LITMIR.BIZ

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he said, quickly ducking his head and focusing on his paperwork. Kaitlyn shook her head as she walked over to the schedule. The staff here just keeps getting weirder. She sneezed, not quite over her cold yet. She scanned the schedule and casting lists, skipping over the corps bits to concentrate on the principal parts as she searched for her name.

      First act rehearsal for Clara, then an hour break while Russian rehearsed, then Rose … Kaitlyn looked at the casting list again, and laughed. The office-staff are such idiots, she thought. They only put Anna’s name under Rose. How does that even make sense? How can Anna do both casts of Rose? Mr. Demidovski came out of the office and started slightly when he saw her.

      “And how are you?” he asked, bowing slightly and putting his hand on her shoulder.

      “Great, thank you, Mr. Demidovski.”

      “Yes, yes, that is good….” Mr. Demidovski looked a bit pained. “Working hard, eh? Good girl.” He released her shoulder and smiled. Kaitlyn walked down the hall, rolling her eyes as she saw Tristan.

      “Did you see that?” she asked. “Mr. Demidovski is so weird.” Tristan ignored her, and continued listening to Anna and Jessica. Kaitlyn stood there, puzzled, before going downstairs, slightly disturbed.

      “Hey, Kaitlyn,” Taylor said as Kaitlyn came into the bathroom. She calmly continued to do her bun, not even turning around to look at Kaitlyn.

      “It’s good to be back and not sick anymore,” Kaitlyn tried.

      “Oh, right, you were sick. Don’t forget my party is tonight.” She frowned at her bangs and attacked them with so much hairspray, she could probably cause global warming single-handedly.

      “Oh, yeah, when is it again?” Kaitlyn tried to act casual and pretend she had forgotten.

      “You are so stupid, Kaitlyn,” Taylor giggled so Kaitlyn couldn’t take offense. “It’s at seven-ish. A bunch of us are going to Delilah’s house after rehearsal to get ready and then we’re meeting the boys and Anna, Aiko, Grace, and Alexandra at the academy at 6:30 and bussing, so you could meet us then if you want.” Kaitlyn stared at her. Taylor pretended she didn’t notice, selecting a sparkly pin to stick in her bun.

      “Does my bun look flat?” Taylor asked as she stuck the pin in.

      “Yes, It looks fine.” Kaitlyn slammed her bag down on the counter and took out her clean dance clothes.

      “Oh … you’re wearing that?” Taylor eyed Kaitlyn’s bodysuit in surprise.

      “Yeah. What’s wrong with it?”

      “It’s just … really white. I didn’t know you liked white.”

      “What do you mean? Everyone likes white, why would I hate white? I never said I didn’t like white.”

      Keiko had come in, and when she saw the bodysuit Kaitlyn was holding, she looked Kaitlyn up and down, horrified. “You’re wearing that?”

      “Why does nobody like white around here?” asked Kaitlyn.

      “Because it makes you look like a beached whale,” Keiko said. “Taylor, you can totally wear it, though.”

      “I’m just so tiny!” Taylor was glad for the recognition.

      “Well, it’s the only bodysuit I brought, okay?” Kaitlyn said defensively. She went unhappily to the stalls to get changed. When she went upstairs, she self-consciously sucked in her stomach as much as she could and hoped that her thick-looking thighs would be attributed to her warm-ups. She sat down in the hallway to stretch, alone. Everyone was in their own groups, and nobody invited her to sit with them. She wondered why and sighed. It can’t be intentional, she told herself. She stuck her foot out, admiring the arch. She looked around to see if anybody else had noticed.

      Instead she heard Tristan, who was stretching Anna’s feet, say, “Anna, your feet make me sick! Can I, like, chop them off you, so I can have them?” Anna giggled happily. Kaitlyn listened in disbelief. Anna’s feet can’t even remotely compare to mine! she thought angrily.

      Finally, Taylor and Keiko came upstairs, and Kaitlyn smiled, relieved. But they passed by without even looking at her. They went to sit with a group of the Japanese students against the wall by the door to the studio. Kaitlyn watched them giggle as they huddled about some manga book.

      Taylor was in hysterics. “Pornographic comics?” she rolled on the floor, laughing hard. “Doesn’t that defeat the point?”

      “Look, look!” Keiko said excitedly. “Now on subway!” They all leaned forward to get a closer look.

      Feeling self-conscious, Kaitlyn went over and sat next to them. “Whose are those?” she asked uncomfortably.

      “Kageki’s,” Keiko said without turning round. “I stole them out of his locker this morning. He still hasn’t noticed that they’re gone.” Just at that moment, Kageki came thundering up the stairs, and Keiko quickly stuffed the books under her bag.

      “Where are they?” said Kageki, looking at Keiko and the other girls. Mao giggled.

      “What?” Keiko looked up at him innocently. They all began arguing in Japanese. Keiko quietly translated it to Taylor. Kaitlyn scooted away, feeling even more awkward, and began putting on her pointe shoes.

      Chloe came up to her, smiling sweetly. “I’m so glad we are Clara together! I can’t wait to start rehearsing, can you?”

      Michael came up and sat down next to them. “Chloe is really pleased that she got the part,” he informed Kaitlyn. “I’m quite pleased with my own role of Fritz as well. I am glad the Demidovskis recognized that I am capable of it.”

      Kaitlyn looked around to see if anyone had noticed that she was sitting with the two little kids, but nobody was paying any attention. “Yeah, I like doing Clara. I’ve done the role several times before, actually. I am excited to do Rose though, that’s one role I haven’t done before. I was Sugarplum fairy last year.”

      “I didn’t know you were doing Rose,” Michael said with fake enthusiasm. “I didn’t see it on the board.”

      “Oh, that’s just the office staff’s fault.” Kaitlyn tried to sound unconcerned. “I am doing Rose one cast, and Clara one cast.”

      “Oh. Well, I am sure you will be a great Rose…. And Clara. Both of you.”

      Chloe smiled at him. “You’re so nice, Michael!”

      “Thank you, Chloe,” Michael said, widening his eyes. Kaitlyn gazed intently at his eyelashes, wondering if they were dyed.

      Mr. Moretti opened the studio door and called them in. As Kaitlyn passed by, Mr. Moretti frowned. “Ah, Kaitlyn,” he said softly, but everyone went silent so they could listen. “I am so glad that you were able to join us.”

      Kaitlyn frowned, confused. “Why wouldn’t I be able to come?”

      “I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me?”

      “Oh!” she said, suddenly realizing what he meant. “You mean because I wasn’t here on Friday?”

      “Yes, finally the light comes.” Mr. Moretti was sarcastic.

      “Oh, I was sick on Friday. I told Taylor to tell you.”

      “Oh, and you did not think to inform me yourself?” Mr. Moretti was smiling his Cheshire cat smile. “You thought it would be better to make Taylor do this? Might I suggest choosing someone with a brain next time?” The students giggled behind him.

      Taylor blushed and smiled. “It’s not my fault I’m not smart.”

      “Missing rehearsal is not acceptable,” Mr. Moretti said. “As this is the first time, you have only lost the role of Rose. Do it again, and you will be out of the show. If you are really ill, you come here and watch or mark. I do not have the patience to teach things repeatedly just because

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