Page 24 of The Perfect Hit

“At the beginning of the year, she said it would be hard for her to be in a relationship again and that she might wait until college, but that was several months ago.”

My stomach sank. Great, I liked a girl who was emotionally unavailable for the next several years.

“How’s it going over here?” Hazel asked, walking up next to us.

I glanced down at the script again and said, “It’s, uh, good. I’m just trying to remember this line.”

I pointed to it on the paper, and she leaned over my shoulder, reading it. “Ah, yes. The part when Trey doesn’t think he has a chance. You’ve got this, Colt. You’ve been my cheerleader for the past six months. Just try to channel that, and you’ll be just fine.” She turned to Marcy. “How are the lines coming for you?”

“I think I’ll have them soon.” She grinned at Hazel, and I was surprised by the look of relief on Hazel’s face. She was really worried about this whole situation.

“Okay, keep up the good work. We’ll start blocking at the next rehearsal.” She drifted to the next group, and I might have let my eyes linger on her a bit longer.

Could I get her past the betrayal she had from her ex-boyfriend? It was worth a try.

15

Hazel

I’d always questioned whether zombies were real, but I’d begun to feel like one ever since auditions ended. Sleeping only came in spurts, and when it did, nightmares of my actors not showing up for the performance or forgetting all their lines plagued me. Maybe it was because I was usually the one performing the lines, in control of the situation, that handing it over to the others made it more difficult.

I wasn’t sure how I’d survived up until that point, and we’d only had two practices other than the audition days. I was at the point where I was working on this play in my head practically twenty-four-seven, and I knew I still had a long way to go. How did directors focus on anything else?

Well, I had watched as Colt and Marcy interacted, and that familiar pang of jealousy crept in again. But I couldn’t worry about him right now. I needed to focus on how I would set up all the characters as they came and went on stage.

It was Saturday morning, and as much as I thought about blocking the characters, trying to figure out how each would end up in each scene, I needed a break.

“How’s it going, Hazel?” my mom asked, chopping up an apple.

“It’s going,” I said, sitting at the table and putting my head down. “I think I made a mistake in taking on this play.”

Another chop. “Why do you say that?”

“Because it’s like I can’t get it out of my mind. I’m constantly thinking about it, and it’s hard to concentrate on my other classes.”

“It will all work out. You’ve been like this for every play you’ve starred in. The beginning is always the hardest, but as you keep going, you end up getting into the groove of things. Just make sure you don’t let go of all your homework. I don’t want to see you in summer school.”

I turned, my eyes wide at the idea of no summer break, and saw she was grinning.

“Thanks, Mom.” I stood and took a bite of one of the apples. “I’m going to go for a walk, I think. Try to keep things moving.”

“How’s Brynn doing?” my mom asked as I put my shoes on by the door.

I nodded. “Good. Really good, actually. I saw her in the halls yesterday, and she said she’s got a job starting this week. And Nate, as much as I was annoyed with him in the beginning, is a pretty good guy. He takes care of her, and she’s happier. I just wish her mom would give her a call or something.”

My mom gave me a sad smile. “Yeah, I can’t imagine not hearing from you or not wanting to know what was going on in your life. Your dad and I are going on a date later tonight. Will you be around to hang out with your sisters?”

I nodded. “Yeah, I can do that.”

My sisters were seven and eight, miracle babies my parents didn’t think they could have after complications with her first pregnancy. It wasn’t always easy to bond with them since we were so far apart, but we had a lot of fun moments together.

I waved goodbye and walked out the door, just letting my thoughts wander as I headed down the road. So many thoughts about the play, about Marcy and Colt, and about Scott flooded my mind.

Before I knew it, I was standing in front of Colt’s house.

“Hey, Hazel,” Mrs. Buttars said. “Colt is around back.”

I smiled at her. “Thank you.”

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