A strangled cry left me, pulsing pleasure rushing through my veins.
“Brody!” I managed to get out. “I’m coming, I’m—coming…” I trailed off, bending over, waves of feeling breaking over me.
“Sweetheart… fuck,” Brody stuttered out, and then a low, guttural growl that I knew meant he was coming in his hand, spilling all over, making a hot, salty mess.
Sweetheart.
After a few seconds where I caught my breath, Brody’s labored breathing came over the line, and he let out a long, satisfied groan.
“Fuck this,” he murmured. “I’m done with this city. I’m coming home.”
Selena
The next dayI went to my classes, then met Aisha after lunch to go to the drama department. They had asked everyone who’d had a second audition to go in for a meeting.
“I’m so nervous.” Aisha pushed her thick, black-framed glasses up her nose and chewed her lip.
“There’s no point, and besides, you’re already going to be an amazing doctor, this is just for fun.”
“Right, totally, and we’ll just have put ourselves through this terror for nothing. Sounds good.” She grimaced and made me laugh.
We got to the meeting room and snagged two seats. After a while, the director came in, and everyone quieted down.
“First of all, I want to thank you all for bearing with us, following along with this process, and trying your best. We have roles assigned and can take questions from there.”
She started to call out roles in the play, and we listened closely.
Half an hour later, when we’d gone through all the lighting, crew, costumes, and makeup roles, Aisha’s name was called. She was housemaiden number three. She laughed and gripped my hand, smiling.
“Honestly, that’s about all I can manage.”
“It’s amazing! I’m proud of you,” I told her. I didn’t voice my crippling fear that I was going to be the only person in the room who hadn’t gotten any part at all.
The director continued and then started on the leads.
“For Benedick, we will have Walter Chen.”
A round of applause went up.
“For Claudio, Lincon James.”
Clapping continued.
“Now, our leading ladies. For Hero, Selena Carmichael, and Beatrice…”
I didn’t hear anything past my name. Aisha shook my arm so hard I nearly fell off the chair. The people around me turned to congratulate me as I stared at the director in shock.
“I told you! You’re great at this. This is your role, I can feel it.” Aisha was so happy, dancing around me to speak to others as the director dismissed everyone.
Hero. The one from the play who Aisha had described as sweet and innocent. The one who is wronged. I found myself getting to my feet and chasing after the director before I could stop myself.
“Miss Cho!”
She turned around and smiled at me. “Yes, Selena? I hope you’re as excited as we are to start working on this together. I think you’re going to make a fabulous Hero.”
“That’s just the problem, though. I don’t think I can be Hero. I think it’s a miscast,” I managed to get out. How could I explain to her that she could ruin her entire play by putting me in that sweet and innocent role? The girl whose false ruination fuels the entire play.
“And why is that?”
