Panicking peers paced and scattered all about the hallway. Some muttered rehearsed lines to themselves, while others reached to one another for support. However, nobody seemed to reach for Camilla Green, standing straight and silent near the classroom door.

She did not mind the silence, nor did she mind the chaos around her. Throughout her years of experience auditioning for shows in theater, she had grown accustomed to it. This audition was no different; it was just another play where she would get the female lead. It had been that way for Camilla since she was a freshman; how could that change now that she was a junior?

She waited, entertaining herself only by observing the lack of competition around her. A girl passed, muttering one of the monologues quietly—and getting words wrong. Camilla bit her cheek to keep from smirking. Another girl against the wall forgot a line for the third time. Camilla held her breath to keep from giggling.

From down the hall, Tiffany Stewart—a sophomore and a close friend—left her conversation with two other crew members to approach Camilla. She braced herself to be pulled from the comfort of her mind.

“Hi, Camilla!” Tiffany greeted, her eyes bright and her smile warm. “How are you feeling about your audition?”

Camilla sighed. “I'm nervous, of course,” she lied, her posture unchanging, “but I feel prepared. I’ve been practicing a lot for this audition.”

Tiffany nodded. “I’m sure you have; you’re so hard-working, Camilla.”

“Thank you. I try my best.”

“You’re so talented, though. I doubt you even need to try.”

Camilla smiled. “I appreciate that, but I always try my best regardless. It’s just who I am. I know that if I try my best, good things will come.”

“That’s so inspiring! I should use you as an example for River.”

Tiffany gestured back to her two fellow crew members she had been speaking with before. Among them stood River Griffiths, a senior Camilla did not know well. Their behavior blended with the anxious auditionees around them as they spoke with Amy Gardener, a junior Camilla, too, did not know well.

Camilla’s brows furrowed as she asked, “Crew members aren’t required to be here, right?”

“Oh, we’re not. Amy and I are the only crew members here as far as I know. We’re here to support River before their audition.”

Disguising her amusement as supportiveness, Camilla grinned. “Oh, that’s great. Is this their first-ever audition?”

Tiffany nodded. “That’s why I figured they would appreciate some advice and encouragement from someone as experienced as you.”

Camilla could have cackled in front of everyone. She never gave honest advice to her competitors—not that it would elevate them above her anyway. Still, she maintained her composure and said, “Tell her she has no reason to be nervous; she’ll do great.”

Tiffany thanked her and left, oblivious to the hilarity Camilla had gained from their conversation. Returning to River and Amy, Tiffany heard bickering similar to that from before she left—only this time, missing any mediation.

“No, I know that was the wrong line,” River insisted, shaking their head. “Just let me see the script.”

Amy shrugged and replied, “I’m telling you, it was the right line. Keep going—”

“No, I say that line wrong every time,” they interrupted. “I know it’s something else, I just can’t remember what.”

“River, you basically said what’s on the page.”

“Basically? So, it’s not exact?”

“Well, no, but—”

River grabbed Amy’s shoulders. “Why would you tell me it was right?”

“Calm down, both of you,” Tiffany intervened, nudging River’s hands off of Amy.

Amy ignored her. “The line you said means the exact same thing. I doubt the judges will even care.”

“But I care! This is my first audition; I want it to be perfect.”

Amy paused. “You’ve been preparing for this audition for months, right?”

“I have,” River said.

“If you’ve been working so hard for this moment, then it will go well for you. You’ve put in so much effort, so you can’t fail now.”

Tiffany gasped, exclaiming, “Oh my gosh, that’s exactly what Camilla said a second ago!” River’s head whipped around to face her. “She said that she always works hard, and that’s how she knows good things will come.”

River’s eyes shifted to their competitor as Tiffany continued, “Oh, she also said you have no reason to be nervous and that you’ll do great.”

River let out a fake laugh. “Everyone says that, but it’s not true. Of course I have reason to be nervous; I’ve never auditioned before, so the outcome means a lot to me.”

“Don’t be nervous, then,” Amy said. River chuckled, but Amy wasn’t amused. “I’m serious. Sure, you have reason to be nervous, but that doesn’t mean you need to be. It’ll only mess you up during your audition.”

River frowned, but Amy gestured towards Camilla. “Look at her. Does she look nervous at all?” They shook their head. “Whether she actually is nervous or not, she’s going to walk in and out of that audition with confidence. That’s how she does so well. She’s prepared and she’s ambitious, so she’s confident in herself.”

