A Readers Guide to Romance

Chapter 5

Monday, May 30:
Telling her parents was... interesting. She had told them shortly after she got the email last week. They had a similar reaction as James did, trying to be supportive but ultimately very confused. She didn't blame them of course, she'd probably react the same way if her daughter who had always wanted to be a vet suddenly decided to audition for a movie. As time went on Avery's mother seemed to became convinced that Avery would get the role, that her daughter would win the next best actress award.

Avery was grateful for her family's support, but sometimes it felt like just a bit too much, there were times it felt like nothing but a reminder of her father's condition. Having to explain it all multiple times was painful, it made her sick and tired of talking about it. Everytime she had to explain it the more she dreaded the day she auditioned, it felt like a terrible idea. Why had she even signed up in the first place?

But the morning of the audition Avery woke before her alarm and tried to let James' words console her, to not stress about it. There was no going back now, she wasn't the type to make a commitment and not show. Plus what James said was true; she really did know the entire book by heart. She may not know it word for word, but she could follow along and improv if it really came to it.

Plus, this was all for fun. She wouldn't lose anything if the audition didn't go well, she was already far along on another career path and nothing would be different. Maybe her pride would be a bit hurt if it was all for nothing, but really everything would be fine, the role should go to someone who actually wants a career in acting anyway.

This is for fun. Don't stress. The words repeated in her mind all the way to the studios, while she waited to be called in for audition, and one last time before they asked her to start.

Avery chose to perform the scene between Wes and Liz at the end, when she had waited to tell him how she really felt, but then Alex was there too and everything just went so horribly wrong, but she still made her speech, and told Wes exactly how she felt, just hidden behind a not so discreet metaphor about a penny.

"Liz?" the casting director prompted, starting the scene.

"Hey, guys. What's up? Fun prom, right?" Avery's voice was a bit tight with nerves, but it played in her favor, coming across as being nervous and embarrassed from being caught.

"Right, oh my God. I thought I was going to have a heart attack when Ash was crowned,"
the director continued.

"I know, total heart attack moment. Like whaaat? Ash was crowned?" Avery was feeling less nervous, growing more confident, this was her favorite moment, it was just so perfect; embarrassing, funny, but so gut wrenchingly honest. She had read it more times than she could count.

"What are you doing out here?" The director read Wes's line.

"I, um, followed out here earlier and, um, I uh dropped something. Thought it might have rolled under the bush."

"Your cat doesn't go outside."

"Yeah, no, exactly - he ran out, that's why I followed him."

"Really? And what did you drop?"

"Um, it was... money. A penny." Avery cleared her throat once, quickly, "I dropped a penny and it rolled away. So yeah. I was just out here, looking for my penny. It was, uh" Avery gave another little cough, "lucky."

"Your-"

"Penny. Yep. But it doesn't matter. I don't need it." Avery cleared her throat again, her voice tight purely from acting, her nerves gone as she let herself fall into Liz, her voice picking up speed as she continued, "The penny, y'know? I mena, who needs a penny, am I right? My stepmom throws them away, for God's sake."