How to Get Away with Lying

Chapter 10

Annabeth

Sarcasm on Speed Dial

"Did I make it?" I asked Adley as we arrived in front of the school's bulletin board. I closed my eyes and crossed my fingers.

After a moment of silence, I heard Adley sigh. "Wow, the leading role once again," she remarked, and I opened my eyes and squealed. Adley covered her ears, wincing. "You know, I thought after three years, they'd consider starring someone else."

"Stop being so bitter," I scolded Adley, who smirked in reply.

"Do you think Jessi made it?" Adley chuckled as if it would have been a joke if Jessi was cast in the play. She leaned toward the list and her finger was out as if she was ready to scan it.

Before she had the chance to, though, I pulled her away and directed her down the hallway. "It's useless looking," I said quickly, shrugging my shoulders nonchalantly. "My name is there, and that's all I need to know. I can then be surprised with the rest of the cast at rehearsal this afternoon."

"Ooh, I can't wait to find out who will play your Romeo," Adley gushed.

"Yeah, I can't wait either," I agreed in a whisper, stopping and opening my locker to get my first-period books.

"He better be hot, for your sake," she laughed.

I smiled at her before her eyes left me to look down the hall. I followed Adley's stare, falling upon Ethan and his group of idiots.

"Seriously? You already got them to hang out with you. I don't think you need to stare in interest anymore," I told her, twirling a strand of hair absentmindedly. "That'll just boost their already-large egos."

"Yeah, I know," she replied. But it didn't look as if she was even listening to me since her eyes were still glued to the gang. "You know, I'm shocked you haven't attempted to speak to your brother yet."

My eyes widened at the mention of Ethan. "I-I guess I've been so distracted with everything that I haven't had the chance to."

"Well, you know how easily our lives can be taken away from us." I closed my locker and realized that Adley was now looking at me. "I'd at least say hi and see from there so that I wouldn't regret not trying. Who knows what'll happen tomorrow, right?"

Adley's words repeated in my head throughout the rest of the day. I forgot about them, though, when I walked into rehearsal and saw that my nightmare came to life.

Nathaniel Tucker was pacing on the stage with a thick script in his hands.

No.

He looked up from the booklet as the loud, heavy doors of the auditorium closed behind me. A smirk appeared on his face.

I walked down the aisle and up the stage's stairs, my hands forming into fists at my sides. "What are you doing here? I don't recall basketball tryouts taking place on a stage," I remarked bitterly.

"Seriously, don't you remember how I was a huge theater geek in ninth grade?"

"Yeah, but that was two years ago! I had high hopes that you would have changed," I grumbled, rolling my eyes. " Plus, you didn't care to ask me if I was okay with your partaking in my extracurriculars?"

"Your what?" Nate questioned. I rolled my eyes at his lack of vocabulary as he shook his head dismissively. "Point is, I didn't think I had to get your permission to star in this year's play."

I choked on my saliva, my heart racing. "What?"

"That's right. You are looking at the actor for Raven Morningstar," Nate cried, his voice booming off the walls. "I hope that our past relationship won't affect things," he then whispered to me.