“If you have no other questions, I’ll hand you over to Mr.Conrad now,” Pearson says as Conrad comes on stage. But I can barely focus on who he is assigning to each task.
All I can think about is the performance. It hurts a little to know that I won’t be on stage dancing. But at the same time, I’m looking forward to helping to prepare the show and then watching it without being envious, without fighting back tears. I want this performance ofThe Sleeping Beautyto erase the last one from my memory.
Then Mr.Conrad assigns me to the group for set design. With Mae, Skye, a few others... and Jase and Charlotte. This can’t be real.
* * *
Francesca is helping us with the set, and Mae being in my group is the only positive part of the whole thing. Seeing Jase and Charlotte in class every day is more than enough for me without spending time with them on weekends too.
“We meet on Saturdays from eleven to two,” Francesca announces, and a tortured groan goes around the room. “Don’t be like that. You’ve got plenty of time to sleep in. We’ll start tomorrow, and I expect you to be on time. Do you understand?”
Everyone nods. She dismisses us, and we make our way back to the dorm. Mae is talking to Katie and Susannah, but my mind is somewhere else. It’s only when we’re standing in front of our rooms and I fish for the key in my jacket pocket that I realize it’s not there.
“Shit,” I say. That’s all I need.
“What’s wrong?” Mae pauses in the doorway to her room.
“The key must have fallen out of my pocket. Probably in the theater.”
“That’s annoying.”
“I’m going back to look for it. I’ll meet you later for dinner, okay?”
“No worries, I’ll come with you,” Mae offers, but I decline.
“Thanks, that’s really nice, but you don’t need to.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yup. See you later.”
There’s no one in the theater but me when I arrive. Everything seems deserted, and an excited tingle goes through me because it feels so different to be here alone. Fortunately, the door to the auditorium is still open, so I don’t have to ask anyone to let me in. My key is probably under the seat I was sitting in. Once I have it, maybe I can sneak onto the stage...
I stop abruptly when I hear familiar voices. I recognize them immediately. Jase. And Charlotte. My feet stop moving of their own accord. I dart into the auditorium and stop right next to the door when I spot them. They’re just a few yards away from me, so focused on one another that they don’t even notice I’m there. I should go, I know, but then I hear my name, and my heart suddenly starts beating fast.
“We both know that Zoe is a total catastrophe,” Charlotte says, in her simultaneously condescending and sickly sweet voice. It sends an unpleasant shiver down my spine.
“So what? What does that have to do with me?”
“You’re in another league, and we both know that.”
I gasp indignantly and curse myself the next second, but they don’t seem to have noticed.
“Stop wasting my time. Get to the point. What does that have to do with me?” Jase growls.
“I want you to talk to Francesca. You should be my partner. You were always the best. We belong together.”
The corners of Jase’s mouth twitch with amusement, and he crosses his arms over his chest. “Do we? You seem to be doing fine with Devon.”
“So what?” Charlotte shrugs, and I start to feel angry. She’s trying to steal my dance partner, and all at once, it doesn’t matterhow things are between Jase and me. If she gets away with this, I’ll have to dance with Devon, and I can’t do that.
“I don’t like you, and you know it. And I guess you’re not my biggest fan either. So why would I want to do that?”
She lifts her hand, strokes his shoulder, and smiles, and something inside me reacts with a furious stab of jealousy. “You don’t have to like me. We can be great together in all kinds of ways without you liking me.”
I clench my teeth. I’m about to explode, but I force myself to remain calm.
Jase takes a demonstrative step away from her, and Charlotte’s hand slips off his shoulder. “I’ll repeat myself. Why would I want to do that?” He sounds bored, but his shoulders are tense, and he looks annoyed.
