Girl Trouble (Completed) - Ayesha Azhar (graded readers .TXT) 📗

change.It felt good to be in control.

"Hey,Steph,Ash." Jake said, coming over.

"Hi." we both replied together. I looked at Ashley and smiled. she smiled back.

"So?"Jake started,"Did you ask Mr Owens for the part?"

"No," I repled." look, I just wasnt born for acting-"

   "No, you are."Ashley broke in,"What's so wrong in auditioning? If you dont get the part, fine then, but what if you do get the part? Wont it be amazing then?"

  I sighed. "I dont know."

"Ash is right,Steph." Jake said."You should audition atleast-"

  "But what if the part is already taken?" I broke in.

"That's why we are telling you to go to Mr Owens now,Steph, before the roles are announced."Ashley said.

   "And if the part is taken, then good, but go to Mr Owens now, Steph, we are right behind you."Jake added.

" Are you sure of this?" I asked.

   "Yes,"they both replied together.

"Ok then, but come with me." I got up, Ashley and Jake got up too, I saw Mandy looking at me from the corner of my eye, probably wondering where I was going.

 Mr Owens was sitting on a chair backstage, sorting out some papers.

"Mr Owens?" I called out nervously.

"Yes,Miss Moore?"

   "Ummm...i wanted to ask you something-"

"Is something wrong with the sets?" Mr Owens asked.

   "No,err...I just wondered, has the role of Rosalind be taken yet?"

"Rosalind?" Mr owens replied,"No, I dont think so, but why are you asking?"

   "umm...I wondered,err..could I audition for the part?"

"You?but arent you the sets manager?"

   "Yes, I am but-"

"But she would like to have a role in the play too."Ashley broke in.

   "If that is the case, then you can audition now, before the announcing of the roles." Mr Owens replied.

"Umm...okay." I said.

  "Dont worry, you'll be fine."Ashley thumped me on the back.

"Wish me luck."I said.

  "Good luck"Jake and Ashley said.I auditioned.Thank God,my audition was backstage and not in front of all the other people or I would have just died.Though I did feel bad that Mandy wasnt here, she would have seen that I too had the talent for acting.

"Good,"Mr Owens said after I had auditioned."You can go now"

   "Okay."I nodded and we left.

"Ooooh, I am so excited," Ashley said."How wonderful will my name sound annouced as the lead."

  "Yes, comeon,lets sit." I said.

  We all sat down.Mr Owens came on the stage.

   "Thankyou all for gathering here today,"He announced,"As you all know, the roles of Sustenance are going to be announced today."

 A cheer came from the crowds.

"Now before I announce the names," Mr Owens continued"I would like to say that all of the contestants were equally good, and it was very hard for me to decide who to select, please dont feel bad if you dont get the role you wanted."

   The crowds were cheering louder then ever.

"We will start from the lead roles, these were very difficult to decide,but the male lead role is Jason Mandley!"

   The whole auditorium erupted in applause.A smile came on Ashley's face, she was going to get this applause too, Jason's supporters clapped and cheered.I turned around.

    "And now for the female lead role,"Mr Owens continued,I held my breath,"The female lead role is,and this too was very hard to decide, but the female lead is.....Ashley John!"

  

 

Chapter 10

I closed me eyes and waited.All around me, there were cheers, applause, clapping, all for Ashley. But I only waited for one voice, Mandy's.Mandy was going to start shouting any minute now. I waited for another minute, no sound. Why wasnt Mandy saying anything?Was she there? I opened my eyes, there was Mandy,sitting now, and not trace of sadness on her face! Infact, she looked quite happy, maybe she was just pretending to be happy, she couldnt really be happy. She had lost the lead, the thing she had been dreading since days! ofcourse, she couldnt be happy.

  I closed my eyes again, any minute now, I opened my eyes again, was everything allright with Mandy?  I wasnt  even aware that Ashley was hugging me, I only had eyes for Mandy. Was something wrong with Mandy? I looked at her again, her eyes found mine. She looked at me for a full minute before turning away.Mr Owens looked at me and smiled.OMG! he thought I had somehow convinced Mandy to stay quiet. But I hadnt, I hadnt told Mandy that she wasnt the lead, then why wasnt she saying anything now?

     "And now for the second leads,"Mr Owens was still announcing,but I didnt hear which name he announced for the male lead, I was still looking at Mandy."The female second lead is Mandy McHugh!"

  I clapped, so did many others, there was cheering too, but it was comparitively less then that which had been done for Ashley.I looked over for Lia, there she was, tears running down her face.she was crying, and Mandy looked happy that she had lost.

 Mr Owens went on announcing the roles, I was only woken out of my trance when Jake's name was called. That brought me back to life.

"Hey, congratz,Jake." Ashley said.

"But...But you didnt audition, Jake."I cried out. 

  "Are you in your right mind,Steph? ofcourse I did,I auditioned for the part of Harry and I got it." Jake replied, waving a hand in front of my eyes.

"Umm...ok,ok, you may have auditioned, but I dont remember, congatz anyway."I said.

  "Thanks."

"Hey!"I suddenly exclaimed. 

"What?"  Ashley asked.

   "My name wasnt announced,right?" I asked, realization dawning on me that I hadnt got a part.

