Sofia walks through the double-doors that are propped wide open between the hall and corridor, and her heels click as she crosses to us. “Suzie, can you run through the list with me?”
The pair walk over to a small table, but I’m distracted by the person who walked in behind Sofia. Matt. I watch, expecting him to cross to Katherine, but my heart flutters as he approaches me.
He buries his hands in his pack pockets and gives me a hesitant smile. I look behind him in confusion. Who’s he with?
“Hey, Lia,” he says.
“Hello, Matteo.” Nobody calls Matt by his full name and he smirks. He knows I did because he shortened mine, which I hate. “Ash and Jamie aren’t here. They’re not interested in taking part.”
“I wasn't looking for them.” He’s quiet with his head down, almost as if he’s hiding.
“Katherine’s over there.” I point with my pen.
“Not looking for her either.” His green-blue eyes meet mine. The colour fascinates me, and I’d expect him to be a water-elemental witch based on how they change depending on his mood--from deep sea green to shallow ocean blue.
“Who are you looking for?” I ask.
“You.”
My heart thumps out of sync for a moment. The look and smooth tone triggers heat in my cheeks, as with every time he looks at me. I turn my eyes back to the list, annoyed with myself. Matt doesn't mean me. He’s teasing.
“Then you must be auditioning.” Curiosity joins my sarcasm. “The queue is over there.”
A group huddle sits around the stage, some filling the echoing hall with song and others mouthing words as they read from scripts.
He snorts. “No.”
“Surely you’re not here to help.” He nods and I gape at him. “Why?”
He sits in the seat beside me. “I’m interested in uh… what’s the thing you're doing again?”
“The ‘thing’ is a musical. Grease.”
Now it’s Matt’s turn to stare in disbelief. “Grease? Could you crowbar any more dumb human culture into the academy?”
I suck my teeth. “Dumb human culture is something we need to live in once we leave the academy. So, learning dumb human things helps.” His look shifts to disgust. “There’s no point being Mr. Super Witch if you can’t fit in.”
He laughs at me. “Some of us won't need to deal with humans much. Only the less skilled need human jobs.”
Those like him, firmly planted in the witch society, won’t lower themselves. I ignore his jibe. People like him at the academy have no clue what exists outside their sheltered childhood, or how some of us struggle.
“Prejudice aside, Matt, why are you looking for me in particular?" I’m in my own environment; he isn’t, and somehow this helps me keep my cool when heat builds.
Those eyes remain trained on me. “I’m here to help.”
“With what?” I blurt.
“Backstage stuff, apparently.”
I glance at Sofia, who’s distracted from her conversation with Suzie as she watches us.
“Surely your spells belong on stage. You could wow the musical with some added Matteo Kohler special magic effects.”
He cocks his head. “Are you teasing me, Lia?”
Has he apologised to Ash yet? Is that what he’s doing—avoiding those he upset? Matt kept a low profile yesterday evening and didn't attend class. Rumours that Theodora shipped him off to Ravenhold spread as quickly as his fire on the rugby pitch. The thought horrified me. He may have a big head and not think through his actions, but Matt isn’t dangerous.
“I can help with some pyrotechnics if required.” He gives a small smile. “But that’s all. I’m laying off the magic for a while,” he says and darts a look around him.
I study him. He’s tense, tapping his foot against the stage and stares around, as if he’s in a zoo and one of the animals might break free and attack him.
Sofia’s heels click across the polished wooden floor. “Ah, Matt. I see you’ve introduced yourself to our stage manager.”
I blink. Am I?
“You know we’re already friends,” says Matt with a smile and he nudges me with an elbow. “Right?”
“Loosely speaking,” I mutter.
“Amelia has the most experience as she assisted with backstage management last year. She’s reliable and smart. You could learn a thing or two from her.”
Blushing at the compliment, I stare at the ground. I could learn a few things from Matt, and I’m not only talking spells.
“Why the sudden interest in amateur dramatics?” I ask.
Sofia gives a light laugh. “Let’s call this atonement.”
Her choice of word sends a shiver down my spine. There’s no religion in our society apart from the worship of Confederacy law. Disrupting a rugby match hardly counts as a sin.
“I’m here every rehearsal,” he says, and adds sarcastically, “I’m about to have so much fun.”
“You can sit and sulk or make your punishment interesting,” replies Sofia.
Silenced, he looks the other way.
“Amelia, we’re starting the auditions soon. Suzie and I would love your input.”
I smile, but how the hell will I manage Matt backstage? Sofia informs Matt that he must sit with us under her watchful eye until I take him backstage. He sits at the edge of the row, feet on the chair in front. I’m amused when Sofia removes his phone from his hands and tells him to pay attention.
“Dude!” Clive’s voice echoes through the hall and heads turn as he joins Matt. “What are you doing? We’re getting together for a little soiree tonight.”
Soiree? Drunken session, more like.
Matt mumbles something and Clive’s mouth drops open.
“What? Why would you want to?”
Again, a muttered response. Katherine wanders over and plays with a strand of her hair as she nudges Clive. “What are you doing here?”
“Looking for Matt. He needs to spend time relaxing with us.”
“Oh? Do I get an invite? I’d love to relax with you and Matt.”
He blinks at her and I roll my eyes at her innuendo and sultry look—the one that confuses guys into doing what she asks. Usually.
“Uh. Vamp-free night,” he says.
Her face sours. “Why? We’re supposed to fight prejudice at the academy.”
Katherine may be a lot of things, but she’s happy to mingle with most. Mingling keeps everything and everybody on her radar.
“We had trouble between the vamps and some guys on the rugby team last time,” says Clive.
She sticks her bottom lip out. “But Clive, I’m not on any teams.”
“Yeah, she’s team Katherine,” says Matt with a smirk.
I hide a laugh behind my hand and Matt winks at me conspiratorially. Katherine’s too busy smooching up to Clive to notice.
Clive gestures around him. “I can understand why Katherine wants to do this crap, but you? Don’t tell me you’re auditioning?”
Matt splutters. “No way.”
“Then leave.”
Clive looks at Matt expectantly. “I’m staying.”
“Seriously? You want to lower yourself to this?” sneers Clive. “I thought you were with me on this—supes shouldn't pretend to be human.”