Drama class is exciting today, with the play that we'll we doing this year being announced.

"Okay, before you all go, I want to talk about our annual fall production," Mr Fletcher announces. We all look among each other, anticipation flooding the room. "I am so excited to announce that, this year, we are gonna be doing a play that was written as a homework assignment by one of our very own students: Mr Chase Matthews." We applaud Chase and I smile at him as he bashfully waves. The bell rings, "oh, the bell. And remember auditions start today at three!"

We leave the room, and begin walking together, me, Zoey, Nicole, and man of the hour, Chase. We all have some questions for him about the play he wrote.

"So what's your play about?" Zoey asks.

"Well, it's kind of a classic love story," he tells us. "See, this starship crashes to Earth from outer space, and this female alien gets rescued by a lifeguard."

"Oh, very classic," I tease.

"And you're playing the lifeguard?" Nicole asks.

He smirks, "yes, I am."

"Well, I'm gonna try out for the role a the female alien," Zoey says.

"Me too!"

I shrug, "maybe I'll audition to be an extra." I would love to support chase, But acting really isn't my thing.

"Cool," he says. "Cause, you know, this is the first year at PCA we've ever had girls to audition."

"Oh yeah," Nicole and I say.

"Who used to play the female roles before PCA let girls in?" Zoey asks. Chase starts to look strange and unhappy.

"I'd rather not talk about it."

I laugh, "that's classic, Shakespearean, even!" He bumps his shoulder into mine and I grin.

"Well, I think it's awesome that you write a play," Zoey says.

"Yeah," Nicole agrees, "I can't believe you didn't tell us!"

"What if you were destined to be the next Tennessee Williams and we never knew?" I ask, faking concern.

He begins stuttering, clearly nervous, "I guess I was worried that people might not think it was cool." I shrug, who cares if people think it's cool, he wrote a play.

"Please," Nicole says, voicing my thoughts.

"It's totally cool," Zoey clarifies.

"Absolutely!" I add

We go back to our dorms and I begin my homework, hoping to get it done in time to watch the auditions. When I'm finishing my biology work, after a whole hour of it, Logan texts me asking to hang out, and I see the time.

"Oh, I'm late!"

"Late for what?" I jump in my chair and see that Lil is doing yoga behind me.

"When did you get here?" I ask, realising I've been very lost in my work. "Never mind, I'm going to watch the auditions, maybe do one myself, want to come?" She shakes her head.

"I'm trying to improve myself, and if I leave this room right now, I know I'll buy something from the vending machine." I chuckle.

"Okay, see ya," I say, running to the theatre, bag on my back and phone in hand. I text Logan that I'm busy at the auditions and mute my phone, before taking off running.

I barge through the doors as Chase is thanking people for coming to the auditions.

"Let's see," Mr Fletcher says, "auditioning first will be Jodi Lockwood." A girl stands up as I settle in with my things, hoping to finish my other homework assignments while I watch.

"Oh, and remember, this takes place on a beach in Hawaii," Chase reminds us. "And you've just been rescued from the ocean by me, the hot lifeguard." I snort and pretend it was a cough. He sends me a glare anyway, so clearly I wasn't that slick. "Okay, here we go. Scene G."

They play out the scene, but the girl shouts really loudly, and I wonder if this is her idea of what an alien is like. The next girl is called but her audition is filled with singing and she is disappointed when it isn't a musical, but at least she tried. Mark goes on stage next, and I would be all for it, because the boys had to do the girl parts last year, but he's dressed as Annie, and leaves immediately when Chase tells him that the play isn't Annie.

Zoey goes next, and I watch as she nails her scene. We applaud her and Mr Fletcher is thrilled with her performance. "Excellent! Bra and vo!" He calls, from his desk. "Zoey, I'm gonna talk it over with Chase and we'll let you know," he says, which I think means she got it.

I do my own audition for the role of a side character who has no name. I'm happy to be a part of it at all and leave the stage grinning. I leave the theatre and see Logan standing by a bush. "Logan?"

He turns at the sound of my voice and smirks. "Well hello, Harper." He takes in my confused face. "Did you finish auditioning? I'm hoping to do mine pretty soon," he looks away and pretends to absentmindedly play with his hair.

I scoff, "Logan you never expressed any interest in this, why now?"

"Because I love acting!" He says, and I cross my arms. "Fine, I'm lying, but I can't tell you the real reason." I roll my eyes.

"Fine, but don't ruin this for Chase." I leave and go to the lounge, wondering if there's any real chance of Logan getting a part.

When he messages me an hour later, I nearly throw my phone. "What's got you so jumpy?"

I groan, "Logan is the lead in the play," I tell my roommates, and their jaws drop. "Exactly."

"Logan Reese? Your Logan?"

"That Logan," I say, rolling my eyes. "What other Logan is there?"

Jen shrugs, "there's a Logan Duff in my art class, but he doesn't really talk."

"Well, I mean Logan Logan, anyway."

Lil tilts her head. "Did, did you know he could act?" I shake my head. "So why is he doing it?"

"Hopefully because of a good reason," I moan, although I'm beginning to think it isn't. "Who cares, Zoey got the lead and she's doing it for the right reasons, so the play can't go that wrong," I say, smiling. "And as background actor two, you get two free tickets to the show, if you pay the going rate!" I wink at them.

They laugh but promise to come to the show and I'm unable to stop my grin. We spend the evening playing monopoly, which somehow doesn't lead to us hating each other, and we each go to bed with the game only being half played.

The next day, I go to watch the first rehearsal, and see Logan perform for the first time. I take my seat at the back of the room, and since I have no line to remember, I start writing up a report for English, which I do on the history of theatre, just for fun.

I look up to watch Logan's performance. "I know I've dated a lot of hot girls, but, I don't know. Zorka's different, and she's beautiful, more so than any other girl I've ever known. So beautiful, it almost hurts. And that's the scene." I can't help but compare this character to the guy Logan may one day become, if he ever stops being such a playboy.

"Goosebumps! Bumps on geese!" Mr Fletcher shouts, and I actually agree. Logan isn't bad.

Logan finds me in the seats and I give him a thumbs up, causing him to grin. I go back to my work and catch up with him after the rehearsal, when he meets me outside.

"So?" He asks. I sigh, he's got me.

"You were good..."

"Ha!" He laughs, throwing an arm over my shoulder. "I told you, I love acting."

I narrow my eyes at him, "I'm not totally convinced by that, but you were good, and I'm proud of you." His shoulder drops awkwardly for my shoulder, and I find my eyes looking for the girl he must have seen.

"So, who do you play?" He asks. I roll him in on my tiny role, and he smiles falsely.

"I mean it's all I wanted," I say, hoping he doesn't think I'm disappointed.

"Yeah, of course." We walk in silence, awkward and unlike our usual hangouts. "I'm gonna go rehearse my lines," he tells me, and we say goodbye, and I can't help but think that something feels wrong, somehow.