Masqueraded Identities

Chapter Twelve

The night came and went, and the next morning the cast list was posted.

I popped in a piece of gum as Mark and I walked nervously to the auditorium doors, where the list had been posted. I was so nervous and overcome with a horrible feeling in my gut that I didn't make it. Or was that feeling one of hope? Sometimes I got the two mixed up.

"Want a piece?" I asked absentmindedly, holding out the gum pack towards Mark.

He nodded silently and took a piece. He looked so refined chewing gum; his angled jawline popping in and out as he thoughtfully bit the mint stick.

We made it to the door, and we turned to look at each other.

"If one of us makes it, and the other doesn't, we have to promise that we'll see each other in the show, even though we might hate the other person," Mark said very seriously.

Something about serious situations had always made me burst into laughter, even at funerals, and now was no exception. Mark raised his eyebrows, confused, and I finally got it together enough to say, "I promise."

He shook his head at me, but smiled anyway. We turned back to the door, and looked through it for our names.

Mark was the first of us to say something.

"Yes! I got Faust!" he said. Faust was the show we were doing, and although it was a closet drama and rarely performed, Princeton's director just HAD to do it. Of course Mark managed to get the lead. Why would I have expected anything less?

I tried to smile, but I'm positive it looked more like one of those fake smiles when you see an ex in public and you're trying to be civil. Which basically means I gave Mark more of a grimace then a smile.

I went back to the list, and searched for my name. I was three names away from the bottom, and had yet to come across my name. I felt my heart sink to my stomach. Gosh, I was such a failure. Mark had snagged the lead, and I hadn't snagged a single part. He must be so embarrassed to be the boyfriend of such a talentless loser. I was already awkward enough as it was; now I didn't even have talent to make up for it. Go figure.

But then I noticed at the very bottom, there was a name that started with a P and ended with an E. That was when I realized that the leading lady, Faust's mentally insane love interest Margaret, was being played by Phoebe Rory. Maybe I accused myself of being a talented loser too soon.

I squealed in joy, and started jumping up and down.

Mark started jumping with me, his green eyes looking as confused as ever, as he asked, "Why are we jumping?!"

"I got the lead! I'm Margaret!" I said with a smile from ear-to-ear.

Now it was his turn to smile like an idiot, and he hugged me close to him. I breathed in his cologne, and he pulled away to look down at me.

"Congratulations," he said seriously, his smile gone.

I raised my eyebrows, and said, "What, too cool to give your own girlfriend a sincere congratulations?"

"Yes... Just kidding! You did it!" he said, breaking his facade, and hugging me to him again. I smiled into his chest.

"Yes, I did!" I said proudly, like I was a little five year old who tinkled in the big-girl toilet for the first time in her life.

He chuckled, and put a stray piece of hair behind my hair.

He kissed my forehead, and walked me to class.

I was walking back to my dorm after dinner by myself (Tay had had some volleyball thing) when Ryan suddenly put a casual arm around me, and said, "What's up, buttercup?"