time.”
Double ouch. I gave a closed-mouthed smile before I made to leave.
“Wait,” Keisha murmured, extending her hand toward me, but Heather slapped it down. I pretended I didn’t notice as I left their table and returned to the empty one, just like how I pretended not to hear Keisha say, “It’s not right, and you know it.” Or Durrell say, “He’s lucky he’s on the team or I’d take care of it.”
Maybe it was just one off-day, I tried to convince myself. Just one day of weirdness that I didn’t understand. But even then I knew it wouldn’t be the same.
11
M y sheet music was getting wrinkled. I shifted my weight from foot to foot. Auditioning was probably a terrible idea. An insanely bad one. I’d talked myself in and out of going several times just standing in the hallway. If my parents found out, they’d kill me. If my teammates found out, which they would eventually, they’d rip on me like no one’s business.
With a deep breath, I walked down the hallway toward the band room where the auditions would be held. I could at least stick my head in. Maybe decide then whether I’d have the balls to go through with it or not.
Halfway there, I saw my brother in the hallway with Raiden and two girls I didn’t know. One was practically straddling Raiden’s leg as they made out; the other was trying to press up against Robbie, who kept moving away and saying, “Knock it off.” A chill rushed through my body. Something wasn’t right. Robbie turned his head and our eyes met. His held the same fear he’d been drowning in last Saturday. My breath slowed.
My hands clenched around my sheet music. I dampened my lips. Robbie was not okay, but the audition was now. I’d made it this far, and it’d only be for a few minutes, not hours.
I could turn back. I knew I could. I could go home with Robbie and make sure he was fine.
But I stayed home with Robbie when I could have gone out with Heather. And now, things were messed up with me and her and the guys on the hockey team.
I studied my brother. He was with Raiden. He wouldn’t do anything in front of Raiden. I was certain of that.
With a shaky breath, I continued to the band room. It’d only be a few hours. I could do the audition—in, out, fast—and be home just in case. For once, I had to do something that was just for me. He’d be fine. It’d be fine.
The closer it got to my call time, the more my stomach twisted. Pressure rose behind my sternum the way it always did before I threw up. I sipped a small bottle of coconut water. A lot of actors on Twitter swore by it, saying it helped lubricate their throats and produce crisper sounds. I hoped that was true. Not just because I wanted to sing better, but because it tasted rancid.
Behind the closed door, I heard Craig’s muted voice singing “Color My World” from Priscilla: Queen of the Desert. After a roar of laughter, I wondered if he danced his way through the vocal. I wouldn’t be surprised. Once he twerked on the Assistant Dean’s car and didn’t even get detention after setting off the alarm with his butt. He just couldn’t keep from moving.
The door swung open. Craig sauntered out wearing the shortest shorts I’d ever seen and an open shirt. Both were a hideous shade of yellow.
“Holy . . . Tristan?” Craig asked, eyebrows raising. “You’re not auditioning, are you?”
“Ms. Price talked me into it.”
“Holy guacamole!” His face lit up as he pulled me in a hug. “ So proud of you.”
“Don’t be proud yet. I could suck.”
“Um, of course, I’m proud. Takes massive balls to audition.”
“Tristan,” Ms. Price called from the open door. “Ready to go?”
I extracted myself from Craig’s grasp and walked into the room, sheet music bunched up in hand. Just inside the door, I felt a sharp pain around my neck. My body jerked involuntarily.
“You all right?” Ms. Price asked.
There was a throbbing in my ears and a weight on my chest. If this was stage
Double ouch. I gave a closed-mouthed smile before I made to leave.
“Wait,” Keisha murmured, extending her hand toward me, but Heather slapped it down. I pretended I didn’t notice as I left their table and returned to the empty one, just like how I pretended not to hear Keisha say, “It’s not right, and you know it.” Or Durrell say, “He’s lucky he’s on the team or I’d take care of it.”
Maybe it was just one off-day, I tried to convince myself. Just one day of weirdness that I didn’t understand. But even then I knew it wouldn’t be the same.
11
M y sheet music was getting wrinkled. I shifted my weight from foot to foot. Auditioning was probably a terrible idea. An insanely bad one. I’d talked myself in and out of going several times just standing in the hallway. If my parents found out, they’d kill me. If my teammates found out, which they would eventually, they’d rip on me like no one’s business.
With a deep breath, I walked down the hallway toward the band room where the auditions would be held. I could at least stick my head in. Maybe decide then whether I’d have the balls to go through with it or not.
Halfway there, I saw my brother in the hallway with Raiden and two girls I didn’t know. One was practically straddling Raiden’s leg as they made out; the other was trying to press up against Robbie, who kept moving away and saying, “Knock it off.” A chill rushed through my body. Something wasn’t right. Robbie turned his head and our eyes met. His held the same fear he’d been drowning in last Saturday. My breath slowed.
My hands clenched around my sheet music. I dampened my lips. Robbie was not okay, but the audition was now. I’d made it this far, and it’d only be for a few minutes, not hours.
I could turn back. I knew I could. I could go home with Robbie and make sure he was fine.
But I stayed home with Robbie when I could have gone out with Heather. And now, things were messed up with me and her and the guys on the hockey team.
I studied my brother. He was with Raiden. He wouldn’t do anything in front of Raiden. I was certain of that.
With a shaky breath, I continued to the band room. It’d only be a few hours. I could do the audition—in, out, fast—and be home just in case. For once, I had to do something that was just for me. He’d be fine. It’d be fine.
The closer it got to my call time, the more my stomach twisted. Pressure rose behind my sternum the way it always did before I threw up. I sipped a small bottle of coconut water. A lot of actors on Twitter swore by it, saying it helped lubricate their throats and produce crisper sounds. I hoped that was true. Not just because I wanted to sing better, but because it tasted rancid.
Behind the closed door, I heard Craig’s muted voice singing “Color My World” from Priscilla: Queen of the Desert. After a roar of laughter, I wondered if he danced his way through the vocal. I wouldn’t be surprised. Once he twerked on the Assistant Dean’s car and didn’t even get detention after setting off the alarm with his butt. He just couldn’t keep from moving.
The door swung open. Craig sauntered out wearing the shortest shorts I’d ever seen and an open shirt. Both were a hideous shade of yellow.
“Holy . . . Tristan?” Craig asked, eyebrows raising. “You’re not auditioning, are you?”
“Ms. Price talked me into it.”
“Holy guacamole!” His face lit up as he pulled me in a hug. “ So proud of you.”
“Don’t be proud yet. I could suck.”
“Um, of course, I’m proud. Takes massive balls to audition.”
“Tristan,” Ms. Price called from the open door. “Ready to go?”
I extracted myself from Craig’s grasp and walked into the room, sheet music bunched up in hand. Just inside the door, I felt a sharp pain around my neck. My body jerked involuntarily.
“You all right?” Ms. Price asked.
There was a throbbing in my ears and a weight on my chest. If this was stage
Similar Books
