Pillars

Chapter 4: Over the Rainbow (Kelci)

My stomach knotted with anxiety as the Wizard of Oz auditions approached. I had always dreamed of being Dorothy as a little girl. One year for Halloween my mom bought me a blue and white checkered dress and a pair of ruby red shoes on eBay. For months, I would put that outfit on and spin around singing "Somewhere over the Rainbow" until Lorin yelled at me from across the hall.

Part of my anxiety had something to do with telling Mom about the audition. I wasn't sure what kind of reaction to expect, but I would do anything to stop her and Lorin from arguing all the way to school...again.

"I need a car, mom!" Lorin protested, yet again. This had been her plea since she turned seventeen. "I'm tired of having you drive me everywhere, it's embarrassing."

"I already told you when you get a job, you can get a car," Mom explained.

"I don't have time for a job. We literally drive a hundred miles to this stupid school every day. By the time we get back home it's so late. Besides, I need a car to get to a job."

"A hundred miles? Don't you think you are exaggerating a bit?" Mom jeered.

"I'm auditioning for Wizard of Oz!" I shouted over them.

"Oh," Mom seemed surprised.

"Auditions are next week. I really want to do this, Mom. Please," I begged.

"Well okay then," Mom agreed. "What part are you going for?"

"Dorothy," I said still processing how easy that was. Surely I thought Mom would protest. 

"Ha!" Lorin glanced over her shoulder from the front seat. "Kelci, you can't be serious. You have like zero experience. They're not just going to had over the lead role to an amateur."

"Seriously, Lorin. It's a school play, not Broadway," Mom laughed. "Kelci, I think you'll do great." She smiled at me in the rearview mirror. "Remember that little blue dress and those red shoes? I used to have to bribe you to take them off for bedtime."

I smiled smugly at Lorin who was rolling her eyes. 

******

"Okay people listen up!" Mr. Merkel's voice echoed against the high ceiling of the auditorium. "We are going to make this as painless as possible. If you are here for a principal role go to stage left. Everyone else meet my assistant in the lobby."

The witches, both good and bad, went first because they didn't have much singing. After were the lions, tinmen, and scarecrows. All of which were amazing and funny. The rumors were true, Grayson's drama students were seriously talented. By the time they got to the Dorothy's it was nearly six o'clock and my stomach was growling.

Mr. Merkel clapped twice to get everyone's attention. "Excellent work! This will be one of Grayson's best performances yet. My Dorothy's line up center stage. Everyone else you are dismissed."

Center stage. My aching stomach flipped. I really should have eaten that granola bar Taylor offered me in eighth period. One by one Mr. Merkel called on the girls to sing the opening bars to "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."

Everything happened so fast, I was somewhere outside of my head when my name was called. As I stepped up to the mic I imagined myself in my five-year-old bedroom. The spotlight was the sun beaming through my window, and Mr. Merkel and his assistants were my stuffed animals lined up on my bed. I must have done okay, because everyone clapped when I finished. 

As I walked out of the auditorium and into the pitch-black parking lot I hit the FaceTime button next to Taylor's name on my phone. The cool October air sobered me up and brought me back to reality

"Oh my god! Finally," Taylor said as her face lit up the screen.

"Sorry. I was one of the last ones," I said, spotting Mom's Honda Accord in the front circle of the school.

"Never mind that. How did it go?"

"Pretty good. I think."

"Seriously? That's it. Pretty good. You know I need details," Taylor insisted.

"Honestly it went well. Everyone is so talented though."

"And so are you," Taylor said. "I know you killed it."

I shrugged at Mom as I got into the car.

"We'll see," I said. "The list will be posted first thing tomorrow."

When I hung up with Taylor I turned to Mom as we pulled out of the parking lot. "I really enjoyed being up there," I said.

"Okay," Mom said after a long pause.

"It felt so good. Getting into character is like peeling off a mask and exposing something that the world has never seen before." My vision blurred as my eyes filled with tears. I wanted my mom's blessing so bad. 

"I'm serious about this Mom," I said. "No matter what happens with this audition, or anything else. I really want to pursue an acting career. It's not just a silly childhood fantasy." There I said it. It felt really good to come clean.

"I know." Mom smiled straight ahead, merging onto the freeway for the long ride home.

[Please VOTE if you like my story. I will be updating at least once a day. So come back soon to find out if Kelci gets to live her dream. Thanks for reading.]