I'm updating quickly because I had quite a bit of this story done by the time I even posted it.
I just don't like putting up too many chapters at once...I think it takes out the suspense of waiting. But I try not to make you guys wait too long.

So...here's chapter 3! (:

3-Callbacks

How could he just walk away like that? Cornelia sat in her history class next to the old blackboard. She was happy it had a blind over it today, that way she didn't have to worry about getting chalk all over her new outfit. She was remembering the boy who had knocked her over yesterday. After he caught her eye he looked almost like her wished he hadn't helped her up. Then this morning when she found out she was going to be playing Meg in the play, she had seen him again. Sure, she felt him staring at her back, but he didn't even make an attempt to introduce himself like most boys always did. He didn't even make an attempt to just say hey. It was too weird. So now, sitting in history, she had come to a conclusion. She needed to get to know him. She needed him to talk to her so she could find out why he appeared so uninterested.

Well, it appeared to be her lucky day, because that boy with the emerald eyes walked into the class with a redheaded girl. Cornelia recognized her as Hay Lin's friend…who's name she could not remember. The pair walked straight down her isle and took the two empty desks behind her. She noticed Alchemy and Elyon turn to look at her with their noses wrinkled, as if to say; Ewwww….those two are sitting behind you.

Sure, Hay Lin's crowd weren't that cool, but Cornelia didn't think they deserved to get wrinkled noses aimed at them. She ignored Elyon's and Alchemy's faces and took a deep breath before spinning around in her seat.

"Hey," she said rather quickly, and she found herself questioning why she was suddenly so nervous.

The emerald eyes looked up from their place to meet hers, and then floated back to the papers laid out on the desk. "Hey." he said.

Cornelia was taken back. Hey? Was that all he was going to say. She creased her brow and then continued, trying to make some conversation.

"So did you make call-backs?" She asked.

The eyes didn't once look up, "Yeah, I did."

She bit her bottom lip and felt her eyes widen. This would be so much easier if he would give better answers.

"Who'd you try out for?"

"Hercules' dad." He replied with the same bluntness.

Cornelia took that as her opportunity, "Well I got Meg."

He nodded slowly, his eyes still fixed on the papers, "I noticed."

Cornelia sighed, then drew in a deep breath. She suddenly realized, he noticed. So he was paying attention. She grinned in a way no one would notice, then started again, "So I guess I'll see you at call-backs then."

"I guess so." he replied.

"I'm Cornelia, by the way," she held out her hand; as if he didn't know her name.

Slowly, his gaze lifted so their eyes met once again. "Caleb," he gaze a sort of sideways smirk and shook her hand. He let it go quickly then turned in his seat sideways, so he could talk with the redhead.

Cornelia watched the two for a moment before spinning around and sitting properly. She let out a breath that she felt she had been holding through the whole conversation. That did not help one bit in her finding out why he seemed so uninterested in her. And the feeling that someone might not want her was starting to get on her nerves; after all, she was used to being the subject of everyone's fantasies. This left her with only one decision. She had to settle her nerves. She had to make him want her.

... ...

"What was Cornelia talking to you about in English today?" Will asked Caleb when he arrived at the lunch table and took his seat.

Caleb shrugged and plopped down on the chairs that weren't all that comfortable, "Just about the play."

"So she knows you might be her muscle-man? How'd she take it?" Irma asked, and as usual, there was heavy sarcasm in her voice.

Caleb's face instantly shot up and he glared at Irma, "How'd you know that!?"

Irma stifled a laugh, "The call-backs list is outside the office. It's hard to miss."

Matt, however, gave a different reaction, "Hercules!? Wow man, didn't think you had it in you!"

Caleb shrugged off what Matt said and leaned back in his chair so he was at least a little more comfortable, "If I could drop out I would." He spat.

Hay Lin shrugged her shoulders, "I don't think you would." She said simply. "It was obvious yesterday you have a real love for acting."

Caleb forced a chuckle, and in a tone similar to Irma's sarcastic voice, said, "Yeah. I love it." He didn't expect anyone to reply after that. And they didn't. For some reason, they were all staring past him. Suddenly feeling like he knew the exact reason why, he turned around, and was facing someone's chest. A girls chest. It took self control to keep his mouth from dropping, and behind himself he heard Matt snickering.

"Eyes up here," the voice that the chest belonged to said. Caleb had to blink several times before anchoring his neck so he could look up at the girls face. Unmistakably, after seeing the blonde hair and the eyes he had looked into just yesterday, he knew the chest belonged to Cornelia Hale. Instead of slapping him, like most girls would have, she smiled, and then turned her attention to Hay Lin.

"Hay Lin, I have a huge favour to ask!"

