"Next!" the director called after hearing the last girl to audition for the role of Buttercup. The school was putting on the play version of The Princess Bride, and the drama club's president, Jack, was helping Mrs. Andalasia cast the production.

"That was the last girl on the list, Mrs. A," Jack muttered softly with his hand in his hair.

"What? That can't be! We have yet to find the perfect Buttercup, Jack! She is the most important role in this play!" Mrs. Andalasia screeched as she dramatically plopped her head down onto the table.

"Why don't we just cast Aurora," Jack offered, " I mean, she has the looks, the experience, and-"

"But she just isn't right! Buttercup is supposed to be snobby but vulnerable… elegant yet naive… INDIGNANT but sweet," she exclaimed. "Plus, with Aurora being your ex-girlfriend and all, that on-stage chemistry you once shared is -"

"Mrs. A, please!" Jack chuckled, "Aurora and I are still great friends, and we can pull it off. Don't worry about it."

"Errmm.." she groaned, "I don't knoooow. I still don't think she has it. I mean, don't get me wrong! Aurora is a fabulous actress, but she's fabulous when she's put in the right role. She can't portray the "innocent little girl at heart" kind of role. She's too stiff and uptight! We need a girl who-"

Suddenly there was a knock at the end of the stage, and on to it walked Elsa Snow.

"Hi… uhh… I'm sorry I'm late. Is there still time to audition?"

Her platinum blonde hair was gracefully done in a side-braid while her bangs beautifully framed her pristine, pale face. Her slim, long arms were covered in a white, long-sleeved shirt, and her legs in black jeans. She looked plain but had an exquisite beauty about her. Mrs. Andalasia stared at the girl and couldn't help but feel like she was the one.

"Of course not! Oh, goodness, of course not! Please, introduce yourself and give us your best shot!" Mrs. Andalasia blurted excitedly. "Fingers crossed for this one!" she whispered to Jack, who had his head on his hand and watched, uninterested.

"Okay… thank you," Elsa said before clearing her throat. "My name is Elsa Snow, and I will be auditioning for the role of Princess Buttercup. The monologue I will be using is from Under Siege, and I will be portraying Mary." [Author's note: I do not own this monologue. It is an actual piece written by G. L. Horton.]

"Ooh, I don't think I know this one! Go on dear," Mrs. Andalasia cooed, to which Elsa nodded and smiled.

Sitting, Elsa clasped her hands together and made a pained look with her face. "It's killing. I know that," she began, "But I have to. There's nowhere for us to go." Looking up, she transformed her pained face to an angry one and said, " So how would we live? Go on welfare?" Then she muttered, "That's what my girlfriend says. But she doesn't know any better." Her muttering transformed slowly and paced into a yell, "She's seventeen and she lives in a project with her baby, her mother, and her sister. They stay in their creepy little place all the time, afraid to go out! And Doreen says… she says if I want to keep it - I can live with her!" Elsa stood, and, placing her arms gracefully and timidly over each other, she said, sadly, "I mean, I appreciate that, she's a real friend. But I've always said, 'Thank God my family's not like that. We've got morals; we've got pride,'" And then, angrily, "I've thought this over very carefully, and I've come to the right decision. You… can't… help me," tearing up, the girl then looked toward the audience, "I'm sorry. I don't mean it's your fault… nobody can help me. Because… it's my baby." Returning to her original composure, she then said, "Thank you," and curtsied.

Standing excitedly, Mrs. Andalasia clapped her hands uncontrollably, "Magnificent! Oh simply magnificent!"

Jack, with little expression in his face, clapped his hands together lightly and then said, "I have to ask. Why did you choose that monologue for Princess Buttercup?"

"Oh… uh, right…" Elsa managed, shocked she'd have to answer questions like this. The real reason was because her best friend, Rapunzel, had done theatre for quite some time, and this was the piece she used whenever she'd go to compete. But Elsa didn't want to admit she only learned one monologue. "I guess I chose this piece because it's so raw."

"Oh! Beautiful, talented, and uses her brain!" Mrs. Andalasia said, unable to help herself, "Go on, dear, tell us more,"

"Well, the girl in the monologue is afraid, and she tries to cover it up with anger. She pretends to be angry with her friend, Doreen and her family for looking down on them, but, deep inside, she just wants someone she respects to tell her that it's okay and to tell her what to do. And, I read the book version of The Princess Bride, and I think that Buttercup is a lot like this girl," Elsa started.

"How so?" Jack asked, unconvinced.

"Well, Buttercup is a very indignant girl, but she's also vulnerable, in a way, I think because she's growing up and isn't sure she's doing it right. And when Westley, the only person she looks up to, leaves her, she just kind of goes mad and becomes completely reckless - because of that lack of guidance," Elsa responded.

"Darling, you've got it," Mrs. Andalasia whispered dramatically, "You have it, you have it, you have it! That is exactly how I would describe Buttercup! You could not be more-"

"Thank you. We'll let everyone know who is called back by Friday," Jack interrupted.

"Okay, thanks," Elsa smiled timidly. She then walked off the stage.

"What is wrong with you?" Mrs. Andalasia stammered. "How can you not see her perfection?!"

"I don't know, Mrs. A. She was good, don't get me wrong, but I don't know how I feel about this one. She's one of those popular girls. She's dating Gaston, our team's football hero and complete numbskull. What happens if the day of the play conflicts with a football game or something? I just don't see her committing or caring about anything outside of her little bubble," Jack said, staring at the spot on the stage where she once stood. Looking back at his teacher he then said, "In fact, I don't even know why she auditioned in the first place. She probably lost a bet or something. Girls like her don't take things like theatre seriously."

Having her mood thoroughly pummelled, Mrs. Andalasia puffed, "Fine. Aurora will be her understudy."

"What?!" Jack exclaimed.

"Elsa was simply the best. So she will be cast as Princess Buttercup, and, if she fails to do the role, Aurora will take her place."

Knowing he could not win this fight, Jack resignatingly said, "Fine."

"It's settled then!" the teacher exclaimed, returning to her usual happy self, "You will play our hero, Westley; Aladdin will be the exciting Inigo Montoya; Quasimodo will be Fezzik the Giant; Peter will be the cunning Vizzini; and Elsa Snow shall be our Princess Bride!"

Jack could not think of any girl he would want to be his on-stage partner less than Elsa Snow. She was a total snob - he was sure of it. He'd never had an actual conversation with her before, but he knew her group, and he knew that this production would be all work and no fun because of her.