When I got home, the house was empty - again. I couldn't say I was surprised, but I was disappointed. In the last few months, I hadn't seen Mom for more than half an hour at a time, but I guess that was to be expected. Mom had been so busy with work to make money, but I was starting to get worried. In the rare times I had been able to see her, the dark bags under her eyes couldn't even be hidden by several layers of makeup and she had looked unhealthily thin. I wasn't sure why she was trying so hard. After all, we were doing just fine and we didn't really need anything else, so why would she sacrifice hours and hours to work?

Good question.

I tossed my backpack onto the floor of my bedroom, but not before taking out my homework. Pencils on the table. Earbuds in. Music on. Laptop open.

I worked for an hour or so, chewing on some gum. My phone buzzed with a text notification around four o'clock and when I checked it, it was from Mom. Going to be home late. Again, I silently added in my mind.

Mom was late - much later than she usually was. It was around three in the morning by the time I heard the door open and close, even though it was clear someone was trying to be as quiet as possible.

I really shouldn't have stayed up so late, but I couldn't really help myself. I always wanted to make sure that she really did come home. Sometimes I fell asleep before she did, but I always woke up and came home to an empty house.

I wish I didn't.

• • •

The first thing on my mind when I woke up was Mom. Was she home? I sat up and called out for her, and when she didn't answer, I fell back down with a small thump. Let down yet again. I reached over and drew back my curtain, squinting when the sun hit my eyes. From what I could tell, I had slept in for a pretty long time. Thank god it was a Saturday.

Someone called my phone and I tapped it without checking who it was, holding it to my ear. "Hello?"

"GET UP!" Ella yelled into my ear and I flinched, holding the phone away. "I KNOW YOU'RE STILL IN BED SO GET UP AND GET OUT OF THOSE WEIRDASS POWER RANGER PAJAMAS BECAUSE I'M COMING OVER IN HALF AN HOUR SO YOU BETTER BE DRESSED BY THEN!" A pause. "Also, can you make me some pancakes? The good ones with loads of whipped cream on top?"

"God, Ella," I groaned, rubbing my eyes. "You didn't have to be so freaking loud."

"Yes, I did!" Ella said. "Otherwise, you would have just ignored me and I would have had to drive over to your house to get you out of bed! And I would prefer to not see uncaffeinated Kyah Moore because she's never nice and she never wants to make me pancakes."

She did have a point. I laughed weakly. "Fine," I said. "I'll make your stupid pancakes, but only if you wash the dishes and only after I get my coffee." I hung up and yawned, stretching and clapping my hands together as hard as I could. The sting woke me up enough to change and brush my teeth.

I stumbled into the kitchen - I lived in a house with only one floor, so there were no stairs - and made myself coffee, downing half the mug in one gulp. "That's better," I said aloud as the caffeine rushed through my body.

I started working on the pancakes Ella had wanted and within twenty minutes I had a stack of five pancakes on a plate. I went heavy with the whipped cream and washed some fruit for her.

Someone banged on the door and I opened it. Ella marched inside without even bothering to say hello to me like best friends did and marched over to the kitchen, immediately digging in and completely ignoring me as she ate.

"Well, hello to you too," I said, slightly amused. "You look hungry."

"I am," Ella declared. "Oh, by the way - did you email Mrs. Freeman yet?"

"Not yet," I said, going to my room to get the flyer. I assumed that her email address was on the flyer that Ella had given me, and when I checked, there it was. I sent her a quick message. A few minutes later, she sent back a link. When I clicked on it, it brought me to a Google form.

Name? Kyah Moore. Grade? Junior. Will I be able to come to rehearsals after school every Tuesday and Thursday? Sure. What kind of job do I want on the stage? Actress, I guess. What role am I auditioning for? Actually, I'm not really sure yet. Do I have any previous experience with theatre? None at all. Would I be willing to also help with set and stage? Absolutely.

I submitted the form. Ten minutes later, she had sent me something.

Hi Kyah!

I'm glad to see that you're expressing interest in our school play Romeo and Juliet. It's completely alright that you don't have any prior experience and don't know what you're going to try out for, so I'm attaching a short monologue for you to memorize and perform for my assistant and I. See you on Thursday!

Mrs. Freeman

There was a file attached, just like she had said, that I downloaded. When I read what she had sent me, I snorted.

"What?" Ella said, coming into the room. "Why are you laughing like that?"

"I can't say that out loud!" I said, pointing at the words. "Heck, I don't even know what most of the words mean!" Ella cracked a smile when she leaned over my computer and read what Mrs. Freeman had given me.

"'Tell me not, Friar, that thou hear'st of this, unless thou tell me how I may prevent it: If, in thy wisdom, thou canst give no help, do thou but call my resolution wise, and with this knife I'll help it presently. God join'd my heart and Romeo's, thou our hands," she read aloud, then wrinkled her nose. "Sounds like you were given some of Juliet's part. Yeesh. I forgot that she killed herself with a knife."

