"I built this heart. It's beating loud."
in which a girl overcomes her big
audition jitters in order to land
the big break she's been waiting
for.
My entry for the Katy Keene writing contest. My dream was always to be an actress, but I switched to s...
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Kalani's sneaker clad feet slapped against the pavement as she ran. Several people glared at her as she weaved through the people on the sidewalk, but she didn't care. She simply shouted apologies as she went. Surely, they wouldn't be too concerned about a five foot something girl who barely weighed a hundred pounds brushing into them. She couldn't risk being any later than she already was. Her breath came out in short pants, appearing in front of her in the form of small clouds. She held up her wrist. The digital watch that rested there lit up in response. 10:15. She was, in fact, late. Kalani pulled the faux leather jacket she wore tighter around herself. (She certainly couldn't afford the real stuff on her pet sitting salary.) The wind itself seemed to pick up, biting at her cheeks, as she began to run again. People jumped out of her way just in time as she came barreling towards them.
"Sorry!", the dark haired girl called back over her shoulder. Usually, she would have stopped and apologized to them a million times. That was just who she was. She was far too nice, and that would soon be her downfall. Someday, but not today. She was already late! Kalani continued to run, nearly slipping several times on the frozen sidewalk. She hated the winter. It just made everything wet, slippery, and cold. Or maybe she was just bitter because she was too clumsy to be on ice, one of the two.
This was her first audition since... Well, her first audition ever. Sure, she'd been ensemble at school a few times, but that didn't count, did it? She hadn't decided to be an actress until freshman year of college. Merely a semester ago. Was it too late for her? Probably. Did that mean she was going to give up? Possibly. But not right now. Right now, she just had to go out there and do her best. How could you know if you never tried? She liked to look at life as an opportunity, a gift. It was like playing sports. It wouldn't go well unless you gave it your all. Finally, she could see the building approaching in front of her. She sighed heavily in relief. Almost there. She was almost to the moment that could make or break her. This was going to be everything. This was going to determine who she would become going forward. It felt like everything she'd ever done had been building up to this moment.
The metal door slammed open with a bang. Small snow flurries twirled in the air above her head. Fresh snow had clung to Kalani's hair and clothes, melting slowly. Her full, plump lips parted as Kalani stood in the doorway, attempting to catch her breath. Her dainty hand rested against the freezing cold metal of the door, her free hand rested on her knee. Her practically golden skin flushed scarlet, both from the cold and all of the day's excitement.
She soon realized that she was being watched. Already large brown eyes widened as she stared at them. Not a cute look. No one looked at all impressed. If anything, they looked quite disturbed by her sudden appearance. Did she look like a rat right now? Maybe she should have slowed down before bursting in like that. Now, her nerves were all over the place. "Sorry I'm late", she squeaked. How embarrassing. Late and she looked a mess. Not to mention, that dramatic and uncalled for entrance. This certainly didn't look good on her part. She looked unprofessional and sloppy.
There were three people at a table. She couldn't tell who was who at first. She figured two must be the director and casting director. The third must have been the writer, or the producer. No, it was most definitely the writer. He was notorious for being hands on with every production and film adaptation. Some said he was a monster to work with because everything had to be perfect. If anything, the man was a genius. Protecting the integrity of his work was admirable. She supposed that she too wouldn't want her book to be made a mockery of had she ever written one. Yes, she recognized him almost immediately as she stepped closer. Alejandro Vegara. Dark brown hair fell in neat ringlets, tucked behind one of his ears. He had kind, hazel eyes that crinkled by the sides when they met her own chocolate brown ones. Was he laughing at her?
Kalani's cheeks flushed. She'd managed to embarrass herself in front of her idol. How embarrassing. Alejandro wrote amazing books, and now he was writing screenplays. Such a talent! No matter what anyone said, she could never fathom hating that man. He was the very picture of young and successful, and Kalani was the definition of hungry and desperate. She wanted to be someone. She wanted to learn from this man. However he'd gone from a scrappy young man with everything to prove to a resourceful and wealthy man with nothing to lose, she wanted in on the secret.
"Why do you want to act?", he asked her. The other two at the table looked at him, as if he had suddenly grown a second head. Kalani didn't know this, but he hadn't expressed any interest in the girls before her. (In fact, a few of them had gone home in tears over how dismissive he'd been, barely giving them a chance.)
Kalani furrowed her brows. "What?" She hadn't been expecting that. Sure, she had never done a big audition before, but she only expected basic questions and to perform what she had prepared.
"Why do you want to act?", he repeated, a bit slower this time.
"Sometimes, it's easier to be someone else", Kalani answered. "Sometimes life is bad and we have to go somewhere else, be someone else, to get through it. If I can help myself to heal while bringing joy to someone else, then I should do that. Acting is more than just prancing around on a camera, it's a momentary escape. Whoever you are, whatever you're running from, it all goes away when you step into character. It's art, a form of expression like any other. But more than that, I want to be somebody. I want to leave a mark on the world."
He looked thoughtful. Silence stretched on for a long moment, and it seemed like no one was breathing. Was this a test? Had she passed? Had she failed? Finally, he spoke again, clicking his pen harshly against the table. "Alright then, Ms...?"
"Kalani", she supplied. She wasn't sure if she was actually shaking or if she just felt like she was.
"Ms. Kalani", he said, gesturing toward center stage. "Let's see what you've got."
FEBRUARY 10, 2020 EDITED AND EXTENDED MARCH 25, 2024 POPPY SPEAKS ! hello everyone! Born To Be Brave was a short story i wrote a few years ago for wattpad's Katy Keene competition. i didn't win, honestly i don't remember if ANYONE won, but i think this short is super cute and wanted to polish it up (at the time the short couldn't be more than 500 words so i extended it a bit) and share it again. i hope you guys enjoyed!
