Page 21 of Whisper Pretty Lies (Lust & Liars #1)

I barely noticed when Brandt straightened about halfway through the performance, clearly impressed. Now that Hawk’s proven he’s actually a performer and a potential draw for the audience, Brandt wants to sink his claws into him. Hawk clears his throat.

“I only prepared the sides for Othello .” He looks at Brandt. “I can read yours from the pages if you’d like.”

Brandt smirks. “Sure, man, whatever you need.”

Hawk nods and when he recites Cassio’s lines, I can see him as the young lieutenant who Iago is jealous of. It’s not a large part, but it would fit Hawk. He’s everything Cassio is. Smart. Handsome. Privileged.

With a smaller part, he would be able to miss practices without compromising the production schedule. I’ll have to keep his schedule in mind when deciding when we rehearse certain scenes.

Hawk reads the sides Brandt hands him.

Even reading, Hawk is good. He probably could have tried out for Anteros and gotten in if he desired. He wants this for his college transcript, to help round him out. And now that I’ve seen him perform, I can’t think of anyone I’d want to cast more for the part.

Which sucks, because it means I’ll see more of Hawk.

I’d written down a few possible actors during the auditions, but they don’t compare. Maybe someone after him will be better.

I wish I could have brushed him off, but as the rest of the auditions proceed, my mind keeps coming back to his performance. There’s a junior, Sofia, who I write down next to Crystal for one of two parts.

After the last person leaves, Mr. Watson approaches us. “Do you need more time?”

“I’m good.” Brandt pulls out his list with a name scratched off and Hawk replacing it. I want to roll my eyes, but I don’t.

“I could use a moment.” I don’t lift my head from the list I’m putting together. In my mind, I can see them all still standing in front of me. I try to put them together in my head. The way their performances might complement each other.

“Take your time,” Mr. Watson says.

“I’m heading out. You’ll email us any changes?” Brandt stands.

“Yes.”

The door closes as he leaves. And then it’s only me and Mr. Watson.

“What are you deliberating over?” Mr. Watson takes Brandt’s seat.

I sigh. “How do I know I’ve picked the right person for the parts? How do I know the chemistry will be there when they take the stage, and it won’t fall flat?”

Mr. Watson smiles. “You don’t. That’s part of being a director. You have to take the actor’s jagged edges and smooth them out so they fit together.”

“Do you think it would be crazy to cast Hawk Wilker as Cassio? Maybe I should give it to Jason instead?” I tap my pen on the paper in front of me.

“You want to talk it out?” It’s something he says in class. It’s a way to work through the problem verbally, without judgment.

I sit back and stare at the doors. “Hawk is...”

“A lot?” Mr. Watson laughs. “You aren’t as familiar with him as an actor as most of the students in the program.”

“Exactly.” I turn and meet his brown eyes. “What if he really isn’t as good as I think? What if I cast him, and he doesn’t take it seriously because he’s only doing it to pad his college resume?”

“It’s always a possibility.” Mr. Watson leans back in his chair. “But what if he does?”

I almost groan because remembering his performance makes me more inclined to cast him. If he does get up on stage, he will own Cassio. I know it.

“He’s perfect for Cassio. It’s like he was made for the part.” I sigh. “But he has hockey and school...”

“And those are his problems to work around. Sometimes we have to take a chance on someone, but we don’t need to put all our eggs in one basket. For him, I would cast an understudy. He could get injured during hockey or have a conflict. But if he’s who you really want...”

Something warm flutters in my stomach. That’s part of the problem, but I’m not about to tell a teacher I want Hawk. It’s confusing and weird, and I’m already dating someone so it’s completely illogical and never going to happen.

But I know what’s best for the play, and honestly, he’s the best Cassio.

And given Chase’s reactions to Hawk already, the bite of jealousy Iago feels for Cassio might be easy for them to feed into.

I’ll also take Mr. Watson’s advice, and give the understudy role to Jason, a senior, who would need a part in the performance.

“Thank you, Mr. Watson.” I finish writing on my sheet and hand it to him.

“Anytime, EvanAnn. Honestly, I was pushing for you to be a director this season. You’ve come a long way from where you started as a freshman. You have the potential to go far in this business.”

My cheeks flush with heat. His words mean everything to me.

I take a breath. “Now what?”

He sets our lists out side by side. “Now to make sure we don’t have any conflicts. You can go. I’ll call if I find something that needs to be resolved. Otherwise, I’ll email you both the list in the morning and post it at lunch.”

I bite my lip. Part of me wants to stay, but I’d just hover nervously. I grab my backpack.

“Good night, Mr. Watson.”

“Night.” He waves and I head to the doors leading out into the hallway. It’s late, so I’m not expecting anyone to be here. The lights are bright, reflecting off the white tiles. I walk out and the doors shut behind me.

“Hey.”

I shriek and turn to see Hawk leaning against the wall. He holds up his hands and smiles.

“Didn’t mean to freak you out.”

I put my hand over my racing heart. “What are you still doing here?”

There’s no one else here. The hallway is empty. If he’s here, there should be a few stray girls hanging around to get close to him.

He shrugs. “I get a little rush when I perform. I wasn’t ready to leave. When I saw Brandt head out, I figured you’d be on your own in the parking lot. So I stayed to walk you out.”

“Oh. That’s nice of you.” I don’t know what else to say. It’s unexpected, but actually a nice thought.

“Come on. Let’s get out of here.” He walks toward the door and I hurry to catch up. Outside, it’s dark and the lights are on in the parking lot, but I feel safer with Hawk beside me.

As we get close to my car, I can tell something is off. My Honda is listing to the right.

“Flat tire? Do you have a spare?” Hawk walks over and squats next to the tire.

Fuck. When he looks up at me, I press my hands to my eyes.

“Pretty sure that is the spare.”