Amy turned back to River. “Are you prepared?”

“Very.”

“More importantly, do you want this?”

River sighed. “You don’t understand how long I’ve wanted this. I’ve been waiting my whole life to be seen, yet I’ve been too afraid to step into the spotlight. This is my chance to prove to myself and to everyone that I deserve my moment to shine.”

Amy and Tiffany smiled. “So, take it,” Amy said. “Don’t be nervous. Be confident.”

River looked back at Camilla. Surrounded by chaos from her competitors, she seemed serene and elegant. There was no doubt in their mind that she was confident. If River wanted a lead, a role someone like Camilla would go for, they would have to look to her as their role model.

The doors to the audition room opened and, without even calling the first auditionee’s name, Camilla entered with nothing more than a flick of her long brown hair. Just as Amy had said, she walked in with confidence. What none of them knew was where that confidence came from. It wasn’t from her preparedness or ambition—though she had both.

As Camilla stood before the panel of judges, all she could see were adoring fans in her audience. As she began her monologue, her ears rang with the crowd chanting her name. As she emphasized her lines with dramatic flair, she heard roars of applause in the background. So, as Camilla left, she had exceeded mere confidence. The lead role belonged to her. Only she was worthy and deserving of it.

She walked out of the room, wishing other auditionees luck as she passed them in the hallway. She knew saying such things would make her look good to her peers without giving them any sort of advantage. Still, Camilla knew an advantage wouldn’t be enough for anyone to overtake her. As her striking blue eyes met River’s, she fought back laughter and instead approached them.

“I heard this is your first audition,” Camilla said, plastering on a polished grin.

River blinked, replying, “Oh, yeah, it is.”

Camilla studied them. Their breathing was at a similar pace to hers, slow and relaxed. Their dark eyes remained fixed on hers without faltering. Their posture mirrored hers from before her audition. Everything was a stark contrast to the anxious River she had observed before. Camilla’s jaw clenched. Who does this person think they are copying me? she thought.

But she swallowed her annoyance and said, “Well, good luck!”

River beamed. “Thank you!” They watched Camilla exit, feeling a rush of excitement. “Isn’t she so thoughtful?” they gushed, turning to Amy and Tiffany.

“She really is,” Tiffany agreed. “She’s just the best.”

Amy continued watching Camilla. “There’s just something about her,” she whispered, “that doesn’t seem right.”

꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦

Thoughts of her upcoming success swarmed Camilla’s mind as she strode into the Edwardsville High School gym. She was late for her usual cheer practice, but that was expected. Camilla had a multitude of extracurriculars, but she had become accustomed to her busy schedule. It was worth giving up her free time in exchange for a heightened reputation.

Practice had only just begun, and Camilla resumed her position as cheer captain. She was well-suited for the role, giving instructions and criticism with ease. As she watched the team warm up, she knew that they would be better off doing it how she did it, so she corrected them.

They’re lucky to get advice, Camilla thought, recalling how she kept it from River. Not everyone is so fortunate to learn from the best.

They continued practicing, Camilla thinking very little about her audition, for she was confident in the results. It only came back to mind at their first break, when she was bombarded with questions from her best friend, Michelle Smythe.

“So, tell me,” Michelle began, beaming with excitement. “How did it go?”

“It went well,” Camilla said. “I feel pretty good about it.”

Another close friend of theirs, Meagan Walters, approached. Michelle giggled, saying,  “Of course you feel good about it. I guarantee your audition was perfect—probably the best audition the judges had seen all day.”

Camilla laughed. “I was the first person to audition.”

“Shut up. They’re still going to remember your audition as if it was the last one they saw because it was just that memorable.” Meagan stood beside Michelle as the blonde grabbed her arm. “Right, Meagan?”

The redhead blinked. “What are we talking about?”

Michelle sighed, tugging on Meagan’s arm. “You don’t have to question it. You’re just supposed to agree.”

“I question everything, especially the things you say.”

Camilla observed her two closest friends bickering, and she shook her head. It was strange how such different people could get along at all. They’re lucky to have me, she thought. I’m the glue holding us together. Without me, there wouldn’t be a trio at all.

“That’s not the point,” Michelle said, snatching Camilla’s arm next. “The point is that this girl just killed her audition, and she’s going to get the main character in the musical.”

