This Is Me

Auditioning For The Role (Part Two)

Auditioning For The Role (Part Two)

"I don't think I can do this."

"What?"

"I said, I don't think I can do this."

"No, I heard you. It was more of a 'what' what?"

"What?"

My harsh whisper danced around Bradly's as we sat at the back of a small theatre. Both our heads were ducked slightly in the hopes our voices wouldn't carry to the front of the theatre, where a guy around Brad's age had just got onto the stage. Brad had only told me this morning that he would be doing the audition. Lucky for him, I didn't have anything to do on a Saturday, and I could be moral support.

It had been two weeks since my ass got handed to me, and I was feeling much better. My face was still a little bruised, but other than that, I was brilliant. Thankfully, that's all Mitchell had been able to do to me—bruise me. He couldn't say the same for what Leroy had done to him, though. A broken nose was not as easy to shake off.

Luckily—or not, depending on how you look at it—I was in good enough condition to take all my final tests the week after I was a punching bag. My brain may not have been in the best condition, but I think I did reasonably okay. Which is mainly thanks to the studying Cooper had made me do. So, not only was I fighting fit physically, but I was getting there mentally, too, which had helped outside of my schoolwork as well.

Of course, things with Leroy were about the same. He was figuring himself out and dealing with his home life, while I caught glances of him in school, watching him get worse.

There were times when a word or two would be exchanged between us, but nothing more than that. It pained me every time I heard the timidness in his voice, which seemed to grow with every passing day.

Andy had ensured me he was doing everything he could to be there for Leroy throughout everything that was happening, which I had no doubt about, though I wished I could've been there, too.

Of course, we still had the two groups, with Andy, Blaire, and Leroy sitting together at lunch, and myself keeping company with Cooper and Trent. However, Blaire had been making a point to join us occasionally, and I could tell it was for more reason than to sit with Cooper and gawk at him with heart eyes.

Blaire was smart. She knew there was more than meets the eye with Leroy, especially after the restroom incident. Sly questions had been thrown at me and I had no doubt Andy had got a few, too, but I managed to brush them off.

It wasn't my place.

I hated not telling her. After all, she had been there for me when I had come out. She had kept my secret. Though, that was all the more reason why I knew she would understand why I couldn't tell her.

Not everything was hard though. One thing that made things a lot easier was Mitchell not being at school. After the whole bathroom incident, my parents got in contact with the school, and they suspended him. I was worried about when he came back, however, but I did what I could not to think about it.

"Pete?" Brad's voice brought me back out of my thoughts.

"What? Why are you freaking out all of a sudden?" I asked quickly.

I could feel I was on the verge of freaking out myself, now that Brad had started to do so himself. I was getting second-hand anxiety.

And normal anxiety.

"All of a sudden?" Bradly questioned, his voice getting sharper. "I've been freaking out for months about this. It's just escalating!"

"Just remember what I told you. You're just auditioning for the role. You've done it before, you'll be fine."