Prince Charmings (BOOK ONE)

10

Friday afternoon had me alarmingly nervous.

After getting home from school I spent a good hour in the shower just reciting my lines and getting colder by the minute. I almost asked April to run them with me, to make sure I didn't fuck up. Which was why Dad's surprise gift a half hour before we were supposed to leave for my first rehearsal was not at all amusing nor helpful.

"You're giving me a bike?" I asked, staring at the heap of metal Dad had in his grip.

He nodded back at me, ignoring April's snort. "I trust you not to screw up again and can't afford to drive you everywhere. I don't have the time. Plus the fresh air will be good for you."

"I haven't ridden a bike since middle school," I said, grunting when April slammed a fluorescent purple helmet onto my head. Glaring at my sister I tugged the thing off, ruffling my hair. "How do you know I haven't lost the skills and won't fall on my ass five minutes into riding the thing."

"Language, Beau," Mom called, sticking her head out the kitchen window to glare at our forms huddled in the backyard.

"What about the weather?" I argued instead, pointing up to a menacing sky just waiting to rain down on us.

"You have a raincoat," Dad brushed it off, pushing the bike towards me. "I suggest you leave soon. Hall's pretty far across town."

Slipping back inside I stared at Dad's shrinking form before kicking the bike's wheel, letting it clatter to the grass.

"I'm not riding that thing," I pointed at the heap, ignoring April's unamused expression.

"Since when are you too good for a bike?"

"Since it became a punishment. They're still mad at me."

"Well, you did break into your teacher's house," she said through pursed lips and mock head tilt. I shoved her face away from me, storming back inside. Flemming stood at the island, hunched over a tray of frozen fish. At my entrance he huffed, taking the tray with him as he exited.

"Feelings mutual," I called out after him, ignoring the soft sigh from Mom.

"If I'm forced to ride there," I started, cutting to the fridge and pulling out one of Thomas' energy drinks. "I'm gonna need this."

"Beau–" Mom started but cut herself off when I stormed past her.

"At least use the helmet!" She yelled through the window as I wrestled the bike back upright and wheeled it towards the front of the house. April swept up the helmet and dropped it into my arms. Waving it towards Mom I hit the pavement. Sending a prayer to a God I was sure hated me, I strapped the thing on and straddling the bike, pushing off with weariness.

Thankfully, I made it to the hall in one piece. Locking the bike upfront I trudged through the front doors, nodding to the receptionist before aimlessly pacing around. I had made it a good chunk of time early and with nothing better to do, I started reading the plaques lining the wall. It's the clicking of heels that caught my attention minutes later.

"Beauregard, my favorite actor-cum-convict. How are we?" Bella's voice boomed. Her hair was even brighter than before, freshly dyed and swept back behind a green beret. Behind her followed Kyle, staring at something a grinning Spencer showed him on his phone.

"Not Beauregard, not a convict," I reminded her, grunting when she threw her duffel bag into my arms, hands rifling through a stack of a keys all shapes and colors.

"Semantics," she muttered, finding the right one and unlocking a small room off to the side. "Also you are in luck. I managed to get your tights in time, hurrah. Leave your things in here and get changed before meeting us at the stage."