Settling herself on the ground, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly, closing her eyes for a moment before she opened them and stood, her frame hunched over a little with one arm wrapped around her own waist, the other holding a bag to herself almost protectively.

"I'm glad." She started, speaking clearly and as if the seventy or so people weren't watching her at all. She continued, one foot swaying slightly as she fidgeted, her weight on her other foot.

"I like doing theatre, even though it's my first time. I like it because I'm doing something. Using up energy. Getting out of my ward. God, how I hate that ward." She paused, her eyes rolling sky-ward, as if to give her release. "You ask if I don't like it?" She asked suddenly, and laughed. "What gave you that idea? My parents had me committed. They think it's sort of like a holiday. Those dirty white and olive walls give me the heebie jeebies, they really do. Cosi gave me something to think about, something to do." She laughed again, as if there was an inside joke somewhere there, even though there wasn't. "See, I'm happy coming to this burnt out theatre." She paused, thinking again, knowing she had more to say but didn't really know how to say it.

"It's peculiar about drugs. Doug hates them because he likes to be naturally high all the time. Zac likes them because everything passes like he's in a dream or limbo. I think I'm a naturally addictive personality. I like what they give you here, because not to be on drugs, whatever sort, is like being in limbo for me. Drugs make me feel sort of living. Completely the opposite for Doug. Especially junk. Ever had it?" Her eyes looked like they were calculating someone, who wasn't even there. "No, you haven't, I can tell. A bit of pot, touch of acid, right?" She smiled reassuringly, and paused yet again, as if listening.

"Junk? It's like...Like lying in a warm, cloudy river. Some people can't imagine life without love, well I can't imagine life without junk. I know it's stupid, that's why I like doing this theatre thing. Doesn't make me sit in my ward thinking, what I need right now is..." She trailed off, everyone knowing what she was thinking but wouldn't say. She fixed the bag strap on her shoulder, and smiled an energetic smile. "I'm really full of beans, you know? I could cut your hair in a minute flat." With one last promising smile, Katharine held for a moment before bowing to the half intrigued, half polite applause.

"Very good Katharine, which character are you going for?"

"Elizabeth Proctor."

"Ahh yes. That's a fantastic piece you used, paralleling it by Julie's act of feeling quiet and reserved because of her drug dependency with Elizabeth's quiet and reserved act because of her husbands adultery. Very good."

Katharine took her place between her friends shakily, although smiling about her performance. At least she hadn't stuffed up any of the lines like she had done in so many practises that same day. She loved the piece she had done, but was worried it was too much talking and not enough acting, and she didn't know if she had pulled off the 'talking to air' thing well enough for people to be able to understand her character had been supposed to be talking to a character called Lewis, and wasn't just rambling to herself...

A few more people ran through their auditions, Katharine barely taking any notice guiltily, too worried about how her own performance had been. It was her last year, her last chance at getting the roll she wanted. If she didn't get a role she knew she could do well in then it would make her Year12 PES Drama piece oh so much harder, something she really didn't need the next year. It was October, 2004, and they were in the middle of the first auditions for next years whole school play of The Crucible. Four of them would be marked for their performance in the production for their actual Year12 Drama course, and then everyone else who was in any year except for year seven or eight would be marked as well, but to a great lesser point.

They had only known of the production for a month or so, their teacher had brought it up just before one lunch time after a class as a passing comment. Katharine had paused by the door and given Aunty Lou a calculating look.

"Yes Katta?" even their teacher called the girl by her nickname.

"Which character should I try out for?"

Mrs Louise Stokes-Chapman put down the folder she was holding and straightened, gazing at her student carefully for a long drawn out moment.

"…Elizabeth Proctor." She finally answered, and then returned to packing up her books. "I have a script if you'd like to look over it now?"

"No, that's okay." Katharine had smiled. "I'm going to the canteen to buy it right now. I'll need it for English next year anyway." And with that it had been decided. She would be trying out for Elizabeth Proctor even though she knew not even the first thing about The Crucible for the simple fact that her teacher hadn't yet suggested her a character that she hadn't loved on first sight.

It was handy, being able to do the same script for both her English and Drama class, and then also the huge school production. Maybe she could also base her design practical around it…that would make it easier…because then should could - …no, maybe not. It could get overkill and already she could quickly get sick of the script, especially since she would be spending all Friday afternoons as well as the full day of Saturday and Sunday at the school in rehearsals…

It also meant that that most of the towns year 11 and year 12 students would come to see the show though, since they would be studying it that year or the next, and that thought was a little scary. Still, it would be good to have a full house every night they performed, and talk had been heard that they would be performing every night for a fortnight, instead of just five days like they had every other year.

It was also just too scary to think about though.

Everything was a rush. Katharine leant her head on the short form of a friend next to her, Gareth, who had already gone through his audition and was sitting happily, not seeming worried at all. Of course he didn't have to be, he was easily one of the most talented of their class. With a sigh, she closed her eyes and wrinkled her nose as Garth chuckled and patted her hair.

"You did fine, dear." He assured. "Just wait and see, your name will appear on the call back lists…"

The date of the first audition, which Katharine had felt terribly about, had been on the 7th of November, 2003. Even though she could hardly believe it, Katharine got through to the next round and was asked to select a piece of Elizabeth's dialogue from the script for this next round. For the first they had been asked to not use anything from the actual script, since it would be unfair to ask all those auditioning to get a hold of a script and learn a part of it already.

