Chapter 6
One week.
It was meant to be hell but for once I found it bearable.
The rumors that I had expected by Monday were forgotten but instead a new rumor took its place.
April and Erik were now officially going out. Nobody shut up about it and it made me more determined to go through with whatever Vanessa made me do.
I struggled through Monday morning when April threw me triumphant looks from the front of the class in English and chatted to Melissa.
“So yeah, Erik and I have been going out since like last month,” she was saying loudly so that everyone could hear, “Didn’t you hear?”
Melissa winked at her throwing her red hair back across her shoulders to reveal her new eyebrow piercing, “Well well April, get stuck in there. I had no idea. I heard he was flirting with Kerry the other day though.”
April narrowed her eyes at her and turned back to her own table, “Well he’s really convincing, I told him that I wanted to keep it secret.”
There was a snort beside me and I turned around to look at Vanessa.
She was leaning over her copy and regarding April with a smirk, “I’m sure she was the one that told him she wanted to keep it secret,” she muttered to me.
“There are lots of possibilities,” I pointed out.
“That sounds like a load of bollox,” snorted Vanessa, “She’s being like that because she probably suspects you like him or something. To be honest, I bet he’s just using her for benefits. A girl like that is probably capable of doing a lot of stuff when she’s drunk.”
“I guess that is meant to make me feel better,” I sighed, “How far do you say they went?”
“Couldn’t give a crap,” said Vanessa simply and gave me a sympathetic smile, “Don’t worry. Band rehearsals are on this break time. Mike managed to get Mr. Darcy to lend us his room.”
I didn’t know whether I should be happy about the news or a bit nervous. If I had to be honest with myself, I spent all night picturing myself on that stage and blowing away half the audience. Somehow Erik made his way into the picture and met me with wide open arms and a passionate kiss. I knew that if I got to live in my daydreams I’d be the happiest girl on earth but unfortunately reality didn’t work that way. In reality I was just a nervous sixteen year old with great hopes to one day bring April down off her pedestal and show her who’s the boss.
It’s been sixteen years. I couldn’t let her trample on me like this forever. This time I had to show her who was better. I had to settle the score and taking her boyfriend and stealing her spotlight seemed like a perfect way to do so. It was bitchy, I know but it was worth it.
“Don’t worry,” said Vanessa after a while mistaking my silence for nerves, “You will get through the auditions.”
“No I won’t,” I sighed and glared at my copy of “Romeo and Juliet,”
“Well I say that judging by your acting skills you could pretty much kick ass any one that auditions on that stage,” said Vanessa winking, “You’re determined to get that part yeah?”
I nodded, “Obviously, I want to bring April down.”
“Well then follow my lead and you’ll get it,” replied Vanessa and leaned back in her seat looking smug, “After the script I picked out for you, you’re going to kick ass.”
“And what have you got planned for me?” I asked rolling my eyes.
“You’ll see,” said Vanessa and leaned over her work as our tiny English teacher, Ms Freeman walked into the room.
The whole week I spent my lunch times cooped up in Mr. Darcy’s music room with Mike, Derrick, Sam and Gary. They were supportive and seemed in awe of my newly discovered singing voice.
“That’s great,” said Mike for like the thousandth time looking delighted with himself, “I can say by Sunday you’d be kicking ass.”
Gary took out five cans from his bag and passed it on to everyone. Derrick gave me my can and took a swig of his. He perched himself on top of a table and gazed at the ceiling thoughtfully.
“I don’t know,” I said uncertainly, “You have to say that, Vanessa probably paid you.”
Sam rolled his eyes , “You, my shy little friend, are representing our band on Sunday, now if we did think you were shit, I don’t think we would’ve agreed to it. You get me? Otherwise you would’ve been shit and then our band would be shit and then we would fail that audition and then nobody will ever listen to our band ever again.”
“What he said,” said Gary pointing his drum stick at him and then ramming it on one of the cymbals.
“Oh this is gorgeous,” said Mike taking a giant swig of his can, “How much alcohol does this have?”
Gary rolled his eyes, “Its coke.”
Mike looked disappointed as his band mates hid their laughs by taking a sip of their drinks. I sighed and opened mine then took a giant sip. The coke ran down my throat and I gazed at the can thoughtfully.
It would be great to kick ass on that stage. Did I really have the guts to do it?
“Ok people,” said Mike downing his can and throwing it into a bin, “Chop chop, from the start.”
“I think I know what would make this perfect,” said Vanessa appearing from the doorway, she was watching the rehearsals, looking impressed.
Mike glanced at her and then walked to the opposite side of the room. I think I was the only one that noticed the defensive stance he took as he tried to hide his prized possessions from more damage.
“You have to give the audience the eyes,” said Vanessa walking in and folding her arms, “Make yourself look seductive, like this, give them teasing smiles…get into the music. Imagine the guy you’re singing this to, remember you’re singing about him being toxic, not boring.”
My rehearsals passed like that for five whole days. Nobody from the school suspected anything and as the days went by I suddenly started hearing whispers from some of my classmates.
“She has been hanging out with Mike.”
