Realize Your Potential (H.S)

Chapter Thirty-Four

He can't be serious.

How is this even possible?

He didn't even try out for the role.

My attention snaps from Styles to Daniel, who surely notices the shock on my face as he offers me a single shrug followed by a smile.

I then turn to Nat who looks just as lost as I am, which makes me feel a little better.

Styles is playing JD? More importantly, Styles is playing my male lead? My romantic interest?

The whole thing makes the room spin and I have no idea what to hold onto in order to make it stop.

As Daniel starts talking again, prompting us to once again open our scripts to get started, I can suddenly feel a pair of eyes burning against the side of my face. And I know just who they belong to, yet I purposely don't look back.

I'm too busy trying to sort out all the possibilities of how this could happen. If they were going to choose someone from the band then why didn't they choose Liam? After all, he is my boyfriend and we obviously have some chemistry, right? And he can sing...admittedly not as well as Styles, but he's still a great singer!

These thoughts swirl around in my head repeating themselves as Sebastian reads through the first stage directions. I'm so caught up in my mind that I nearly miss my first line to start off the whole show. As other people begin their lines, I try to block out Styles and his news. I try to focus on simply reading the show and how great Nat, and the others, sound reading their parts.

And then comes Styles' first scene.

And I instantly learn why they chose him over Liam for the role.

He's perfect, and it almost pains me to admit it. Not only does he show some acting chops that I had no idea he possessed, but he reads the line as if he's JD himself. Every word he delivers I instantly buy, and I can't decide whether I admire or hate him for it.

I know I shouldn't be mad at Styles, though. It's not like he was the one who cast himself in the role. He didn't go to Daniel and Gideon and offer them money just to make him JD. He probably earned it somehow just based on the ease he has as he reads each line. Plus, we all know that he can sing, so it probably wasn't hard for them to conclude he could handle the music portion.

The thought of the music reminds me that soon Styles and I won't just be acting together, we'll be singing. We'll be performing duets together. Duets where we'll be singing right into each other's eyes... and even....

The scene comes up and the Sebastian reads the stage directions for the song 'Dead Girl Walking.' I can feel my face growing warm as he reads how Veronica and JD are meant to make out and even perform a more tasteful act of sex that mainly just involves them grinding.

I pray that Styles isn't still staring at me.

How on Earth am I going to do those scenes with him?

We move on through the script until we reach the end and all let out a small sigh of relief. It took awhile to get through, and after being on an emotional rollercoaster the entire time, I could use a long nap.

"Great read through, everyone!" Daniel says brightly. "I won't keep you here by talking, but tomorrow we'll be starting our first day with the music and I would love if everyone could make it. If you have any scheduling issues then feel free to talk to me or Sebastian and we'll get everything figured out. See you all tomorrow!"

We all begin to pack up our things and I can feel myself moving at the pace of a snail. I listen as Liam and the others begin to share conversations, teasing Styles over the fact that he's now been recruited into the show. It makes my face flush once more as I'm still unsure how to handle all the news.