Mena didn’t feel anymore confident, standing on the stage. In fact, she was even more nervous now that she had chanted a spell conjured up by the most wicked witch in the universe.

As she stood wide-eyed while sweating nervously, many of the teachers gave her kind looks. Especially Caligari, Stellaris and Scalia, all who she had helped at some point or another. Only Electra cast a gaze like she’d blast lightning and reduce Mena to a pair of eyes in a pile of ashes.

“Uh…” Mena gulped, waving and grinning. “Nice weather we’re having. I sure hope a harsh reception of my performance won’t rain on my parade.”

“Oy,” a heckler shouted. “Get on with it.”

“Who will you be, honey?” Stellaris said, trying to defuse the situation.

“Ermmm…ummm…uh…” Mena stammered, “I be Julianna…”

Her rival Juliannas all burst into snickers as Mena slapped her forehead.

“Go ahead,” Electra jeered. She put a large, manicured hand forward. “You already have such mastery of our language.”

Mena wanted to cry. Her face was already bright pink from embarrassment, but, there was something else welling up inside of her throat. No, it wasn’t vomit. There was a language in her lungs that was waiting to expel itself from her voice box.

“Romulus, Romulus, wherefore art thou Romulus?” she exclaimed, speaking in classically trained Dulabet.

The room fell silent as Mena expounded her lines like she had known them her whole life. Her voice was waifish, but with a surprising wit for her age. “It is only your name that is my enemy. What is Merlot? It is not a beer or a whiskey or a float. Change your name to another beverage. What’s in a drink? A wine by any other name is as intoxicating. So if Romulus Merlot wasn’t Romulus Merlot, he would still retain his sparkling perfection. Romulus, lose your name and drink all of me.”

Everyone’s mouths practically hit the floor, not least, Electra, whose eyes bulged like a bullfrogs and her mouth hung open stupidly.

“Well,” Stellaris said, smugly. “What do you think of that, Maxine?”

“I need a drink myself,” Electra gasped, finally able to close her mouth.

Stellaris raised her eyebrows. “That good huh?”

Electra’s left eye began to twist. “I…haven’t seen that kind of poise, grace and charisma since Arabella…”

“Come to think of it,” Stellaris said, rubbing her chin. “Neither have I. I guess the theatrics runs thick in Willow blood.”

Mena snapped out of her stupor to watch everyone give her a standing ovation, even the reluctant Electra.

“Now if you excuse me,” Mena said, nervous. “I’m going to exit stage left.”

“Strike me dead with a thunderbolt, Electra gasped. “She even knows the stage protocol.”

Mena sidled off the stage and was greeted by her friends.

“My my,” Ashlan said with half lidded eyes. “Who knew you were a closet thespian, Mena.”

“I cried twice,” Tal said, as he gave her a hearty embrace. “There was more emotion in that one soliloquy than everyone else’s performance…except mine of course.”

Only Janus and May seemed skeptical. “How did you get so good, Mena?” Janus asked as Tal released her from his hug.

Mena grinned and put her hand behind her head. “About that.”

Electra clapped and thunder sounded. “That ends the auditions. You kiddos hed to dinner and we’ll deliberate. I must admit some of you truly made me thunderstruck…even the ladies.”

At dinner, May’s eyes were the size of the dinner plates they were eating off of. “Mena, are you meaning to tell me that you’re using another evil book to enhance your life.”

Mena slurped through her straw and looked sheepishly back at May. “Maybe…”

“Don’t you remember last time?” May exclaimed.

Mena sighed as she gazed from her cloud over to where Tal was sitting. He inhabited a small cloud with only Billy Bones as company. He smiled winsomely at her, and all she could see was love.

“At least, I did it for a noble cause, this time,” Mena said.

“That is?” May and Janus both asked.

“L-U-V,” Mena gushed.

“You’re going to be D-E-A-D if you keep this up,” Janus said sharply before adding. “But even someone with cold, dead veins like me knows that he already likes you. You don’t need to dance with the devil to get his attention.”

“Ladies…” Mena said, holding her heart. “School is a once in a lifetime thing and I want my moment to be with Tal in the spotlight”—she turned her eyes to the blotted out planet—”Especially since me might never get to do it again.”

May frowned but Janus sighed. “Putting yourself in danger simply to be with the one you love. You might not get Grasspeare, but at least you get the point of romantic tragedies.”

“Besides,” Mena said. “Stellaris said it was a regular old school book. Nothing enchanted by the darkest sorceress of our time.”

Janus gave a dreamy expression and gazed into nothingness, but May continued to frown. “Yes,” Mena said at last. “I’m going straight to the teacher if anything strange happens.”

“Good,” May said, and her face returned to a dimpled smile. “Speaking of teachers…”

Stellaris and Electra floated upwards on their own persona clouds to the front of the room. They both had looks of anticipation on their face.

“We’ve finally finished deliberating,” Stellaris said.

“And the results are gonna shock ya,” Electra added.

“First off,” Electra boasted. “The part of Bonevolio will be played by none other than my own Billy Bones”

Billy let out a skeletal cackle. He was so excited he removed his own head and tossed it up in the air, all while it giggled madly.

Janus rolled her eyes at his display.

Stellaris added, “The role of the Julianna’s nurse will be played by May Cumberson.”

‘Gee,” May muttered. “Nothing shocking so far. But when we get my mummy back from the Nightmare Void, I’m sure she’ll be happy that I was in an extracurricular activity.”

“Janus Harvestar,” Stellaris added. “Will play the part of the dedlock-drugging Reverend…because no one else wanted to be.”

“Woo-hoo,” Billy Bones screamed and tossed his head again. “Now Janus and I are both in the same paly. My plans to get all up in her bones is working.”

Janus ho hummed. “For a skeleton, he sure makes no bones about his true intentions.”

“Now for that parts that are so electrifying,” Electra announced. “You won’t even need a lightning rod.”

Stellaris turned her eyes to Electra. “A large portion of you auditioned for the leading lad and lady. Some performances were very Grasspeare and some very Grassequeer, but we managed to narrow both roles down to a few parts.”

Electra stepped forward. “From my all-boys school, Prince Tal for Romulus Merlot, and Doogey Emille for Julianna Cabernet.”

Mena smiled. Doogey Emille was the only male auditioning for Julianna. And he was much better than her at the role…well, without her mother’s help of course.

Stellaris stepped forward and raised her hand. “From my all girls school, Phenomena Willow for Julianna Cabernet and Ashlan O’Ryan for Romulus Merlot.

Mena turned her head to Ashlan who waggled her eyebrows and gave her a fang-toothed grin. Mena smiled back. Ever since Ashlan helped Mena fight Anguish head-on, Mena was feeling a bit more positive about her ex-roommate again…But…her heart truly fluttered when she thought of Tal. He was so handsome, sweet and full of teenage angst. Especially the latter. That had to be about eighty-five percent of his body mass.

“Well,” Electra said at last. “Without further ado, we can’t hold you kiddiwinks back any further. The roles of Romulus and Julianna are played by…”