Page 20 of Whisper Pretty Lies (Lust & Liars #1)

EvanAnn

“Are you ready for auditions?” Ms. Murphy asks as I enter the auditorium. She’s one of our instructors for the directing seminars.

My fingers shake a little, but I’m ready. “Yes.”

It’s a school-wide open casting call, but we rarely get students from outside the theater department, especially for plays like The Crucible and Othello . Musicals will generally draw some of the vocal students, and every now and then a Deimos student will wander our way, but it isn’t often.

Ms. Murphy nods and guides me toward the table in the black box theater room. Brandt sits there with his laptop open. I sit in the other chair at the table and take out my notebook and a few pens.

“You know, I can pretty much have my pick of the actors who are about to perform for us.” Brandt leans back and glances at me. “You’ll get Chase because he’s your fuck buddy.”

I glare at him. Fuck him and his misogynistic crap.

“I’ve been kissing up to Mia. She would have been perfect as your Desdemona, wouldn’t she?” Brandt gloats and looks at his screen.

There are a lot of things I wish I could say to Brandt, but we’ll see where the players fall after casting. If Mia decides The Crucible is better for her as an actress, there isn’t anything I can do to change her mind. I hope she’ll want to stay friends.

“Are you two ready?” Mr. Watson comes out and stands in front of us.

I nod and Brandt says, “Yes.”

“We’re hoping to cast tonight and not have to do callbacks.

” Mr. Watson turns to look at the door where the actors wait in the hallway to be let in one at a time.

“Everyone has a monologue prepared as well as the sides to read for each director. We have a great turn out, meaning this is going to take some time. So if either of you needs a break during, let us know between actors. We start in two minutes.”

I draw in a breath, like I’m the one about to audition, and center myself. Each of the characters I have to cast float through my head. The critical ones are Othello, Iago, Desdemona, Cassio, and Emilia. The problem is any actor at this school could step into these roles and make them their own.

But I need them to lose themselves in the part until I can’t separate them from their character. And to have that chemistry to play off each other. That’s why I’m hesitant to cast Chase as Iago, the most manipulative, gaslighting villain of the play.

I don’t know if I want to think of my boyfriend like that. But if he performs and I can visualize it, I’ll give him the part. But not because he’s my boyfriend. He has to earn his spot like everyone else.

I inhale and open my eyes.

“Do you want my list ahead of time, so you don’t embarrass yourself and pick my actors?” Brandt slides a sheet of paper my way. “Might save you some time tonight.”

“No, thank you.” I look Brandt in his eyes and smile. This is my night to cast and I’m not going to let him under my skin.

He chuckles. “Your loss. You’ll be up until midnight trying to recast, but you do what you want, EvanAnn.”

The door opens. The first person walks into the room.

The first audition is Abby Baker. She performs her monologue and then switches to my sides for Othello .

Her delivery is flat, like she isn’t even trying.

I’m honestly not surprised. On The Crucible , she takes on the hardest part of Abigail Williams, the villain, and makes it her own.

Brandt winks at her as she leaves the stage.

That one I expected, so it doesn’t surprise me.

Abby doesn’t want to work with me any more than I want to work with her.

But honestly, if she’d tried, she could have had a shot at a lead.

None of the women in my play are villains, so I put her down as one of the supporting cast if she doesn’t get a part in Brandt’s play.

It may not be what I want, but there’s an understanding that we’re encouraged to cast seniors in our plays when we can.

Crystal and Becca go next. While it feels like they’re both trying for The Crucible , Crystal actually gives an excellent audition for Othello . I might be able to cast her for Iago’s wife, Emilia, or Bianca.

The other students come in and I continue to fill up my sheet with potentials, moving people down or adding alternatives. Mark Green is my lead. When he performs Othello, people will stand up and take notice. He’s brilliant. I hope he chooses my production over Brandt’s.

Then Mia comes in.

Brandt smirks and crosses his arms as he watches her deliver her monologue. The sides she chose are for Desdemona. She hits it out of the park, and when she finishes, she smiles.

We’ve talked the past couple nights on the phone. Her brother Tanner is still in town and I don’t know what to tell her when she wants to come over next week. It’s not like I can keep that I’m living at Damon’s a secret from her, but I can try.

She gives an equally stunning performance of Elizabeth Proctor. Two very different characters.

My guess is she’ll have her pick between the roles. I hope she picks mine.

