Fake Dating My Ex's Hockey Star Brother (Maya Scott) novel Chapter 218

Chapter 78

ALLISON’S POV

“Stop sulking,” Justin says, tightening his fingers around mine. “Katy’ll come around.”

I shake my head, shoulders slumping. “We’ve never fought like this. She’s never been this mad at me.”

“She won’t stay angry forever.” Easy for him to say because she’s his sister. “You should focus on the

audition, baby. That’s the most important thing right now.”

I want to ask how he can stay this calm but then remember that only one of us has a best friend madly pissed at her and an audition all within twenty-four hours. A sigh rips out of me as I rub my forehead, feeling my headache worsening. I just hope that after all this mess, I actually bag the role especially since it’s for a bank commercial. Which, honestly, not exactly my dream, but beggars and choosers and all that.

“Wish me luck,” I mutter, glancing at Justin. He presses a soft kiss to the back of my hand like he always does, holding my gaze for a beat before returning his eyes to the road.

“You’re the best in any room you walk into, Allison,” he says. “YYou’ve got this.”

A small smile tugs at my lips, warmth spreading through me…until guilt slams right back. Katy’s furious face flashes in my mind, and I flinch.

“You okay?” Justin asks.

“Yeah…” I exhale slowly. “Just ready to get it over with.

His fingers squeeze mine gently as we drive into the casting studio lot. My stomach twists at the thought of what’s waiting inside which is either getting torn apart or being ogled like an eye candy. This is basically my first real shot at professional acting, and honestly, I’m too numb to even be properly anxious.

From the sea of cars parked outside, I can tell there are tons of people here, all hoping to pad their acting portfolio and maybe, just maybe, land that one big break.

Justin parks the car and kills the engine, immediately turning to face me. His hand reaches up, gently tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, his grey eyes so much like Katy’s locking onto mine. Shit. Why am I

thinking about her right now?

“You’ll ace this,” he says, his smile warm enough to chase some of my nerves away. “No matter what happens in there, you’re amazing, Allison. Okay?”

I nod and lean in, pressing my lips to his. His hand slips behind my hair, holding me close as his thumb

grazes my chin. When we finally break apart, I exhale. “Let’s do this.”

“Here we go,” he murmurs as I push the door open and step out of the car. I sling my purse over my shoulder and wave through the window. He blows me kisses.

“Love you,” he calls out.

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I catch the kiss, pretending to press it against my chest. “Love you too.”

+25 Points-

Turning away with a small smile, I step into the building. The lobby’s spacious, and a receptionist greets me. I head over, sign in, and she hands me a card after verifying my details and confirming I was invited to

audition.

She points me toward a waiting room, and I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself. The number on my card is forty-seven. I silently pray it’s just random and not the actual spot in the lineup.

As I step into the waiting room, my stomach drops as I quickly realize it’s the latter. Over twenty people are already here, scattered across chairs. I let out a long sigh and trudge toward one of the empty seats, sliding in next to a girl with purple braids who’s chatting with the person beside her.

“Hi,” Il greet, keeping my voice casual. She slowly turns toward me, though mostly just peeking from the

corner of her eyes.

“You’re here for the audition, right?” I ask with a small smile.

“Do I look dressed for church?” she says flatly, then immediately turns back to the girl she was talking to.

Okay…that was rude. Sure, I probably shouldn’t be asking the obvious, but how else am I supposed to start a conversation or even try to vibe? I glance around the room, debating who I can ask about how the names are being called, before deciding to try my luck one more time.

I gently poke her shoulder. This time, she swivels to face me with a cold stare.

“I’m sorry but are these numbers based on how we’re called in?” I ask, trying to ignore the annoyance

radiating off her.

Her nose scrunches up. “Is this your first audition?”

“Don’t really know how that-”

“You’d know what it means if this isn’t your first rodeo,” she cuts in, her eyes narrowing.

I scoff, leaning back slightly. “If you’re so knowledgeable, you wouldn’t be sitting here for a role like this. Or at least I should’ve seen you somewhere.”

Her lips part, probably ready to snap back, but I don’t give her the satisfaction. I rise from my seat and move across the room, putting distance between us. I don’t need that kind of negativity hovering over me especially when all I did was ask a couple of harmless questions. I didn’t ask to borrow her phone or invade her space. Just simple conversation, and yet she’s acting like I smeared poop on her skirt.

