and square-jawed, I thought. With deep, soft brown eyes that would melt me with their gaze, and dark, wavy hair curling onto his neck. He wouldn’t be able to take his eyes off me. We’d move towards each other like magnets. Then we would talk and talk, discovering all the things we had in common, sharing our hopes and fears and dreams. And then, finally, we would kiss. A slow, deep, romantic . . .
‘Hel-lo, River.’ Emmi’s amused voice broke through my thoughts. ‘Are you going to audition for Juliet or not?’
Acting Friends CS5.indd 80
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I glanced at Emmi’s heart-shaped, dimpled face.
My best friend had a sharp prettiness – all sparkling dark eyes and dramatically-long, shiny hair. Unlike me, she was relaxed and confident. She was the obvious choice for Juliet.
But I knew she was the wrong one.
Whoever played Juliet had to at least be able to imagine what it would be like to really fall in love with someone else. I was pretty sure Emmi was no more able to do that than she was to stop flirting with every guy she met.
‘Don’t see why not,’ I shrugged, trying to look unbothered about the whole audition process. ‘I mean, if you’re going for a speaking part, you might as well try for all of them. Not that I really care who I end up playing.’
Emmi grinned. ‘Yeah, right, Riv.’
I shrugged again and went back to the window.
My face burned. Trust Emmi to have seen right through me.
The minibus was pulling into a huge, mostly empty car park. Directly in front stood a large concrete school block. It looked deserted. I checked the time on my phone. Four p.m.
‘Guess all the boys have gone home,’ Emmi said.
She sounded disappointed.
‘Good.’ I stood up and joined the queue to get Acting Friends CS5.indd 81
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off the minibus. ‘The last thing we need is an audience.’
Emmi laughed. ‘Isn’t an audience exactly what we’re here for?’
We got off the minibus and milled awkwardly in the car park. The rain had lightened to a soft drizzle. The absolute worst kind of weather for my hair, which gets all frizzy at the first sign of moisture.
A tall, very thin man with a high forehead and slicked back dark hair came striding towards us. A boy in the St Cletus school uniform of black trousers, white shirt and black-and-green striped tie trotted awkwardly beside him.
Ms Yates smiled nervously. ‘That’s Mr Nichols, the head of drama,’ she said.
‘Hello there,’ the man boomed. For such a thin person, his voice was surprisingly deep. ‘I’m Mr Nichols. Welcome to St Cletus’s.’ He beamed round at us all, casting a particularly warm smile at Ms Yates. ‘Now let’s get you in out of the rain.’ He flung his arms out to indicate the boy beside him. ‘If anyone needs the bathroom, James Molloy here will show you to the Ladies.’
Fifteen pairs of eyes swivelled to look at James Molloy.
He had sandy-coloured hair and a squishy, Acting Friends CS5.indd 82
21/12/2011 11:48
comfortable face. Underneath the flush of embarrassment creeping up his cheeks, I could see he looked nice. Nice, as in open and friendly.
You can’t fall in love with nice.
Mr Nichols strode off towards the school building, indicating – with another exaggerated arm movement – that we should follow.
We all scuttled after him.
James Molloy had – surprise, surprise – gravitated almost immediately to Emmi’s side.
‘Hi,’ he said hopefully, then blushed.
Emmi flashed him a big smile. ‘Hi,’ she purred.
‘I’m Emmi.’
I giggled.
James Molloy gulped. He looked as if he was desperately trying to think of something to say.
We reached the large wooden door that Mr
Nichols had just walked through. James held it open to let Emmi past, then dived after her, ahead of me.
‘We’re going to the sixth form common room,’ he said. ‘The auditions’ll be in there.’
Emmi glanced over her shoulder and cocked an eyebrow at him. ‘Will boys be watching?’ she
‘Hel-lo, River.’ Emmi’s amused voice broke through my thoughts. ‘Are you going to audition for Juliet or not?’
Acting Friends CS5.indd 80
21/12/2011 11:48
I glanced at Emmi’s heart-shaped, dimpled face.
My best friend had a sharp prettiness – all sparkling dark eyes and dramatically-long, shiny hair. Unlike me, she was relaxed and confident. She was the obvious choice for Juliet.
But I knew she was the wrong one.
Whoever played Juliet had to at least be able to imagine what it would be like to really fall in love with someone else. I was pretty sure Emmi was no more able to do that than she was to stop flirting with every guy she met.
‘Don’t see why not,’ I shrugged, trying to look unbothered about the whole audition process. ‘I mean, if you’re going for a speaking part, you might as well try for all of them. Not that I really care who I end up playing.’
Emmi grinned. ‘Yeah, right, Riv.’
I shrugged again and went back to the window.
My face burned. Trust Emmi to have seen right through me.
The minibus was pulling into a huge, mostly empty car park. Directly in front stood a large concrete school block. It looked deserted. I checked the time on my phone. Four p.m.
‘Guess all the boys have gone home,’ Emmi said.
She sounded disappointed.
‘Good.’ I stood up and joined the queue to get Acting Friends CS5.indd 81
21/12/2011 11:48
off the minibus. ‘The last thing we need is an audience.’
Emmi laughed. ‘Isn’t an audience exactly what we’re here for?’
We got off the minibus and milled awkwardly in the car park. The rain had lightened to a soft drizzle. The absolute worst kind of weather for my hair, which gets all frizzy at the first sign of moisture.
A tall, very thin man with a high forehead and slicked back dark hair came striding towards us. A boy in the St Cletus school uniform of black trousers, white shirt and black-and-green striped tie trotted awkwardly beside him.
Ms Yates smiled nervously. ‘That’s Mr Nichols, the head of drama,’ she said.
‘Hello there,’ the man boomed. For such a thin person, his voice was surprisingly deep. ‘I’m Mr Nichols. Welcome to St Cletus’s.’ He beamed round at us all, casting a particularly warm smile at Ms Yates. ‘Now let’s get you in out of the rain.’ He flung his arms out to indicate the boy beside him. ‘If anyone needs the bathroom, James Molloy here will show you to the Ladies.’
Fifteen pairs of eyes swivelled to look at James Molloy.
He had sandy-coloured hair and a squishy, Acting Friends CS5.indd 82
21/12/2011 11:48
comfortable face. Underneath the flush of embarrassment creeping up his cheeks, I could see he looked nice. Nice, as in open and friendly.
You can’t fall in love with nice.
Mr Nichols strode off towards the school building, indicating – with another exaggerated arm movement – that we should follow.
We all scuttled after him.
James Molloy had – surprise, surprise – gravitated almost immediately to Emmi’s side.
‘Hi,’ he said hopefully, then blushed.
Emmi flashed him a big smile. ‘Hi,’ she purred.
‘I’m Emmi.’
I giggled.
James Molloy gulped. He looked as if he was desperately trying to think of something to say.
We reached the large wooden door that Mr
Nichols had just walked through. James held it open to let Emmi past, then dived after her, ahead of me.
‘We’re going to the sixth form common room,’ he said. ‘The auditions’ll be in there.’
Emmi glanced over her shoulder and cocked an eyebrow at him. ‘Will boys be watching?’ she
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