enough for a couch. But she didn’t sit. She stood on the other side
of the room, staring at me.
‘So you’re doing the play,’ she said flatly.
I nodded. Tess sighed and turned to look out the window.
‘I’m sorry. I know it’s not what you wanted to hear, but I’ll never get another chance
to play Juliet. I can always try out for state next season.’
Tess turned around and shook her head. ‘But you won’t be with me then,’ she said
softly, kicking the edge of her bed to avoid looking at me.
I realised she was right. It was pretty unlikely I’d ever play state with Tess –
she’d always be a year ahead of me now, even if I did get in next year. ‘I might
be,’ I said softly, suddenly wondering if I’d made the right choice.
Tess looked up at me. ‘I thought we were chasing the same thing – professional netball.
You could be really good, Edie. Really good. And you have a spot on the team already. Why
pass that up and risk not getting in next year?’ she asked sadly.
I didn’t know what to say. Tess was right. There was no guarantee I’d get in next year.
Would I even keep playing with the Sapphires? Tess wouldn’t be there – she’d be too
busy with state. I hadn’t really considered that. The possibility that Tess and I
wouldn’t play together at all anymore.
‘Tess, I love acting. I love being on stage. It’s the most exciting thing I’ve ever
done. If I hadn’t been cast as Juliet, I probably would have chosen the state team.
But this is my shot. This is my chance to see if I’m actually any good. Don’t you
understand that?’ I said. I was trying to stay calm, but it was hard. Playing Juliet
was so important to me, and I really wanted my best friend to understand.
Tess looked up at me, a hurt expression on her face. ‘Is this about Freddy? Because
if it is, I’m sure you can hang out with him without doing the play.’
I shot her an angry look. I couldn’t believe she was making it about him. ‘No, it’s
not. This is about me, and what I want to do.’
Tess shrugged, and said coldly, ‘Okay. Whatever. It’s your life. Your choice.’
‘Don’t be like that,’ I said, hurt by her response. ‘Just because I’m not choosing
netball doesn’t mean you’re not still my best friend.’
‘I know,’ said Tess. ‘But it does mean we won’t see each other as often. And I thought
playing state was our dream. I never thought you’d choose acting instead.’
Argh!
Now I felt awful. I knew what it meant to me to be playing Juliet. How hard I’d worked
on my audition, how much I’d rehearsed in front of the mirror to make sure I didn’t
pull weird faces. How I’d dreamt of this since starting drama classes. And how, secretly,
my dream was to be a professional actor one day. But I’d never really explained any
of that to Tess. Netball had always come first.
‘Tess, I love netball. But really, I think my acting is your netball. I totally love
it. The way it makes me feel. How hard I have to work to be good,’ I said, really
wanting her to understand what I was saying.
‘Really? I always thought you just did drama because it was fun and you’ve always
liked doing lots of different things. Why didn’t you tell me it was so important
to you?’ she said, sounding hurt.
‘I don’t know. I guess I didn’t really understand it myself,’ I said.
‘Okay, whatever,’ she said.
But she really didn’t seem to get it. Maybe if we just did normal things together,
she’d see that nothing had to change.
‘You want to do something? It’s still early.’
She shook her head. ‘Nah. I’m going over to Maggie’s later. I would’ve asked you
to come, but we’re doing netball stuff.’
‘Oh. Right,’ I said, feeling awful as I realised she’d found someone else who shared
her netball dream.
‘Besides, don’t you have lines to learn?’ she said, as she turned and walked out
of the room.
I felt horrible. We’d never had a fight like this. I wasn’t even
of the room, staring at me.
‘So you’re doing the play,’ she said flatly.
I nodded. Tess sighed and turned to look out the window.
‘I’m sorry. I know it’s not what you wanted to hear, but I’ll never get another chance
to play Juliet. I can always try out for state next season.’
Tess turned around and shook her head. ‘But you won’t be with me then,’ she said
softly, kicking the edge of her bed to avoid looking at me.
I realised she was right. It was pretty unlikely I’d ever play state with Tess –
she’d always be a year ahead of me now, even if I did get in next year. ‘I might
be,’ I said softly, suddenly wondering if I’d made the right choice.
Tess looked up at me. ‘I thought we were chasing the same thing – professional netball.
You could be really good, Edie. Really good. And you have a spot on the team already. Why
pass that up and risk not getting in next year?’ she asked sadly.
I didn’t know what to say. Tess was right. There was no guarantee I’d get in next year.
Would I even keep playing with the Sapphires? Tess wouldn’t be there – she’d be too
busy with state. I hadn’t really considered that. The possibility that Tess and I
wouldn’t play together at all anymore.
‘Tess, I love acting. I love being on stage. It’s the most exciting thing I’ve ever
done. If I hadn’t been cast as Juliet, I probably would have chosen the state team.
But this is my shot. This is my chance to see if I’m actually any good. Don’t you
understand that?’ I said. I was trying to stay calm, but it was hard. Playing Juliet
was so important to me, and I really wanted my best friend to understand.
Tess looked up at me, a hurt expression on her face. ‘Is this about Freddy? Because
if it is, I’m sure you can hang out with him without doing the play.’
I shot her an angry look. I couldn’t believe she was making it about him. ‘No, it’s
not. This is about me, and what I want to do.’
Tess shrugged, and said coldly, ‘Okay. Whatever. It’s your life. Your choice.’
‘Don’t be like that,’ I said, hurt by her response. ‘Just because I’m not choosing
netball doesn’t mean you’re not still my best friend.’
‘I know,’ said Tess. ‘But it does mean we won’t see each other as often. And I thought
playing state was our dream. I never thought you’d choose acting instead.’
Argh!
Now I felt awful. I knew what it meant to me to be playing Juliet. How hard I’d worked
on my audition, how much I’d rehearsed in front of the mirror to make sure I didn’t
pull weird faces. How I’d dreamt of this since starting drama classes. And how, secretly,
my dream was to be a professional actor one day. But I’d never really explained any
of that to Tess. Netball had always come first.
‘Tess, I love netball. But really, I think my acting is your netball. I totally love
it. The way it makes me feel. How hard I have to work to be good,’ I said, really
wanting her to understand what I was saying.
‘Really? I always thought you just did drama because it was fun and you’ve always
liked doing lots of different things. Why didn’t you tell me it was so important
to you?’ she said, sounding hurt.
‘I don’t know. I guess I didn’t really understand it myself,’ I said.
‘Okay, whatever,’ she said.
But she really didn’t seem to get it. Maybe if we just did normal things together,
she’d see that nothing had to change.
‘You want to do something? It’s still early.’
She shook her head. ‘Nah. I’m going over to Maggie’s later. I would’ve asked you
to come, but we’re doing netball stuff.’
‘Oh. Right,’ I said, feeling awful as I realised she’d found someone else who shared
her netball dream.
‘Besides, don’t you have lines to learn?’ she said, as she turned and walked out
of the room.
I felt horrible. We’d never had a fight like this. I wasn’t even