Kara walked into the kitchen to find Jillian preparing a salad while Flora sat at the table.
“. . . I guess I like the story of Noah because it shows that God’s promises are true.” Jillian slid sliced carrots into the large wooden salad bowl.
“Very true, my dear.” Flora noticed Kara and smiled. “What about you, Kara? Do you have a favorite Bible story? ”
“Not really.” Kara shrugged, reaching into the refrigerator. “I’ve never really read much of the Bible.”
“But it is God’s Word.”
Kara rinsed a carton of cherry tomatoes. “There are so many different religions out there. How can you be sure yours is right? That your God is the God?”
“The Bible says if anyone lacks wisdom, he should ask for it,” Flora said. “If you want to know what is true, ask God to show it to you.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
“Four thousand years of biblical history have stood firm, proving that he does answer those who diligently seek him.”
Jillian leaned forward. “She’s right, Kara.”
Kara laughed. “It’s like a conspiracy. First Addy, then Flora, now you. I’m being surrounded by Christians.”
“Perhaps this is God’s way of showing you he exists.”
“Maybe.” Kara thought about the chapters she had read in the book of John the night before. She didn’t have an overwhelming sense that God existed from those few pages. But it was interesting.
Anna Grace walked into the kitchen. “Where is lunch? You said it would be ready by noon. We have to be at the studio by two o’clock for our dress rehearsal.”
“And good afternoon to you.” Kara glared at the young woman. “Sure, we’d love some help.”
Anna Grace pointed to Flora. “That’s the help. But she just ‘happens’ to be injured. Must be nice, getting paid to sit around and let other people do your work for you.”
“You need to stop.” Kara walked over to the angry Alabaman. “You’ll get your lunch, and you’ll get to the studio. You can either go back to the pool and wait, or you can come in here and help us.”
“Like I’d lift a finger for you losers.” Anna Grace walked around the kitchen, bumping into Flora’s foot on her way out.
Kara started to walk after her.
“Kara.” Flora’s determined tone stopped Kara in her tracks. “‘Do not associate with one easily angered.’”
“What?”
“It’s from the book of Proverbs,” Flora said.
“Then you two are the only people I should associate with,” Kara said.
“Some girls are just so self-absorbed,” Jillian said. “Anyway, I love cooking. And hanging out with you, Flora.”
“Thank you, dear.” Flora smiled. “Let’s get that fish cooked, and then I think lunch will be ready.”
After all the girls had eaten, Flora excused herself to take a nap. Jillian put the last of the dishes in the sink and turned to Kara. “So you really like Flora, huh?”
“Sure.” Kara sprayed the counter with cleaner and wiped it. “Don’t you?”
“Of course. She’s great.”
“I know. You guys have a lot in common.”
“We do?”
“You know, you’re both Christians.”
Jillian blinked. “Right. Yes, we do share our faith. I think I’m the only one here who is a Christian, don’t you?”
Kara thought. “I guess you’re right.”
Jillian relaxed into a chair.
“Is that hard for you?” Kara sat next to her.
“What?”
“Being the only Christian.”
“Oh no,” Jillian said. “Not at all. I kind of like it.”
“Really?”
Jillian looked at her phone. “We’re leaving in just a few minutes. I better fix my hair.”
“Right. Me too.”
Thirty minutes later, Kara stood looking at an actual set built just for the girls. One side looked like a typical suburban living room. The other was decorated like a retro loft. Both were three-sided, with cameras and lights all around.
“While you were working with the help”—Anna Grace walked past Kara and whispered—“I was studying my lines. I guess we both spent our afternoons preparing for our futures.”
Ashley walked into the room before Kara could respond. “All right, girls. Time to start. As you know, you’re all doing the same scene. Five in one, five in the other. The first group to go is Jennifer, Gina, Haley, Zoey, and Kylie.”
Haley raised her hand. “But I went first last time.”
The other girls began complaining as well. Ashley held up a tiny hand to silence them. “First group, you’re wasting time. You get an hour to rehearse and then thirty minutes to tape.”
“Miss Win.” Anna Grace’s accent was even more pronounced than usual. “I just want to say thank you for this opportunity, and—”
Another wave of the hand. “The rest of you will be in the green room. Let’s go.”
Ashley’s high-heeled shoes clicked loudly on the cement floor. The girls in group two followed her through the set to the lounge on the other side of the building. Ashley held the door open and the girls filed in.
Anna Grace stopped beside Ashley. “As I was saying, I’m just so grateful—”
Ashley looked down the hallway to make sure all the girls were in, shut the door in Anna Grace’s face, and clicked her way back to the set.
Anna Grace looked around, her jaw firm. She sat next to Kara and said, “Listen, you better give me something to work with today.”
“What?”
“Everybody knows you’re the weak link in this group.” Anna Grace lowered her voice. “No agent, hardly any experience. It’s obvious you don’t know what you’re doing. I didn’t mind when we were on different teams. But if you’re going to work with me, you need to step up your game.”
Anna Grace was trying to make her nervous. And she knows exactly what to say to do it. Refusing to let that girl win, Kara stood and walked to another chair.
“Are you going to answer me?”
Kara looked up, refusing to let Anna Grace intimidate her. “No. You’ve got me so nervous, I don’t even know if I can remember my lines. I may just fall apart and start crying in the middle. Ruin the whole scene. Destroy your chances of winning.”
“You think you’re so funny.” Anna Grace’s face turned red. “Whatever. Just don’t blow this.”
Kara closed her eyes and drew in several deep breaths. She had read a little of Addy’s Bible the night before. John was basically stories of Jesus. She wasn’t sure what to think of it yet, but she did know that when she was reading, she felt calmer. I could use a little of that calm right now. She opened her script.
Reviewing her lines, Kara thought about her character and got excited about performing, in spite of Anna Grace’s efforts to unnerve her.
Girl 2. I need to give her a real name. Something cool. Ooh, I can make her a Native American. She will be Girl Who Wins Contest and Becomes Super Famous. Or Mary.
She isn’t the funniest one in the skit. Ava gets that one. But I need to show I can support her, that I’m not trying to get all the attention. Anna Grace always tried to go over the top. Girl 4 was not the crazy one, so she might just blow it for herself if she tries to overdo it. A girl can dream, right?
“All right, girls.” Ashley opened the door to the green room almost an hour later. “Places.”