“Are you for fucking serious? Mike? Michelle? How do you know?”
“I don’t think she has a chance…”
I refused to let those rumors get me down and day after day I let the determination show on my face as I sang my heart out.
Vanessa watched with a smug smile on her face and after each rehearsal she clapped a hand on my shoulder and told me that I had the audition in the bag.
The confidence that had evaded me for so many years started to build up in my chest. It was unrealistic, I know. Nobody could become confident after a week but I felt the determination to get that role. I needed to get on that stage. I wanted to prove April wrong. I’ve endured her shit for too long now and now was my big opportunity to prove that I was better than her. Now was the time for me to get my dream guy.
Even though the rehearsals were going great, by Friday the confidence had shattered. I suddenly began to see the bad side of the plan and it was the horrifying idea that…we didn’t have the script or the lines. How was I going to pass an audition when I had no script or any lines? How was I going to get the role if I couldn’t act!
“Don’t worry about it,” said Vanessa reassuringly, pulling out a huge paper folder from her bag, “My friend has a friend who is in the play and she was kind enough to lend us a copy of the script. Now for the auditions, they would expect you to sing and then perform scene ten.”
“I can’t even act,” I whispered helplessly, my last acting experience was pretending to be a door in a school nativity play.
“Who gives a shit,” said Vanessa rolling her eyes, “Anyone can act, it’s all about making yourself believe that you’re someone you’re not and the role is in the bag. Now how much do you like Erik?”
I thought about his green eyes and the way he had picked me up off the floor when everyone else laughed.
“A lot,” I sighed.
Vanessa smiled, “Learn the scene and he’s yours.”
I didn’t take her word for it. The pessimism began to build up in my head and I found myself staying up late every night thinking about every single scenario in which I humiliated myself.
The anxiety got me down and I spent my shift at the cinema on Friday night watching the popcorn pop and the butter melt. Pathetic.
There was the sound of laughter and I found myself staring at Erik leading a laughing April. She looked gorgeous as always in a red tight jumper and skinny jeans. Her cowboy boots looked cute and her hair hung in loose blond curls behind her back.
Erik looked just as hot as ever with his windswept hair and bright green eyes that sparkled with laughter.
I tensed as I watched them, turning my back to him and poured some coke for an impatient customer. The woman was talking on her phone; I caught the word, “Poor service” and quickly passed her the drinks and took the cash of her and shoved it in the till.
“Next,” I said impatiently watching them from the corner of my eyes. My heart sank when I saw Erik kiss her and she giggled then walked towards the bathrooms. He suddenly made his way towards the popcorn till.
I quickly looked around for an escape or another customer but most of the people had abandoned me and were currently being served by a dark haired guy with bad acne.
“Bad service here apparently,” commented Erik leaning against the counter and fixing me with a white lopsided grin.
“I’d say its discrimination,” I said with a small smile trying to act cool, inside my heart was melting. His eyes…
Erik laughed, “Or maybe they just can’t handle you.”
“Possibly,” I smiled, “You know me on Friday nights.”
“Working at a cinema,” said Erik and winked, “I always know where to find you now.”
“Stalker,” I laughed.
Erik grinned and gazed up at the menus thoughtfully, “So what have you got on sale today?”
“No movie meal deals today,” I said with a shrug, “So shall I say two popcorns and two cokes?”
“One big popcorn,” said Erik, “One coke, two straws.”
That comment made my heart sink even lower and I hid my misery by turning away to fill up a huge bag of popcorn.
“So how was your week?” asked Erik casually.
“Good,” I replied with forced cheerfulness, “Just the usual, lots of homework and shit.”
“Come on,” said Erik raising an eyebrow, “Gary is in my class and he has been saying a lot of stuff about you.”
I nearly choked on my own spit at that news, “What did he say?”
“I heard that you were singing,” said Erik and leaned forward on the counter, “I never knew you sang.”
Thank you Gary, I thought in my head, “Well…it’s not something I brag about.”
“So what are you preparing for?” he asked.
I put one huge coke plastic cup under the tap and pressed the coke button, “I’m auditioning for a play.”
He looked surprised, “Oh really, what type of play?”
I tried to remember the name of the theatre, “I think it was in the royal theatre or something.”
“The grand royal theatre?”
I nodded, “Yeah that one.”
Erik suddenly looked impressed and nodded, “Whoa…I didn’t know, I guess I’ll see you on Sunday then?”
I nodded and faked a grin, “When I kick your ass on stage.”
Erik laughed, “Well then bring it on.”
“What’s going on here?” asked April’s high pitched girly voice; she gave me a menacing look as she joined Erik in front of me.
I gave her a nasty glare and put the cup and the popcorn in front of them, “its eight ninety five,” I said.
Erik held out a ten euro note and winked at me, “Keep the change.”
I rolled my eyes at him, put it into the till and held out his change, “Enjoy the movie.”
“I will,” said Erik quietly, he grabbed the popcorn and stuffed it into April’s arms and ushered her in front of him.
Did I suddenly imagine the look he threw me as he walked away?
Determination seized control of me and I knew that I wanted that role more than anything in the world.
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