Now though, it was becoming slightly more serious. Only 12 out of the 30 who showed up to the first rounds did and Ms Stokes was getting worried. They'd need a much larger cast even than 30, yet most who arrived for the first round just weren't right for the part, most of them auditioning to get out of a class which wasn't what they were looking for at all. She really didn't know what she was going to do, and so she went scouting through the school for people she could ask to come to audition, instead of simply letting people come on their own accord.

The next audition wasn't for half a week after the first, which wasn't nearly long enough in Katharine's opinion. She had chosen to do a little less than half the page of 119, starting from "John, it come to naught that I should forgive you, if you'll not forgive yourself…"

"It is not my soul John…it is yours."

She knew these lines were paramount to her character and also to the script but also knew she wasn't delivering them quite right, yet there wasn't much she could do for it with such little notice on the next audition date. That was Aunty Lou's point though, she didn't want a polished performance from anyone yet, she just wanted to see flashes of what they had to offer. With a sigh, the day came quickly and before she knew it Katharine was suddenly on the stage again under the preset lights, reciting the lines surprisingly perfectly, but still not with the right emotion behind them.

Luckily though, it saw her through to the next rounds along with another girl who was going for the same part, Caitlin, a girl in a year younger than her who had been in many productions before as well. Katharine knew she didn't have a chance in all of the deepest pits of hell.

November 14th was the third round of auditions. Those who were going for the part of Mary Warren were quickly whittled down and it was clear to see that Ms Stokes had her eyes set on a young girl called Ashley and one of the soon-to-be-Year-12-Students Alysha. It was announced in front of everyone, much to Katharine's confirmed fear. She'd hate the feeling of when it was announced Caitlin had won the part over her…she shook her head and tried to concentrate on there here and now.

In Katharine's opinion, Alysha was so defiantly going to get it. That could also be because she had been in productions with Alysha before, whereas with Ashley she hadn't yet. Ashley was two or so years below them, and Katharine and Alysha had been in the same classes throughout all their high school years so far. And they were technically best friends, so there was the slight chance that Katharine was biased somewhat.

Brendan, another male who was soon to be a year 12 and had also been in the same classes as Katharine for years, got the character he auditioned for…and then pulled out later that afternoon after he learned it clashed with his football practise. He had been an actor somewhat over the years, but not for any great deal of time at once. He would be in the class for one semester and then move onto a different subject…then return, then disappear again. It was sad to see him go though, he could hold a steady performance and he was a nice fun guy to have around. Just not exactly reliable.

Another character was already cast as well; Gareth got his character, John Hale. It's not much of a surprise there though, Gareth is probably the best actor out of us all so whichever character he goes for, he'll get. Well, actually that's a lie. Gareth is rather short for a male, and although he would have loved the main male role, John Proctor, it simply wouldn't have worked on stage, which was a pity. Those down for John Proctor were now a younger male called John (which seemed to fit) and Matty Ryan, who was in the same year as Katharine.

Ms Stokes was still no where near choosing an Abigail though, most females had auditioned for her role after all, but in Katharine's opinion it was probably down to a girl called Lucy, who was two years younger like Ashley, and Kristy, who was Katharine's friend and only a year younger.

The next day during lunch Ms Stokes informed those who were around her of an interesting fact. Quite often drama students joined her in her office for lunch to chat or escape the heat for the air conditioning. Alysha, Caitlin, Gareth and Katharine found out that already she was down to two Proctors, and two Elizabeth's. She's worked out the chemistry, so they were also divided into two groups, Caitlin and John were one (mostly due to both John and Caitlin's height), and Matty Ryan and Katharine were another.

That day after school was another rehearsal, and most of it was spent putting the pairs of all characters together, practically competing against each other. Ashley and Alysha were going for Mary Warren, Lucy and Kristy were going for Abigail, John and Matty for Proctor and Caitlin and Katharine for Elizabeth.

Katharine hated that audition. It was spent for what felt like hours, first Caitlin and John standing together as if man and wife, and Matty and Katharine. And then they would swap, and then swap back. Then they would have to hug, and swap, and hug, and it was ridiculous. John was away too tall against Katharine, she was about the same height as his shoulder if she was lucky, and she looked more his child than his wife.

The rehearsal ended on a low note, no one really had any clue on how well or how bad they had done, and what the outcome would be. Their teacher had a strange look on her face as she had watched each character or each pair take the stage, no one could really work out what was going on in their mind.

They would finally find out who would receive what part on Friday the 19th though, a date that couldn't come fast enough.

Thursday the 18th of November was the worst for Katharine. She moped around, depressed, absolutely sure of the fact that Caitlin was going to get it, and she would have to earn her marks for her next years class through doing the lighting or something. Without a main part it would be fairly certain that her final grade for drama would be pretty low, and Katharine just couldn't let that happen. She was already pretty sure that she was going to fail Year 12 anyway, she never could seem to get assignments handed in on time if at all, and everything just left her head during exams and tests…She needed this role, it was her only chance really to pass high school at all, yet…Caitlin was going to get it for sure.

Katharine went to bed that night feeling beaten and depressed. She may as well drop out of school this very moment…What was the use of continuing school if it was evident now that she was going to fail? She may as well quit now and get a job or something, instead of wasting a year of money and only receive a notice of failure.

Katharine cried herself to sleep that night.