“Oh, June White, right? You’re the new girl.”
I nodded quickly, hoping that her attention would shift elsewhere.
“I bet you don’t get any credit for extracurriculars. Can you get onstage for a minute?”
“Me?” I squawked in disbelief.
My eyes darted to the opposite row where William was sitting with Jackson and Marvin, not even looking at the stage.
“So what do I say?” I murmured.
“‘I can’t, I’m surfing the crimson tide,’” Poppy said from behind me. “That’s my excuse for everything. Try it. It really works.”
I decided not to back down, took a deep breath, and slowly walked up onstage, where the assistant handed me some sheets of paper.
James Hunter looked shocked and disgusted.
“June, try reading these lines,” the assistant prompted.
“Who the hell is June?”
“Is that funny?” I snapped, annoyed.
“Oh no. Look at that, all of the sudden I’m not the right person to play Romeo,” said James solemnly, pretending to read the lines. He blew smoke in my face then jumped offstage.
“James! Where are you going? Did you already memorize your lines?” the assistant yelled.
“If you find someone else.”
“Class isn’t over, where are you going?” she protested frantically.
“None of your fucking business.”
I watched him slam the door, and at that point I realized that everyone was watching.
The silence seemed to last forever.
Embarrassment got the best of me, and my stomach writhed painfully. I kept my eyes on the floor, unable to react. I heard a wave of murmurs until a silhouette finally approached the stage.
“I can do it.” William’s voice.
“Okay, here are your lines, Romeo.”
The assistant handed him a small folder with thick packets of pages. William smiled at them. He seemed intent on not disappointing her.
“Let’s see how it goes, and then if the teacher . . .”
The assistant continued to drone on, but William and I were so close that we could whisper to each other.
“Can I talk to you?”
“I don’t think it’s a good time.” He sounded annoyed.
“I know, but I’d like an explanation for what happened.”
“Youwant an explanation, June?”
“Are we starting or not?” The door flung open and the theater teacher walked in holding a hamburger overflowing with mustard. “Where’d that vandal end up?”
