The first day of my junior year was supposed to be a fabulous new beginning. Mr. Fanelli, the drama teacher, always held auditions the first week of school, but this year, auditions were after school on the very first day, which threw me off a little. Our high school drama department was putting on a production of The Taming of the Shrew and I was supposed to play Katharina to my boyfriend Connor’s Petruchio. We were the It couple at Kennedy High and we were supposed to have starring roles to match.
I was certain I was going to get the lead. The only other serious contender, a senior named Alicia Grant, was modeling in Paris, which left the field wide open for me.
I hurried to Connor’s locker. “C’mon, we’re going to be late for the auditions.” He was a sure thing, too. He wasn’t a great actor, but he remembered his lines and always said them with enthusiasm. Plus, Fanelli was no fool. He knew that everyone at Kennedy would buy tickets just to see my gorgeous boyfriend onstage.
As Monet had predicted that summer day at the pool, Connor was, indeed, prom king material. And that’s what I loved about him, because I had every intention of being prom queen. But before that, I needed to ace the audition.
“What’s your hurry, babe?” he said.
“My hurry is that I want that part, Connor,” I said. “And you’re going to help me get it. Now move!”
“Okay, okay,” he said. “Don’t have a coronary.”
He walked to the auditorium at a snail’s pace. I would have walked ahead of him, but I wanted to walk in on his arm.
We opened the door and were surrounded by a group of sophomores. I smiled at them regally before I shooed them away. Then Connor went over to talk to some of his buddies and I slid into an aisle seat next to Monet. She was the stage manager for this production.
A minute later, a tall, thin girl with blonde hair made what can only be described as an Entrance. Conversation ceased.
“Who is that?” someone whispered as the girl strode confidently up the aisle.
She paused midway. “Is this where tryouts for The Taming of the Shrew are being held?”
She stood close to where I was sitting so I got a good look at her. Flawless skin, perfect figure, fake eyelashes. I hated her on sight.
To top it off, she was dressed in a very expensive pseudomedieval dress.
“She looks like she just came back from the Renaissance Fair,” I muttered to Monet, but secretly I wished I’d thought of it.
Monet nodded. “She’s gorgeous, too. And look at all the cleavage she’s showing.”
“Fake boobs,” I assured her. I’d never do anything like that. Besides, Mom said not until I graduated from high school.
“I was told that the only other decent actress at this school is in Paris,” the blonde said in a carrying voice. She strode onto the stage. “I’m Angie Vogel,” she said. “And I’m auditioning for Katharina.”
I nudged Monet. “Hey, can she do that? Just butt ahead of the rest of us like that?”
“Apparently, she can,” she replied. She nodded at Mr. Fanelli, who was gushing so hard I thought his head was going to explode. “Angie, my dear, I’ve heard so much about you from your acting coach,” he said. “We’d love to see you as Katharina.”
Over my dead body.
I had to admit she did a decent reading, but there were no surprises, just a performance you could catch at any community theater in any town.
She finished her audition to a roar of applause, entirely from the guys in the audience, I noticed, and floated down off the stage.
As she walked by with her nose in the air, she said, “Try to top that.” I don’t know how or why, but I was sure she was talking to me. Maybe it was because she was staring straight at me.
I couldn’t resist the impulse. I put out my foot and tripped her.
She went down in a heap, but about ten guys, including Mr. Fanelli, rushed over to help her back up.
“Oops,” I said sweetly. “Better watch it. Where you’re going, I mean.”
She glared at me as she stood up and I gave her a broad smile.
Was it my fault she wasn’t paying attention to where she walked?
I didn’t realize until much later that Connor was one of the guys who had rushed to her aid.
I didn’t consider Angie Vogel to be much of a threat, but still, it wouldn’t hurt to remind everyone who ruled the junior class. I nailed my audition and then cheered loudly from the audience when Connor did a decent job with his. Honestly, I hadn’t been expecting much, so I was pleasantly surprised.
Afterward, I turned to Monet.
“That went well, I think.”
Monet frowned. “Not enough guys auditioned,” she said. “We need a Lucentio.”
“Fanelli will find someone,” I said airily. “He always does.”
“True,” she said. “But I hope this time, he finds someone who can actually memorize his role. I’m getting tired of feeding lines to some pretty boy.”
I wasn’t paying attention. My mind was busy trying to figure out how to solve my own problem. I snapped my fingers.
“I’m having a party this weekend,” I announced.
“What brought that on?” She raised an eyebrow.
“I think it would be nice to get everyone together. A little back-to-school festivity.”
“And who do you plan to invite?” she said drily.
“Just the usual crowd,” I said. “Everyone who tried out.”
“Everyone? Even Angie Vogel?” Monet didn’t even try to keep the disbelief from her voice.
“Everyone,” I said firmly.
Mom never had a problem with me having my friends over, but it was a busy time at the PR firm where she worked and she’d be out of town, which was convenient. I’d have to come up with refreshments on my own, though.
Friday night arrived so quickly that I didn’t have time to order from our usual hangout, Wicked Jack’s. Who knew that catered orders required a forty-eight-hour notice?
