All the Way by Megan Stine Read Free Book Online Page B

have been great, wouldn’t it?”
    â€œThere are more parts in Guys and Dolls , though.”
    â€œTrue,” I said. “They did it at Woodward Baines a few years ago, and I remember the cast was huge.”
    â€œSo you already know all the songs and everything?”
    â€œNo, I didn’t try out. I didn’t even go see it, so I have no idea what it’s about. Do you?”
    â€œUm . . . guys? And dolls?” Ariel played dumb. “Don’t ask me.”
    â€œWouldn’t it be amazing if I got a lead part opposite Tyler North?” I blurted out. “Then we’d have to hang out together all the time at rehearsals, and maybe he’d start to like me, and ask me out, and we’d start dating, and then he’d take me to the prom!”
    Okay, I was getting carried away.
    â€œYou’ve got to get a part first,” Ariel said. “Maybe we’d better go rent the video and figure out which parts we want to try out for.”
    â€œYeah.” I snapped back to reality.
    Hey—can you blame me for wanting to think about something happy for a change? I’d had a pretty bummed-out day.
    â€œBlockbuster it is,” Ariel said, starting her engine.
    â€œGreat.” I flipped on the radio to K-Rock so I could sing along and get my voice warmed up.
    I was halfway through the second chorus of Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone” when a terrible thought hit me. My stomach clenched.
    â€œDoes Joey sing?” I asked Ariel, who had pulled into Blockbuster’s parking lot.
    â€œNo way. Are you kidding? He’s such a homophobe, he wouldn’t be caught dead doing a musical. And don’t worry—Molly couldn’t carry a tune if her life depended on it,” Ariel added. “If she sang in the shower, I think the water would turn off in protest.”
    â€œExcellent,” I said as we headed into the store. I really didn’t want Molly or Joey anywhere near the high school musical, spoiling my fun. “Oooh, look. The new season of The OC is out on DVD!” I noticed, veering off in the wrong direction.
    â€œHold on.” Ariel grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the musicals. “We’ve got trouble.”
    As she jerked me around, I saw what she meant. There, smack in the middle of the musicals aisle, was a gorgeous girl with long wavy black hair, cherub lips, and pale blue eyes, holding the one and only copy of Guys and Dolls .
    I recognized her right away as one of Molly’s friends—the other girl who’d been sitting with Molly’s crowd at the donkey ball game Saturday night.
    â€œWho is that?” I whispered to Ariel.
    â€œNatalie Anschell,” Ariel whispered back. “She’s got a voice like Mariah Carey. You should have seen her last year, tearing up the stage in Rent. I know Mr. Richards will cast her.”
    Shit. I knew the competition would be tough—Ariel had already told me there were a lot of senior girls who could sing and act really well—but it sucked coming face-to-face with one of my rivals so soon.
    It doubly sucked that she was friends with Molly, who wasn’t really my rival or enemy or anything, but she acted like she was. I mean, Molly clearly wanted to kill me for having sex with her guy. Which I didn’t even do.
    I took a deep breath and marched up to Natalie.
    â€œHi,” I said. “Are you renting that?” I nodded at the video in her hand.
    â€œDuh.” She glared at me.
    â€œWell, could you please return it as soon as you’ve watched it?” I asked nicely. “Because Ariel and I want to try out for the musical, too.”
    Natalie just stared at me wide-eyed and laughed. “Sorry, I promised all my friends they could borrow it when I’m done,” she said without an ounce of regret.
    â€œAre you kidding?” Ariel looked shocked. “You’re not returning it before the auditions?”
    Natalie