Her Costar

Acting’s always been my passion.

I knew it when I got the main role in my first theater play when I was in the third grade, I felt I liked it when an agent chose me for a small role in a popular tv series when I was ten, and I knew it was my destiny when I saw my favorite actor and first crush Leonardo DiCaprio got his first Oscar’s award.

I’ve been auditioning for different roles in different shows for the past years now in hopes of stepping back on the big screen but this time as the star. I know I can do it if they could just give me a chance if they would just let me show what I could really do but every time they give me a script, I couldn’t just feel it, and I knew that it’s just another supporting role. Which I’ve used in doing.

For the past sixteen auditions, I’ve had, no one called back, and those auditions were done for almost two months. That means one thing: I didn’t get the role.

I was on the verge of giving up since they were all pointless and I’ve spent a large amount of money already for skipping one place to another just to audition, and school’s coming up next month and I haven’t enrolled.

Third-year of college sucks since that’s where you do all the complicated things because it’s close to the internship you have to go through the real thing.

Balancing studies and work wasn’t easy. It never was at first but then you get the hang of it, surprisingly my roles did not bother me that much since I’m mostly not needed in the scenes. It sucks but it pays cash, which what I needed right now.

While I was scrolling down the list of open auditions list, one picture caught my eye.

Martin Scorsese.

He’s one of my favorite directors. Some of his movies were one of my favorites and most-watched. Heck, he even directed one of Leo’s movies! Though I cringed a bit, it’s Leo.

I clicked on his profile and found out he was searching for someone to play the female lead role and an extra. With no hesitation, I applied to take the lead role and filled in the given form along with my contact number.

I didn’t bother looking at the movie’s title, but it’s my favorite director I know it’s still gonna be amazing.

All I had to do is wait.

This is it. The day of the auditions. And the place is packed with beautiful ladies and a bit of mid-aged people.

The auditioning takes place in a studio in Seattle only fifteen away from my hometown which was a good relief in my part. When I first mentioned it to my mom freaked out saying it’s so far away which was a little exaggerated. It still sucked but passion is passion and as the supportive parent she is, she finally gave in and let me go, she even gave me a thirty dollar pocket money which I was entirely grateful for.

No matter how many times I do it, I still get a bit anxious in my auditions and fidget as I wait, next to me sat a very gorgeous blonde girl who looks completely opposite of me, so I decided to engage a small chat with her in hopes of calming my nerves a bit.

“Hey, you auditioning too?”

She spares me a brief glance before looking down at her manicured nails, “Yes.”

“Cool, what role?”

“Delilah.”

“Nice name, was that the lead role or the extra?”

She looks back at me as if I’ve grown two heads, “The lead role of course. Technically, she’s the main character’s love interest.”

“Oh yeah? That’s awesome I’m auditioning for the same role as well!”

She looks down to my figure, taking in my simple summer dress and flats compared to her burlap sack and stilettos, “I don’t think you’ll fit for the role.”

“Pardon?”

“The criterion for the leading role is a beautiful girl who’s at least 5′6 tall, slim, and blonde. In your case, however, you seem to lack them, sister.”

I’m not your bloody sister, bitch! I wanna scream at her as anger slowly boiled inside me. I pegged her as friendly but a shy type but now I’m not so sure.

“Delilah Granger.” Someone says and the blonde bitch smirked at me.

“And that’s my name. Must be a sign, right?”

My blood was indeed boiling as I watch her strut away and into the auditioning room, wanting nothing more but to slap that smug look off her face.

As I looked around, the majority of the young ladies are indeed tall, beautiful, and blonde. The first instinct I had was to forget the audition and go back home but my mom’s face flashed through my mind a second after.

I wouldn’t waste the effort she made just for me to get into my auditions, and I’m here now I should probably give it a try right? Maybe they could give my 5′4 average looking self a chance and maybe they’ll take a liking on me.

As I sat with my thoughts all I could think about is one thing…

I should’ve read that damned criteria first before I filled those damned blanks.

It was almost six pm before my name was called which means I’ve been sitting with my thoughts for six hours straight and I’ve already watched that blonde bitch strut away with that confident look on her face five hours ago.

When I arrived I was confident more ecstatic but now as walked into the room I was uncertain and beyond terrified. Especially when I saw the screenwriters and co-directors strict but tired face, I knew I was a goner.

“Good evening, Aubrey Sanders, right?” Anthony Parkson, the co-director says.

“Yes, good evening to all of you as well.”

“So you’ve come here to audition for the lead role of “Delilah”... am I correct?”

I got a bad feeling about this, “Yes.”

“Did you happen to read the criteria we provided?”

I was speechless, I never thought that he would get the impression already as he checked my appearance with disapproval. That was it. He was reminding me of my stupidity and about to call me off. I forced myself to speak but I can’t gather coherent words.

This time, Jennifer Anderson - one of the screenwriters - interrupted us, “Tony, spare the poor girl. Give her a chance at least.”

“Whatever. Anywho, here’s the script.” He handed me a piece of paper which I took with a slightly shaking hand, “You got five minutes to study it and interpret. Good luck.”

Ignoring the screenwriters’ disappointed looks, I read the script and tried to understand the brief insight into the character’s emotion and apply it to myself. When I think I got it, I put the paper down and look at them expectantly.

“Ready?”

“Yes.”

I started delivering my lines which were just a monologue of a girl who’s torn between two men who seem to be battling for her heart. Her emotions revolve around happiness, to guilt, to grief, and to anger - which what I was feeling right now - as I uttered the last emotional line I didn’t know a tear rolled down at my cheek. I wiped it away immediately.

The looks I received were passive but I didn’t bother worrying since I know what they’re decisions are gonna be.

“Thank you, we’ll call you. Next!”

Famous fake words. But I didn’t care as I walked completely out of the door to the nearest bus station.

A week later, my best friend Katie and I finished enrolling and met mom in the kitchen to talk about our days. Which was uneventful.

Last-minute, Katie decided to switch courses from HR to Law, since she realized she loves interrogating the crap out of people, enjoys watching them squirm when they attempt to lie, and she’s always been a good liar. Not a cool trait but that’s Katie for you. The subjects were surprisingly not that far apart but she’ll still need to attend the required subject and that means she won’t be leaving college until a few years. It looks like we’re not graduating together.

I messed with my phone a little until a text notification distracted me. When I opened it, I was beyond ecstatic once I realized it was from my audition and the message was from the director himself.

Dear Ms. Sanders,

Based on your performance in your audition held on the seventh day of July, we are proud to welcome you as one of our cast members.

Please be at the given address at nine am tomorrow for the costume fitting and get acquainted with the other extras. See you there.

Martin S.

Everything seems to stop and crash and the classical music in my head scratched.

Did the director himself wrote to me and say that I got the role of an extra?

Holy cow.

I just got the role I never auditioned for.