Lily Black stared at her older brother Brady as he drove her to school. �Brady!� She said in exasperation. �This girl I found for you is really sweet! She�s right around your age, she�s really pretty, she�s smart, and she�s funny!� And she�s my math teacher. Maybe she�d give me an �A� if Brady went out with her. Lily thought. �Why don�t you want to go out with her?�
Brady sighed. How could he explain to his baby sister that he�d already found the love of his life, he was just waiting for her to grow up. �I already found someone.� He said quietly.
�Oh.� Lily digested that thought for a second. �Who is she? Do I know her? Why didn�t you bring her home for the family to meet yet? Are you going out? Tell me!�
Brady sighed. What did I get myself into? She�ll never let this drop. He wondered. �Here we are.� He stopped in front of the school. �Good luck!�
�Thanks.� Lily felt butterflies in her stomach. Today the drama teacher was posting the cast list for the fall play at Salem High. Even thought Lily was only a sophomore she tried out anyway. The audition had gone well enough that she got a callback.
They would perform one of her favorite plays of all time, Much Ado About Nothing. Lily knew that she didn�t have much of a chance of getting a big part, but in her heart of hearts she was praying she would get to be Beatrice.
Lily entered the school with her too heavy book bag balanced precariously on her back. She made her way through the crowds of students to room 319. A cluster of kids was gathered around the list.
After worming her way to the front, Lily began searching for her name. She started at the top, with the ensemble and worked her way down. Just when she was starting to think she hadn�t made the cut she saw her name. Lily traced it to the part, heart pounding with anticipation. She gasped. Hero? She thought. Well, it is the major female supporting lead. I did pretty good for being a sophomore!
She wrinkled her nose. Who got Beatrice? She looked closely. Lily almost had a heart attack. �RILEY REED?� She shouted, gaining more attention than she was used to. I didn�t even know she tried out. She pushed her way through the rapidly forming crowd. A few people shouted congratulations, which she acknowledged with fake smiles and thanks.
She got to her locker and dropped her bag like a ton of books. Her niece, Kay Kelly came walking up. �So?� She asked, her own anticipation nearly as great as Lily�s had been.
�I got Hero.� She said happily. �But Riley got Beatrice.� She added sourly.
Kay flinched. �I�m sorry Lily. I�m sure she isn�t as good as you. But Hero�s supposed to be really sweet and Beatrice has an attitude. Maybe that�s why.�
�Maybe.� Lily said, smiling at Kay�s attempt to cheer her up.
�So, did my darling brother get a part?� Lyssa Horton asked from behind Lily.
�No, he didn�t try out this time.� Lily said.
�That�s weird.� Lyssa said. �Who�s Claudio?�
�Jimmy Roberts.� She giggled.
�Ooh.� Kay laughed. �Poor Erica. She�s going to freak!�
�She shouldn�t! If she likes him she should just tell him. That�s what I�d do!� Lily asserted.
�You�d do what?� Mickey asked.
�Um, nothing.� Lily blushed. �Kay, I�ll see you later in English.�
Kay nodded. Lyssa realized Lily wanted to talk to Mickey alone. �Call me.� She said. The two girls left.
�Congratulations on your part, Lily.� Mickey said.
�Thanks.� She said shyly. It used to be she could talk to Mickey about anything and everything. But lately she�d felt like he was holding something back, not telling her something. �Why didn�t you try out?� She asked.
�I got tired of it.� He said, voice loaded with hidden meanings she couldn�t hope to pick up on.
�Tired of what?� She asked.
�Playing a part.� He answered succinctly. �Pretending to be what I�m not, like people I don�t, not like people I do, you know?�
�It�s just pretend, Mickey. If you become a doctor you�ll have to do all that. Especially if you want to be c.o.s. like your dad.� Lily said, touched for some reason by her words.
�Yeah, well, I�ll see you at practice.� He said, turning to go to homeroom.
�What? I thought you weren�t in it?�
�I�ll be doing crew. Lighting up your beautiful face for all the world to see.� He teased.
�Shut up.� She said in an affectionate, sisterly tone. �Wait, we don�t have an auditorium this year.�
�School renovations are a pain in the butt.� Mickey affirmed.
Lily slammed her locker shut and lifted her significantly light bag. �Where are we doing the show?� She asked.
�Middle school.� He said.
She made a face. �You�re joking, right?�
�I wish.� They stopped at her homeroom door.
�Well is there a bus?�
�You know this school district. They�re so cheap they could and probably do squeeze three dimes out of a quarter.�
Lily laughed at the unbidden image of the principal trying to perform the magic feat Mickey described. �Well how am I supposed to get over there? It�s like five miles and it�s COLD outside.� She mock wailed.
Mickey rolled his eyes. �No need to beg. I�ll give you a ride.�
�Thank you!� She squealed. Spontaneously she threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. First bell rang and she dashed into homeroom. Mickey stared after her, stunned. After a few minutes he raised his hand to his face, where her lips had touched his cheeks. He smiled and sauntered away slowly, not caring that for the first time in his life he was missing a �class� and would be late.
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