Better Than Revenge [Chapters 1-15 Rewritten]

Chapter 8: The Audition

Chapter 8: The Audition

I must have looked absolutely petrified or something because Lea walked over to me and put a hand on my shoulder. "You'll do fine," she said, obviously sensing my distress. "Just relax. I'm pretty sure Nora loves you already."

Somehow I doubted that, but I still smiled thankfully in return.

My auditioning room was basically empty, except for a few plants, a huge, shiny black camera in the corner, and a lengthy, white table at the front of the room. There were papers all over the table in what looked to be an organized mess. There was already a man sitting at the table and another man walking around. Nora and the two women that were with her took their seats at the table. I walked over and handed them the folder containing my resume and headshots, while Lea and Christian stood beside the table.

Nora and one of the other women went over and talked to Lea for a minute before the audition started. I desperately wanted to know what they were talking about, but I couldn't exactly go over there and ask. Whatever it was about, the conversation was short and pretty soon, Nora took her seat at the head of the table.

The audition started off normally. Rachel Collins, the casting director, told me the audition would be taped and asked me to slate myself. That simply involved stating my name and what part I was auditioning for. "My name is Sophia Hastings, and I'm auditioning for the part of Natalie."

The part of Natalie was a small one. She didn't even get a surname. Her purpose was pretty much just to show the womanizing ways of the male lead, William Knight. I hadn't read the book yet, but I read a summary and Tori had basically told me everything I needed to know. Even though Natalie wasn't my dream character, I would still put everything I had into this audition.

"Christian will read the lines of William Knight," Nora said, looking down at a paper she had in her hand.

My hand twitched involuntarily but I didn't say anything. I'd already done enough by fighting with Christian before my audition. I wasn't about to jeopardize this opportunity any further.

Christian, on the other hand, had no trouble protesting, and for once, I was glad for it. "There must be someone else who could read the lines."

"Christian, this is why I called you in here," Nora said. "You were already here, and I thought it would be perfect."

"I'm not even auditioning for this movie," he said. "Like you said, I'm just here for Blake."

By Blake, I was assuming he meant Blake Grey. Those two were pretty much always together, at least when Christian wasn't with his flavor of the week. Obviously, I knew too much about Christian's life, mostly thanks to Tori but partly thanks to my own masochistic curiosity.

"You don't have to audition, Christian," Rachel Collins said. "Just read a few lines, okay?" She handed him a copy of the audition scene.

He easily gave in and sighed. "Okay."

"Alright, let's start."

Christian and I got into position, standing in front of each other, still keeping some distance between us.

"I have to go, babe," he began.

"What? Can't you stay a little longer?" I stuck my lower lip out in a pout, taking on that whiny, annoying voice I'd unintentionally adopted earlier when I was freaking out. It came in handy sometimes despite my hatred of it.

"No. I'm sorry, baby. I really wish I could. I'll call you sometime, okay?"

Even though he was just reading, he didn't do it with the monotone Tori often used when she was helping me practice. I still wasn't sure if she was just bored when she did it or if she really was that bad an actress.