Chapter 4: How to Give an Amazing Audition

Show up on time.

Louis showed up at exactly 2:30 Monday after school, and there were already a cluster of theatre nerds gathered around the auditorium. He looked around for Mr. McDonald, hoping that he'd be taking note of who not to cast. Much to Louis' disappointment, he wasn't.

Carlos came just as everyone moved to take seats in the theatre. Even though Louis had to suffer, at least Carlos had to suffer with him.

"This is so exciting! I've never been to an actual audition before, Louis," he bubbled. "Aren't you hyped? Ooh, I have butterflies in my stomach."

Louis grumbled internally. Did anyone suffer from the gross inadequacies of the human race as he did?

Be quiet when the director says so.

Mr. McDonald came into the auditorium about half an hour late, his arms full of script excerpts and various evaluation forms. He apologized for his tardiness and told everyone to take a seat. Louis could feel the vibrations of Carlos' jitteriness next to him. He swore that boy would make the perfect boyfriend for Sam.

Get into character.

The director handed out the script excerpts. When Louis received his, he looked over the role of Sheridan Whiteside – a cranky old guy who insulted everyone. Well, Louis was pretty cranky at the moment, so he didn't take too long getting into character.

He glanced at Carlos who was reading under his breath and practicing crazy facial expressions. Everyone around him seemed to be performing similar preparatory rituals, but Louis refused to get caught up in the madness. Warming up must have been on the list of ways to have a good audition, and he was too smart to follow that.

Project when it's your turn.

As he made his way up the stage's stairs, his legs turn to jelly. His whole body felt stiff, and he would never admit it, but he even felt some of those butterflies Carlos had talked about. What was happening? The first actor began the scene, and Louis's heart raced. It took all his self-control to keep the papers in front of him from shaking. His cue line was coming up… He had to remember to project…

One of the boys onstage spoke pointedly at Louis. "How do you do, Mr. Whiteside? I hope that you are better."

Louis managed a completely deadpan expression, and in the most projected, obnoxious voice he could, he stated, "Thank you. I am suing you for a hundred and fifty thousand dollars."

He heard snickering in the crowd and felt more sweat gathering on his forehead. Were they laughing with him or at him? Louis certainly wasn't laughing, so it was the latter. But were they laughing at Louis Tomlinson or at Sheridan Whiteside? Louis prayed it was the latter.

"You mean – because you fell on our steps, Mr. Whiteside?" a girl questioned Louis.

For better or worse, Louis liked making the crowd react. He stood up straight and tried to look as snobbish as possible. "Samuel J. Liebowitz will explain it to you in court," he tutted. "Who are those two harpies standing there like the kiss of death?"

Louis didn't know who the harpies were, but he tried to appear smug with the insult. The crowd laughed louder this time. His shaking died down, and he felt more confident.

"Oh, dear! My calf's-foot jelly," another girl squealed.

Again, Louis had no idea what in the world a 'calf's-foot jelly' was, but he tried to look indifferent. He glanced at the script and grumbled, "Made from your own foot, I have no doubt. Now, Mrs. Stanley, I have a few small matters to take up with you. Since this corner druggist at my elbow tells me that I shall be confined to this moldy mortuary for at least another ten days, due entirely to your stupidity and negligence, I shall carry on my activities as best I can."

Everyone in the auditorium roared. Louis even saw Mr. McDonald break a smile, and he felt good. The scene continued, and he tried his best to play up the character like Sam had said. He even – dare he say it – was enjoying himself.

Eventually, Mr. McDonald stopped them, and the actors were sent back to their seats to the sound of enthusiastic applause. Louis plopped himself next to Carlos feeling jittery in a good way.

"Was I awful?" he asked his friend excitedly. Carlos laughed.

"Louis, you budding actor, you were anything but awful," he said encouragingly, pounding him on the back. "I didn't know you had it in you! You were awesome."

"Awesome," Louis said, then paused. Carlos hadn't said one bad thing about his audition. "Wait, what?"

Don't be obnoxious while other people are auditioning.

To his surprise, Louis didn't have trouble paying attention to the others auditioning until Harry Styles got onto the stage. Louis couldn't help but internally fume.

Harry and Louis had hated each other since elementary school when Harry would push Louis in the sandbox…. and knock down his sand castle… and steal his juicebox… and take his favorite swing… and push him in the mud. This escalated in middle school when Harry would shove him into lockers… and throw volleyballs at him in P.E… and steal his juicebox… and cut him in the lunch line… and push him in the mud. In high school, Harry had grown up and resorted to nasty looks in the hallway.

There were so many reasons Louis hated Harry Styles.

Harry had luscious, wavy caramel hair and emerald eyes. When he leapt onto the stage, he stole the show. His physicality was flawless, and his voice immediately took on the Whiteside persona. The crowd was in stitches with every punch-line. Louis sunk deeper into his seat, and Carlos patted the top of his head.

Everyone but Louis clapped when Harry finished the scene with the other actors. When the next group took the stage, Louis watched attentively, glad that he didn't have to stare at Harry's obnoxiously handsome face anymore. The scene started, and Louis' eye was drawn to one of the girls onstage. She had shiny, shoulder-length black hair and was wearing a pale pink blouse and jeans. Louis watched as she carried herself with mesmerizing sophistication. He felt his heart gently palpitating.

"Who is that?" he whispered to Carlos.

"That's Grace Pearson," his friend replied. "She's one of Sam's best friends, and she always gets the leads in shows."

Louis stared at her. "I see why."

6. Do your best. :D

After the auditions, Mr. McDonald thanked everyone and reminded them that the cast list would be up Friday morning. Louis swung his backpack over his shoulder and left the auditorium. As he remembered Sam's last bit of advice, he felt a strange adrenaline that he only used to get at a party. He wanted to get a part in the play (and not just so he could impress the attractive actresses). Perhaps he'd given a successful audition after all. He forgot about flubbing it, and it felt good.

He also felt that maybe, just maybe Sam had lied to him.

"And that's why sarcasm and lying are two very different things," Sam finished explaining to Niall at the end of the day. He flashed her a smile, and Sam felt her heart melting. He loves me.

"I see," he said. "I'll never think they're the same ever again."

"I am so glad I could enlighten you."

Sam's heart fluttered as they continued down the hallway to their cars. She wished that there was some way that she could show Niall that she was totally digging him. His smile was the light of her life, his eyes shone like the sun on a moonless night. There was no other way that she would rather spend her precious time than with Ni –

"Yo, Sam Sheffield!"

"Wait up, girl!"

"MOVE OUTTA THE WAY, SQUIRT! WE GOTTA TALK TO SAM!"

Sam and Niall stopped to see Sam's fellow football players barreling through the crowds. Some people would think that these burly boys would be jealous of how Sam stole the show in games, even though she was the only girl, but it was quite the opposite case. They all adored how she was so pretty but could really be one of the guys.

"What's up?" she asked. They always put her in a good mood.

"Sam," her friend Hudson panted. "We got this awesome new video game, and we wanted to know if you wanted to come play it – "

"LAST ONE THERE'S A ROTTEN EGG!" Sam declared, and the boys continued to tumble through the hall. She turned to Niall. "I'll catch you later, Ni-yall!" Then she too was off to chill with the guys. Niall didn't mind though; in fact, he was too busy watching Hudson high-five his friends to even respond.

Oh no, Harry and Louis don't like each other! What do you think of this, readers?

Sneak Peak: Louis meets Grace and speaks to Harry for the first time in years. Meanwhile, Maya makes an important decision about Zayn…