Night had fallen finally in Vermont. Dinner time had passed yet the world was still up preparing for the next Monday school morning. Aside from one brunette girl who sat anxiously on the small window nook who was instead preparing for the worst outcome of all.
The roommates' door was left open, just like a few other girls' doors in their hall - it was normal, almost traditional habit to leave their doors open for anyone to walk in during this down time. Yet most importantly Anais knew it was because her best friend was waiting for news.
Nancy, who roomed just diagonal of the two, stood outside her door jumping for joy with hands held with Ginny Danburry, "I got the role! I'm going to play Hermia!" she squealed, creaking the wooden floors all the way to the stairs.
Madeline glanced down from her book once hearing that the casting was out for the play and Anais noticed, sighing as she bounced to lie on her bed, "You're gonna get it, stop worrying," she sighed, "You're making me worrying just by watching you worrying."
Madeline lifted her head, furrowing her eyebrows at her friend, "That didn't make any sense," she pointed out and Anais nodded.
"I know."
Just then the sound of running erupted from down the hall, a group of girls running past their doors. The two brunettes looked at one another before standing up as Brenda Livingston appeared in front of their door way, "The list..." she heaved, "It's posted," she announced to the two, bolting back the way she came from as if she also hadn't seen it.
The three girls scurried down the hall, braking their speed once Ms. Montgomery ushered them to slow down before speed walking to the lobby hall. Two groups of girls surrounded the post board but were far too crowding them for anyone to know which list they were looking at.
The three girls waited impatiently behind one of the groups, specially with Madeline right in the front of the trio as she usually leads because she tends to walk too fast. Anais motioned for them to just push people aside but Madeline shook her head quickly, the anxiety rushing through her finger tips.
The group of girls dispersed slowly and Madeline quickly brushed past them glancing at a blue sheet.
Henley Hall
presents
A Midsummer Night's Dream
BARBARA WILSON | TITANIA
THOMAS ROBERTS | OBERON
WILLIAM TURNER | BOTTOM
NEIL PERRY | PUCK
RONALD HOWARD | DEMETRIUS
VIRGINIA DANBURRY | HERMIA
DALE BAILEY | LYSANDER
PATRICIA ROSS | HELENA
JIMMY MEYERS | THESEUS
ARNOLD PRICE | EGEUS
Madeline eyes grazed the list before realizing what she had just read, "Madeline! Madeline!" a girl called out next to her from the other group.
She managed to escape the horde revealing herself to be Brenda, "You got the part!" she spoke brightly, watching as Madeline's eyebrows raise even higher, "You're Odette!"
Anais with eyes wide turned towards her, "You're freaking Odette! Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!"
Her two best friends engulfed her in a hug jumping up and down as she stood there in shock not only from getting her own part but also realizing that the boy from before got his as well. A smile faded onto her face as she leaned her head on her best friends' in happiness.
"Oh gosh," she breathed out, wrapping her arms around Nancy and Anais, "I have to tell Todd!" she realized, pulling back and looking between the two.
"Okay, yeah - yeah, go!" Anais ushered, pushing her in the direction of the phone as she and Nancy crowded around the list.
Henley Hall
presents
Swan Lake
ODETTE / ODILE | MADELINE NOYER / NANCY ROGERS (understudy for ODILE)
PRINCE SIEGFRIED | ERIC MOORE
VON ROTHBART | LEONARD MILLER
WOLFGANG | ERNEST JOHNSON
BENNO | BOBBY DAVIS
QUEEN MOTHER | MS. DUPONT
SWANS | Mary G, Linda F, Patricia P, Susan G, Deborah Y, Barbara W, Debra M, Karen B, Nancy R, Donna H, Cynthia R, Sandra B, Pamela A, Sharon B, Kathleen K, Carol G, Diane P, Brenda L, Cheryl C, Janet J, Anais M
SIX PRINCESSES | Anais M, Debra M, Donna H, Linda F, Janet J, Pamela A
Nancy pulled her head back from the list, turning to stare at Anais, she clasped her hand over her mouth, "I'm understudy for Odile?" she gasped feeling guilty rather than happy, "I-I swear I didn't audition for that part-"
"Nancy, that's Madeline's ex..." Anais spoke hastily, pointing to the name right after Prince Siegfried's.
Nancy stopped rambling, looking at the name and turning back to her brunette friend, "Oh shit..."
Madeline stood at the phone just like every night before, ringing the phone at Welton Academy as she noted it was only a few minutes after their usual call time. Someone picked up, "Hello?" an unfamiliar voice answered.
"Hi - Could you please get Todd Anderson?" she spoke, "He's in 12th grade, I-I'm not sure what room he's in but-"
"Gotcha, hold on," the younger boy sounded off, the sound of footsteps quickly soaring on wood vanishing.
Madeline leaned against the wall waiting for what seemed like an eternity to her as she heard chatter here and there on the other line.
"What'd you write for Mr. Keating's class?"
"I was gonna write it tonight-"
"I think I'm still recovering from the mystery meat from last week..."
Suddenly, loud footsteps banged on wood in the back traversing upwards, "Guys! I got the part! I got the part!"
Madeline stood up straight immediately recognizing that same voice this morning. She couldn't believe herself and almost even tried telling herself that she didn't hear right, but she did, she heard correctly and she knew herself she had never heard a voice like his before.
She stood there waiting for her childhood best friend looking like a fool and most especially feeling like one. Seeing him at auditions, reading his name on the list, hearing him over the phone - it was all starting to feel like some hallucination and mirage trying to trick her from this high. Yet in her head she had already pieced it all together.
First her best friend transfers to Welton then Nancy fancies another boy there and now Neil?
"Hello?" It was Todd on the other end.
"Oh, Todd, hi," she spoke still shocked.
Todd began, "What's wrong?" he asked, sensing the odd tone of her voice.
Madeline laughed shaking her head to also shake the thought of even bringing up another Welton boy to her shy friend, "Nothing - nothing... It was nothing..."