Josie scoffed. “That’s what she wants me to do. I can’t give in!” she yelled after me as I went back down the stairs. There was no way I was picking her up. That was a slippery slope, and I wasn’t about to chauffeur her to and from dance all the time. Hell no. If she wanted to dance, she could find her own damn ride.

Margot texted then, asking me to meet her at school early. She even bribed me with a caramel apple latte, my favorite of all the fall-themed hot drinks. I grabbed my jacket and backpack and left.

Hot caffeine was all I could think about as I walked from the parking lot to school, the chilly morning air sweeping through my still-damp hair, making me shiver.

“So why are we here fifteen minutes before we need to be?” I asked Margot after she handed over the latte. I knew it would burn my tongue if I drank it now, but I took a sip anyway.

“Cast list is going up,” she said, leading me to the choir room, which was at the opposite end of the building. When we got there, a small crowd had already formed outside the double doors.

Ethan elbowed his way through to us, running a hand through his messy hair. “Happy Casting Day,” he said sleepily, fist-bumping Margot and clinking his bottle of chocolate milk against my latte.

“Okay, party people, listen up!” Davis, the senior guy I’d seen belly dancing at auditions, was lifted onto two other guys’ shoulders and clapped his hands above his head until everyone stopped talking. “Pre–cast party, my house tonight at seven. Don’t bring losers. Carpool to save the environment. That’s it.” Davis was lowered back down to the floor as everyone cheered.

It was so loud and so early. Both of these factors contributed to my desire to tuck my head into my hoodie and curl up in a ball on the hallway floor.

“The pre–cast party is special. So different from the cast party after closing night,” Ethan said.

“How so?” I asked, stifling a yawn.

“At the regular cast party, after closing night, everyone has seen each other at their best and their absolute worst. Romances have begun and ended. Feuds have blazed and burned out. It’s fun, but it’s fraught.” He looked at Margot for confirmation.

“That’s pretty dramatic, but kinda true,” she said.

“The pre–cast party is less weighed down,” Ethan went on. “It’s all about beginnings and possibilities. Sweet, sweet possibilities.” He smiled cheerfully at Davis, who flipped his dreadlocks behind his shoulder and winked.

“The pre–cast party also happens on a weeknight, so it ends at nine thirty,” Margot added.

Ethan sighed. “There is also that.”

Margot glanced around. “Isn’t Jude coming?”