"You can literally smell the anxiety in the air." Dan laughed as he walked onto the stage with the rest of the auditionees.
After nearly 2 months of practicing the monologues for the auditions to be in the school play, the day was finally here. Everyone in the Drama Club was aware that the teacher had already seen them perform and do things prior to this, but still, everyone was nervous.
"Glad you were all able to make it." Welcomed the Drama instructor, Mrs. Thomas.
"Now, before we begin... HORSE AND RIDER!" She screamed.
Horse and rider was a game that was familiar to everyone in the Drama Club. They were taught how to play on the first day. The object was to not be the last duo to be in the stated formation. For example 'horse and rider', the object would be to get on someone's back.
Everyone scattered to find a partner and got in the formation with them.
"Good.. Good. DUKE AND PRINCESS!" Mrs. Thomas yelled again.
Dan fled his previous partner to locate a new one. Time was running out and nearly everyone else had a partner.
"Dan.." Hissed a voice from behind him.
Phil was standing with his arms open without a partner as well. Dan jumped up into Phil's arms bridal style to fulfill the 'duke and princess' category.
"Perfect. Now have a seat on either side with your partners. I'd like the sides to have an equal amount of people. I will call your names and you will come up to the front of the stage. How are we all feeling about this?" Mrs. Thomas questioned.
A series of groans and moans filled the theater.
"Lovely."
Mrs. Thomas called name after name. After every performance, everyone clapped. Regardless of how well they did. Dan began to mentally note when he knew someone got a part, and when he knew someone was out.
"Dan Howell?" Mrs. Thomas called.
Dan instantly hid his nervousness and walked to the edge of the stage.
"I'm Dan Howell and I will be performing as George from the play Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf by Edward Albee."
He took a few steps back and closed his eyes, silent for a moment, then staring at his focus point.
"Now you listen to me Martha; you have had quite an evening..."
Dan walked placidly, getting closer and closer to the edge of the stage.
"..quite a night for yourself and you can't just cut it off whenever you've got enough blood in your mouth."
Dan took a quiet breath and twisted to the side, now walking in a new direction towards the others waiting to audition, but never looking at them. Then he stopped and moved on his toes, once again facing his focus point, otherwise known as 'Martha'.
"We are going on, and I'm going to have at you, and it's going to make your performance tonight look like an easter pageant. Now I want your to get yourself a little alert."
Dan cocked his head a bit and smirked sexually.
"I want a little life in you baby. Pull yourself together. I want you on your feet and slugging sweetheart, because I'm going to knock you around and I want you up for it..."
Suddenly, Dan's voice lowered and started a soft but well audible, seductive whisper.
"I want you mad.. Are you mad?"
His voice grew louder and more joyful.
"Good for you girl; now we're going to play this one to the death."
Dan didn't detach his gaze from his viewpoint until he heard Mrs. Thomas say 'Thank you.' meaning he could sit back down with the others.
It wasn't hard to sit through other peoples auditions, just nerve wracking when they were good at what they did.
"Alright, please now talk freely as I cry and decide who I pick for the show. Then we can play some games. Call backs should be posted no later than 9pm."
Dan spoke of nervousness about his audition and comforted others in his area.
"Honestly, I just hope I get in the company, whether I'm cast or crew. I just want to be a part of it." Dan admitted.
"Same." Said Phil, a senior who was also auditioning.
Dan began talking to the other people who surrounded him about the tv show he was currently obsessed with.
"Hey Phil," Asked another senior who no one really knew very well as he didn't show up to anything except this and a camp thing that had happened two weeks ago.
"Yeah?" Phil answered.
"Would you rather lick Ben's left nostril or right?"
"Gross! No!" Phil exclaimed.
Ben laughed at the unknown senior's attempt to get people to answer his ridiculous question.
"Dan! Dan!"
"Hmm?" Dan faced the senior.
"If I ask you a question, you have to answer it, okay?"
"Kay.."
The senior's eye's lit up.
"Would you rather like Ben's left nostril or right nostril?"
Dan looked over at Ben, who, like everyone else was paying close attention to the answer for some reason. He then lifted Ben's chin to look at the nostrils.
"Are you seriously thinking this over?" Said a girl to the side of Dan, that he'd previously been talking to.
"I would lick the... Right one. It's cleaner and has less hair."
The group of five laughed hysterically, causing other groups in the theater to look over.
"Speaking of licking people's nostrils.." Phil began
"How does anything relate to licking people's nostrils?" The unknown senior asked suspiciously.
"I can beat all of you in gay chicken." Phil continued.
"What's gay chicken?" Dan said curiously.
"It's when two guys or two girls lean in like they're about to kiss and then the first person to pull away loses." Phil explained.
Dan scoffed.
"Nope. No way you'd beat me in that." He challenged.
"Dare to play?"
"Let's do it Lester."
They sat across from each other, with the other three in their group surrounding them. They kept their eyes open and stared at the other as they began to lean in, closer and closer.
"Okay, everyone stand up in a line at the front of the stage." Mrs. Thomas said.
Neither Dan, nor Phil were going to lose this. All five stayed seated as the rest of the Drama Club got into the line.
Closer and closer. With every inch closer, the other three's smiles grew bigger, building up with their laughter. Their noses touched and still, neither backed out. When suddenly, their lips touched. They couldn't back out. If they did, they'd lose. They kept their lips connected until the rest of the group broke out laughing and standing up to get into the line.
Both of them detached and stood next to each other in the line.
"We kissed. Crap we kissed. I didn't mean for us to kiss." Phil whisper yelled.
"Our lips actually touched." Dan replied in the same volume.
"Dan! Phil!" Exclaimed Mrs. Thomas. "Act like best friends." She commanded.
The three who had been a part of the group giggled. Mrs. Thomas ordered other people to do different things to the people next to them, before getting back to Dan and Phil.
"Okay, I'm going to have to separate you two because, Phil, you look like you're embarrassed of Dan and Dan you look like you're in love with him."
Ben laughed. "They had a 'intimate' time before this line, Mrs. Thomas."
The rest of the Drama Club laughed even though only the 5 knew what that was supposed to mean. Dan and Phil flushed red and then moved away from each other.
Once they were all allowed to leave, Dan rushed out of the building with his friend Louise.
"We actually kissed Louise!"
"Yeah? Is he a good kisser?"
"Well.. kinda.. That wasn't supposed to happen!"
Louise laughed.
"Okay Dan, see you tomorrow maybe at callbacks?"
"See you! Good luck!"
"Thanks!"