Abigail: Nice Girls Finish Last by Bruno Bouchet Read Free Book Online Page A

‘You made cutting comments at my auditions. I won you round with my undeniable charm?’ It’s the director from Ethan’s fringe musical.
    â€˜I remember, but I’d describe your charm as deniable.’
    â€˜So … My low budget, but nevertheless excellent, musical is in need of a new leading lady.’
    â€˜I don’t sing,’ I tell him.
    â€˜Our mutual friend, Ethan, has sent me countless emails to the opposite.’
    For a director, he should have a better grasp of English.
    â€˜I didn’t say I couldn’t sing, I said I don’t.’ I try to walk off. Some experimental theatre director getting pushy is the last thing I need now.
    â€˜Read it.’ He stops me and makes me take his script.
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    After Zach’s afternoon class I stay behind to practise. Zach’s watching. His pained face says it all, but just in case I don’t get the message he spells it out.
    â€˜When it’s that quick, it needs to be technically perfect … and light.’
    â€˜I know,’ I say. Usually I hear: ‘technically perfect, but …’ Now I’m not even that. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.
    I need to practise more but after Zach leaves, Finn marches in. Just when I’m fumbling a step too.
    â€˜Do I need to take out a restraining order?’ I enquire.
    â€˜We lost the theatre for our rehearsals. I paid a booking fee, but I don’t mind sharing.’
    â€˜I do.’
    He starts unpacking his bag and then calls some girl in from the corridor, ‘Mistii’.
    A tall thin blonde totters in, all silver heels and giggles.
    â€˜I re-cast,’ he says.
    I don’t have time for this. I try working on my fleeting relevés but Finn and Mistii’s torturous character motivation chat is distracting. This Mistii can’t get her head around the fact her character is pretty but doesn’t realise it. How hard can it be?
    â€˜There’s nothing to get,’ I blurt out. ‘Not everyone looks in the mirror and likes what they see.’
    Then Finn pulls out the choreography from his bag.
    â€˜Ethan sent this from Barcelona,’ I hear him say. He’s having trouble interpreting it and as far as Mistii’s concerned it might as well be hieroglyphics. Stupidity is so off-putting, there is no way I can focus on my own practice. I grab the choreography notation from them. Ethan’s old school, but it’s clear and it’s him. It’s like he’s here.
    â€˜It just means this.’ I show them the steps which Mistii then butchers. She even has to hold her hands out in front to see which side’s left. I find myself coaching her step by step through the chorey, and that’s before she’s even started singing while dancing. As she leaves I have to question Finn’s casting process.
    â€˜She tries hard,’ he says, ‘and my first choice turned me down. But she seems to respond to your approach. The least you can do is train her?’ The guy doesn’t give up.
    â€˜No, the least I can do is nothing.’
    â€˜I need you,’ he pleads. ‘Mistii needs you.’
    â€˜Ballet needs me,’ I respond automatically. We need each other.
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    The next day in Zach’s class, I’m even worse.
    â€˜If you keep smashing your head against a brick wall, the wall will win,’ he says as I perform my solo. As if that isn’t enough, Grace jumps in, performs alongside me with her natural talent, breezing through the brick wall. She can’t resist a dig.
    â€˜Great job Abs. You nearly got it.’ Her bitchy asides I can deal with, Zach’s gentle concern is harder.
    â€˜You’re clinging to something that shows up what you can’t do … I don’t know how much clearer I can be.’ He doesn’t need to be. He thinks I can’t do it. Nobody has ever thought I couldn’t do a dance. Dealing with this isn’t in my skill