Page 33 of Reaching Avery
Chapter Nine
Maverick
“Dude, where are you going?” Travis asked as I dumped my tray in the cafeteria.
“Mr. Lee posted the cast for the musical,” I answered.
Out of all my athletic buddies, Travis was probably the closest one to a real friend. The other guys seemed to follow my lead because they all looked up to me as if I was some hotshot athlete, but Travis hung around because he actually liked me. It wasn’t only sports talk with him.
Travis walked beside me, bouncing a bit on his heels like he did before a big game. “Ah, man. You got this. I don’t know much about the whole singing thing, but there’s nothing you can’t do.”
“Thanks.” I watched him with amusement as he continued to do the pumped-up thing. The guy was a nut. “Is that your way of encouraging me?”
He smirked, making his green eyes crinkle around the edges. “Maybe. The other guys don’t get why you’re so into the drama thing, but you’re my friend, and although I don’t get it either, friends support each other, right?”
“Yeah.” My chest warmed as it hit me that maybe some peopledidknow the real me, and not just see what they wanted. “Thanks, man.”
Before we completely left the cafeteria, I looked around the room and caught Avery’s eye. He smiled, and I did too. We hadn’t talked much since the night we hung out, and I wasn’t sure why. In history, we had chatted a little before class, and sometimes in biology as well, but I got the impression he was distancing himself.
Not wanting to be a pest, I had let him.
Travis and I exited the building and were greeted by the sun. Warmth seeped into my bones, calming the frantic nerves shooting through me, and I peered upward, loving the sight of clear, blue skies. The performing arts center was in the building nearest to the shore, so we walked a small distance before reaching it.
The cast list would be posted backstage, so instead of cutting through the main auditorium, I turned down the hallway and went toward the backstage entrance with Travis in tow. After going through the doors, I saw people gathered around the news board. Most of them I recognized because they were in drama class, but others were from choir, and I didn’t recall their names.
Sarah saw me and worked her way through them before running up to us. “I got Belle! Ohmygosh, I’m so happy.” Her gaze landed on Travis, and she calmed down, looking like she was trying to play it cool or something. “Hi.”
Travis grinned. “Hey. Congrats on getting the part.”
“Did you see mine while you were over there?” I asked, feeling my stomach turn. Pretty sure my palms were sweating too. When her face fell, I knew it was bad news. “Shit.”
She adjusted her pink glasses before wrapping an arm around my waist. “It’s notallbad news, Mavy. Youdidget a part. Just not the one you wanted.”
I looked at the crowd of people near the posted list. A lot were leaving once they’d looked and gushed over it, so it shouldn’t be too hectic to reach the front.
“I’m going in,” I said before unraveling from her hold and heading that way. Disappointment filled my every step, and I wasn’t sure if it was more the fact that I didn’t get the role of the Beast or if it was because I’d failed in a sense. Possibly both.
Finally in front of the sheet, I started skimming down the cast list.
Belle- Sarah Robertson
Beast- Peter Swaim
Gaston- Maverick Blake
I scoffed when I saw Peter got the part I wanted, but jealousy wasn’t a good look on me, so I accepted that he was just better for the role. However, being Gaston was like another blow to my self-esteem. Yeah, it was one of the main parts, but once again, I was the ‘arrogant, tough guy’ character.
Last year, I’d gotten the part of Brom in the production of Sleepy Hollow. I’d thought it was funny, and I had enjoyed the role, but now it just seemed like a pattern I desperately wanted to end.
No matter what I did, I’d always be viewed that way.
Sarah attacked me with a hug, saying how she couldn’t wait to get started. I tried to be excited about it along with her, but I was certain my excitement level missed the mark.
“I think some of the guys are in the courtyard,” Travis said as we left backstage. “Wanna go see what the shitheads are up to?”
“Sure.” It’d be nice to have a distraction from my melancholy thoughts, and hanging out with a bunch of jocks was the cure for that, mostly because they talked a bunch of crap, joked around, and made me laugh.
When we were back outside, Travis and I began walking over to the group, but I stopped when I noticed Sarah wasn’t going in the same direction.
