Chapter 18
I was sitting on pins and needles waiting for my turn to audition. Selene had jumped at the opportunity to go first all the while shooting daggers at me from her eyes. More like she jumped at the opportunity to rub in my face how great she did and how much they loved her.
I really hated her.
Finally, a lifetime later, Selene emerged from behind the closed doors with a smirk aimed right at me.
"Don't choke," she told me in passing, her hair swooshing behind her.
"I won't," I growled, then mentally scolded myself.
I won't? Really?
I took one last deep breath and walked through the big, double doors. There was a small panel of crew members sitting behind a long desk, with Felic Cassano right along side them. He winked at me as the man at the end of the table directed me to where I should go.
"Please state your name and the part you are trying out for."
I nodded and began.
"I'm Rory Pinnock and I will be trying out for the part of Isabella."
"Mr. Stamm," the man called, "Could you please come assume your role?"
I looked to my right and saw Andrew step out of the shadows. I almost couldn't hold in my laughter when I saw what he was wearing: Khaki shorts, a button up shirt with Hawaiian flowers, and a pair of tan Sperrys. Don't get me wrong, he could totally pull it off, but he was wearing them on purpose.
I once told him that the day we dated would be the day I dressed up as one of those hula girls from Hawaii.
In the part of the script I was reciting today, Isabella, the character that I was trying out for, tries to get Donny, Andrew's role, to understand that she has to break up with him and leave. He wants her to stay, but she says she must get away and find herself.
Yes, it's super cheesy and sounds even worse when I put it like that, but that's what sells these days. That and superhero movies.
Andrew was creative, I'd give him that, but there was no way I was dressing up on this account.
"Mr. Stamm, if you could start whenever Ms. Pinnock is ready."
Andrew looked at me and gave a subtle thumbs up to which I smiled and nodded to.
It's show time.
"Isabella, do you not understand how I feel," Andrew replied right on queue with just as much fevor as I imagined. Man, he was good.
"I understand that I can't take this much more. Us. I need to get away from here and I can't do that when I'm always with you. I'm sorry." My voice broke on the last word and I had to stop myself from grinning like a maniac.
I made my voice break on cue! I had been working on that specifically for the last few hours.
"Please," Andrew cupped his left hand on my cheek and I had to step back.
Here comes the big monologue.
"I can't do this Donny. Please let me find myself before you look for me..."
I recited the emotional passage with sadness and yes, a few tears.
I finally uttered the last word and then stood there, letting the moment sink in. I turned back to the panel and nodded my head to let them know I was finished.
I glanced around the panel, but they all had blank faces. They gave away nothing.
"Ms. Pinnock," the lead guy on the panel stood up, "I know this is unconventional, but we will have our decision in just a few moments. If you could please step outside and send in Ms. Dorwick that would be wonderful"
I gawked without meaning to.
How do they already have a decision? I just auditioned, literally.
I silently nodded and made my way out after one fleeting glance at Andrew.
****
After waiting a few more minutes for Selene to come out, she came out with one big smile.
"Better luck next time, Baby Rory," she chuckled, grabbing her purse from her manager and leaving the studio.
She got the part...I guess I never really even had a chance against someone so young yet so refined. Her skills were unparalleled to anyone our age, including me. I just thought maybe they wouldn't be looking for her kind of acting, but mine. I realized a little too late how much I actually wanted this part.
I pushed back the sadness seeping into my thoughts and knew I would have to hold it together for a little while longer.
I walked back into the room and stood once again in front of the panel. They no longer looked so scary, but disappointing.
The same man that spoke earlier stood up address me once more.
"As I'm sure you have already heard, you did not get the part. We felt Ms. Dorwick was more suited to the role of Isabella with her polished experience and you weren't. You must be confused about how we could come to this decision so quickly so let me explain. You and Ms. Dorwick have tried out for two different parts. She tried out for the role of Isabella and you tried out for the role of Isabella and Jade.
"This group of people you see sitting up here," he motioned to the crew down the panel, "have been deliberating over some time now. The script was missing something and we couldn't figure out what it was, then we watched one of your audition tapes. Our story was missing a character. After much more discussion, we decided to see if you were better suited for the role of Isabella, the previous main character, or for the role of this new character, Jade. We tried to figure out if Jade really would be a character worth having or if she was just a girl to fill one scene.