So I ordered from a new place. I didn’t know much about it, but the food was within my budget and they promised to deliver on time.
It was more important, though, that I look amazing. Angie Vogel was gorgeous, but not only that, she had this way of looking at a guy, like she wanted to tear off his clothes or something. I thought it was too obvious, but they seemed to like it.
It took a trip to the salon, a new dress, and some serious heels, but I looked fabulous. The food had been delivered on schedule and Monet and I were in my living room, waiting for people to arrive.
“Don’t you think we should refrigerate some of the food?” Monet asked.
“It’ll be fine,” I said dismissively. I didn’t want to get anything on my dress.
“But the shrimp—”
The doorbell rang and I hurried to get it. There were about six drama kids standing in the door.
“C’mon in,” I said. “The food is out by the pool.”
People streamed in and I turned on the stereo. An hour later, we had a full-fledged party on our hands. I checked my watch.
“Where’s Connor?” I asked.
“He’ll be here,” Monet said.
Angie Vogel walked in, and I swear the whole room went quiet. She had on well-worn jeans and an emerald-green halter top, along with impossibly tall high-heeled sandals that must have cost more than my monthly allowance. She made every girl in the room, including me, feel overdressed.
Conversation resumed as a couple of the guys in the room approached her. Some of the girls who liked girls were hanging on her every word as well.
Connor arrived a few minutes later, and I was relieved to see that he seemed to not even notice Angie as he walked straight over to me.
“It’s about time you got here,” I said to him. I presented my cheek for his kiss, just to let him know I was miffed.
“I had something to do,” he mumbled, looking at the floor.
I decided he was sorry. “C’mon, let’s dance,” I said. I pulled him out into the backyard, where people were dancing near the pool.
A slow song came on, but Connor seemed distracted. He kept scanning the crowd instead of holding me close.
“What’s wrong with you tonight?” I said. “You’re acting weird.”
“I was just—looking for Chase,” he said.
“He and Vanessa have been upstairs for almost an hour,” I said drily. “Besides, since when do you need Chase with you all the time? You see him every day.”
“I see you every day, too,” he pointed out.
I pulled away from him to look him in the eye. “Yes, but I’m your girlfriend,” I said icily.
“Sorry, babe,” he said soothingly. “You’re right. Let’s get some food. You haven’t eaten anything yet.”
Angie was standing at the buffet eating the shrimp with sensual abandon when we approached. She was using so much tongue that I wondered what she would do when faced with a real live boy instead of a member of the shellfish family.
I thought it was tacky, but Connor didn’t seem to mind. He couldn’t keep his eyes off her.
“How’s the shrimp?” I said.
“Delicious,” she said. She licked her lips. “Great party.”
“I’m glad you could make it,” I said to her, a fake smile plastered on my face.
“I was pleasantly surprised,” she said.
I wanted to say something to give her the verbal smackdown she so richly deserved, but there was the sound of shattering glass coming from the kitchen. “Excuse me a moment,” I said. “It sounds as though I have some cleanup to attend to.”
Someone had broken two of my mother’s crystal goblets. I didn’t think she’d be too upset. She’d gotten them in the divorce and had shattered a couple against the fireplace already.
I liked those goblets, though. We’d used them at every family holiday. I sighed and got out the broom.
After I’d cleaned up the mess and hidden the rest of the breakables, I went outside, but there was no sign of Connor. Or Angie.
The festivities petered out around one a.m. and I headed to bed.
I woke up the next morning to the sound of my cell ringing. Monet’s number flashed on the screen. “Hello?”
“Oh, good. You’re alive,” she said.
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Haven’t you heard?”
I peered blearily at the clock beside the bed. It was past noon. “Heard what?”
“Half the people at your party ended up in the emergency room last night,” she said.
“Hey, I didn’t serve them.” It was true. I knew people probably brought alcohol, but I didn’t approve of drinking. Besides, I couldn’t get anyone to buy it for me.
“It wasn’t booze,” she said impatiently. “It was the shrimp.”
“The shrimp?”
“Food poisoning. I told you to put it on ice. People have been texting all morning. Everybody thinks you did it deliberately.”
“Why would they think that? I just forgot to keep it cold. That’s not a crime.”
“Angie Vogel is one of the people who got sick, that’s why. People are saying you served tainted food to take her out of the running.”
I was shocked. “I’d never do that! It was an accident. She was gobbling that shrimp like there was no tomorrow.”
“Well, you’d better send out an apology, and soon.”
“I will, I promise.” After I hung up, I drafted a quick apologetic text and sent it to everyone who’d come to the party. I felt horrible.
I felt much better a few hours later when I found out that most people hadn’t eaten the shrimp. Monet was overreacting, but to keep goodwill intact, I used the credit card my dad had given me for emergencies to send flowers to everyone who’d ended up with food poisoning. It had turned out to be a very expensive party. I probably should have listened to Monet.
Yet somehow, I blamed it all on Angie. I couldn’t get over the feeling that she’d gotten sick just to spite me. Drama queen.