“Come with me,” she says, with a happy tone and slight slur.

I follow her down the hall to her studio. She bumps into the wall. Someone had a fun night. After searching around, she lifts a canvas onto an easel. The painting is a mess of brown and yellow splashed around wildly. Aunt Lil leans against a table. “What do you think?” she asks.

“Not your best work,” I say, making my aunt cackle.

“Years ago, I fell for a girl named Angelina. She was a spicy firecracker from Italy. I thought she was the one. I was heels over head for her,” she slurs.

“And you painted this for her?”

“No, this was my bottom. She drained me of my creative energy. No, I drained myself of my creative energy.” She pauses, reflecting. Or maybe she forgot what she was saying. “Love can be good and beautiful, like me and Davina. But sometimes it can be a fever dream running hot and cold, leaving you with art that looks like someone took a poop on a canvas.”

I nod at both her wisdom and the painting looking like crap. “So, I should audition for Rizzo?”

“If it was love, dear boy, you wouldn’t have to make that choice.”

That hits hard. I love my aunt. “Aunt Lil, if you love Davina, then why won’t you put a ring on it? Or at least live together?”

“I’m set in my ways. New dogs and old tricks, right?”

“Sure,” I say.

Aunt Lil tuns the light off and bumps her way out of the room. Before leaving, she turns back and smiles. “Don’t let a crush distract you from your dreams. And also, don’t mix red wine and tequila. Thank you and good night.”

Ten

Ten

Thursday, September 26

12:03 P.M.

Fifteen minutes until the audition. I’m taking a big loop around the block to calm my nerves. My first audition at West Grove was for Jesus Christ Superstar. An ambitious musical for a small theater group, but my old high school would go to great lengths to have Christian content. I wanted to play Jesus, but that wouldn’t have gone over well with my parents. I settled for the only female role in the whole show, Mary Magdalene. When I got the part, Mom was so proud of me. It felt like she loved me more.

Playing Rizzo will make my mom proud. It’s impossible for her to not overflow with love while watching me in front of a thousand people in the fancy theater. For my parents’ love, and so they won’t take me back to Pennsylvania, I’m auditioning for Rizzo. Even if it means Yaz will be done with me.