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Jaden →

Song ( I Have Nothing, Whitney Houston )

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"And what is this?" Kris acted his part on stage. He was allowed to read from the script considering that everyone who was auditioning as Jaxxon was granted the liberty to choose from any scene.

No one had dared to pick scene 1 of this act for a very good reason. It included the first kiss scene, but it came as no surprise when Corbyn picked it.

Awesome. I had to watch the love of my life swap spit with the devil himself. I think I vomited in my mouth again. "I should've chosen that scene," I grumbled.

"And screw up your chance of getting the role? It's best you play it safe."

"Me auditioning is already dangerous. Who cares what scene I choose, Corbyn will still make me miserable regardless. I might as well have just stolen my one chance to kiss Kris."

"I doubt he'd kiss you back though," Kari put in her own two cents.

"Oh, keep eating your dirty skittles." I returned my attention to the stage as Corbyn responded to Kris's line, his delivery as spot-on and sensational as ever.

"Behold, 'tis a key. I crafted it myself. It took me weeks... I want you to have it." He placed an imaginary key in his boyfriend's palm and closed his hand, holding the hand to his chest. I had the script in my own hands following along.

He was so good. And I was so freaking jealous.

"The key is a symbol," he continued. "Now you possess the key to my heart."

Kris chuckled, as it said in the narrative.

"What? Does it come silly to you, my lord?"

"No, no. Not at all. I find that of all the gifts I have been given- expensive jewels, elegant garments, silver, gilded accessories, and fine paintings... this key holds more worth than they."

Corbyn smiled softly while they stared into each other's eyes. My heart pounded as they drew closer and closer, and I almost couldn't watch. My eyes remained peeled nonetheless, glued on the couple as their lips connected tenderly.

I cursed in my head. He didn't know how lucky he was.

"Wow, he went for it," Mae commented quietly. I watched as they pulled away slowly, a triumphant smile appearing on Corbyn's face.

"Now for my song."

"Okay," Mr. Price said, clearing his throat. It was safe to say that everyone in the room was recovering from the kiss. "Kris, please, give him the stage."

"I can't listen to this. I'm gonna go practice my lines and a song." I stood up and rushed out of the auditorium as silently as I could. The hallway was empty since it was after school, and the silence was soon filled with the sound of Corbyn's incredible voice.

Yay.

I sighed, staring down at the script and flipping to my scene. I read over the lines, but they flew right over my head each time. I stomped the floor in frustration and groaned, throwing my head back.

"Ah, you came out here to have a secret orgasm?"

I rolled my eyes. "Not now, Kari." I turned around to look at her. "What's up with you and orgasms anyway?"

"Hey. I'm allowed to have my perversions. Skittles, for example, are the kind of candy I want to be eaten off my left inverted nipple."

"That's gross."

"My mom promised to let me get a procedure done to correct it, but that's beside the point. Look, I know you don't exactly like seeing Kris smooch his evil boyfriend, but let's face the reality. They probably have mind blowing sex every Wednesday and Saturday."

"Ouch, that hurts to think about. And you would know this because?"

"Because everyone has mind blowing sex on those days. Duh. Geez, Jaden, you really think that Mae and I are still virgins?"

I pouted. "Okay, why are you here? To rub my loser life in my face?"

"I'm a bigger loser than you, J. You're talented and passionate about your gift. I mean, yeah, I can play the viola but it's not something I see myself doing for years to come. I don't dream of going to Juilliard like you and I have no idea what I want. You doubt yourself too much but you don't know that you have everything it takes."

"Not knowing what you want doesn't make you a loser."

"It still sucks. Just accept my compliment because it doesn't come around very often."

I smiled at her. "Thank you, Kari."

"And here." She opened her hand, revealing a blue and green skittle. "They fell on the floor. Take one."

I raised a questioning eyebrow at her. "Why would I wanna eat that?"

"Because they've been tossed on the ground, like us. We're losers, but you know what? We're gonna embrace it." She took the green one and ate it, savoring the taste. I giggled and humored her, taking the other and chewing it.

"I think Corbyn's done singing; I don't hear anything," she said. "Come on, you have to audition!" She grabbed my hand and we ran back to the door and burst through. The lights were back on, and I could see Corbyn walking off the stage.

"Wait!" Mae called out. She was already making her way down the steps and hadn't seen us yet. "There's someone else left! My best friend wants to do a scene." Everyone in the room turned to look at her.

"Auditions have ended," Mr. Price responded. "Besides, this friend of yours is nowhere to be seen."

"I'm here!" I rushed into view, Kari following closely behind. I fought to catch my breath. "I was just um, getting water."

"You're too late," Corbyn said to me, holding hands with his boyfriend as I approached. "Wait, I've seen you before. You're not on the list."

"No, but you can't refuse me, can you?" I looked to the casting director as he stared at me through his thick glasses, his eyes piercing my soul.

"I've seen all I need to see for today."

"Please." I clasped my hands and thought of Mae's lie, in case all else failed. "I have crippling depression?" I would've been more convincing if that didn't sound like a question. Kari face-palmed beside me and I saw Brooklyn roll her eyes from behind Corbyn. "What a dork," she whispered.

"Oh, come on. One more audition wouldn't hurt anyone," Kris defended me. I tried to hide my blush the best that I could and I most likely failed.

"I'll give you three minutes to impress me. You better not be a colossal waste of my time," Mr. Price permitted.

"Thank you. Oh my god, thank you."

"Your time's started. Tiana, get his name down."

