{WATTYS 2021/2022 SHORTLIST}{Editor's Pick} {Featured Story}
One girl. Two boys. An impossible choice.
Stella LaFever, a theatre student from California, can't wait to spend a summer in Newport, Rhode Island, with her best friend. She is in despera...
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Chapter Song: ...Ready For It? By Taylor Swift
The whole way back to Snug Harbor, I was battling my better judgment.
I shouldn't put myself in West Tenney's firing line.
I was seriously considering withdrawing my audition. What if West was cast as Lumière? There was no way I'd be able to keep that from Leona without breaking my promise.
The girl was like a bloodhound—she'd know if I was lying.
And then there was Spencer. He had this uncanny ability to see straight through me.
And Spencer was a Leona-approved-good-for-me distraction.
Leona had been thankfully distracted by texts from Graham and chatting away about their date on Tuesday, and so I'd scraped by with nothing more than telling her the audition went well.
"Of course, it went well!" Leona'd said as she slipped into her uniform skirt. "I wouldn't expect anything less from Stella LaFever."
Luckily, it was another busy night at Castle Hill Inn. Ms. Kleeson assigned Leona to pass out flutes of champagne to art donors while I was relegated to carrying around the oyster tray.
They were Wild Goose oysters.
As if I needed another reminder of West.
But the weather was warm, and the sun was low, music floated across the busy lawn, and I'd already made enough money to cover a sizable amount of my tuition for next semester.
I had just dropped another empty tray of oysters when my phone vibrated inside my apron.
I checked the screen while Levi shucked more speckled shells.
It was a Rhode Island number.
"Do you mind covering me for a sec?" I asked Levi. "I need to take this."
He gave me a grin, and I slipped inside the restaurant.
"Miss LaFever?"
"Speaking."
"It's Henry Godfrey—the casting director for Beauty and the Beast. Do you have a moment to talk?"
I leaned against the wall. Feeling lightheaded. I wasn't expecting their call so soon. "Yes, I do."
"Well, we'd like to offer you the role of Babette in our summer production!"
