“You read the script?” Elijah asks.

“A messenger delivered a copy to my house last night,” I say.

“That’s fancy,” Anna says. “Is it good?”

“I honestly don’t know. It’s a drama about a conversion therapy camp in Florida. There’s a love story between two cis gay guys, and at the end, the patients take over the facility and leave together. I’m only in a few scenes, but my monologue ends the first act.”

“And then what?” Anna asks.

“My character dies by suicide.”

Their faces all register shock. “That’s so sad,” Jack moans.

“I know,” I say. “It’s a dark scene.”

“No, that you’re only in the first act,” they say.

“August,” Juliet says. “You sure you want to play this part?”

“I don’t want to play the part,” I admit. “Where are the happy endings for trans characters? I feel like transgender characters onstage are broken, mentally ill, or suicidal. Never superheroes, love interests, or the lead. Where are those parts?”

“Wasn’t your super-objective to not play transgender characters?” Anna asks.

I look at her, surprised. “How did you know?”

“Busted,” Jack says.

“I kind of read everyone’s paper,” Anna mumbles, head down.

“Anna,” Meena says, disapproving.

She waves it off. “Dad left them out. Whatever, they were all basically the same. Except for Augustus, of course.”

“My super-objective is to play the great roles of Broadway like Evan Hansen, or be in Once, or Be More Chill. Basically, any role on Broadway. And those are mostly all cisgender characters.”

“You’ll play those roles, August,” Anna assures me. “Ajax isn’t the perfect role, but it will lead to more perfect roles.”

“It’ll be worth the pain,” Jack says.

“I bet the rehearsals are going to be a bitch,” Meena says, probably longing for her clipboard and headset. “When is call time?”

I check my phone and panic. “Ten minutes. I’m excused from drama classes the next two weeks to go to rehearsals.”

“I’m going to miss you,” Anna says.

I dig through my bag. “Shoot, I forgot a highlighter.”

Meena, Jack, and Anna offer me theirs at the same time, talking over each other. They laugh and Juliet says, “Guys, he’s not famous.”

“Yet,” Anna says.

“Better change your handle to the Famous August Greene,” Jack suggests.

My mind swirls at the thought. Could it be happening? No way. But maybe? If I can handle the role and Joshua Downs, I could be famous.

After lunch, Juliet walks me to the basement.

“I didn’t want to ask at the table—how did it go with your parents?”

I stop at the bottom of the stairs. “It was a total flop.”

“Oh no,” Juliet says, covering her mouth in shock.

“They found out. Then my aunt came out to them. And then they left town.”

“Left town?”

“Without saying goodbye.”