"Go ahead," Hay Lin said, self-consciously wiping her mouth on her sleeve.

"So I have cheer at six today, so do you think we can get through my part of the call-back real quick?"

"Yeah, of course," Hay Lin nodded her head, "But you know that when it comes to practice you'll need to be just as committed to the play as you are to cheer."

Cornelia looked like she had been told something she already knew. Wait, she probably did know that. She flashed her white teeth, "Of course I will be."

Caleb watched as her eyes seemed to travel down to wear Irma was sitting. He wasn't sure, but he thought he noticed her expression seem to tense, but after just half a second she seemed to let her face relax again. It took Caleb a second to realize she was looking down at him now. She bent down so she was at his eye level and leaned in closer, so he could smell the perfume she was wearing. Citrus. For a short moment, he thought she was going to kiss him right then and there, but after she started speaking, he let his suspicions drop.

"And as for you," she said quietly, so only he and maybe the person next to him could hear, "I'll see you at call-backs." And then she stood back up straight, and paced off back to her table.

Caleb was out of it today. First, he thought Cornelia was going to kiss him. As if that would happen. But for some reason, he felt for a small second that he wanted her to kiss him. Just to feel what her lips would feel like on his. It was a curiosity kind of thing. Second, he found himself watching her walk off, taking note of the fact that she ha a slight bounce to her walk. And that she had a way nicer body than he had never noticed. And that her hair-

"What was that about?" Irma's voice said from behind him. He spun around in his chair and caught the brunettes eye.

"It seems Caleb has caught someone's attention." Taranee said, and Caleb turned to face her.

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, some on man. Don't say that was nothing." Matt said, and then Caleb's attention snapped to him.

"What was nothing?"

Matt leaned back in his chair and made a poor attempt at fluttering his eyelashes, "I'll see you at call-backs," he said dreamily in his best impression of Cornelia.

Caleb brought his eyebrows together. "You heard that?" When everyone at the table nodded, he sighed. Maybe she had said it a little louder than he thought.

... ...

Cornelia was pushing open the drama room door a second time of the week. When she noticed more than just a few people sitting on the risers, she began to question whether or not she was late.

"Nice of you to join us, Cornelia." Ms. Monty said sternly. Cornelia finally learned the acting coach's name after cornering Martin after school and asking him.

Cornelia pressed her lips together and took her seat on the risers, setting her bag next to her.

Martin stepped in front of the seated crowd, "Alright. Mike, Cornelia." He looked directly at Cornelia and held out his arm, inviting her up to the front. When she got there - at the same time as Mike, a baby faced boy who was on the football team - Martin quietly said to the both of them, "You guys will be performing this scene," he paused and showed them the lines they were reading out. Then he turned to Cornelia, "Whichever eligible Hercules you do better with will most likely be cast."

Cornelia nodded and looked over her lines quickly. She was going to do her best with both of the eligible Hercs.

Mike started off his lines and Cornelia waited for her turn to speak. The audition went fast, and before she knew it, Martin was at the front with her, calling out the second and final Hercules.

"Caleb Hastings."

Caleb. Where had she heard that name before. Of course. She recognized the eyes and hair that were slowly making their way towards her. Her heart stopped. He was the other Hercules. When he was close enough, she mumbled under her breath to him, "I thought you were called back for Hercules' dad!?"

"Yeah," Caleb mumbled back, "I tried out as his dad. I got called back for him."

Cornelia let out a tiny huff, and then decided she would wait until after they were finished to be angry with him for not telling him the exact truth. It was surprising how quickly Caleb got into character.

They were doing a different scene than she had done with Mike. She felt Caleb sweep her off her feet and carry her towards the two chairs set out that were meant to be a bench.

"So…" Cornelia started out, "Do you have any problems like this?" She rehearsed the lines just as she had practiced them. Perfectly.

"Problems…like what?" Caleb rehearsed his line, and looked nervously towards her, just as the script called for.

Cornelia brought up her foot, which was conveniently wearing a flat like Meg's, and held it in front of Caleb's face. "Weak ankles." She grinned. The rest of the scene went on, and quicker than she wanted it to be, it was over.

And of course thank you for the reviews on the last chapter as well.

Here's your little look at chapter 4:

... ...

"I would tell you if I could, but I don't think that I should."

Cornelia sighed. She fell back so her head was resting on her pillow, "Please, Hay? Look, if you want to know why I can tell you." She paused for a short moment, then continued on, "It's seven o clock on a Saturday and I have nothing to do. I figured that if you told me who it was I could head over to Mike's or Caleb's - whoever got it - and practice lines with them."

... ...

As always, let me know what you think in a review!