She probably planned it that way.
Dave waits in the doorway of Mr. Mayer’s class. He hands me a single pink rose, and then he grins like a total lunatic when I smile.
“What’s this for?” I ask, twirling the rose between my fingers and holding back a sneeze.
“I wanted to see you smile.”
“Hmmm … I guess it worked, then.” I take a deep breath and grin.
“So roses aren’t your favorite?” Dave asks. “What flower do you prefer?”
My mouth drops open and I blink rapidly. “What?” How in the world did he know I was faking it?
“Don’t worry,” he says. “Your performance was nearly flawless. You could probably fool just about anyone. I almost even believed you. But you bite your bottom lip and crinkle your nose in the most adorable way when you’re faking a smile.” He motions to the rose. “It’s not what you would pick for yourself, is it?”
I laugh. “Well, actually, no. Pink roses are Laina’s signature flower, but I’ve always thought roses are the snobs of the flower world. I prefer something less pretentious.” I bite my lip and try to shove the image of my shattered sister out of my mind. She doesn’t want to talk about whatever it is that’s bugging her, so what am I supposed to do? It’s not like I can force her to confide in me.
“I’ll try to remember that,” Dave says. He takes my hand and squeezes it softly as we walk into the classroom. “So, are you ready?”
I pull my hand away and wipe it on my jeans, hoping he didn’t notice that my palms are sweating. “Ready for what?” I blink innocently and flash my best I’m-totally-clueless smile.
He laughs. “You’re good, Andi. I’m telling ya, you’re a natural. If I didn’t know you so well, I might even believe that you aren’t counting the hours until the Cinderella cast list is posted. But don’t worry. You rocked that audition. You’ll definitely get the part.”
He smiles and pats my shoulder awkwardly. “So, should we go out for ice cream after school to kill the time while we wait? You know, to keep our minds off the results, so we don’t psych ourselves out or anything? Amy says her supreme brownie sundae is the perfect thing for calming nerves.”
“Whatever. You didn’t even try out for anything, you big chicken. You don’t have anything to be nervous about.” I flip my hair. “Not that I’m nervous or anything. I only auditioned in the first place so you would stop bugging me. I don’t care which part I get.” I shove the mental image of me in Cinderella’s ball gown aside and push past Dave to get to my seat. “If you’re looking for an excuse to ask me out again, just do it.”
Dave grins and leans on my desk. “Okay, Andi. Want to go to the diner with me after school?”
“See? Was that so hard?” I laugh. “I wouldn’t mind driving out to say hi to Amy. But no ice cream. I’m thinking chili-cheese fries.”
“It’s a date. Meet me in front of the school after last period.” Dave winks and then saunters across the room to his seat as Mr. Mayer clears his throat and stands up to begin bombarding us with facts about the aftermath of World War Two.
I yawn and lean back in my chair, settling into my I’m-too-cool-for-class persona, but I nearly lose the façade when I notice Dave watching me with a smirk. How does he always know when I’m faking it?
Emily tosses a folded piece of paper onto my desk. I open it carefully, trying not to let the sound of crinkling paper catch Mr. Mayer’s attention, and then I spread it out on my notebook so I can read it secretly.
“What’s up with you and Dave? Is he officially your boyfriend yet?”
I shake my head in a don’t-be-ridiculous kind of way, and Emily hunches over her desk to scribble furiously on another blank sheet of paper. As soon as Mr. Mayer looks down to check his notes, she throws the new page at me.
“What are you waiting for?? You are so into him, don’t even try to deny it. Andi Andersen doesn’t hang out with the same boy every day for a week if he’s not boyfriend material. So go for it already! But don’t forget about the rest of us when you slip off into lovey-dovey land, k?”
I turn the paper over and scrawl a quick reply on the back. “You’re crazy.”
Just because Dave is obviously attracted to me doesn’t mean the feelings are mutual. He’s been obsessing about me for years, and it hasn’t changed my feelings. One date won’t magically transform him into the man of my dreams.