A few auditions later, Chase walks in. He gives me a smile and a wink. Will Brandt even try to cast him as a lead, or has he figured Chase would go for mine over his?

Chase chose to do one of Iago’s monologues for his main monologue. I have to admit, he’s good. There’s a devilish delight in his tone that makes his eyes light up.

After his performance, Mr. Watson gives us a ten-minute break. I hurry to the bathroom, having flooded my body with caffeine to stay alert during auditions. It’s been hard to sleep, knowing I’m moving in days. I’m about to flush when some girls walk in.

“Did you see who’s auditioning?” Crystal’s voice rises in pitch.

“Calm down,” Abby says. “Hawk Wilker can have whatever role he wants from me.”

“You have a better chance with Cam.” Becca laughs. “Besides, didn’t you fuck Hawk sophomore year?”

“Yeah, so?” Abby sounds nonchalant. “I could have him again. All I need to do is get Brandt to cast him. Maybe some nobody role.”

“He could just stand on the stage and smile.” Becca’s voice is dreamy.

The girls giggle.

I wait until the door closes behind them before coming out of the stall to wash my hands.

Hawk said he was going to audition. I didn’t really believe it at the time because it sounded like another way to mess with me.

He did say he performed Shakespeare in the Park on a dare.

I shiver as I wash my hands and look up into the mirror.

Dark smudges rest under my eyes. Mia tried to help me cover them up again this morning. My hair is pulled into a hasty bun. My whole current look says frumpy, sleep-deprived teen.

It’s not like he hasn’t already seen me today. We had history together where we had no time to talk because we had to take notes.

I shake off the dread creeping over me and return to the black box theater.

Hawk can’t be better than the actors who have been studying for years.

There’s nothing to worry about. He’ll come in.

Brandt will find a way to cast him, which will fulfill Hawk’s need for an extracurricular. And we’ll all be happy.

When I sit down, Brandt is talking on his phone.

“I mean, I might end up the laughing stock of the theater department if I cast him, but think of all the girls he’ll attract opening night.

The guy doesn’t even need to be good. Maybe I can cast him as an extra.

He could stand on stage as a guard or something. ”

Brandt glances at me dismissively before he returns to his phone call. “I’ll talk to you about it later.”

I roll my eyes. There are no guards in The Crucible . Of course Brandt wouldn’t consider the actual performance over the draw of the actors in it. What if Hawk is awful? Would Brandt still cast him? Better him than me.

I already see too much of Hawk. If I cast him, I’ll see him so much more. Of course, he’s not the problem in the trio. Damon is the real issue, and starting tomorrow, I can’t get away from him if I want to.

“Ready to start?” Mr. Watson steps in to ask.

We both give him a thumbs up.

The door closes and opens again. Hawk walks into the room like he owns it. He nods to Brandt and gives me a smile. My heart flutters. I can almost hear him calling me Annie.

“I’m Hawk Wilker and I’ll be performing a monologue from Romeo and Juliet .”

I clasp my hands together as he lowers his head for a moment.

When he looks up, his expression is a little lost as he begins, “‘Tis torture, and not mercy: heaven is here, Where Juliet lives; and every cat and dog, And little mouse, every unworthy thing, Live here in heaven and may look on her; But Romeo may not.”

My heart clenches as those green eyes lock with mine. It’s not the part I thought he’d do. He holds me captivated by his words, his voice, his whole being. The despair.

“More validity, More honorable state, more courtship lives. In carrion-flies than Romeo: they may seize on the white wonder of dear Juliet’s hand and steal immortal blessing from her lips, Who even in pure and vestal modesty, Still blush, as thinking their own kisses sin; But Romeo may not; he is banished. ”

The pain he projects over Romeo finding out he has to leave his love is so enrapturing, I truly forget he’s playing a part. It could be the intimacy of his constant eye contact with me.

“Flies may do this, but I from this must fly; They are free men, but I am banished; And say’st thou yet that exile is not death?

Hadst thou no poison mix’d, no sharp-ground knife, No sudden mean of death, though ne’er so mean, But ‘banished’ to kill me?

‘Banished’? O friar, the damned use that word in hell; Howlings attend it: how hast thou the heart, Being a divine, a ghostly confessor, A sin-absolver, and my friend profess’d, To mangle me with that word ‘banished’? ”

He lowers his head and I release my breath. I squirm in my seat. Fuck, he’s good. And he did Shakespeare in the Park on a dare?