelle, Kayla, and Autumn, and before long, ten others joined them.
The applause only lasted a few seconds, but in those seconds, I felt something grow deep inside me. All the doubts and fears I'd had about performing in front of a crowd of strangers had turned into manic energy. This … is … awesome. I'm doing this. I was MEANT to do this.
“Okay, okay, settle down,” said Mr. Danbury, restoring some order. “Well done, Ayden. You may take your seat now.”
With a broad grin, I bowed deeply to him, and then to the crowd, before making my way back to my spot on the floor between Sophie and Simon.
“Dude!” Simon said, fist-bumping me. “You killed it! The rest of us might as well go home now!”
“Thanks.” I looked over at Sophie and Marissa, who were also sporting huge grins. I exhaled deeply, reveling in the moment but also glad that the hard part – well, the first hard part – was over.
“Sophie Devereaux?” Mr. Danbury said, and she rose to her feet. Steeling herself, she walked out to the assigned spot. Mr. Danbury picked up the script I'd set down on the table, offering it to her, but she politely refused.
He smiled. “Jumping right into the deep end, eh? Very well, Sophie, please read Wendy's lines, same as the other girls did.”
Sophie nodded, and then faced the crowd, her eyes locking onto mine. Smiling innocently, she began. “One evening, when I was little, Peter Pan flew right into our room, looking for his shadow. I mean, he didn't even wipe his feet! Mama told me I was dreaming, and even suggested that Nana had put the idea in my head, because that's just the kind of thing a dog would think!” She looked shocked at the thought, which was hilarious.
Unable to resist, I spoke the next line before Mr. Danbury could. “When you saw him sitting on the floor crying, what was it you said?”
She faced me full-on. “I sat up in bed and said, 'Boy, why are you crying?' And he said, 'I lost my shadow!' So, using a needle and thread, I sewed it on for him! And then he flew us aaaaaall the way to Neverland!”
Immediately, I started clapping, just as she'd done for me. The rest of our group soon followed, as did other members of the crowd. And once again, Mr. Danbury had to settle us down.
“Very good, Sophie, very good indeed. Glad to see there are some students who took the time to commit the script to memory.” He turned to me with a stern look. “But if you please, Mr. Saunders, leave the prompts to me from now on, hmmmm?”
I blushed a little, but the smile was still plastered on my face. “Sorry, sir,” I said, as Sophie sat back down next to me.
He read the next name. “Marissa Ramos?”
Marissa stood up and read the same lines all the girls were reciting, and she, too, did very well, although it's possible my opinion was a little biased. Simon and Michelle also did all right, both still quite unused to being the center of attention, but, to their credit, they got through it in one piece.
The afternoon went on like that until the first round of auditions was over. By that time, it was 5:00, and several parents who had come to pick up their kids were waiting in the back of the room. Kayla, Autumn, and a few others who showed up to volunteer their services for set design had spent the time chatting with Ms. Hough on ideas for the set.
As a group, we walked over to where Michelle's mom, who introduced herself as Trudy, and Simon's mom, Brenda, were waiting. It was almost scary how much both of them looked like their kids: the same thick glasses and goofy smiles.
“So, how'd it go, little champ?” Brenda asked, giving Simon a warm hug. She then added, “I mean … Simon,” when she realized she'd just called him 'little champ' in front of his friends.
“Pretty well,” Simon said, his face reddening. “Ayden totally nailed it today!”
“Yeah, he totally did,” said Michelle, giving her own mom a hug. “So did Sophie and Marissa!”
“Thanks,” I said, looking at the girls. “Really, you guys rocked.”
Sophie couldn't contain her smile. “Yes, we did,” she said. “Marissa, that was the best I've ever seen you!”
“Aww, come on,” Marissa said, shuffling her feet. “I didn't blow my lines, so that's cool. It was great having you all there with me. For the first time, the audition was … fun.”
I looked at the time on my cell phone. Time to go. “Well, gonna go home and practice some more. See you all tomorrow?”
“See ya, dude,” said Simon, who then said to Michelle, “See ya, Shell,” with his most gentlemanly voice.
“See ya, Simon,” she replied, and then she walked out
of the building with her mother, followed by Sophie and Kayla, who were getting rides home with her.
Marissa made a move to follow, but I put a hand on her arm. “You were amazing, Riss.”
“Thanks.” She moved closer to me. “I hope we both get good parts.”
“We will.” I hoped I sounded confident.
She nodded. We stood in an awkward silence for a few seconds. Finally, she leaned forward, planted a soft but tender kiss on my cheek, and said, “See ya tomorrow, Peter,” and ran out the door.
* * *
My mom was all smiles when I told her about my killer audition. She'd been hugely supportive of my newfound interest in theater, and, for the sake of domestic tranquility, she suggested we not tell Ron about it for now. That guy's such a killjoy.
With the next audition looming, I'd given almost no time to pondering Ron's suspicious behavior, nor to the possible location of my stolen comic books. The only thing I knew for certain was that if there really was something criminal going on, I was going to need more than just my wits and my cell phone to crack it. I would need help. I thought about letting Mom in on what I'd heard, but then decided against it. Mom was convinced we couldn't get by without his help, and nothing short of rock-solid proof was going to convince her otherwise.
As I climbed into bed and turned out the light, though, it wasn't the play, or Ron, that I was thinking about. It was a girl. A sweet, shy, beautiful girl, who had kissed me today. Yes, fine, it was on the cheek, but it was still awesome. Just imagine what a kiss on the lips from her would be like …
“I got this,” I murmured to myself, and then closed my eyes, broadly grinning as I drifted off to Neverland.
Chapter 18
~ Day 44 (Tue.) ~
SOPHIE
I walked into the cafeteria after sixth period, my mind racing as fast as my heart. Mr. Danbury had praised my performance yesterday, but was it enough to make the second round of auditions? I looked for Marissa and Michelle, and they were already there, sitting down on the same spot we were yesterday. Ayden and Simon were also there, chatting to themselves.
Sophie's Different (James Madison Series Book 3) Page 14