I’ve barely even noticed the sparkle in his chocolate brown eyes or his adorable dimple. Dave’s not boyfriend material. We haven’t even kissed.
He hasn’t even tried.
***
I take a deep breath and exhale slowly as Dave pulls into the Little Community Theater parking lot. It doesn’t matter which part I get.
“Your audition was flawless,” Dave says. “They’d be crazy not to pick you.”
“I’m not worried. Do I look worried?” I laugh and slouch against the seat.
“No, you don’t look worried at all.” Dave grabs my hand and studies my ragged fingernails, running his thumb over the chipped polish. “It’s a good thing, too. Some girls bite their nails when they’re nervous. You wouldn’t want to damage this manicure or anything.”
I blush and pull my hand away, tucking my fingers into a fist to conceal my battered nails.
“But if you’re really not worried about what part you get, we don’t have to stay. My mom’s friends with the director. I could call her tomorrow for you.”
I pop the latch on my seatbelt and jump out of the car before he can drive away. “No.” I sigh. “I might as well get this over with, so you’ll stop bugging me.”
Dave laughs and follows me into the theater lobby.
“You check in over there,” he says, pointing to the crowd of people gathering in front of a long table piled high with stacks of paper. I join the A through L line, while Dave strolls over to a smaller table in the corner to get his assignment for the stage crew.
“Congratulations,” says the woman in a too-tight bun and a totally blah, beige suit, after checking my name against the list on her clipboard. She pulls a script out of a large box sitting on the table beside her and hands it to me. “Your lines are already highlighted.” She grabs a packet of papers with my name in big, bold letters on the top of the first sheet. “Here is the rehearsal schedule, and all the information you’ll need for costume fittings and performances. Be sure to fill out the form on the last page of your information packet if you’d like your two complimentary tickets for the friends and family special matinee performance.”
She tucks the stack of papers into my script and hands the whole thing to me. “Please read through your part to familiarize yourself with the lines prior to our first cast meeting on Saturday at three o’clock. Be prepared to ask any questions you may have at that time.” She waves me away and turns her attention to the next person in line.
I step back from the table as the middle-aged man behind me gives his name and fidgets nervously while beige bun lady checks her clipboard. “I’m so sorry,” she says. “You’re not on my list, Mr. Christofferson. However, we still need a few extra hands on our stage crew, if you’re interested.”
The poor man looks crushed as he shuffles away from the table empty-handed. I clutch my script and exhale slowly. I’d never considered the very real chance that I might not get a part.
“So? What part did you get?” Dave asks, reaching for my script.
“Oh, she didn’t say.” I resist the urge to yank the script out of his hands. “But she said my lines were already highlighted in there, so I guess it should be easy to figure out.”
I watch Dave flipping through my script and carefully keep my expression blank as I study his reactions. I tell myself not to get my hopes up, but the smile on his face tells me all of my worries and doubts were totally unnecessary. I totally nailed the audition.
“Wow. Congrats,” Dave says and offers the script to me. “You’ll be amazing.”
I take it and eagerly scan the openin
g pages for my first line. The highlighted lines are easy to find. I flip through the whole script, and then pull out the packet of loose papers that are tucked into the back.
I can’t play this part.
“Hey, Andi.” Jarod’s voice pulls me away from my panicked thoughts. “Are you my Cinderella?”
I blush and drop my gaze. Of course Jarod would be Prince Charming. I study the fancy tile patterns on the floor of the lobby, searching for the right words.
“Is that a yes? Are you my happily ever after?”
Glancing up at Jarod’s smiling face, I shake my head slightly. He’s only teasing, but there’s a hint of real question in his eyes. We haven’t really talked in more than a week. Not since I told him to leave me alone until he figured things out. The way he’s looking at me now, I wonder if he’s decided.
My heart flutters with the barest glimmer of hope. Maybe I could be his real-life fairy tale. “Should I try on the slipper to see if it fits?”
