Back To You ?River Phoenix?

??Chapter 10??

Wil was tall and broad shouldered. He was lean, with cheekbones and dimples. Those dimples... I laughed breathlessly, my heart slamming against my chest, his eyes were so sparkly.

Had they always been that sparkly? I don't think that they were...

If I was checking him out, he was checking me out too. We met eyes and blushed, dropping the eye contact immediately.

"Let's sit." He grins.

His teeth, so white and straight! What did I miss?

I take a seat next to him, and we look around. There's about double the amount of boys than girls. Suddenly I notice someone. An icon.

"Holy fuck!"

"What?"

"That's Ralph Maccio!"

"His monologue was great. I think he might get Danny." Wil sighs. I shake my head.

"Maybe Oliver. I can't believe he looks so young! Geez. He's in his late twenties and he looks our age."

"He's got genes from God himself."

I nod in agreement, turning around to talk to Wil. I find conversation coming easy now, but I still can't help but stare into his clear brown eyes. God, he was hot.

The girls and boys were sectioned off into groups, Wil, me, and another boy in one. I was reading Mary, him Danny, and the other kid Oliver.

We read that scene so many times that I had memorized it. Wil and I weren't spilt up once, and I was hoping that was a good thing. I noticed that Ralph was being moved around a lot, though. We never got him in our group, though.

Eventually we were handed scripts. It was the kissing scene. Half of the boys and girls had been sent home, and we learned that the black bearded guy was the director.

And he was ruthless... and he was the director. Of the whole thing.

Once it had been narrowed down to around ten girls and about twenty guys, he handed out the scripts to the kissing scene. Gus was sending me death glares. The A and B sections were there again, and all of us were in B.

Multiple pairs read the scene, and I was bored. They read the lines the same way each time. The only interesting thing that had happened was when a girl grabbed the boy's hand, and he freaked out. I knew that if I nailed this scene then I was much closer to getting the part.

After a girl who had done well so far came back shaking like crazy, the directors discussed for about two minutes. Wil and I both hadn't read yet, and neither had Ralph. I was the last girl, too.

"Lydia Carlton, read as Mary." The bearded guy growled. My hands were clenched tight around the script, but I had heard it so many times that I memorized it. "And... Wil Wheaton, come read as Danny."

We locked eyes and I smiled nervously, my stomach butterflies mutating into geese that slammed against my gut angrily. I was nervous. But I was going to kiss Wil, for the part.

"And... go."

I turned around and acted like I was walking out. Wil grabbed my hand, and I turned around angrily to face him.

"Mary, Mary! Please! Stop!"

"Danny, don't you get it?"

"Get what?" Wil had a pleading look in his eyes that only kicked me into full gear. I was embodying Mary. "Mary, tell me what I did!"

"D-" I sigh, trying to snatch my hand away. He holds it tighter. We drop our scripts, both knowing the lines by now. "Danny, when Oliver died, you hated me, I hated you."

"Yeah, But I don't hate you now, you know that." He pleaded, taking my other hand. I look down at our hands, and swallow nervously, a habit that Mary had.

"That's exactly it. Danny, let go." He gently lets go of my wrists, shaking his head. I continue. "Why couldn't it have stayed like that? You- never speaking a word to me, ever-" I start choking up, just like she did in the book, "and me. Invisible?"

"God damnit, Mary, I don't want you to be invisible. I want you to- don't cry, M. Please don't cry."

"I'm not crying!" I shout, balling my hands into fists. "This is too much, too complicated! I can't take it!"

Wil shakes his head again, jaw trembling. "Please, I... I don't know what to say."

"Then don't say anything to me, ever."

I turn around to 'leave' again. He shouts, grabbing my wrist and pulling me back. I turn around and end up close to him. Very close. There's at least four inches of a height difference.

"I can't. I-I've... I-" he stutters, trailing off as we make eye contact. My stomach swirls. This is when the other girls blushed or just hugged their partner, but this is my moment.

I grab Wil's cheeks and pull him in, connecting our lips. He bends his head and responds immediately, deepening the gesture by placing his hands on my waist. The minute we pull apart the room bursts into applause. My cheeks turn a deep shade of red.

Even beard guy is standing and clapping, and once the applause dies down, I hear seven words that I've been waiting to hear all day.

"Well, you two, you've got the parts." Everyone claps, and he quiets them. "The agents will get scripts and filming locations, we've also got phone numbers just in case. Filming starts next May and ends in October."

A smile takes over my face and I grin at Wil, he's smiling as well.

"Everyone can go except for Maccio, Zuko, Waters, Favor..." he lists other names that I assume are the candidates for Ralph. As I leave, I'm about to cry from happiness. Wil stays by my side.

"I can't believe it!" He laughs, putting his hand to his forehead. "I've never gotten a part that fast- thanks for kissing me. That sounded weird."

I laughed at him, still shaky. He pulls me into a hug and when we pull apart he sighs. "I was staying here for two days in case I got callbacks, so I'm free tomorrow. You... wanna hang out?" He scratches the back of his neck nervously.

"I'd love to. Where are you staying?"

"Don't laugh, but I'm staying at a Hilton."

"I'm staying at the Chicago."

"That's fancy as fuck for a two-night stay." He says, eyes widening.

"Two months, actually."

"Oh. Why two months, if you don't mind me asking."

"Well, River-"

Two hands grab my shoulders and shake me, turning me around. "Carlton, you genius little scamp! There was so much flavor! I almost cried— I've never been employed by someone as brilliant!"

Gus ranted, glasses slipping off of his nose. I grinned widely at him.

"I'll call when I get the script, Alright? In the meantime, I'll take you two scamps for ice-cream. How does that sound?"

"Sounds good."

"My mom won't care."

"Then let's eat, you prodigies!"