CHAPTER 4
Mr. West was a tower of a man, standing over six feet tall. At his early fifties, his muscles gained from carrying countless ballerinas and dancers was starting to turn into fat, and while he resembled a plump bear, he was far from being a stuffed plaything. As soon as warm-ups ended, Mr. West walked onto the middle of the stage, his presence a commanding boom that silenced the room.
From the balcony of the stage, Dandy watched over the try-outs along with the others. He watched in silent awe as Mr. West openly insulted and rarely gave praise from the front row.
"You call that a twirl? I thought you were just looking for the exit?" Dandy and the others fought a chuckle.
"This. Is. So. Bloody. Boring."
"I hope you've kept your day job, dear."
"Next," Mr. West looked at the list. "Hetherington, Darius."
Darius climbed down the balcony and went to the center, Isabella following behind. "Mr. West, if you don't mind, Knightley and I will be performing together."
Mr. West growled, ticking off her name. "This better be good."
Darius and Isabella took their positions on either side of the stage. The music began, and the two began their audition. Dandy looked at them sullenly: he had to admit that the two were pretty good. But I'm gonna be better. He told himself. You are a born thespian, Dandy. You are going to get this. You are going to—
"You've certainly been practicing, Mr. Hetherington." Mr. West said begrudgingly. Dandy didn't notice that he had been spacing out the entire performance. "Now, Mr. Dandy Mott."
The whole balcony turned to look at Dandy blankly. Taking a deep breath, Dandy walked down the stairs, passing Darius and Isabella at the bottom.
"Don't choke." Darius smiled wickedly as Dandy reached the bottom, but Dandy chose to ignore him and passed him by, but hitting Darius as he passed.
"Mr…Mott?" Mr. West said hesitantly as Dandy stepped onto the stage. "First time to act under Starstruck?"
"Yes." Dandy said patiently.
"And you're applying for Romeo, Mr. Mott?" Mr. West looked at him like he was a joke. "You expect me to put a first-timer as the star for this year's winter play?"
Behind him, he heard a few snickers up in the balcony. Just you wait, assholes. "No, Mr. West," Dandy said respectfully. "I expect you to put a talented newcomer into that role."
Mr. West looked at Dandy amusedly. "Very well. No experience, no background, no past performances whatsoever. Let's see what you've got."
At the sound of his music, Dandy began his planned routine. For the next three minutes, nothing existed but the stage and the limelight. Dandy felt like he was flying, the moves flowing into his head like a moving picture he loved to watch over and over. Despite being in the zone, he could imagine what he looked like, and would stretch his legs higher or extend his arms more. There was no mother, no Hetheringtons, no Mr. West stopping him from being who he was. On his grand finale, he did not hesitate to slide across the stage, fighting the urge to cry in pain as the hard wooden floor was not the slippery marble floor he practiced on, but he kept his face straight, matching the end of his music to one swift twist.
The theater was quiet when it was over, save for Dandy's panting. Even up in the balcony, Dandy couldn't hear a whisper. He looked back down the seats and was surprised to see Mr. West standing, walking towards the stage.
"Can you act, Mott?" Mr. West asked emotionlessly.
"I can."
"Show me happy." Dandy gave it as best as he could. "Now sad. Angry. Moody."
Dandy contorted his face and muscles to the emotions he gave. And then he saw Mr. West nod in approval as he ticked something on his list. "That was great—for a first-timer." He heard a gasp somewhere in the balcony and he knew it was the best compliment he could get from a man like Mr. West. "Now…no more auditions for the character roles? None?" When no one piped up from the balcony, Mr. West continued. "Good. Ten minute break, and afterwards I will announce the performers for the roles—though I guess it is pretty obvious who they shall be."
Dandy heard the others climb down the balcony, but he didn't look back. He was practically running towards the end of the stage. "So I got it?"
Mr. West turned sharply at him. "Excuse me?"
"Did I get the lead?" Dandy asked impatiently.
"Mr. Mott…"
"It's a yes or no, did I get it?" Dandy tapped his foot. "I showed you my potential, haven't I?"
Fucking amateurs, at least one looney amateur does this every year. Mr. West looked at the stage, everyone had stopped what they were doing to get a good view on the new guy's outburst. Nathaniel West did not like humiliating any one, but he believed it was the only key he could use when he felt like he was working with someone on a high horse. He sighed. "Mott, you have the talent, given—well so does Hetherington over here—"
"But I am a fresh face." Dandy exclaimed. "Don't you want this next play to be like a new beginning for you?"
