SHIFT

Chapter 4

"Breathe, Cassie breathe," I said aloud as I stared into my reflection. I took deep ragged breaths to try to steady my pounding heart. I could hear the directors loud booming voice and Jade's shaking voice trying to read the lines.

I think I might pee myself. "Isn't it strange that people get so afraid of talking to another person." I jumped and turned around to see a janitor walk in.

"Would a cashier be afraid to tell the costumer how much money they need to give them? Of course not so it's ludicrous that a girl can't walk on an elevated floor tell the person in front of them their name and proceed to read to them from a simple sheet of paper.

I mean sure if they had had to stand there and make something up that would be stressful but to stand there and just read," said the janitor looking intently on the wall behind me.

"I guess," I hesitantly answered. "Your friend out there came out onto the stage with a proud air around her, but that dear, could be the very reason she crashed so hard. See you're not supposed to expect to get the part, but you're not about to shoot the thought down.

You must not be proud but earnest with an open mind and heart so that if that person does not like your performance and decides to tell you off you won't be shocked or hit too hard, you'll just take his words and leave knowing you tried.

Once you do get on the stage and get the paper with the words you're intended on sharing, you should first scan the paper find what situation your characters in and then become that character. Put yourself in their position and find the emotions and feelings behind it.

Set your demeanor in a way that is exactly how you yourself would react to that particular scene. If you stumble while speaking act as if that's what you intended and they will believe it and whatever you do just remember that whatever the director says is right until you leave the stage, then you can be as opinionated as you care to be,"he said grabbing an iced tea from his cart, raising it to his lips.

He casually sipped the contents of the bottle. "So don't be proud, be the character, be nice, and then leave it up to him?" I asked scratching my head. I noticed then that my hands weren't shaking anymore and that my heart rate was back to normal.

"Yes, but don't be the character, you can never be someone, just put yourself in that person's place and read the lines with how you would feel at that time," he explained. "Oh," I said thoughtfully. He does make great points. The bathroom door banged open, and Piper stood cheerily on the other side. "Your turn Cassie," she said sweetly.

"Don't be scared, whatever happens, happens," said the janitor exiting in front of me slowly pushing his squeaky cart behind him. I walked hesitantly out of the bathroom and peered around to see if the janitor was still there, but he was gone. "Come on Cassie," Piper said pulling my arm. That was quite possibly the strangest conversation I've ever had. In a daze I followed her.

She pushed me to the middle of the stage and made a weird hand signal to the audience where I guess the director was but all I saw were the shining lights piercing my vision. Piper came back over to me and handed me a single sheet of paper. I looked down at it and found that the words were in another language, well for me at that time it was.

"You can start whenever," said Piper shuffling off the stage. I swallowed hard and pushed down any nervousness I had deep into a corner. I looked again to the paper and saw the words finally coming together, it was the scene were they find out they fell in love with the enemy family.

I can do this. I took a deep breath and began to speak as if Romeo was the only good thing in my life and will be soon ripped from me. I put all my built up energy on this scene and afterwards I couldn't even remember what I did or said or saw, I just felt. I was on my knees as I heard the distant clapping.