“You know what, new girl?” Tanner leaned forward. “I feel like we’ve told you a few times now that no one here likes your shit, like, no one wants you here. And you need to get that message. Soon.” He pushed his face up closer to mine. “What do you say about that, Anne Shirley?”

He wanted me to hit him.

And I was definitely considering it—when suddenly there was a bump from behind the door, and a scuffling sound, followed by a muffled, “Who is that?”

Tanner hop-stumbled forward, almost falling into me, as the door pitched open, revealing Mr. Davidson in a turtleneck (white) with a confused look on his face.

“Tanner?” Mr. Davidson looked back and forth between Tanner and me. “What’s going on?”

My face was the angriest red balloon.

“Just waiting for auditions, Mr. Davidson.” Tanner lolled, stepping back so he was standing next to me. “Me and Anne.”

“Anne and I,” I corrected. Not that I care about grammar but because I hated Tanner and could not punch him.

Mr. Davidson looked at me for a long second. Then he nodded crisply. “I like your turtleneck.”

The red balloon became my face again. “Thanks.”

He stepped back, holding open the door. “Well, I’m very much looking forward to seeing both your acting chops,” he said.

“Okay,” I said, stepping through Davidson and Tanner into the auditorium.

Where I could breathe.

“Let’s go, Tanner,” I heard Davidson say.

Inside, the auditorium lights were lowered except for three spots of light on the stage. Which seemed like a kind of gift really as I took a seat in one of the back rows and enjoyed a moment in the dark to hold my hands till they stopped shaking. Mr. Davidson walked to the front of the room, and the stage, which was lit up with lights, to talk to the rest of the people in the auditorium.

“Right, so we all know—well, most of us know—the routine. We’ll do the auditions in groups of two or singles. Your choice. We’re just looking for emotion here, for some personality, some stage presence, so don’t worry about memorizing.”

“Are we doing a Shakespeare play?” someone asked in the dark.

“Uh, no.” Mr. Davidson looked at his sheet. “We’re still in negotiations as to what our play will be. Any other questions?”

The room was quiet, just bodies in the dark, murmuring.

“I know you’ll all do your best and be wonderful.” Mr. Davidson looked out at each face. “Just take a deep breath.”

Sarah, Tanner, Gilly, and John sat in a cluster of seats in the front row.

“Let’s start with Sarah.” Mr. Davidson looked up from his clipboard at the front of the stage. “Sarah, are you here?”

“Yes!” Sarah pulled Tanner up by his arm. “Tanner and I are going to do Our T own.”