I round the corner Sunday morning and spot Renée dashing into the rehearsal building. I pick up my pace, loving the almost tap-dance sound of my boots on the cold pavement.
I’m so ready for today’s run-through. I had Dad wake me up early, before his morning run, so I could do a super-complete voice warm-up. I stretched every dance muscle I could. Riding the subway, I relistened to Drew’s recorded accompaniment for “Welcome to Your Dorm” on my phone.
I am set to knock Renée right out of her ankle boots.
I burst through the rehearsal hall door and—“Whoa!”—nearly crash into Rachel. She’s bent over, picking a muffin and a purple glove up off the floor.
She straightens, the other glove gripped in her teeth. “That was lucky,” she says around it. Her free hand holds a large coffee.
“Lucky?” I scan the room for Renée. There. Standing at Neeta’s table, talking with her, Drew and Camilla. Probably telling them about the possibility of showcasing Schooled on Dad’s show.
“Yeah, lucky it wasn’t coffee this time,” Rachel says. “Remember your script? I could have soaked our artistic director. I didn’t see her come in. Plowed right into her.” Rachel hands me her gloves, including the one she’s just taken from her mouth, so she can manage the coffee and muffin.
“You sure Marissa didn’t trip you?”
Rachel laughs that off. “Positive. Randomly tripping is a special talent I’ve had all my life.”
Before I can think that through, Rachel nods her head in Renée’s direction. “Do you think she’s staying for the run-through?”
“No idea.” I can’t reveal the real reason why Renée’s here. “If she is, we just have to be great.”
I go to hand Rachel back her gloves, and she points the pockets of her lime-green coat at me. I stuff the gloves in.
“Three-second rule,” she says as she dusts off the muffin and takes a bite.
“Classy.” The more time I spend with Rachel, the more I like her.
We go to join the other actors, but Neeta calls, “Ellie, can you come here for a sec?”
I go over. “What’s up?”
Renée, Drew and Camilla have moved away from the table. Renée glances my way. I nod hello, but she’s already gone back to her conversation.
Neeta finishes erasing something in her schedule. “Marissa has to miss the tech rehearsal when we move into the theater on Tuesday afternoon. She has a math test that day, and she can’t skip it.”
“Okay.” I’m already looking forward to missing school for the tech and dress rehearsals this coming week, and now I can look forward to one of those rehearsals being Marissa-free.
“So I’ve asked her to do Piper for today’s run-through. Then you can do Piper at the tech and take notes for her. A little swap-a-roo.”
Little? With Renée scouting the rehearsal today? “I can do both. Today’s and tech. I don’t mind doing an extra one.”
“You’re a trooper. But it would be helpful for Marissa to get this run-through in before dress on Wednesday.” Neeta reaches into her bag of gummy bears. The sticky-sweet smell gets up my nose. “She does Piper on opening night, remember.”
Like I’d forget. “But if she gets all the tech notes from me and she’s at dress, she’ll be fine for—”
“Ellie, you just need to do what your stage manager asks you to do.” Neeta’s voice is blunt.
I back off. “Of course. No problem.”
“Great.” She pencils my name in her notes, then yells past me, “Five minutes to Act 1, people.”
Retreating to my chair, I hear Drew say to Renée, “For sure. I’ll leave that to you.”
I stop. What if my swapping places with Marissa has nothing to do with her test? Maybe Drew is switching Pipers today because Renée’s told him she needs to see the best performers.
Marissa sashays past me, humming “Welcome to Your Dorm” extra loudly.
* * *
I love the gleefully wicked look on Rachel’s face when she and I crowd Shantel. We prowl like schoolgirl hyenas as we harmonize.
Even though I’m only doing my ensemble part, I’m determined to sing my heart out. I glance to where Renée sits, front row center. Her legs are neatly crossed in her trim black skirt, one foot keeping time with the music.
Her eyes focus on Marissa.
I make a quick calculation. When Piper’s stand-on-the-bed moment happens, Rachel and I are supposed to be downstage, facing Hannah at the end of the bed. Instead, as we get to that point, I cheat my way upstage to the side of the bed. I hope Rachel will do the same, since we’re supposed to mirror each other, but she sticks with the original choreography.
When Marissa hits the lines “together for this time / of brainy fun sublime,” I’m upstage from her and fully facing the audience instead of Shantel. I harmonize like I’m supposed to. But with more force on the high note. The note Marissa never quite lands. I hold it a second longer than her. I catch Renée turning her attention my way.
Marissa jumps off the bed and hits the ground with a slight wobble. Rachel reaches out to steady her, but Marissa bats her away. A Piper-like move, so it fits the moment. I think.
When the song ends, Renée applauds, then tops that with “Bravo!” She loves the number.
But whom did she love in it?