"But what you don't have that Mr. Hetherington does is the whole package." Mr. West continued, scowling. "Obviously Ms. Knightley here will get the role of Juliet hands down—" From the back, Isabella gave a fake gasp everyone could see through, but everyone was too engrossed with Dandy and Mr. West to care. "—and Romeo and Juliet is a romance story, Mott. I pick Hetherington over here, and I get the chemistry that comes with picking the both of them."
Darius whooped, twirling Isabella across the room. Only a few seemed to care about their joy. "It would be impractical and inappropriate if I picked you over Hetherington, and I doubt you can form a romantic bond with any one of our Juliet auditions in the next hour and change my mind about my decision."
Dandy looked at the other girls, none of which would meet his eye. "So I don't get the role, then?"
"Paris is still a main role," Mr. West shrugged. "So are the Lords Montague and Capulet—though you seem too young-faced for those roles. Anyone in the ruling house of Verona is your pick. Now if there's nothing else…"
Darius and Isabella replayed their joy for hearing their roles, and this time people congratulated them. Dandy wasn't thinking about beating the Hetheringtons as his mother wanted, he was thinking of his broken career. My debut and I'm not even a leading character? I'm ruined. Dandy thought despairingly. I'm ruined. I can't be a big star if I don't shine. I'm ruined, I'm ruined, I'm—
"Awww, cheer up Dandy." Behind him, Darius put a caring hand on his shoulder. "Some people weren't just meant to be leads."
"Fuck off," Dandy growled. "I hate you. I hate you, I hate you, and this is not the end of me."
Darius smiled sweetly, Isabella hiding her giggle demurely. "Oh, but I think it is."
"Sorry I'm late, are auditions still open?" Everyone turned to the girl below the stage, including Dandy, who noticed that she didn't carry the southern accent in her voice. "I'm auditioning for the role of Juliet."
The slender girl wore a gray tank top and black leggings, her hair tied in a messy bun with a white tie that contrasted to her black hair. For a split second, Dandy felt some sympathy for her. A girl like her can't possibly be Juliet while Isabella's here, taking in Isabella's blue-eyes and blonde hair.
But he looked at Isabella, a Knightley who was taught to never back down, and saw that, for the first time today, she looked like her position was being threatened. Next to her, Darius was no longer holding her by the waist, almost two feet apart from his girlfriend. The rest of the cast looked like a mix of awe and wonder. Dandy had no idea who this plain girl was and how she managed to keep the room quiet just by walking in.
"Well, Christmas sure did come early this year." Mr. West gave the thinnest of smiles, a compliment surpassing his compliment to Dandy moments ago. "Wednesday Hale, here in Jupiter, Florida. What are you doing here."
The Hales have a daughter? Dandy wondered. The Hales lived a few hills away from the Mott Manor, and although they were older than most of the new families in Jupiter, they were very kept to themselves, so he really wouldn't know.
"They were doing an all-male show for the holidays in New York," Wednesday said casually as she went up the stage and dumped her bag with the rest of the cast's bags. "I came home early for the holidays—big mistake, it's pretty boring here. So mother told me of this play going on and I figured I'd try to keep myself busy."
"Who's Wednesday Hale?" Dandy asked a passing girl.
"You don't know Day Hale?" The girl's eyes widened in shock.
"I've heard the name, I think—Day Hale." Dandy tried jogging his memory. "Why, should I?"
"In Broadway, she's Day Hale, and she's one of the biggest and youngest stars there." She gushed. "She's amazing, really."
"Why haven't I seen her before?" Dandy grimaced as he watched Mr. West hurry himself back to the front to watch Wednesday's audition.
"Day got famous when she played that kid from Miss Saigon," The girl explained. "Ever since she's been a hot topic in Broadway that she never left except for holidays with her parents."
"A bigger hot topic than Odette Hetherington?"
"Odette Hetherington?" The girl raised an eyebrow. "Comparing Odette Hetherington to Day Hale is like calling a hurricane a breeze. Odette's good, but she's not Day good. Hell, I don't even know why she's auditioning right now."
Dandy nodded at the girl in thanks, and she walked away. He glanced at Darius, and their eyes met. At that moment, Dandy knew what he needed to do, and at the same time, Darius knew what Dandy wanted to do, and gave a slightly scowling glance at the girlfriend that prevented him from doing the same thing Dandy was planning. He glared at Dandy, who was flashing a triumphant smile as he walked to the side of the stage to watch the last audition of the day.