"How do you forget how one of the main characters in the most celebrated tragedy in history dies?" Ella shrugged.

"I dunno, I thought she drank the poison."

"I'm pretty sure Romeo drank the poison," I said, smirking. "But look - 'join'd'. What a weird word. I'm supposed to say this in front of people? Like, actual human beings?"

"Well, if you don't want to learn that now, then you can help me with my stuff," Ella said, patting me on the shoulder. "C'mon - I want to get it right."

• • •

On Thursday, I waited outside of the chorus room as Ella tried out. A couple of people had gone in before her, including a blonde girl I recognized as Josie Kendrick. God, I hoped she didn't get a part.

Ella came out then, a wide smile on her face. I raised an eyebrow at her and laughed, sitting down next to me.

"So?" I asked. "How'd it go?"

"It was a-maze-ing," Ella said. "I really think I have a shot!"

"Kyah Moore?" a voice called and Ella pushed me into the room, giving me a thumbs up before shutting the door. Mrs. Freeman and another woman who couldn't have been more than twenty-two years old. I had never seen her before. Her caramel hair was choppy and barely reached her shoulders, and some pieces in the front were dyed colorfully. When she raised her head, I noted even more strands of hair dyed pink and yellow and green.

"Hello, Kyah," Mrs. Freeman said, smiling at me. "As you probably already know, my name is Mrs. Freeman and I direct all of the plays hosted by the school. This year, I've taken on an assistant to help me organize the stage crew and prepare sets and costumes. In your form, I noticed you weren't exactly sure what kind of role you wanted. Have you made up your mind now?"

"Well, to be honest, I'm not even sure if I want to be an actress anymore," I said. "I'm quite good with a paintbrush or a sewing machine, though, if I don't get a role."

Mrs. Freeman hummed thoughtfully. "Well, we do need someone to make costumes... however, I would still prefer you present your excerpt. Did you memorize it?"

"Yeah."

"Alright then," Mrs. Freeman said, leaning back. "Whenever you're ready."

I cleared my throat, readying myself and prayed that I wouldn't trip over any words because that would have been hella embarrassing.

"Tell me not, friar, that thou hear'st of this," I began softly, "unless thou tell me how I may prevent it: if, in thy wisdom, thou canst give no help, do thou but call my resolution wise, and with this knife I'll help it presently. God join'd my heart and Romeo's, thou our hands; and ere this hand, by thee to Romeo's seal'd, shall be the label to another deed, or my true heart with treacherous revolt. Turn to another, this shall slay them both: therefore, out of thy long-experienc'd time, give me some present counsel; or, behold, 'Twixt my extremes and me this bloody knife shall play the empire; arbitrating that which the commission of thy years and art could to no issue of true honour bring. Be not so long to speak; I long to die, if what thou speak'st speak not of remedy." Yeah, it was pretty depressing. When I finished, I glanced over at Mrs. Freeman and the assistant to gouge their reactions. The assistant didn't look terribly impressed, but Mrs. Freeman raised her eyebrows, a slight smile starting to curl her lips. She wrote something down and thanked me for staying after school to try out, then let me leave. Ella was waiting for me, bouncing on her toes.

"It was fine," I said, shrugging my shoulders. "We should probably go home now."

"I guess," Ella said, glancing over my shoulder. When I turned around, I groaned.

"Ella. Spell it out with me: B. O. Y. F. R. I. E. N. D." I jabbed my finger at Finn Washington, whose arm was around Josie's waist. "You gotta get over her! She's just Josie! I'm sure there are a billion other lesbians who are much better for you."

Ella ignored me. "God, you're so gay," I groaned, dragging her away. "Let's go home and eat ice cream and have a movie marathon, okay? You can choose the movies as long as they're not horror."

That caught her attention. "To All the Boys I've Loved Before, Ten Things I Hate About You, and if we can, I want to watch a little bit of The Perfect Date too."

"Geez, fine," I said.

For the rest of the night, we laughed, we joked, we smiled, we cringed. I loved nights like this, when we were relaxed and didn't have a care in the world. These nights had become increasingly rare, considering the amount of homework we were getting assigned and how worried I was about Mom.

"Oh gosh, I gotta go," Ella said after we finished Ten Things I Hate About You, checking her phone for the time. "It's almost eleven o'clock. I told my mom where I was going, but still. Night, Kyah."

"Good night," I said, opening the door for her. Ella's house was only a few houses down from mine, so I wasn't worried at all about her.

"Don't forget that audition results are coming out tomorrow!" Ella called out.

"I won't," I promised. 

• • •

WORD COUNT: 1985

As you can tell, I got lazy and didn't make the chapter as long as I wanted it to be. So... what do you think of Kyah so far? What about Ella and Finn and Josie? Vote, comment, add this to your reading list, and follow me to make my day! :)