 "No,silly." Jake said."Your name wil be announced later on, only the big parts are being announced now, not the minor ones."

"And ofcourse you will get the part." Ashley said,"No one else auditioned for it." She added with a laugh.

  What was that supposed to mean? That I was wrong to want a part that noone else wanted?

"Look," Jake pointed out."Mr Owens is announcing the minor ones now."

   I strained my ears to hear.I looked over at Mandy, she was still sitting like that, with a smile on her face. Did she know that I too had auditioned for a part?

"For the role of Rosalind, Stephanie Moore."Mr Owens announced.

  There were lots of cheers, Ashley and Jake clapped. Many of their friends were clapping too, I looked over at Mandy, she wasnt clapping,she looked shocked. I giggled. What did she think, that I wasnt good enough to get a part? Fine, it was a part noone else wanted, but atleast it was a part.I had shown Mandy right. She caught my eyes, and raised her hands to clap.I smiled, ha! I had defeated Mandy, she HAD to clap.

    I turned my eyes away.Many people came to congratulate me but they were nothing compared to those who came to congratulate Jake, and even they were nothing compared to those who came to congratulate Ashley. Mandy was still standing with her crowd of worshippers. She walked towards us as I looked at her. I held up my face proudly, and took Ashley's hand. Mandy looked at my hand, holding Ashley's hand, with a look that could be described as disgust.

    "Congratulations,Ashley."she said, extending a hand.

"Congratulations to you too, on getting the SECOND lead." Ashley said contemptuously, shaking Mandy's hand.

"Well, I got an important part,atleast, unlike SOME people I know." Mandy replied, looking at me pointedly.

    "Unlike SOME people, I dont lie,its important enough for me." I shot back.

"Oh really?" Mandy said, turning towards me,"And when have these SOME people lied to you?" 

   "Why do you care?" I snorted,"You are not in that list of SOME people, or do you think you are?"

 Ashley giggled. That brought us back to earth. I turned around, everyone was watching us.

    "That's for you to decide, it's your list, afterall."Mandy said, turning away,"Congratulations anyway, and congratulations to you too Jake, and you Ashley, you finally got what you wanted.you got everything."

"Yes, I did." Ashley replied, her eyes ablaze,"I got everything which was once yours."

  Mandy and Ashley glared at each other, I looked at Mandy, why had I ever been friends with her in the first place? How could I ever have been so stupid? To have thought that she actually cared for me? But atleast it was all over now, I could leave it all in the past and start my new life with my new friends.

   "Come on, Ashley, Jake." I came in between,"let's go, there's no use standing here now."

  "Yeah," Ashley nodded,"Come on."

I walked away, leaving Mandy standing there, Jake followed us, I turned around,

    "By the way, congratz Mandy, on getting the second lead." I walked towards her again, and extended a hand, she took it,I stared in her eyes, was that regret?No,it couldnt be, as I looked in her eyes, I felt myself dissolving, all those good memories, Mandy, my bestfriend Mandy. I tried to pull my hand out of her grasp, she didnt let go, I pulled my hand again. She just kept staring at me with those puppy like eyes, my hand was hurting now.

  "Come on,Steph." I heard Ashley call. Mandy dropped my hand, it hung loosely on my side,I stared at her in surprise.She turned away and left. I kept standing there, staring at her disappearing figure.

"What are you looking at,Steph?" Jake said, coming over at my side," Dont you have a class to go to?Ashley has already left."

"Ohh...n.nothing."I replied, still in a daze.Jake pinched me,"Ouch!Hey,Jake!"I called out in pain.

   "Good you are back to your senses, are you coming, or are you going to stand here staring all day?"

"Coming, Coming." I replied, and let Jake drag me out of the auditorium, once we were out, he said,"Will you be alright now, Steph?"

  "Ofcourse,"I replied, moving away.He grabbed my hand and pulled me back,"You dont seem ok to me, Steph, maybe you should go to the sick room."

"I am fine,Jake." I replied, though I was thrilled to pieces inside,Jake was worried for me!did that mean that he really liked me?

   "Are you sure?" he asked again.

"Yes," I nodded.Suddenly I felt an urge to hug him, I reached up(Jake is quite tall), and hugged him.

  "Whoa!" He started, "You are definitely not ok,Steph, what's came into you today?"

"Nothing." I replied,smiling,"I am just a little over excited,Jake, if you know what I mean."

   "You are not a little over excited, you are completely over excited,as far as I can tell."

I smiled again, Jake was so amazing! How could I have forgotten how much I cared for Jake while I was best friends with Mandy? It seemed ridiculous to me now,Mandy compared to Jake? No,null, she was nothing compared to Jake. Jake was my best friend, if only, if only I could tell everyone that Jake was my present best friend.Who was my present best friend, anyways? Not Mandy ofcourse, then Ashley? But Ashley and Jake were best friends. So none of them could be my best friend. Maybe Ashley and Jake were more then best friends?

           I hope not,was a person allowed to have more then one best friend? I didnt know, wouldnt that create a sort of triangle? One person would always be left out.And was it necessary that a person have one best friend atleast? Couldn't a person have just many friends, and not just one best friend?

            "There you go again,"I heard Jake