I quickly handed Kari my script and strode onto the stage, Kris joining me. Clearing my throat, I introduced myself. "My name's Jaden Briggs. Two g's. Um... I'd like the role of Jaxxon."

"What a joke," I heard Corbyn scoff. I wrung my hands and swallowed nervously, facing Kris Hamilton.

Oh god. Oh god. I can do this.

I let myself breathe and fall into character as best as I could manage with all the nerves flying around me. "'Tis a shame to have never known love. I believe nothing surpasses the experience of dedicating one's life to another. What do you believe, my lord?"

I don't know what possessed me to fake a British accent, but I wasn't so bad at it. Still, I could hear Corbyn's snide comments to Brooklyn. "Why the hell is he using an english accent?"

"Genius," Tiana whispered and he eyed her in disbelief.

Kris gazed into my eyes, following my lead and forging his best British accent as well. I couldn't believe it. I was within three feet of this god and I hadn't melted into a puddle just yet. "I shall not indulge in such idle conversation." He shook his head and turned his back to me.

"You think 'tis foolish to love?" I warmly asked, taking a step closer.

"Is it not? No good comes of it. Love is for the weak and faint of heart!"

"That could be true. Falling in love is... a frightening thing. Those who dare to fall are brave." I reached out and touched his shoulder, and action that made my heart do somersaults. I was touching Kris Hamilton.

He turned back around as I queried, "Why do you hide your face? Are you ashamed?"

"I am!" He shot and I looked bewildered.

"M-my lord! We shared a kiss-"

"'Twas nothing to me! Should I love you, it will be the end of you. If your punishment is not an excruciating H branded upon your chest, then execution." He held my cheeks, caressing them with his thumbs. It was safe to say, I died and went to heaven for a few seconds. "Either way, my heart will be torn asunder. For your own good, Jaxxon, I do not love you."

So when I said that I died and went to heaven, I meant it. I was just staring and staring into Kris's dazzling green eyes that I couldn't deliver my last line. He had to clear his throat to bring me back to earth and I blinked rapidly, searching for the words.

Nothing came up, but I remembered myself and ripped away from his sweet, sweet hold. "May I sing my song?" I asked, trying to regain my composure. Kris took that as his cue, but he did take a few seconds to look at me before walking off the stage.

"Project your voice a bit more when you sing," Mr. Price offered his criticism.

"That was painful to watch," Corbyn said to his friends. I ignored his attempts to throw me off my game and stepped closer to the edge of the stage, standing tall. I looked up, seeing my friends standing near the back, watching me proudly. They smiled and gave me thumbs-up; it boosted my confidence knowing that they were here to support me even through the embarrassment.

Drawing in a deep breath, I started my song.

"Share my life... Take me for what I am. 'Cause I'll never change all my colors for you..."

"Oh my god, he's singing Whitney," Tiana gasped, clutching her heart.

"Take my love, I'll never ask for too much. Just all that you are, and everything that you do... I don't really need to look very much further- I don't wanna have to go where you don't follow. I will hold it back again, this passion inside. Can't run from myself, there's nowhere to hide..." I dragged out the note for a few seconds, and I could almost see everyone hold their breaths in anticipation of the next note.

But I never got to it. Mr. Price waved his hand. "Your three minutes are up, Briggs. You may go now."

I failed. I fucking failed.

I bit my lip and slowly nodded. "O-okay."

I'm a loser. Such a loser.

I walked off the stage, the sound of Corbyn's laugh ringing in my ears all the way out the door with my friends and all the way home.

"I'm never showing my face at Whitewater High ever again." I groaned into my pillow once I was in the comfort of my bed.

"You were amazing, J. I swear, you were like in your element," Mae soothed.

"I was a joke!" I disagreed, raising my head. "Corbyn couldn't stop laughing at me, Brooklyn had a pitiful smirk on her face the entire time, and Mr. Price looked constipated just watching me!"

"He probably was; I don't think he drinks a lot of water," Kari mumbled, gazing out the window. "Poor guy probably has colon cancer."

"One, not funny, and two, I thoroughly enjoyed your audition. Nobody else thought to do an accent, not even the glorious Corbyn himself. And hell, you sang I Have Nothing. That alone was impressive." she sat down on my bed.

"I mean... I did get touched by Kris. My lines flew right outta the window when he cupped my cheeks like that. God, I would've stayed in that position forever."

"Ask him to suck your skittles," Kari interrupted. We stared at her and she shrugged. "Sorry. But seriously, I suggest hiding out in the boys' restroom till he shows up and offer to give him a blowjob. That's what the guys do, sometimes girls too."

"You're not helping in the slightest," I said. Mae's phone started ringing, and her ringtone was the highly annoying What Does the Fox Say.

"I will fucking murder you if you don't change your shit ringtone!" Kari threatened. "Don't think I won't because the rage is still there after you tossed my skittles!"

Mae giggled and picked up her phone, holding it to her ear. "Hello?" Her eyes widened as a light gasp fled her lips. "Brooklyn? Um, h-hi. What's up?"

I sat up in my bed and moved my ear closer to her phone to hear the entire conversation. "Oh, nothing. I was just relaxing in my luxury tub in a warm bubble bath when my best friend informed me that a certain somebody is after my spot on the cheerleading team."

"That bitch," I mouthed in shock.

"So you wanna be captain of the JV cheer team, Mae Struss?"

"N-no! I'm not after your spot, Brooklyn, I swear!"

"You're off the squad. I don't like back-stabbing bitches. I gave you popularity... I can take it away." Mae's hand flew to her mouth as Brooklyn hung up the phone, letting the line go dead.

🎗🎗🎗🎗🎗

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