“Actually,” Dave says, slipping his arm around my waist and taking a step forward, to stand between Jarod and me, “I think I heard that girl in the Northridge cheerleader uniform say she’s Cinderella.” He points across the room to a girl who could almost give Laina a run for her money in the looks department. She’s not quite Barbie doll perfect, but definitely cheerleader cliché.
Jarod frowns. “What part did you get?”
“Andi’s going to be playing stepsister number one. The hot one.” Dave smiles and squeezes my hand.
I toss my hair over my shoulder nonchalantly. “Well, I could definitely make the wicked stepsister totally sexy, but I don’t know if I’m even going to take the part. I only tried out because Dave kind of pushed me into it. But I’m really busy. I don’t think I’ll have time for all of the practices.” I wave the rehearsal schedule in front of me and let out an I-really-wish-my-life-wasn’t-so-busy sigh. “I might pass on the whole thing.”
I play the unwanted sister every day of my life. I don’t want to be that girl on stage as well.
“You have to do this with me,” Jarod says. “Remember how much fun we had backstage when we did Much Ado About Nothing?”
Dave glares at Jarod and takes both of my hands in his, pulling me around to face him. “You shouldn’t do it for him or for me or for anyone else,” he says. “Do it because you want to.”
“So if I say it’s not my thing, you’ll stop bugging me about it and leave me alone?”
“If you can honestly say that it’s not for you, then I promise not to say another word.”
I bite my lip. The stepsister has almost no time on stage with the prince, and Jarod and I won’t even be rehearsing most of our scenes at the same time. But I do miss the stage.
Dave smiles. “You’ll be the first stepsister in the history of the story to steal the spotlight away from Cinderella.”
I shake my head. “I don’t think I can even make it to all of the practices. I live all the way across town, and my sister won’t want to chauffer me around every day for weeks.”
“No problem,” he says. “I already signed up to be on the stage crew, so I have to be here every day anyway. You can ride with me.”
“Please?” Jarod says, pulling me away from Dave. “I miss my backstage buddy. It’s never the same without you.”
I totally forget everyone around us as he takes my hand and stares into my eyes. Maybe playing the forgotten sister won’t be so bad. And Dave might be right. This could be the first time in history when Prince Charming chooses the stepsister over the old Cinderella cliché.
Dave clears his throat, and I pull my hand back, breaking the spell Jarod has over me.
“Okay, fine. Since you begged so nicely and all, I guess I’ll do it.” I glance across the room at the Northridge cheerleader. “But maybe someone should warn poor Cinderella that she doesn’t stand a chance. The prince seems to think her stepsister is totally charming.”
Summer and Emily meet me after last period. We’re supposed to start looking for prom dresses, so we can find something good before all of the best dresses are snatched up, but the only dress I can think of is the Cinderella ball gown I won’t be wearing. I’m totally lost in my own thoughts and not paying attention to my friends’ conversation, until Summer laughs and grabs my arm. “I knew that break-up wouldn’t last,” she says. “Didn’t I tell you they’d get back together?”
“They’re not back together. They’re just going to prom. As friends.” Emily rolls her eyes. “Rachel didn’t want her dress to go to waste, and they already had everything planned, so it made sense.”
I stop walking and pull my arm away from Summer. “Rachel? Who is she going to prom with?”
Emily sighs. “I don’t know why we even try to talk to you anymore. You never listen.”
“Sorry.” I flash my puppy dog pout and bat my eyelashes at her. “I promise you have my full attention now. What did I miss?”
“Nothing,” Summer says. “I’m just surprised that Rachel and Shane are still going to prom. Honestly, I kind of expected him to ask your sister out. Have you seen the way he stares at her? It’s like borderline stalkerish.”
I laugh and shake my head, carefully concealing the panic building in my chest. Laina’s expecting a prom invitation from Shane too. She’s going to be crushed, and it’s all my fault. I’m gonna kill that boy, next time I see him, but in the meantime, I have to fix this before Laina finds out.
We pile into Summer’s car, and Emily starts babbling about some stupid thing Nick said last period. When I’m sure enough time has passed that they’ve forgotten our prom conversation, I gasp and frantically pull a random notebook out of my bag. “Guys! Why didn’t you remind me that today is Wednesday?”
