Four

There were heaps of people in the hall and almost all the seats were taken. Kay-Lee’s stomach did an uneasy turn as she looked at all the people waiting to audition. The girl at the door asked her what role she was auditioning for and Kay-Lee told her she was going for the lead. The girl directed her to a group of girls at the front of the hall, all busily looking over the script for the audition, which was given to her after she sat down.
Kay-Lee looked around for Adam and finally spotted him sitting with the music guys, strumming his guitar. He must be auditioning for the band. Kay-Lee looked over the script. It wasn’t really a script. It only had two lines she had to say and two other tasks she had to complete. She had to sing a song of her choice and demonstrate fainting.
Kay-Lee was suddenly intensely nervous. She hadn’t done anything like that before. Not even acting. She just thought she’d have a go and hope for good luck, but all these people were drama geeks and choir nerds who could easily make her look stupid in comparison.
Kay-Lee’s stomach did another lurch. She forced herself to calm down, telling herself that she wouldn’t get another opportunity like this. She focused on the task ahead of her, and decided to choose a song to sing first. Her favourite song at the moment was “outside looking in” by Jordan Pruitt because she loved the lyrics and sweet melody. It was probably the only song she knew well enough and felt comfortable singing in public. Plus, Jordan Pruitt wasn’t that well known, so no one else would pick that song, she hoped.
Looking at the two lines on the page, she repeated them in her head over and over until she had them memorised. “I don’t want this to wreck our friendship but I have to tell you. And if everything gets ruined and it gets awkward and weird I don’t know if I can do it. And I know it’s wrong, but I can’t help falling in love with you”. That was the audition line for both the female and male leads. Kay-Lee had a feeling she was going to like this play. Then again, it depended on who got the parts.
Kay-Lee looked over in Adam’s direction again to find him looking at her. He smiled widely and put his thumbs up, mouthing ‘good luck’. Kay-Lee smiled and mouthed ‘you too’. She really didn’t care if she didn’t get the part, helping Adam write songs would be fun, he was sure to get that part. He was the best songwriter Kay-Lee knew and she could listen to him pick out different chords and riffs on his guitar forever.
It all happened too fast. Kay-Lee watched girl after girl get up on the stage and absolutely ace the audition. Kay-Lee got even more nervous as she walked up the stage steps to stand in the centre. The judges (the drama teacher, play writer, and casting directors [which were senior drama students]) asked her to perform the fainting first. Kay-Lee asked if she could drop ‘dead’ instead and the judges agreed, curiosity and surprise flickering across their faces.
Kay-Lee fell to the floor of the stage with a light thud, arms sprawled, eyes wide open, and stayed there frozen, while everyone looked at her in disbelief before erupting into wild applause. If they didn’t know any better, they’d actually think she had dropped dead then and there. After the judges had made everyone quiet down, Kay-Lee continued her audition. She sang her song from start to finish without faltering and recited the lines with the right amount of hope, excitement and sadness in her voice.
Everyone cheered and clapped after all her performances and she blushed and ran off stage. The casting list was going to be posted the following week and Kay-Lee had her hopes up. She was going to go to the library to study for a bit when she remembered that Adam hadn’t auditioned yet.
Kay-Lee decided to stay and watch. When Adam stepped on stage with his guitar, the judges told him to recite the lines. “The what?” he stammered. The judges told him that he better deliver his lines if he wanted the lead. “The lead? You don’t understand I..” one of the judges cut him off telling him to hurry up and spit it out or stop wasting their time. Adam said the lines then and Kay-Lee wondered how he knew them. He was so convincing, and Kay-Lee was drawn to his performance as everybody else was. He played a song on his guitar, singing the lyrics quietly, and Kay-Lee recognised the song as one of his originals. It was about the way he felt drawn to someone he shouldn’t, someone he knew he could never be with. The song fit perfectly with the play. Kay-Lee remembered when she had questioned him about the lyrics and he had said he’d read a book that had inspired him. There was something about the way he blushed and looked down that made her think otherwise, but she hadn’t pressed him any further.
Adam walked off stage and over to Kay-Lee when he had finished.
“Hey. I can’t believe they messed that up and confused me for auditioning for the lead! I can’t even act, I can’t believe I didn’t just walk away” he said to her, rambling on about how weird he felt.
“Stop. Talking” Kay-Lee said, putting her finger to his lips.
“You talked to me. Guess you’re facing a life sentence now, eh?” Adam said, despite her finger being in the way. A smile played on his lips as Kay-Lee narrowed her eyes at him.
“What?” Adam asked, suddenly nervous.
“You were amazing. There are no words Adam. You...I...I...Just can’t believe it Adam. You were truly incredible” Kay-Lee said in awe.
“Not so bad yourself” Adam said.
“So I guess we’re talking again. Good thing too, cos it was killing me Lee Lee” Adam said looking down.
“I’m sorry. If I knew I wouldn’t have...” she started to say.
“Don’t worry about it Lee Lee” Adam said as they walked out into the sunlight.
The mystery remained of who would get the parts and Adam had a secret hope deep inside of him that he would get the lead. It was stupid really, and he had no idea why he wanted it so bad. But he did. Wanted it like a drug.