I glare at him before looking back at Zoe, whose face has broken with painful relief. “You love me, too?”

“And scene!” Rosie says.

I start clapping first, genuinely impressed. It’s been a while since I’ve seen an underclassman with such promise. Though we probably won’t cast her for the role of Charlie, I can’t help but make a note next to her name anyway, to include as one of the side characters. I have a feeling she’s going to make a future film club president very happy.

“Thank you, Zoe,” I say, offering her a small smile. “That was a lovely performance.”

Zoe beams and bows, before she files off the stage. I lean my chin on my hands, my elbows braced against the table.

“She was really good,” Rosie says in a hushed voice, staring after her. “I really believed her performance.”

I nod in agreement, starring Zoe’s application. “Maybe we could cast her for Emily’s character?”

Rosie’s eyes light up. “I like that idea. She’d be great beside Emmitt. I’ll make a note, too.”

I wrinkle my nose at the mention of Emmitt, though it makes sense. Emily’s character is the younger sister to Nick’s character, so Emmitt and Zoe would need to play off each other while we’re filming.

Again, my gaze darts to Emmitt, who’s now busying himself talking to some of the stage crew. More ridiculous is the fact they’re indulging him.

I look back at my notes, willing myself to stop paying attention to him. I don’t know why my eyes keep seeking him out, but I’m getting really annoyed with my own brain. As if it wasn’t enough to plague me with an annoying voice that loves to spout my insecurities back at me, it’s now seeking out an asshole celebrity for eye candy.

Rosie must notice because she pokes my cheek. “You keep looking at Emmitt.”

I press my lips together, tugging on the end of one of my braids. “I’m not.”

“You are,” Rosie says, raising a brow. “Did you think I wouldn’t notice?”

I huff, willing my cheeks not to warm. “Maybe I didn’t. You spend most of your time looking at Sofia anyway.”

Rosie blinks slowly, as she’s processing the words, and then her expression falls. My heart constricts in sudden awareness of the fact she looks hurt by what I said.

“I’m paying attention to the auditions,” Rosie says quietly. “I would never jeopardize the competition.”

I shake my head, almost panicked. “I know. I didn’t mean it like that. I—”

Before I can finish my sentence, Sofia comes up to audition, skipping to the center of the stage. “Hi, I’m Sofia,” she says, offering us a crinkly-eyed smile. “I’d like to audition for the role of Vivienne. I’ll be reading from the third scene.”