I open the notebook and start flipping through pages, pretending to read. “I have that biology test tomorrow, and I don’t even know what it’s about.” I lean forward and grab Summer’s shoulder. “You have to drop me at home. Mom will kill me if I fail another test, and I’m supposed to meet Dave later, so I’ve got to study now.”
“Are you sure?” Summer asks. “Dave could probably give you the answers. He aced bio last year. And you need something hot to wear for your date.”
I roll my eyes. “It’s not a date. Dave’s never seen the Julie Andrews version of Cinderella, so we’re going to watch it and compare interpretations. He’s helping me with my part. That’s it.”
Emily laughs. “No one’s ever seen the Julie Andrews version. If you don’t want people to know you’re hooking up with Dave, fine. But you should come up with a better cover story.”
“Whatever, Em.” Summer pulls into my driveway, and I’m halfway out of the car before it stops moving. “I’ll call you later.”
“You better call,” Summer says. “I want to hear every detail of your non-date.”
I nod and wave as Summer backs out of the driveway and zooms down the street.
Racing into the house, I drop my coat and backpack on the living room couch, and grab the phone on my way through the kitchen. When I reach Laina’s bedroom door, I stop and take a deep breath. I hope Dave’s right about my natural acting abilities, because if I don’t get this right, Laina might never forgive me.
I bounce into her room without bothering to knock, calling upon every ounce of my bubbly, ditzy persona. “You should get Jarod to take you to the prom. I bet he looks super-hot in a tuxedo.” I shove aside a wave of jealousy and plaster a genuine-looking smile across my face. Jarod is the only guy Laina would even consider as a prom alternative, so it has to be him.
I toss the phone at her, and it lands neatly in her lap. She closes the book she’s reading and picks at the fuzzy fabric on the arm of her reading chair, shaking her head. “I’m not begging my friend for a pity date.”
I force a giggle and flop onto her bed. “Not a pity date. A totally yummy date. You and Jarod would be so cute together.” Maybe, if they go to prom, Laina’s obsession with Shane will make the night awkward enough that Jarod
will finally give up on her. And if they end up together instead, at least I’ll know he’s made a choice.
Laina puts her book down and crosses the room to sit on the bed beside me, dropping the phone onto the middle of her fluffy comforter. “What’s the deal? Last week, you were all convinced that Shane and I should get together.”
I roll over onto my stomach and kick my legs up in the air. “You deserve the whole cliché prom experience. Limo, fancy dinner, totally hot date in a tuxedo. And you know you’ll hang out with Jarod all night anyway. Might as well make it official.”
“I’ll have all of that stuff when I go to the prom with Shane.”
I should have known better than to trust Emily’s expired information.
“Oh. My. Gobstopper. When did he ask, and why didn’t you tell me?” I grab Mr. Cuddles from her pillow and hug him tightly. This means I don’t have to force Jarod and Laina together after all. And maybe it’s not too late for a miracle of my own.
Laina squirms. “Well, he hasn’t technically asked yet, but he will. He was sick and he missed a few days’ school, and he’s been crazy busy with make-up work since he got back. But he broke up with Rachel, so he obviously doesn’t have a date anymore. And you keep saying that Shane’s secretly in love with me.”
I roll my eyes. “Of course he’s in love with you. That doesn’t mean he’s not stupid. I’m pretty sure he’s heard of a little thing called a telephone. He probably even has one of his very own. He could have called you. But he didn’t. Because he’s a freaking idiot. So quit waiting for Prince Not-So-Charming to get a clue, and go to the prom with Jarod.” I take a deep breath, remind myself that this is all for a good cause, and then I pick up the phone, slipping back into my bubbly voice. “I’ll call him for you, k?”
She grabs the phone, pushes me off the bed, and glares. “Shane. Broke. Up. With. Rachel. For me.” She tosses the phone back onto the bed, folds her arms across her chest, and smiles triumphantly.
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