"Again, we watched your tapes and saw that we had to have you for this movie. You are a bit inexperienced, but you're raw and expressive and that's exactly who Jade is. So now, the new story still has Isabella as a main character, but only second to Jade and Donny."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I didn't get the part, but I got an even better part.
"I-uhh..Thank you?"
"You got the main part, Rory," Felic called out, beaming at me. "Welcome aboard."
Not even a second later, Andrew practically crushed me in a hug.
This was the beginning of my career and I couldn't believe how wonderful it was already going.
****
I make it home Tuesday evening completely exhausted, but happy. The trip was an utter success (much to my surprise) and my life finally seemed to be going well. I was starting to see that I didn't have to be in control of every aspect of my life as long as I was enjoying myself. It was okay to have other people guide you places as long as you knew that you could pilot your own life when the time came.
Giggling at absolutely nothing, I walk into my room and plop down in the big chair.
"Welcome back to the land of terrible humidity and summer in the winter," Cal walked into my room and sat down on my bed.
"Thank you very much. I have to say, I kinda missed this place," I smiled, leaning my head back on the chair.
"Why are you so smiley," he questioned, then squinted his eyes at me. "Are you drunk?"
"No," I laughed, throwing a little pillow at him. It just bounced right off his back and onto the floor. "I just had a really great weekend...Which reminds me of something I heard about your weekend." I sat up in the chair and leaned towards him. "How did your date go with Lou?"
"Uhh, good I guess. She laughed at my terrible jokes so I guess that's a good sign," he said with a shrug.
"I heard it went so well that you kissed her."
At this he flushed and I couldn't help, but run and jump on the bed next to him.
"You're already so whipped," I teased, poking him in the side.
"I am not," he denied, his cheeks turning even redder.
"Yeah, okay," I laughed, bumping his shoulder.
"Speaking of," Cal said, trying to change the topic. "I saw you on the front cover of some magazine with another guy. Is he your new boyfriend?"
"Andrew? No, he's just a good friend of mine. I definitely still have eyes for a certain young man," I smiled, thinking back to the plan I came up with to tell him I got the part.
Cal sighed and I could feel the tension immediately build up.
"Rory, I've already warned you-"
"I know you don't like him, but I do," I interrupted, sitting up a little straighter on the bed.
"But-"
I held up a hand to stop him and continued talking.
"Now that doesn't mean we are going to date or anything. I'm not sure he would be willing to do the whole long distance relationship thing, but at least we have a chance."
I was going to stand my ground and there was nothing Cal could do about it.
"Rory, as your brother, I'm here to protect and-"
"What did you just say," I interrupted, staring at him.
He obviously realized the mistake he made because he quickly tried to cover it up.
"I meant to say, I'm your older cousin here to pro-"
"Callan, why did you say that," I asked, standing up off of the bed.
His eyes were wide and he was looking everywhere except for at me. He was lying.
"I-I..It's just that we've grown so close over the past few months it's felt like we were brother and sister. I just got a little confused."
I stared at the ceiling, no longer able to look at the boy in front of me.
"How old are you," I asked with trepidation.
"Seventeen," Callan quietly replied.
"And when...when is your birthday?"
I had never thought to ask him this and he had never brought it up. I was hoping it was just because birthdays weren't a big deal to him, but somehow, I felt like that wasn't it.
"Rory...," He sighed, standing up.
"Callan," I said sternly, causing him to stop. "When is your birthday?"
We stood there, staring at each other until Callan sighed and stared at the floor. I knew then without a shadow of a doubt what he was about to say.
The strange feeling came back, the one that I had dismissed when I first came here because I thought it was because I hadn't seen them in so long. I was wrong.
"April sixth."
I instantly sunk to the ground where my heart already was resting.
We were twins.
****
And the drama begins. This story is almost over and I have a lot of the next few chapters written. The next updates should be close behind.
The song is 'Ohio (Come Back to Texas)' by Bowling for Soup.
xx