I can feel her glare burning into me, but I purposely don’t look.

Turning to the girl next to me who’s engrossed in a novel, I offer a small smile. “Sorry to bother you, but…

what does this number mean?”

She glances up and looks at my card. “Oh, you’re the forty-seventh person auditioning today.” She tilts her head, giving me a knowing look. “Is this your first time?”

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25 Points

I press my lips together. “Yeah.”

“Congrats,” she says warmly. “Acting is fun when you actually book roles, I guess. I’m Vanessa.”

I quickly extend my hand. “Allie.”

“As in Allison?” she asks.

I nod. “Yeah, but only my boyfriend calls me that.”

She smirks. “That’s cute. Still an undergrad, or…?”

“Yeah. Cadston. Junior year. What about you?”

“Just graduated,” she sighs. “Now I need a paying job before I get evicted.”

“Shit.” I manage, and she laughs.

We dive into a deep conversation, and she shares some strategies that have worked for her in past

auditions, even tossing me a few extra tips I hadn’t thought of. Soon, her name is called, and I wish her

luck before she steps inside.

I pull out my phone, slip on my earbuds, and cue up my favorite songs that usually calm me down. Closing

my eyes, I let myself drift away from the waiting room, floating along with the rhythm. Minutes pass like

seconds until someone taps my shoulder and I open my eyes to see Vanessa grinning at me.

“Just finished,” she whispers, then grimaces. “Wasn’t good. I hope your luck is better than mine.”

My stomach drops at her words, but before I can dwell on it, she quickly extends her phone. “Let’s

exchange numbers.”

I nod, fumbling slightly as I type my number in, and she immediately dials me so I can save her contact.

“The result isn’t-“I start, but she cuts me off with a shake of her head.

“I know when I’m booking a role, and this isn’t one of them,” she says, patting my shoulder. “Good luck,

Allie.”

Then she’s walking away before I can even return the goodbye. I sink back against my chair, pulse hammering in my ears as I watch her leave before counting heads in the room.

Very soon, it’ll be my turn and I have no idea what to expect if Vanessa didn’t look good even with her experience.

A slow sigh escapes me as I fold my arms across my chest. Minutes crawl by… maybe an hour. Every second stretches longer than the last, and all I can do is wait.

“Forty-seven!” the attendant announces by the door, and I practically jump out of my seat.

My purse hits the floor with a soft thud, drawing a few muffled laughs from the girls nearby. Flushing, I snatch up my things and hurry toward the audition room.

Outside, I pause for a moment, adjust my shirt, inhale deeply, exhale and finally push the door open. It

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shuts quietly behind me, and my gaze lands on five unfamiliar faces.

+25 Points

I can practically hear my own heartbeat pounding in my ears as I step forward and stop in the center of the room. A rush of heat and shivers washes over me all at once. This is it.

“Good day.” I force a smile and give a slight bow. “I’m Allison Carter, 21 years old, and I’m here to audition for the role of Clarissa…a young woman navigating her finances without credible banking support.”

Of course, my body decides now is the perfect time for betrayal: my ass feels like it wants to release a fart, and my legs are unbearably itchy. Great. Fantastic. Why did I even come here?

One of the evaluators flips through the pages in front of him, then looks up at me. “Allison Carter,” he says, lifting his gaze. “It says here you’ve never professionally been in anything.”

“Yes,” I respond. “But as a college student, I-”

“That doesn’t qualify,” he cuts me off, and the woman beside him chuckles softly. “Okay, show us the moment you realize this bank app saved you money.”

I nod quickly, fumbling for my phone, my fingers trembling like crazy.

Allison, you’ve got this, I remind myself, taking a deep breath before switching to my serious mode.

I glance down at my phone, feigning confusion at first, then widening my eyes in exaggerated shock. “Wh-

“That will be all,” the man interrupts, snapping the pages closed and stacking them neatly to the side.

Something heavy and cold pierces my chest, a sinking dread because I know exactly what that pile

means.

“Thank you,” I force out, my voice tight, and grab my purse.

As I turn toward the door, I catch one of them muttering, “What was that? Does she think this is a joke?”

My eyes sting, tears threatening to spill, but I refuse to blink. I step out of the room, keeping my gaze fixed straight ahead, swallowing hard, because if I let myself blink… I know the tears will fall.

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