Like It Never Happened Read Online Free PDF

and he had complained about the thespian troupe thinking ourselves immune to academic standards. Ironic, given that Charlie was responsible for raising our school’s standards so damn high in the first place.
    And now the same Charlie was shuffling toward us, looking mildly nauseated and also very cute in his green corduroy pants. I wanted to bite his bottom lip.
    â€œWe have to kiss this time,” he said.
    My whole body went numb. I did not want to bite his bottom lip, after all.
    Liane said, “You do?” right as I said, “We do?”
    I hadn’t been expecting our mouths to touch until opening night. I was relying on my performance high to make it possible. It wouldn’t be me up there; it would be Nina parting her lips for a brooding Russian author, the silence of the audience like the whole world holding its breath.
    But I couldn’t kiss Charlie in front of Mr. McFadden and the rest of the Essential Five. Not with my presently greasy hair, which Tess had tried to remedy with baby powder, and which now appeared to be molding.
    I started praying for a power outage, or an after-hours fire drill.
    â€œMr. McFadden wants us to practice one time.” Horrified, Charlie splayed his fingers across his face and pulled at his skin until I could see the reds of his eyes. “He has to make sure our angles are right.”
    â€œOur angles ? ” I said.
    Liane bit down a smile. Charlie just stared at his feet. His shoes were the kind your mom makes you wear to a funeral, only they were adorably scuffed at the toes.
    â€œOkay!” I passed my notebook to Liane. “Whatever! We will kiss. I mean, this was always going to happen. If we had a problem with it, we should have said something a long time ago. Tonight, next week—what’s the difference?” A note of laughter came out like a bark.
    Somehow, this insane speech cured Charlie of his fear. He smiled with just one corner of his perfect lips. His spine straightened.
    â€œCalm down, Rivers.” His eyes darted from me to Liane and back. “It’s just pretend.”
    Hearing his cue, he turned and sauntered stageward. I hated him.
    â€œAre you okay?” Liane’s eyes were wide. “Can you do this?”
    Panic tightened in my chest.
    â€œRemember, you’re a professional.” Liane gripped my shoulders. “Acting is what you want to do with your life, right?”
    I nodded, barely.
    â€œAnd you’ve kissed people before, right?”
    Liane’s assumption was understandable. Based on my reputation, any of my peers would have guessed I had a range of bodily fluid–based skills. This was hardly the time to correct her. I nodded again.
    â€œGood, this will be easy. No feelings involved. You’ll be fine.” Liane gave my shoulders a confident shake, like she actually believed what she was saying. Maybe she did.
    Onstage, Charlie shouted my cue.
    We delivered the lines we had practiced a hundred times. I, as Nina, declared I was abandoning my father for the love of theater. Charlie, as Trigorin, told me I was beautiful. He called me his darling. We promised to meet again in Moscow.
    Charlie as Charlie radiated nervous heat.
    I was in love with him. It was only my second kiss ever. I couldn’t tell which was the bigger problem.
    The script had described the embrace as prolonged, and my god, was it prolonged. Allegedly Mr. McFadden had directed Charlie to hold the pose for three seconds, but I would have sworn Charlie counted to thirty before unplugging his face from mine.
    The curtain would have fallen, but this was only rehearsal.
    â€œUniquely unerotic,” observed Mr. McFadden.
    I had been terrified he would make us do it again. But our director had waved his hand and dismissed us. We had scurried offstage—Charlie with his cheeks burning, and me, with all my burning secrets.

CHAPTER 7

    A t five in the morning , a week after the last day of school, my parents