All These Things I've Done (Birthright #1)(46)

Leo nodded and set the ties on the bed.

‘You can call me at school if anything goes wrong. I’ll come get you,’ I reminded him.

‘I don’t need my baby sister coming to get me!’

‘Don’t be mad, Leo. I didn’t mean anything by it,’ I said. ‘I just wanted to remind you that if anyone asks you to do anything that you’re uncomfortable with, you don’t have to do it. There will always be other jobs.’

‘I’m late!’ Leo grabbed his messenger bag from the floor. He kissed me on the head and on both my cheeks. ‘See you tonight. I love you, Annie!’

‘Leo,’ I called. ‘One of your shoes is untied!’ He didn’t hear me. At least, he didn’t turn around. I resisted the urge to run after him.

That night, Leo brought flowers (yellow roses) for Nana and a pizza for the rest of us. When he came through the door, he seemed taller than he had that morning, and I noticed that both his shoes were tied, too. I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d been wrong about the job at the Pool.

‘How was it?’ I asked after we’d all sat down to dinner.

‘It was fine,’ he said, and in a style uncharacteristic of my brother, he left it at that.

Thursday, Scarlet and I auditioned for Macbeth. Auditions were held in Mr Beery’s office. Everyone had to go in one at a time. You were supposed to tell Mr Beery what part you’d like to play, then read a bit of it.

Scarlet wanted to play Lady Macbeth, of course. ‘Unless Mr Beery’s up for gender-blind casting, but I doubt it. I’d make a good Macbeth, don’t you think?’

‘You should tell him that,’ I suggested. ‘But you’d probably have to cut your hair.’

‘I’d do it!’ Scarlet said. ‘For Macbeth, I’d do it!’

Scarlet went in first, and I went in after she came out.

I read a bit of Lady Macduff. Her part wasn’t that big. Her main scene is her talking to her kid and then she gets murdered a scene or two later and it’s supposed to be very sad. She gets to scream ‘Murder!’ when the murderers show up, which seemed fun and like a satisfying sort of thing to do. I’d rather have been a witch but Scarlet thought Lady Macduff was the better part for me. (‘She’ll definitely have the better costume,’ Scarlet had insisted.)

‘Not bad,’ Mr Beery said when I was done. ‘Though I’m disappointed you’re not reading for Lady Macbeth, too.’

I shrugged. ‘I relate more to Lady Macduff.’

‘Just read a little,’ Mr Beery insisted.

‘I would rather not,’ I replied.

‘Come on, Anya. It wouldn’t be disloyal to your friend to try reading a bit of it for me. I believe your background could unearth exciting things for the part.’

I shook my head. ‘I have absolutely no interest in playing Lady Macbeth, Mr Beery. And your statement that my “background” would “unearth exciting things” is offensive. I assume you’re saying this because I’ve known murderers. But the truth is, I’ve been in situations almost exactly like Lady Macduff’s, not like Lady Macbeth’s. I don’t relate to Lady Macbeth’s ambitions or anything about her. I have no ambition, Mr Beery, except to get through high school. And, if you offered me the role of Lady Macbeth, I would turn it down. I’m not saying this as some sort of reverse psychology either. The only reason I’m going out for this play in the first place is because I said I would keep my friend company.’

‘Ms Barber doesn’t have your spark, Anya. She doesn’t have your fire!’ Mr Beery objected.

‘I think you’re mistaken about Scarlet, Mr Beery.’ I had known people like him my whole life. People willing to embellish me (for better or worse) because of my family history. In a way, Mr Beery wasn’t that far from Mrs Cobrawick.

‘Very well, Ms Balanchine,’ Mr Beery said. ‘List will be up tomorrow.’

When I left, Scarlet was waiting for me in the hallway.

‘You were in there a long time,’ she said.

‘Was I?’ I replied.

‘How’d it go?’ she asked.

I shrugged. ‘OK, I guess.’

‘Well, he spent a lot of time with you,’ Scarlet said, ‘and that’s always a good sign.’

The next day, the cast list was posted on the door of the school theatre. Scarlet got Lady Macbeth like she wanted. Though I wouldn’t have been surprised to have been passed over entirely, I was cast as Hecate.

‘Who’s Hecate again?’ I asked Scarlet.

‘Chief witch,’ she replied. ‘It’s a good part!’

I hadn’t read for that role but this turn of events suited me just fine.

We were still going over the cast list when Win came up to congratulate us.

‘Chief witch,’ he said to me. ‘That’s the most important of all the witches.’

‘So I’ve been told,’ I said.

‘You’ve got to keep those other witches in line,’ he said.

‘I think I’m up to it.’ I’d been keeping witches (and a lot worse) in line my whole life.

And that was my week. No one was arrested. No one died. I was chief witch. If none of my problems had disappeared or improved, none had gotten markedly more severe either. All things considered, not bad.