Camilla’s eye twitched. “It’s a play.”

“Right. She’s going to get the main character in the play—”

“We also don’t know that,” Camilla interrupted. “The cast list will come out later today.”

Michelle turned to her. “I know you, Camilla. I’m sure you worked your ass off to get that role.”

Camilla watched her peers pass by, and she said, “I always work hard. It’s who I am.”

“It sounds like you have a good shot,” Meagan noted.

Michelle scoffed. “She has a perfect shot. There’s no doubt in my mind that she deserves the role.”

Meagan shook her head and said, “I don’t know about all that, but I’m sure she would be able to play the character.”

As much as Michelle’s words mirrored her own thoughts, Camilla had a reputation to maintain, and there were too many of her peers around. Instead, her words aligned with Meagan’s as she said, “Right. I don’t think I deserve the role, but I do think I have a chance to get it. While I would love to play it, the decision is ultimately in the judges’ hands, and they know best.”

Camilla truly believed that. She had faith that they would watch and hear the other auditionees, yet none would stand out quite like Camilla. The judges had made the right choices in the past, casting her as leads since her freshman year. Granted, she was an understudy that year—a role she would never again settle for—but the one night she was given the opportunity to perform as the lead, she proved her worth.

Since then, the judges have cast her as the female lead for every musical and play she auditioned for. This time would be no different.

Camilla continued to believe that through the rest of the practice, as she left the gym, and during the short drive home. She drove in chilling silence as her imagination played out her anticipated successes. By the time she was home, her imagination felt more like memories.

She strode through the front doors, lost in her thoughts as she wandered through the spacious living room and into the kitchen to grab a snack. Camilla could have drowned in her own head had her mother’s voice not intervened.

“Hi, honey,” she greeted, and Camilla’s eye twitched as her imagination dissipated. “How was your day?”

Camilla sighed. “Fine.”

She didn’t face her mother as she attempted to make conversation, asking, “Your audition was today, right?”

“Yeah.” She grabbed a granola bar from a cabinet and began turning away.

“How did that go?”

Camilla halted, reminiscing about her audition. She faced her mother, responding, “It went perfectly.”

Her mother smiled. “That’s great, honey.” She returned to the stove, working on dinner, as usual. “Have they posted the cast list yet?”

“I don’t think so; it’s too early. They’ll probably post it tomorrow, but let me check.”

Camilla opened her phone to her usual notifications: texts from friends, texts in group chats, and messages, likes, and comments on her social media accounts. One notification stood out to her, however; it was a text from the stage manager of the play she had auditioned for.

In past auditions, the stage manager would send out a text to offer an auditionee a role. Assuming that this time was no different, Camilla opened the message:

Congratulations, Camilla!

She grinned. It seemed she was right about getting a role. She kept reading:

You are being offered the role of understudy for—

Camilla's smile fell. Understudy? she thought. There is no way I got a role under someone else.

Despite rereading the text over and over again, it remained unchanged. Camilla was the understudy for the lead she had auditioned for. Even worse, she would be studying over the rookie she had given “advice” to before their audition: River Griffiths.

Her breaths became shallow and quick, and although she had no words, she clenched her jaw shut. Her mother spoke, but it was thankfully too distant to set off Camilla. She did not say a word before fleeing the kitchen and shutting herself in her bedroom.

How could someone who has never auditioned for a show before get the lead over me? Camilla thought. She has no experience, while I've been doing this for years.

Her thoughts tore past any reason, rampant and vicious. Nails marked her palm in a clenched fist. The faint pain only briefly muffled her desire to inflict before she dialed a familiar, yet unsaved, phone number.

Camilla moved into her walk-in closet, shutting the door behind her, where nobody outside would be able to eavesdrop. Nobody could find out who she was calling, and nobody could hear the things she would discuss.

The phone only rang once before a deep, male voice picked up. “Hello?” he answered.

“Zach, it's Camilla,” she responded.

She could hear Zachary Wembley’s smile through the speaker as he said, “I know. I've missed—”

“We don't have time for small talk. We have a plan to prepare.”

“A plan?” he asked. “As in, the same kind of ‘plan’ we executed two years ago?”

Camilla’s skin tingled with a long forgotten rush. “Yes, Zach. That kind of ‘plan.’”

“What do you need me to do, baby?”

Camilla chuckled. “This time might be a bit different.”