Sea Foam

Chapter Four

Please don't let me be on the list. . . . Please don't let me be on the list. . . . Arielle thought this desperately as she attempted to push her way through the large crowd. The first bell had already rung, but no one seemed to care. Apparently, about a hundred students had signed up for auditions.

"Get out of the way!" The arm of an annoying voice pushed Arielle to the side as the crowd began to clear a path. 

Vanessa, Arielle growled in her head. That stuck-up little --

"I'm Juliet! And Eric is Romeo, so this is perfect!" Vanessa's excited scream cut off Arielle's thoughts. As she droned on and on to anyone who pretended to care, Arielle began to feel relief. That was one less role Arielle could possibly have. Hopefully, the most she would be was Bystander #2, or something. She was happy for Eric for being the main lead, though, despite all the disasters he had forced Arielle through. "But, wait, what's this?" Arielle had turned to leave when Vanessa's already loud voice went up two octaves. "The understudy is Arielle Blue?"

For a moment, time stopped. Arielle couldn't breathe as she processed in her head what Vanessa had just shrieked. She was the understudy for Juliet? She was the understudy for the main female lead? 

Wait . . . and then another thought hit Arielle. She was the understudy. That meant there was no reason for her to be in the play, or have any outstanding roles.

Arielle tried her best to conceal her smile as everyone turned to stare at her. She wondered what everyone was expecting her to do. Cry? Run away?

"I, uh, guess that means you won't be seeing me around the auditorium anymore," Arielle finally said with a big shrug. "After all, there's no way Vanessa will ever want to be absent, which means there's no reason for me to even attend practice." She raised a hand in farewell. "See you!" She then turned around to walk away, when a hand suddenly grabbed her bag.

"Not so fast." Arielle groaned mentally as Eric released his grip on Arielle's bag and stepped in front of her.  "Just because you're an understudy doesn't mean you don't have to attend rehearsals," he said with a frown.

Arielle raised an eyebrow. "Why not?" she asked. There was a higher chance of Vanessa turning into a giant sea monster -- she was already a land monster after all -- before she would allow any artist, especially Arielle, to take her spot in the musical. 

"Well, first of all, understudies are required to know everything about the role they may take --"

"Eric!" Vanessa interrupted Eric by quickly wrapping an arm around his shoulder. "What are you doing?" There was a smile on her face and her voice seemed sweet but her eyes showed she wasn't playing the lovesick schoolgirl.

Eric took Vanessa's arm off of him before answering. "What do you mean, what am I doing?" he asked her. "You should know why understudies are important. There is no guarantee that you will be fine on the day of the show."

Vanessa laughed. "Well, even if that does happen, which it won't," she said emphatically with a glare at Arielle, "there is a guarantee that there is no way someone like Arielle will be taking over my role, the lead. She's an athlete! How do you know she won't try to ruin our musical?"

"Because Arielle is a gifted and well-rounded student, and she wouldn't risk everything she has in the school because of a grudge." Mr. Kaplan entered the conversation as he walked towards Arielle, Vanessa, and Brandon. "I don't see why you all are so against Arielle being in the musical. This is a show taking place in this school, not just for those in the arts program. Arielle is a student here, so she has every right to be in our musical."

Arielle could only smile weakly at Mr. Kaplan's words. He probably thought he was doing Arielle a favor, after all. 

"Now, if you all saw what you were here for, I suggest you all get going," Mr. Kaplan continued sternly. "Remember, you must be passing all of your classes if you wish to participate in the show."