"You look different," Zayne commented as Luca slouched into the seat next to him, seeming perhaps a little more nervous than normal. Reese was on her basketball trip but there was clearly something else on his mind.

"Ah, what?" Luca seemed surprised by the statement.

"No, no, he's right," Nova agreed, staring long and hard at Luca's face before recognition lit up their face, "you're not wearing makeup, are you?"

"Ah, no, I'm not."

"Why not? Finally grow out of your girly phase?" Zayne teased. He could only really say stuff like that about Luca, Luca knew it wasn't out of meanness. Nova still kicked Zayne under the table though, as Nova was a prolific wearer of makeup themself.

Luca laughed, "As if, Zayne. I just recently perfected my eyeliner techniques, I'm not giving up now. And Nova's teaching me lip stuff next."

"Lip stuff?" Scout smirked.

"Like gloss, I think. Right?" Luca glanced towards Nova, who nodded.

"Maybe lipstick, if you're feeling it."

"So, why aren't you wearing makeup?" Zayne asked again, glancing at Scout who probably already knew the answer.

"Well, I have an audition after school. For the play my uncle is going to be in. He says I have the role in the bag, especially since we look so much alike and he'd be my father in the play if I got the part, but I'm still nervous, and it's like a super old play and so I thought I'd go with a natural look."

"That's probably smart," Zayne agreed, "and I know you'll nail the part."

"Scout, are you coming to the audition with me? You don't have to, you can go straight home if you want to, but-"

"I haven't decided yet," Scout interrupted, his mind a million miles away. People on the other end of the table were still talking about the winged creature that had terrorized San Fransokyo. Khary wasn't a monster anymore, but his actions still stood. And if there were really still sightings going on? No, no, it was an urban legend now. It was a myth. Still, he didn't have much of an appetite.

"You okay?" Luca asked, looking worriedly at his best friend.

"Am I… Yeah, no, sure. I just remembered some homework I have to print off, so I'm gonna head to the library before lunch ends. See you later, guys." Scout stood up and walked away and soon some other friend filled the spot that Scout had occupied but Luca was still worried about him.

The conversations continued, Zayne and Nova were talking about hanging out after school, The Hunters discussed which one of them was closer to getting a 5-star island. Someone was confessing to fanfiction they'd written as twelve-year-olds and someone else was trying to organize a small riot but Luca, for once, wasn't tuned in to any of it. His mind was deep in the role of Travis, which, actually, wasn't a very deep role. He had lines and he had purpose but he was more the stationary light at the end of the tunnel than the train roaring to meet it. The other characters in the play really drove the plot, he merely existed in it. Which was perfectly fine for his first play. If he got the role. If he mattered enough to be cast.

He knew he could do it, of course. He'd memorized the lines, practiced expressions in the mirror until Reese had kicked him out of their bathroom. He was as prepared as he possibly could be but he just didn't know if he could sell the role. He could talk in front of people, he could have hundreds of eyes on him, no sweat. But was he even good enough to earn it?

He knew that if Reese had been here, well, she wouldn't have comforted him, but he knew her thing. He knew that her belief was that if you could do something well you should just do it, it didn't matter what anyone else thought of you. It was most of the reason she was such a good basketball player, she didn't feel the weight of expectations when she was on the court. He didn't understand it at all. Even when he was doing what he was best at he was waiting for someone to take it away from him.

He glanced around at all of his friends at the table. There was Hunter 2, an accomplished dancer, there was Zayne, an amazing artist, Duncan, the person who'd been practicing lines with him based on his own acting expertise, all his friends had something going for them. All of them were amazing, some of them doubted, some of them couldn't imagine anything other than total self-confidence. He was so unbelievably proud of them, he knew they could do amazing things. He didn't know why that was such a hard thing to believe about himself.

Like Scout, he left the table early. He went to his locker and opened it up, looking at all the little reminders he kept in there that things were going to be okay. He had an ultrasound of his little brother taped to the inside, along with several of the little notes that people had given him on Valentine's day, all the ones that had made him feel especially good about himself. He kept one other relic of Valentine's day in his locker, a squishy little teddy bear. He glanced around the hallway and took it out to squeeze it. It made him feel better, so he stuck it in his backpack. That way, there'd be at least someone at the audition who believed in him.

"Okay," Khary said when he got in the car, alone since Scout had decided to not come with them, "here's the deal. I can be in the room when you audition, or I can be out in the lobby. Whatever you're most comfortable with. I've been there before, sometimes you want someone there who knows you, sometimes it just adds stress. Whatever you want, buddy." That was a lot to process and Luca let out a breath he'd been holding.

"Uh, I don't know…"

"That's okay too, kiddo. You're going to kill it. If they like you, which of course they will, you'll get a callback for early next week and you'll read with anyone who's already been cast. Sound good?"

"Yeah."

"You ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be."

"You're going to crush it, Luca." He had memorized his rehearsal lines front and back. Why was this still so hard to do? He was glad to have Khary out of the room but he wished that Reese were here, cheering him on the way he cheered her on during basketball games. She'd be at the actual play, of course, which would run weekends in July, but he wanted her here, now. He didn't know what kind of stress she was dealing with at the moment herself, all he could do was focus on breakfast at the Younger's and getting through his lines.

"A little birdy told me that you crushed it in there, kiddo, you have the role for sure. How about we get ice cream to celebrate?"

"Thanks, Uncle Khary, but I want to get home to Scout. He seemed really upset."

"I never got the chance to apologize to him…" Khary sighed, looking guilty.

"It wasn't your fault," Luca said hastily.

"It wasn't my fault alone," Khary agreed, "but I still drove a wedge between me and my family, including Scout."

"Reese and Scout are going to come around," Luca promised.

"Thanks, buddy, but that doesn't absolve me of my crimes."

Luca sighed. Try as he might, he could not make everyone feel better.

Khary followed him to the doorstep, making sure Luca got inside okay, but before they could say goodbye, Scout appeared at the doorway.

"Khary, can I speak with you in private for a moment?"

"Of course," Khary said, waving Scout outside, "step into my office." Scout stepped out, leaving Luca alone in the house and in the dark.