Chapter Thirty-One

                                    

                                          


                          
                
                          
I repeat words of wisdom to myself from the moment I step out of my car up until I stop right in front of the doors to the theatre.
                          
My nerves from auditions have finally passed, but now they have been replaced with new nerves for the callback process. There isn't a doubt in my mind that I'll be singing again, but in front of a lot more people. People who are going to be fighting just as hard as I am for a spot in the show.
                          
I remind myself that if I manage to get into the show that I'll be doing even more singing throughout the next couple of months anyway. So I might as well get over it.
                          
Voices of other students who have arrived for callbacks come from the inside of the theatre, which only makes me more reluctant to go inside.
                          
What if they're better than me? What if I make a fool out of myself and go completely tone deaf in front of everyone? What if I don't even get cast at all?
                          
I shake my head, trying to clear my mind of my negatives thoughts when I hear someone say my name.
                          
"Evan?" I say, watching him as he now stops in front of the theatre door too.
                          
"I thought that was you," he says. "Boy, am I glad to see you here."
                          
"You're happy to see me? I think I'm the one who should be saying that since you're actually here for callbacks this time!"
                          
He flashes me a wide smile.
                          
"I pulled some strings at work and managed to get the day off. I'm not losing the chance to be in another show," he tells me.
                          
"If they hadn't given you the night off then I would have gone down to your work and busted you out anyway," I tell him.
                          
He laughs. "Now that I would have loved to see."
                          
Evan opens the door, and before I can allow myself to make an excuse, I walk through the door with him. We continue our conversation as we discuss our desired roles. I tell him that I have my sights set on Veronica and he tells me that while he loves the role of the male lead, he doesn't have the vocal skills to pull it off. So he's going for something in the ensemble.
                          
Good thing too. Because the male lead is also Veronica's love interest. And I don't think I would have been able to kiss Evan.
                          
The first four rows in the theatre are filled with other students who are either chatting with others or lost within their own thoughts. I'm sure if Evan wasn't here with me then I would be one of the many who are currently keeping to themselves as they're likely preparing themselves for the next few hours.
                          
I take a seat in the fifth row with Evan and we comment about the amount of people who showed up, which we agree isn't helping us in terms of our nerves.
                          
Just as we're discussing how we think the callback process may go, Nat walks into the theatre and we call down to her so she can join us.
                          
"Jeez, some turn out, right?" she says as she takes the seat next to me. "I don't even recognize half of these people."
                          
She's right. Most of the faces in this room are ones that I haven't seen in my acting classes or even around the fine arts building in general. I can't help wondering where they all came from so suddenly.
                          
The theatre door opens and I watch at Daniel walks in with his usual smile spread across his face.
                          
"Hello, everyone," he says loudly, catching all of our attention. Everyone's voice falls silent as all eyes are now locked on him.