---------------------------TORTALL THEATRE PRESENTS--------------------------
Chapter 1: Nightmare

I cannot believe this is happening to me.

It's just not actually believable how humiliating this is going to be.

Let me tell you all about it. I don't know why, but... well, my life is pretty awesome.

---- Flashback----

"But you owe me that money!" Cleon cried indignantly, snatching at the wallet in my hand. I smirked at him and held it out of reach.

"But you said you'd get us tickets for that ice hockey game last week, but of course, you forgot to buy them! So, pretty much, I don't owe you anything. We're even."

"Ok, ok. I tell you what…" Cleon smiled broadly as he lifted an empty shot glass. "If you outlast me, I'll take you to the next ice hockey game. And you can keep your stupid money. But if I outlast you, you give me the money. And…"

"They're making some production of a fairy tale down at the theatre… auditions are tomorrow…" someone told their friend behind us. Cleon turned to me, face triumphant.

"And you have to audition for that fairy tale thing. We all know how much you like books."

"Fine," I said. I'd never lost a drinking game before; I was confident that I'd win. Cleon seemed half-drunk already. Mind you, he always seems half-drunk, the stupid bumbling oaf.

"Great."

And it was all set out, and we began.

And not long after that, I lost.

Fortunately, I was out cold, so I couldn't see Cleon celebrating and doing imitations of me playing a fairy.

Yeah, I hate Cleon.

----End Flashback----

And now, here I am, driving over to - well, I'm not driving. I'm on a bus. I've got a horrific hangover, I don't think it would be very clever to just drive off in my battered car down to the audition. I'd probably crash.

I'm all set to just… well, deliberately act like a hung over, stupid idiot who can't act to save his life. Then I won't get in the fairy tale thing, and I can laugh at Cleon because part of the deal has just been completely ruined. Oh, yes.

I faced a long, five minute walk down to the theatre where the audition was taking place, and, to top it all, it was raining. I arrived at the big theatre, completely soaking wet, and peered into the room. There was a gathering of people on the stage psyching themselves up, and a few people in the seating area just relaxing and lazily swigging from water bottles like you might expect a professional actor to do.

"Are you auditioning?" a balding man asked me, and I nodded dumbly.

"I guess so."

The man frowned at me and beckoned someone forward. "We've already decided on Keladry as the main female role. She'll be playing the kind of 'damsel in distress' part." The woman approached, and I had to blink a few times to make sure my eyes were working properly. She was beautiful! Shining, chestnut hair neatly done up in a bun, dreamy hazel eyes and flawless skin. She looked quite quiet as she observed me, her eyes flicking up and down. She looked like just the kind of person my ex-fiancée, Yuki, might befriend. Soft spoken and thoughtful. I liked Keladry from the moment I saw her, from the very moment she offered a hand and said softly, "I'm Kel."

"Neal," I replied, gently shaking her hand. She had small hands. A thrill in touching her soft skin remained in my body after the contact was no more. I smiled at her, and she returned a kind of semi-smile, a smile that didn't seem quite happy, but just a tiny bit sorrowful.

And that was when I knew I was definitely going to try and hook the main male role. I guessed that would be the hero, who jumps in just in time to save the damsel in distress. And maybe get a little kiss in there before the curtain closed. Yeah, I was almost grateful to Cleon for his stupid drinking game thing now.

"If you'd like to head up to the stage - the audition will be starting shortly," the balding man informed me. I clapped my hands together enthusiastically.

"Right-o," I said cheerfully, heading down the aisle between the seats up to the stage.