AN: Hey! So this is part one of Jenna's audition. I wanted to make it just one chapter, but it would be too long and wouldn't work out properly. Part two will be posted by tomorrow night! Hope you like it!
Chapter 24
Tuesday. Tuesday Tuesday Tuesday. Nervous ? Yes. A frantic mess? Double yes.
I took an extra dosage of my anti-anxiety pills that morning, something my doctors, and probably Spencer would frown upon. But hey, what they didn't know didn't hurt em'.
I didn't run into Spencer before I left for school, but he did leave me a 'break a leg' note by the coffee pot. Small, but thoughtful.
According to Ari, her audition went fantastic. I took her word for it, since I had never actually heard her sing or seen her act. I had no doubt she was talented, and she had tons experience to back it up.
I was completely unfocussed in nearly all of my classes. My teachers noticed, since I almost always sat in the front, but they didn't seem to care.
The ninth period bell rang and my heart rate sped up tenfold. It slowed down a bit when I remembered I had plans to warm up with Matthew. I usually hated when I was one on one rehearsing, especially with someone I didn't know very well, but nothing about Matthew seemed usual.
I arrived in the practice room before Matthew, hoping he remembered our plan. I pulled out my Russian homework to knock out some of my work load for later while I waited. I wasn't sure how much of it was actually correct because my mind was too busy racing with everything that could possibly go wrong.
"Hey, you're heart beat out of your chest yet?" Matthew entered the sound proof room and dropped his bag down next to mine.
"Not just yet, but pretty close" I replied, readjusting my glasses so they wouldn't fall off the bridge of my nose.
"Don't worry, it's easy once you get in there" He pulled up a chair across from the piano bench I was resting on.
"Starting your homework now? Wow, studious" Matthew laughed. I responded by forcefully nudging him in the shoulder.
"Better than having hours of work to do later. Besides, it's nothing too difficult" I guess I had an influence on Matthew, because instead of protesting he pulled out his work too.
"How about we work until 3:00, then rehearse until it's time to audition?" Matthew proposed about ten minutes into our 'study session' if you will.
"Sounds splendid" I smiled. We spent the designated amount of time on our work, a bit of small talk and joking around in between. I ended up finishing all of homework, but Matthew and I didn't work at the same pace so he still had a small amount left. He was very intelligent I discovered, I was actually surprised we didn't have any classes other than Chorus together. I later learned we had an almost identical course load, except I took AP Russian and he took AP French.
"Russian? I didn't even know the school offered that! How many people are in your class?" Matthew exclaimed as we were putting chairs and stands in order and taking out our sheet music.
"About ten" We both chuckled for a moment.
"Why Russian? Do your parents speak it or something?" He asked innocently, but it took me back. I slowed my movements down while I tried to figure out how to answer without altering the mood of the room.
"Um, no, uh- my dad left when I was little and my mom died when I was six. When I was living with my aunt and uncle I had a Russian nanny who taught me the language" I tried to sound as unemotional as possible. I don't think I had never told anyone something that personal in such a short time of me knowing them, and if I did I was definitely not as composed.
I continued gathering my sheet music and avoided eye contact with Matthew. The silence that filled the room was much too loud for my liking. I could feel Matthews stare piercing through my skin as I flipped through my Chorus binder in search of a warm up song. I really, really regretted blabbing my mouth.
"So, how about we start with a simple arpeggio scale?" I offered, hoping we could just move on and discard everything I said.
"I'm really sorry, Jenna" Matthew's eyes looked for mine, which they eventually found. Despite how many times I had heard that same exact phrase, I still didn't know how to respond. I shrugged my shoulders and fished my brain for an answer.
"It could be worse" I finally came up with. "Okay, let's start on do" I switched the topic quickly and we sang various scales, breathing exercises, and loosened our muscles. Singing with a tense body puts strain on the vocal cords and makes singing a lot more complicated. If your body is relaxed, your voice will be too.
I looked at the clock and realized I had less than ten minutes until my audition.
"Shit! Okay, uh, I can do this. Yeah, it'll be fine. Everything will go great" I whispered to myself, forgetting Matthew was in the room and also forgetting people don't normally talk to themselves.
"I bet you'll do great. Do you want me to play it for you so you can run through it once before go?" Matthew chuckled at first, but his offer was sincere. No, no, no no, no, no no no. I was already nervous enough, I didn't need the extra stress of wondering what he thought of my voice.
"No, it's really okay, I'm better off saving my voice" That was a total lie, but I just needed an excuse.
"Alright then, Break a leg, Jenna. I'm rooting for you" Matthew grinned and chuckled.
"Thanks, see you back here in a few" I waved and flung out the door.
I waited in the hallway outside of the Choir room and filled out my conflict sheet, deciding I wouldn't list dance because that could potentially impact her selection. I could always switch my classes to work around rehearsal.
I ran over my monologue in my head, just as the other dozen students around me were doing. I was always taught that being nervous was a good thing- that it kept you on your toes, prevented mistakes.
"Jenna Reid?" I heard a voice call from the door way.
"Yes, that's me" I raised my hand shyly and approached the unfamiliar face.
"You're up, go on in"
A giant stone suddenly formed in the pit of my stomach. I entered the room and it was just behind the piano, no one else.
"Hey! Come on in! Jenna, right? You're in my sixth period if I'm correct" voice sounded remarkably pleasant. My nerves were lifted just slightly.
"Um, yes I am" I smiled as I advanced towards the piano.
"What will you be singing for me?" turned to me, beaming.
"A New Life" I grinned and handed her the sheet music. I tried my best to mask the trembling of my hand.
"AH! Jekyll and Hyde! Great choice. Stand at the back of the room, would you dear?" Mrs. Bates instructed kindly. By the back of the room, she meant the wall opposite the piano, which was only about ten feet away.
"Okay, are you ready?"
I paused for just a moment, just trying to process everything.
"Yes, yes I am"
As Mrs. Bates played the introduction, I wasn't sure if I could go through with it. I barely had time to think before-
"A new life, what I wouldn't give to have, a new life"
Once I sang that first line, I knew it was going to be alright. My fears evaporated, and the song carried me. Not to sound cocky, but I think I knocked it out of the park.
"Beautiful! Now, what's your monologue from?" was still bright and cheery, so I must have done something right.
"The movie V for Vendetta" I accidently squeaked.
"Nice choice! Go"
I pushed Jenna Reid out of my mind, out of the room, and for that brief moment in time, became Evey Hammond.
"Remember, remember, the Fifth of November..." On and on I went, or shall I say, Evey. Less than a minute later Jenna Reid inhabited my body and all was back to normal.
"Amazing job, thank you Jenna. The callback list will be posted tomorrow. Would you send in the next one?" asked as she scribbled on a piece of paper.
"Of course, thank you!"
I trotted out into the hall with a skip in my step.
"I guess it went well?" Matthew asked.
"That's classified information" I joked with a smirk, receiving a laugh in return.
"I'd love to stay until you go in, but I have to get changed for the dance audition. Break a leg" I lightly punched him in the arm and dashed off to the girl's bathroom.