and challenge you?’
‘I suppose.’
‘And he’s right. You do usually play nicey nicey parts. So. Is he as arrogant as you remember?’
‘In some ways,’ I say. ‘ But I think, deep down, there’s more to him than just arrogance. I just feel it somewhere.’
I expect Jen to come up with some rational reason why and how I’ve got it all wrong. To talk some sense into me. But instead she says: ‘ Well, you never know . Mayb e you’re right . ’
‘ I feel so scared right now,’ I say. ‘ I won’t find out if I passed until tomorrow afternoon at the soonest. That’s when we have a lecture with him again. What if I’m off the course?’
‘ You won’t be ,’ says Jen . ‘ I know how good an actress you are. Wow. On e-on- one with Marc Blackwell .’
Suddenly, the grainy black and white photo spins through my mind. ‘ Jen , did you see the paper this morning?’
‘I didn’t get around to it yet. But wait, I have a whole pile of them here. Which one?’
‘Any of the tabloids,’ I say.
There’s a rustling, then silence. Then she laughs loudly. ‘So he’s in to the kinky stuff. Surprise , surprise.’
‘We don’t know that,’ I say. ‘You know how newspapers are.’
‘It makes sense to me,’ says Jen . ‘Cold-hearted in more ways than one.’
Suddenly, I hear something. I turn around to see C ecile by the coffee counter .
‘ Jen , I’ll call you back later, okay?’ I whisper, and hang up the phone. I don’t want her to overhear our call.
‘Hi Cecile,’ I say .
‘How was your performance?’ Cecile asks. ‘Was it as intimate as you wanted it to be?’
‘No, not a t all,’ I say. ‘Really. I didn’t want it to be ... intimate . I just want to learn how to be better. ’ I try to change the subject, and say th e first thing that comes to mind. ‘Did you see the newspapers this morning?’
‘ Of course I did. ’ She takes a black coffee from the counter and stirs in sweetener .
‘I don’t know if it’s true,’ I say. ‘Tabloids make up all sorts of stuff.’
‘Maybe, but he can spank me any day,’ says Cecile. ‘And I intend to tell him so during my performance . I can’t wait to be alone with him. One-on- one. Only half hour to go now. ’
She lets the words hang in th e air, a nd I realise I really don’t like the idea of Marc alone with Cecile. But I have no idea why.
Chapter 19
When Cecile leaves for her performance , I wa nt nothing more than to be by myself .
I head up to my room, and sit on the balcony with a cup of tea. The warmness of summer still lingers , and I stay out there, thinking about Marc and my performance , until dusk falls.
I k now I should go to the cafeteria and have something to eat, but the truth is I feel t oo anxious . If I’m off the course, I don’t know how I’ll handle it. I have nothing to go back to really, except Jen . This means everything to me.
I crawl under my duvet and try to take a nap.
‘Soph?’ It’s Tanya’s voice , outside my bedroom door . ‘Are you in there?’
‘Yes,’ I say. ‘I’m not feeling too good.’
‘Really? I was hoping w e could catch up over our performances . I just talked to Cecile and ... well, I just wondered if we could talk.’
Talk? About Cecile’s audition?
I climb out from under the duvet and open the door.
‘You look pale , sweetheart ,’ says Tanya, putting a hand to my forehead. ‘Shall I m ake you a cup of tea ?’ She’s dressed in a brown leather jacket, with a n autumn-red scarf and her long, brown hair is tied up in a bun.
‘No, honestly I’m fine,’ I say. ‘Just tired after today.’
‘Can I come in?’
‘Sure.’ I open the door wider, and she steps into my room. I’m aware my rucksack is on the floor with exploded clothes all around it. I haven’t really got my room set up yet.
‘Wow.’ She take s a look around. ‘Look at your view . It’s amazing. ’ She moves across the room. ‘ And you ’ve got a balcony!’ She puts her
‘I suppose.’
‘And he’s right. You do usually play nicey nicey parts. So. Is he as arrogant as you remember?’
‘In some ways,’ I say. ‘ But I think, deep down, there’s more to him than just arrogance. I just feel it somewhere.’
I expect Jen to come up with some rational reason why and how I’ve got it all wrong. To talk some sense into me. But instead she says: ‘ Well, you never know . Mayb e you’re right . ’
‘ I feel so scared right now,’ I say. ‘ I won’t find out if I passed until tomorrow afternoon at the soonest. That’s when we have a lecture with him again. What if I’m off the course?’
‘ You won’t be ,’ says Jen . ‘ I know how good an actress you are. Wow. On e-on- one with Marc Blackwell .’
Suddenly, the grainy black and white photo spins through my mind. ‘ Jen , did you see the paper this morning?’
‘I didn’t get around to it yet. But wait, I have a whole pile of them here. Which one?’
‘Any of the tabloids,’ I say.
There’s a rustling, then silence. Then she laughs loudly. ‘So he’s in to the kinky stuff. Surprise , surprise.’
‘We don’t know that,’ I say. ‘You know how newspapers are.’
‘It makes sense to me,’ says Jen . ‘Cold-hearted in more ways than one.’
Suddenly, I hear something. I turn around to see C ecile by the coffee counter .
‘ Jen , I’ll call you back later, okay?’ I whisper, and hang up the phone. I don’t want her to overhear our call.
‘Hi Cecile,’ I say .
‘How was your performance?’ Cecile asks. ‘Was it as intimate as you wanted it to be?’
‘No, not a t all,’ I say. ‘Really. I didn’t want it to be ... intimate . I just want to learn how to be better. ’ I try to change the subject, and say th e first thing that comes to mind. ‘Did you see the newspapers this morning?’
‘ Of course I did. ’ She takes a black coffee from the counter and stirs in sweetener .
‘I don’t know if it’s true,’ I say. ‘Tabloids make up all sorts of stuff.’
‘Maybe, but he can spank me any day,’ says Cecile. ‘And I intend to tell him so during my performance . I can’t wait to be alone with him. One-on- one. Only half hour to go now. ’
She lets the words hang in th e air, a nd I realise I really don’t like the idea of Marc alone with Cecile. But I have no idea why.
Chapter 19
When Cecile leaves for her performance , I wa nt nothing more than to be by myself .
I head up to my room, and sit on the balcony with a cup of tea. The warmness of summer still lingers , and I stay out there, thinking about Marc and my performance , until dusk falls.
I k now I should go to the cafeteria and have something to eat, but the truth is I feel t oo anxious . If I’m off the course, I don’t know how I’ll handle it. I have nothing to go back to really, except Jen . This means everything to me.
I crawl under my duvet and try to take a nap.
‘Soph?’ It’s Tanya’s voice , outside my bedroom door . ‘Are you in there?’
‘Yes,’ I say. ‘I’m not feeling too good.’
‘Really? I was hoping w e could catch up over our performances . I just talked to Cecile and ... well, I just wondered if we could talk.’
Talk? About Cecile’s audition?
I climb out from under the duvet and open the door.
‘You look pale , sweetheart ,’ says Tanya, putting a hand to my forehead. ‘Shall I m ake you a cup of tea ?’ She’s dressed in a brown leather jacket, with a n autumn-red scarf and her long, brown hair is tied up in a bun.
‘No, honestly I’m fine,’ I say. ‘Just tired after today.’
‘Can I come in?’
‘Sure.’ I open the door wider, and she steps into my room. I’m aware my rucksack is on the floor with exploded clothes all around it. I haven’t really got my room set up yet.
‘Wow.’ She take s a look around. ‘Look at your view . It’s amazing. ’ She moves across the room. ‘ And you ’ve got a balcony!’ She puts her
Similar Books
