Audition Flyers

The following week arrived in a blur of rehearsals, hastily scribbled notes in class, and the growing realization that time was slipping away faster than any of them could catch it. Ria found herself drifting through the days, her thoughts always wandering back to the drama club, to Kael, and to the massive task they had ahead of them. The auditions were coming up, and despite Olivia's relentless optimism, Ria could feel the pressure bearing down on all of them.

By the time Wednesday afternoon rolled around, the cafeteria was flooded with the noise of clattering trays, loud conversations, and the unmistakable drone of first-week exhaustion. Ria sat at her usual spot near the window, her lunch untouched as she stared at the stack of flyers Olivia had given her earlier that day.

"Spread them out everywhere you go!" Olivia had chirped, practically bouncing with energy as she shoved the stack into Ria's hands. "We need to recruit everyone. And I mean everyone. Choir kids, athletes, art students—if they've got a pulse, they're in."

Ria had just nodded, taking the flyers without a word. Now, she thumbed through them absentmindedly, her mind wandering. Each flyer was a bright, hopeful burst of color: Join the Northwood Drama Club! Auditions this Wednesday! All welcome, no experience needed! But even as she held them, she couldn't shake the gnawing feeling that something was slipping through the cracks.

Her phone buzzed beside her on the table, and Ria glanced down at the screen. It was a message from Olivia, sent to the entire group chat:

Olivia: Okay team, everyone needs to post up their flyers ASAP! Don't forget to hit the main hallways and the art rooms. We've got auditions TODAY at 3:30!

Kael: I already talked to the music teacher—she said some of her students might drop by. We've got this.

Ria smiled slightly, but it was a hollow sort of smile. Kael had been his usual self in the group chat, sending messages that were full of encouragement, always the first to jump in and reassure everyone that they were on track. But in person, Ria had noticed the little things. The way he lingered by the door after rehearsals, like he was gathering himself before walking out. The way his hands trembled slightly when he thought no one was looking.

She glanced out the window, watching as students rushed across the courtyard, backpacks bouncing against their shoulders. Most of them probably hadn't even noticed the flyers yet, hadn't given a second thought to auditioning for a school play. She wished she could be like them—oblivious, carefree. But something in her couldn't let go of the tension that had been building since the school year started. Something was coming. She could feel it.

With a sigh, she pushed her chair back and stood up, grabbing the stack of flyers. There was no point in sitting around worrying. She had a job to do.

The hallways were crowded, students darting in and out of classrooms as they wrapped up the last period of the day. Ria made her way through the throng of bodies, clutching the flyers close to her chest as she stuck a few to the bulletin boards lining the walls. Each one felt like a small act of hope, though a fragile one.

The first bulletin board was already packed with club announcements, tutoring schedules, and posters for the upcoming homecoming dance. She wedged the drama club flyer between two others, stepping back to make sure it didn't get swallowed up by the noise of it all.

"Need some help?"

Ria turned to see Olivia bouncing up beside her, her clipboard tucked under one arm and a handful of tacks in the other.

"I've got it," Ria said, managing a small smile. "You're already doing more than enough."

Olivia grinned. "True. But that doesn't mean I can't do more more. Besides, the more flyers we put up, the more people we get. You've got to visualize it, Ria. Manifest it."

"Right," Ria murmured, her eyes following Olivia as she enthusiastically tacked up a flyer on the nearest wall. Olivia was tireless, her energy seemingly endless, a constant source of brightness that made the rest of the group feel like they could keep going, even when they were falling apart at the seams.

"How's Kael doing?" Ria asked, the question slipping out before she could stop herself.

Olivia paused, glancing over at her with a curious tilt of her head. "Kael? He's fine, I think. Why?"

Ria shrugged, trying to sound casual. "He just seems... off. I don't know."

Olivia frowned, biting her lip as she stuck another flyer to the wall. "You know how he is. He gets really intense about this stuff. I mean, it's senior year, right? He probably feels like everything's riding on this production."

"Yeah." Ria nodded, though Olivia's answer didn't exactly ease her mind. Intensity was one thing, but what Ria saw in Kael was something deeper, something he wasn't talking about.

Olivia's smile returned, brighter than before. "He'll be fine. You worry too much. Just wait—by the time auditions start, Kael will be in full 'president' mode. You'll see."

Ria wanted to believe her. She wanted to believe that everything would be fine, that Kael would snap out of whatever was weighing him down, that the auditions would be a success and they'd somehow pull off the impossible.

But something inside her whispered that things weren't that simple.

By the time 3:30 rolled around, Ria was back in the drama room, sitting quietly in one of the front row seats while the rest of the club buzzed around her. The room had been set up for auditions, chairs pushed back to make space in the center where the hopeful new members would stand and read their lines. Olivia was by the door, clipboard in hand, greeting each student as they arrived, while Alex was fiddling with the lighting controls, casting soft shadows across the makeshift stage.

The turnout was decent, but not overwhelming. A dozen or so students had trickled in, some with nervous energy and others with the confidence of seasoned performers. They huddled together near the back, chatting quietly, their eyes occasionally drifting toward Kael, who stood at the front of the room, talking animatedly with Ms. Reyes.

Ria's eyes stayed fixed on him. He looked like himself, his usual charm on full display as he gestured with his hands, explaining something to Ms. Reyes. But every so often, there it was—that flicker of something. Fatigue. Or maybe something else.

"Alright, everyone!" Ms. Reyes clapped her hands together, pulling the room's attention toward her. "Let's get started, shall we? Thank you all for coming. We've got a lot of ground to cover today, and I'm excited to see what you've all got."

The nervous chatter quieted as Ms. Reyes gave a quick rundown of the audition process, explaining the roles they were casting and what they were looking for in each part. She smiled at the group, always calm and reassuring, the steady foundation the club needed.

Kael stepped forward then, his voice rising confidently. "This play is going to be our biggest production yet. We're aiming high this year—regionals, states, nationals if we can get there. So don't hold back. Give us everything you've got."

There was a murmur of excitement from the group, but Ria watched Kael closely, her stomach knotting with worry. He was giving them the speech they all expected, the rallying cry they needed to hear. But as his eyes swept the room, he didn't meet hers. It was as if he was avoiding her gaze, keeping that mask in place just a little too well.

The first audition started, a shy sophomore stepping up to the center of the room, script in hand. The lines flowed awkwardly at first, the girl's voice shaky, but Kael smiled warmly at her, offering encouragement. He was good at this—bringing out the best in people, making them feel like they belonged. But Ria could see the strain in his smile, the tension in his shoulders as he leaned against the desk, watching each student take their turn.

One by one, the auditions continued. Some were promising, others less so, but all the while, Kael stayed engaged, giving feedback and pushing them to dig deeper into their performances.

But Ria couldn't shake the feeling that while Kael was building everyone else up, he was crumbling from the inside.