Chapter 8: It's Tricky
A few minutes pass by after all the players assemble into the auditorium. J.T. goes through a little speech about how he's happy to have so many volunteers who are talented. He then splits up the dancers with Marco while Ms Kwan looks over it and the actors & singers are split with him and Liberty. Some of the actors are Jimmy, Hazel, Danny, Craig, Ashley, Alex, Nate, Manny, and Emma who doubles as a dancer along with Charlie, Darcy and Chante who also doubles. J.T and Liberty pull the performers aside for a read through of the script.
"I can't believe this." Hazel says after skimming over her part. "Danny interrupts me all the time I barely get a word in."
"Thank God." Danny murmurs.
"What was that." Hazel ask Danny who tries to look away as if he didn't hear her question. "Tell me this is a rough rough draft. I'm the star, I'm Venus, I should be much ...
"Exactly." J.T interrupts. "That's why you barely speak."
"What?"
"Your beauty is so awww... breath taking that it takes not only everyone who see you but yours away as well. Your beauty is meant to be admired you are so beautiful that words don't even have to be spoken. The only one in the room who are not nearly as smitten are your kin Zeus or Jimmy of course and your son Danny who is Cupid."
"We'll work through it." Jimmy says. "I'm sure you will do great, J.T. wouldn't allow the star to go away without any recognition." Hazel looks at him as if she's not convinced but chooses to go along with it for now.
"I'm with Hazel on this J.T." Manny speaks while holding the script in the air. " Page fifteen is this some kind of a joke? If it is I won't be the only one's in this room not laughing once they take a look at this." Everyone in the room eagerly turns to the page Manny pointed out.
"You have to be kidding me?" Ashley says obviously not pleased with the page as well. "We were suppose to be a couple now it's a triangle."
"We'll technically it's a square if you look at the bottom of the page." J.T. says hesitantly. "Nate is suppose to be the Guy in the wings."
"Great I thought I had to wear tights and be an angel like Danny over there." Danny gives Nate an evil stare.
"I'm cupid you jerk not an angel and he doesn't wear tights he wears a.." Danny comes to a shocking revelation. "Wait I don't have to wear a diaper if I do I am so out of here."
"It won't be any different then when your at home." Liberty jokingly replies. "How long did it take for you to get over that bed we.."
"Liberty please have a little professionalism." J.T. says in a loud tone. "Look Danny, I'm in charge of costume and you will be wearing pants. No one is wearing tights Nate and the Guy in the waiting is the one who secretly likes Manny but is too afraid to come out with his feelings since she is the most popular girl in the school. Manny the reason we gave you that part is because Ashley and Craig selected song is in the late eighties early nineties era and your selected selections were also around that time. I especially loved when you song Time after Time.
"Time after Time is not really around that era it was released in the early eighties."
"Yeah but your other songs."J.T. picks up a sheet and reads it. "I think were alone now and Looking for a new love were around that time, face it Manny, you're the perfect choice for the part. I liked Dancing Queen we want you to sing that behind the curtains for a dance part but we felt you did an exceptional job with Time after Time it just worked with the storyline we had planned for Craig and Ashley."
"I don't have a problem with it." Craig said."It's just a school play and it's for a good cause."
"Well even though art is dangerously imitating life." Ashley replied while reading the script. "Manny plays Chance a girl who falls for the new guy in the school who is in love and going out Debra which is me. Chance being beautiful(Given by Venus) uses her charms(mistakenly given by Cupid arrow meant for someone else) and popularity to get Craig, I mean Kyle to fall for her instead. Unbeknowst to the fact that Kyle loves Debra and there is a guy in the wings, James who is in love with her."
"It goes on like that. Craig says. "It's a play Ash you can't take these things seriously the last part is not imitating life in fact our whole scene isn't. Manny has a nice voice. I heard her solo, it's a great song she would be perfect for the part."
"Technically it's a duet." Liberty points to the insert on the page.
"Oh." Craig notices the insert. "Wow she sings it with me. I didn't try out for it you know."
"We know" says J.T. " But, it's only a small part. Look Ashley. Manny. Craig's right it's only a part in the play art is not imitating life if half of the people look at most of the scene's in here they could point out something that is similar to their life life. But if your really upset we can change it to Heather Sinclair taking over the role she also choose this song and era. Heather will you be up for it?" Just as Heather is about to respond Craig comes up with an idea.
"What if we settle this with picking a number or put a name in the hat. That way we can leave it up to fate to decide whose right for the part that's if it's alright with you guys." Craig looks at Ashley and Manny.
"I don't have a problem with it." Manny says.
"Fine but I'm talking to you guys after this run through." Ashley looks at J.T. and Liberty. Liberty gives J.T. an "I told you so glance."
"OK, Craig whisper in my ear a number from one to ten." Liberty replied. "Don't worry Ash I won't cheat I didn't want this scene to be written this way but my partner had other plans."
"We trust you Liberty." Craig said before getting up to whisper the number To Liberty. He made sure to cover his lips with his hands over Liberty ear so no one could read them.
"OK girls, pick a number from one to ten." Liberty said.
"Hmmm, four." Heather replied.
"Seven." Manny said in an annoyed voice.
"Wow." Craig whispered out loud to himself.
"What?" Ashley curiously whispered while looking at Craig who had a look of pure astonishment on his face. "Craig what is it? What's the number? Who got the part?"