It’s one of the best swimming schools in the nation. Up there with Ohio, according to Bowie. They’re good enough to get in, that’s for sure.
I used to think me and Bowie would end up at the same school, but that’s probably not going to happen: I really want to go to NYU, or maybe Northwestern in Chicago. But Ohio’s notthat far from either one. We’ll still see each other all the time.
At least Bowie’s not eyeing somewhere out in, like, California or Texas. Far, far away from me. I don’t know what I’d do without them.
“Have you looked at UT?” Dad asks.
Jasmine blushes and pushes her food around her plate. Her lack of a decision on college has been a point of contention between her and Dad for pretty much the last two years. She’s still not sure what she wants to do once she graduates.
Some days it’s hard to wrap my head around the fact that Jasmine is graduating this year. Other times, it feels all too real, and kind of scary. It’ll be weird to be at school and not be Jasmine’s little brother. To just be Jackson.
Jasmine mutters something and stabs at her chicken.
“What?” I ask.
“Never mind.”
I hate when people do that: Refuse to repeat something I missed. And Jasmine knows that, but she’s too busy being annoyed with Dad.
The awkwardness hangs over us like an overloaded lineset. Finally I turn my hearing aids back off. Amy starts asking Dad something. Jasmine stuffs macaroni and cheese into her mouth.
“You okay?” Amy signs at me.
I smile around my salad and nod.
I’m fine.
5
Dr. Lochley’s pretty strategic with cast lists. They always go up during seventh hour, while everyone (including her!) is in class. I don’t know how she does it: whether she enlists help from the front office; or gets Denise to come in and do it for her; or if she’s somehow harnessed the power to be in two places at once.
If it’s the last one, she’s not showing any obvious signs of having superpowers. She’s sitting at her desk in the Little Theatre, talking about Stanislavski and what she calls “the art of experiencing.”
“Most of you spent the week in auditions, where you tried your own hand at the art of experiencing. Anyone want to share what they felt?”
Mae raises her hand. “I felt like vomiting,” she says, which gets chuckles from everyone.
“Not unheard of,” Dr. L says. “But not exactly what I was looking for. Cameron?”
The worst part of being the TA for Theatre IV is that Cam’s in it—and Philip, his new boyfriend. Philip actually kind of looks like Cam—white, floppy brown hair,brown eyes—but he’s a bit shorter, and a bit less handsome.
Not that he’s not handsome: Philip’s good-looking, and I had a little crush on him, up until I got to know him.
PHILIP’S BREAKUP LIST:
TRAGICALLY BORN WITHOUT A PERSONALITY
TALENTLESS HACK
MEDIOCRE ACTING AT BEST
SELF-OBSESSED GYM GAY?
TERRIBLE HAIRCUT
MOUTH BREATHER!!
ALWAYS TOUCHING CAMERON
