“I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“Well, too late now,” I said.
He sighed, looked around, and lowered his voice.
“Tickets sales have stalled,” he said. “We sold out the first week, but the rest of the run…”
He waved a hand, the gesture revealing his frustration.
“Well, it’s still early, isn’t it?” I asked, but I could feel the sharp bite of panic at the base of my spine.
“It is,” Cal said. “And everything will be fine. It’s just…” He ran a hand through his hair. “I really shouldn’t have said anything.”
“I won’t tell anyone,” I said.
There were a million more questions I wanted to ask, but Cal was already onstage, so there was nothing to do but follow him.
“Okay,” Cal said. “Peggy’s number. Let’s see how it looks.”
He jumped off the stage and walked up the aisle to watch from the audience. The lights changed, going from neutral white to a soft yellowy glow. The song was supposed to happen early in the morning, when the other workers catch Peggy coming home from one of her “dates.” They draw the expected assumptions and head inside, leaving her alone.
Cal wanted it to look like the sun was rising, which required lights changing at specific moments during the song. We walked through it, working out the timing of the lights. It was a slow process, starting and stopping, but I knew it would be worth it when it all came together.
“Okay,” Cal said after the adjustments had been made. “Let’s run through it one more time to see how it looks all together.”
“I can just sing it,” I countered.
It was a gorgeous song. I loved singing it. And part of me wanted to hear how it would sound in the theatre for the first time. With lights. In costume.
“I can play,” Harriet said.
She had been sitting out in the audience with Taylor and Mae, but headed down into the orchestra pit to sit at the piano.
Maybe this meant that whatever tension had sprung up between us was finally melting.
“If you’re not worried about blowing out your voice,” Cal said. “I’m sure no one is going to say no.”
“Not even you?” I asked.
“Not even me,” he said.
It didn’t have the same bite as our previous “disagreements.”
“Well, Mr. Director,” I said. “Direct me.”
INTERMISSION
The news spread through the camp like wildfire. There were no secrets among campers.
“Did you hear?” Harriet looked positively radiant with joy. “Rachel got kicked out!”
“What?” I looked around the cafeteria, still expecting to see her there in her usual corner with her popular girlfriends.
Instead, it was just them, and they all looked miserable and powerless without their leader. Although, they did keep shooting me death glares.
“How? Why?” I asked.
Harriet shrugged. “I mean, she was drinking and she’s underage.”
“Did you tell the counselors about the vodka?” I asked.
“No!” Harriet said. “Did you?”
“No,” I said.
I’d thought about it, but I figured that Rachel would think it was Harriet and I hadn’t wanted to get her in trouble.
“Well, they found out and fsst”—Harriet drew a sharp line with her thumb toward the door—“she’s gone.”
“Wow,” I said. “I guess dreams really do come true.”
Harriet giggled, and I couldn’t help but join in.
“Kathleen Rosenberg.” Ms. Spiegel, one of the instructors, suddenly appeared at the end of our table. “Come with me.”
Harriet and I exchanged wide-eyed looks. Had Ms. Spiegel overheard us? Was I about to get kicked out for not telling?
I followed her out of the cafeteria and toward the rehearsal rooms. I didn’t want to get my hopes up, but I figured they’d take me to the main office if they were going to kick me out. Ms. Spiegel didn’t say anything, so I remained quiet as well, managing to bite back an excited gasp as she pushed one of the doors open to reveal…
Cal. Kirby.
He was standing in the rehearsal room next to the piano. His hair was so floppy and shiny, the tops of his cheeks sunburned and freckled. His hands were spread across sheet music and they were very, very nice hands indeed.
“I’m sure you’ve heard the unfortunate news,” Ms. Spiegel said.
“Huh?”
“About Rachel James.”
“Uh-huh,” I said.
I was still staring at Cal. He’d looked up when we entered, but had gone back to examining the sheet music.
“We’ve decided that you will be taking her place in the showcase,” Ms. Spiegel said. “A solo and a duet with Cal here.”
It took a moment for her words to sink in.
“Ms. Rosenberg?” Ms. Spiegel asked when I didn’t respond. “Do you want the songs or not?”
“Yes,” I said. “Yes. Definitely.”
“Good,” she said. “You’re behind, but if we add a few extra rehearsals, you should be fine.”
“Okay,” I said.
“I’ll leave you two to get to know each other,” Ms. Spiegel said. “Go over the song a couple of times and then I’ll be back to direct you.”
Cal had finally given me his attention, but his expression was unreadable. Was he glad that I was replacing Rachel? Was he annoyed that he’d have to rehearse more? Was he sleepy? Hungry? I couldn’t tell.
“Hi,” he said, as I came over to the piano. “I’m Cal.”
“Kathleen,” I said.
We shook hands. His skin was so warm. A little rough, but not too much. Like he picked up sticks and wood and stuff but still washed his hands when he was done. I liked it.
That’s when I realized I didn’t even know what duet Cal and Rachel had been cast to perform. I glanced down at the sheet music.
“Oh,” I said. “I like this song.”
It was “Easy Street” from Annie.
“Yeah,” Cal said. “Me too. Have you seen the show?”
“Just the movie,” I said. “You?”