Page 26 of Reaching Avery
Chapter Seven
Maverick
You know that moment when self-doubt takes over and you start second guessing everything, wondering what the hell you were thinking? Yeah, that was me as I stood outside of the auditorium doors, waiting for my turn to go in and audition in front of Mr. Lee, the band director, and the choir teacher for the role of the Beast.
I had chickened out Monday and didn’t even go to the performing arts building. Tuesday, I had gone to the building, but never went inside. Thanks to Sarah, who pushed me to suck it up—literally, she pushed me and dragged me here—I was now signed in on the roster and waiting for my name to be called.
I held a songbook fromLes Miserables, one that had the piano accompaniment, so that the pianist helping with the auditions would be able to play the song I wanted. Having the sheet music had basically been the only requirement.
“Ohmygosh, sweetcakes,” Sarah said, fanning me. “Breathe. It’ll be okay. The worst that can happen is they don’t like you and give the part to someone else.”
She had already auditioned with “Think of Me” fromPhantom of the Opera,and it was pretty much guaranteed she got the part.
“Thanks. That makes me feel so much better.” The level of sarcasm in my voice was affected by my nerves as I put my ear to the door and listened to the guy on stage before me. So instead of sounding like a smartass, I sounded exactly how I felt.
“Peter is gonna be tough to beat,” Sarah said, touching the middle of my back as she leaned forward to hear too. She really sucked with pep talks. “He’s been taking voice lessons for like two years.”
“I’m doomed,” I said, accepting my fate.
And even worse? Peter had chosen a song fromLes Miserablesas well. And only the most awesome and hard as hell to sing one too: “Bring Him Home.”
I’d debated on doing that one, but my voice cracked way too much on the high notes. I was no Hugh Jackman. That was for sure.
“I think I’m gonna puke,” I said as Peter’s voice drifted to my ears.
Dang. The guy couldreallysing. As he got to the section at the end, when the song reached its peak of excellence and he sang of dying if it meant the boy could live, I kissed my role as the Beast goodbye.
“Hey, Maverick.”
I flipped around to see Avery.
He held a book to his chest in that introverted way, but the smile on his face was warm and full of the encouragement he’d given me the night by the train tracks. His straight black hair angled down his face, and his pale blue eyes were made even more so by the dark eyeliner surrounding them.
“Hey!” I said, stepping away from the door toward him. “What are you doing here? Are you goin’ to audition after all?”
The auditions were held after school, so not many people were around. Only the drama kids, and the football guys—who I could see through the window practicing in the small field across the road—were there.
If I’d chosen a different path that year, I would’ve been out there practicing plays with them, instead of nearly pissing myself in the performing arts building.
“Um, no,” Avery answered, and his smile turned shy. “I wanted to come wish you good luck. Or break a foot, or whatever it’s called in the theater world.”
I snorted. He was too cute.
“Break a leg,” Sarah corrected him with a giggle. “But aww, that’s so sweet of you to be here for Mav.” I didn’t miss the way she gave me side-eye, either, as if she suspected something between us. “I’m Sarah, by the way. I know you know that, but we haven’t officially introduced ourselves.” She held out her hand to him.
He hesitated before taking it. “Cool. I’m Avery.”
“Thanks for showing up for me,” I said, not sure why the action touched me so much. My own boyfriend couldn’t even bother to return my calls or texts the past few days when I told him about the audition, and yet, Avery—a guy I barely knew but wanted to know better—had gone out of his way to wish me luck.
“Well, I remembered how nervous you said you were,” Avery said, dropping his gaze to his ragged Converse shoes.
“Oh! I have an idea,” Sarah exclaimed. “How about we go out to dinner after this? You aren’t working tonight, are you Mavy?”
I shook my head. “Not tonight. Dinner would be great.” My eyes instantly flashed to Avery. “You’re coming too, right?”
His eyes widened, as if he’d assumed he wasn’t part of the invitation. But then something else flitted across his face, reminding me of the look he’d given me the night I dropped him off at home. Embarrassment.
“Not sure I can tonight,” he answered, a bit sad.
