~HAILEY~

I sigh and inhale and exhale. I wish I was someplace else! I mean, I think I'll like it here and all, but I wish I was at my old school. In my old state. With my old friends. And my family. I mean sure, we'll keep in touch and stuff, but still. I breathe in and out and try to focus on the task at hand: First class of the first day of school: Creative writing. I step into the room and a pretty woman with chocolate brown eyes and curly hair greets me. She's really pretty, and she looks young. "Hey, sweetie! You must be Hailey! Welcome to my creative writing class! You've made an excellent choice in joining me here today. Well..." She looks down at her clipboard. "I think that's everyone. Okay kids, listen up! Today we are going to go around the room and tell everyone about ourselves. Just to loosen up our writing muscles, you all must take notes on each person. Ready? Good. I think I'll have... Jean go first." A tall, brown haired girl with her hair in a braid looks up from her book. "Me? Um, okay. Hi. I'm Jean, I'm 13 and I'm in 9th grade, and I love to read... and... um... I don't know what else to say." I write down what she says on a peice of paper. "Great, Jean! Now it's Cleo's turn." Cleo says that she is 10, almost 11, and in 5th grade, and that she plays the flute. A lot of other girls go, too, but they don't seem like the type of girls I might be friends with.

Top! 

Cleo~
I shake my hand out as the next person walks up. I don't see why we're doing this, anyhow. I bet most people already know each other.

Well, not me. Not really. I pass people in the halls sometimes, but I don't really interact with them. This summer I mostly kept to myself in summer school. But now I think I want someone to be with.

Jean, Jean Lee, the girl who went up first, seems nice. She's a lot like me; she seems to keep to herself, and she likes reading and writing. Sure, she's a lot older than me, but age doesn't really matter here at (insert school's name here).

After class, which was all introductions, I head to my dorm. Music is a half period today, so I have plenty of time to get warmed up.

I take out my flute and assemble it, then start playing some of the more basic sounds. I try to keep it down, but it's hard. Finally, the bell rings and I head to music.

Hailey, Jean, Gabi

.:Estelle:.

My heart thuds as my drama teacher, Mrs. Feldman, announces in a deafening voice: "The school musical."

I'd only chosen drama to make new friends. I'm not actually into it or anything - I've never even been onstage in front of an audience before. I can already see myself tripping over my own feet on the way up. 

"Each and every one of you will be required to audition for the show. This year we'll be putting on the classic Grease. I will be passing a sign-up sheet around - please clearly write your full name and the role you'd like to play," Mrs. Feldman continues, handing a student the paper.

Oh. I've seen that movie a few times before. It's pretty good. No big deal.

When it's my turn to fill out the form, I write Estelle Frazier neatly, but my fingers tremble when I come to the next section. I'm sure most of the girls will want to be Sandy, so I hastily decide on Patty. Not a huge part or anything. I breathe a sigh of relief as I pass the form to the next girl.

"Next is the audition process," Mrs. Feldman barks. I glance up, fearfully. Wait. Right now?! 

"Girls on one line, boys on the other," she commands, jabbing her thumb at two corners of the room. "There's a stack of sample scripts on the back table. You may practice amongst yourselves while you wait."

I dash over to the table, grabbing the first "Patty" script I see. Flipping frantically through it, I whisper the lines to myself as I make my way towards the end of the girls' line.

Watching the others audition, my stomach turns itself inside out in fear. I'll probably look like a gigantic loser compared to them. One girl in particular, Hailey, seems to know her stuff. I'm doomed.

"Estelle," Mrs. Feldman calls out at last. "Estelle Frazier."

I draw in a shaky breath, stepping forward as my knees knock together.

"Which part, Estelle?" she inquires.

"Patty," I answer, nearly stuttering.

"Okay! Please begin from page four."

"'Oh, don't let me interrupt. Here, Sandy, why don't you twirl this for a while? And Danny, I've been absolutely dying to tell you something,'" I recite with a polished confidence I didn't know I had. 

Mrs. Feldman raises her hand to stop me, examining me with a curious look. "Estelle, would you mind singing for me? Just briefly?"

I catch sight of puzzled looks around the room. Did anyone else here have to sing?

"Um, what do you mean?"

"Just sing anything. Any song will do," she responds with a smile.

"Okay. Uh..." How long has it been since I've sung? Like, actually sung in front of someone?

"The water is wide," I start, reminiscing of my grandmother's favorite old tune she used to play for me when I was little. "I cannot cross over. And neither have I the wings to fly. Build me a boat, that can carry two...and both shall row - my true love and I." My voice is unusual. It's pretty, almost, not that it's anything special. How could I have never noticed it?

Mrs. Feldman has an enormous grin plastered across her face when I finish. "What?" I chuckle weakly. "Did I get Patty or something?"

She shakes her head joyfully. "Sit, sit," she orders the students, and we all gather in our seats in hushed whispers.

"I've already decided on the cast!" she exclaims wildly. "The role of Danny Zuko will be played by Jake Sanders." We clap, and Jake bows comically.

"And the role of Sandy Dumbrowski will be played by Estelle Frazier!" 

My eyes widen, seeming to pop out of their sockets. Even the applause surrounding me isn't enough to drown out my thousands of thoughts. 

*****

Well, that escalated quickly...