Free Bit Players, Has-Been Actors and Other Posers: A Must-Read for Fans of Glee, High School Musical and Twilight by S. Stevens Page B

tight. “And Troy and Gabriella don’t do it, you know,” I said lamely, but I didn’t know what else to say. I didn’t have any context for this discussion.
    “They do it in real life, don’t they? I heard that somewhere,” he said with a pleading look in his eyes.
    “If you mean Zac and Vanessa, yes, but they’re also older than us, and practically married. They even live together,” I said, amazed that we were discussing celebrity love lives.
    He sat down on the couch and ran his hand through his brown hair, messing up the orderly spikes. He stared into space while his breathing slowed.
    “Nigel, you’re not mad, are you?” I sat down beside him, pulling my foot underneath me and facing him.
    “Nope, not mad. Disappointed.” He sounded like an exasperated parent. He even sighed like one before standing up to leave. “Okay, I might as well go.”
    “Seriously? You’re leaving?” Is this how it worked, I wondered? You said no once and your boyfriend walked away? No discussion?
    “Nigel, give me a little time to think about this--” I stopped before admitting he was only my second boyfriend and I’d never seriously thought about how or when I would lose my virginity, mild daydreaming aside. Maybe Nigel should be the one. I really, really liked him. He was so cute and funny. The sexy accent was a bonus. On the other hand, he was eighteen -- two years older than me, and I wasn’t sure I was ready.
    But he wasn’t giving me time to think.
    “No, that’s all right. You said yourself your father could be home any minute. I’ll see you at school tomorrow.” He was already turning away. I followed him to the door.
    “Are you still going to audition?” I asked weakly, suddenly nervous that he wouldn’t show, after I’d bragged to everyone that I convinced Nigel Leightly to join CDC.
    “Of course. I’ll see you there.” He didn’t sound mad. But he didn’t kiss me on his way out, either.
    I went back to the couch and sat with my face in my hands, a few tears squeezing between my fingers as I crashed to the bottom of the roller coaster track. How had the afternoon gone from super-high to super-low so fast?
    I heard my dad on the front porch, but he didn’t come in right away. He was talking on his cell phone, sounding agitated. “Don’t tune me out, Wendy,” I swore I heard him say before he hung up and came inside.
    “Hi, Dad,” I said.
    “Hi,” he said, looking surprised to see me.
    “You okay?” I pried, his words to my mother having switched my focus from my love life to his.
    He gave a huge sigh. “I’m fine, honey.” He scanned the room as if he’d lost something. “Hey, how about you and I go out for dinner tonight? Just the two of us, for a change.”
    “Where’s Mom?” I asked.
    “She’s going to her sister’s after work.” I didn’t know what to make of that. My Aunt Karen lived forty-five minutes away. My mom never went there during the week. “She’ll be home late tonight. Or she might stay over there.”
    “Okay. Dinner sounds good. Can I drive?”
    He looked annoyed with me. “Jesus, Sadie, it’s not always about you. Would you relax about the driving?”
    The rollercoaster twisted into a corkscrew. My shock at his unnaturally mean comment came out as irritation. “How can I relax? I’m way behind all my friends. I’m not even close to the forty hours of driving time I need to get my license, because you and Mom never have time to help me,” I said, tears coming back to my eyes.
    His hazel eyes stared as if seeing me for the first time. “I’m sorry. We haven’t been around for you much lately.” He came over and hugged me, his tall, solid frame so much more reassuring than Nigel’s slight frame moments before.
    “I have an idea. Let’s go to O’Doyle’s for dinner, and you can drive. That way, you can get in a full hour of practice between the rides there and back.” I smiled. “And at dinner, you can tell me all about this exchange student