Chapter 3

Abigail sat nervously in the reception area of the international acting school, biting her nails. She flicked her hair back and studied the handful of other candidates, all frantically reciting words under their breath or reading intently from books.

Shona squeezed her daughter's arm as she put down and then picked up her book, taking deep breaths and opening it to the page, before closing it again. "Yer just a wee bit nervous," she told her and Abigail didn't respond.

It was the culmination of her efforts, and while her peers were either going into employment or University she longed to be going to "drama school" - an International academy of arts to study acting. Abigail loved acting, and was very good at it, but the audition she gave today could either be the beginning or the end of her dreams.

An officious woman strode through the door and bellowed into the room, "Abigail Kennedy please."

Abigail got up from the chair, her legs shaking, and her mother wished her luck as a dozen pairs of anxious eyes watched her leave the room. She followed the woman down the grey corridor, out into a small auditorium and onto a small stage. Three men watched her as she nervously walked across the stage to the centre; her heart was beating furiously.

They smiled warmly at her and checked her off a sheet, telling her that she had a minute to read her Shakespeare reading and to try and put as much feeling and emotion into the piece before wishing her "luck."

Abigail closed her eyes and counted to two. She recounted a scene involving Katherine – the "Shrew" - from her favourite play and tried to add passion and anger into her character. It was a part she had played in a recent school production and projected her voice into the small hall, but she there was a nervous lilt to her voice and she heard it quiver.

Before she had barely got into the scene she was stopped; her minute was up, and the panel looked at each other. "Thank you very much," she was told in an authoritative voice. "We'll let you know."

Abigail didn't say a word, just nodded and followed the woman silently back to the room. Her mother pursed her lips and looked at her. "OK?" Abigail shook her head and a few tears welled up in her eyes. "Oh baby."

Abigail left the room as quickly as she could and sat with her mother on the steps as the elder woman frantically tried to console her. She didn't need to see the recall list for a second auditions after lunch to know she wasn't on it – she was just too nervous when she recounted Katherine's scene.

Shona returned from the board a few moments later with a slightly glum face, but Abi already knew her name was absent. "Ah'll get yer dinner," Shona promised and put her arm around Abigail. "Yaw'll be fine when ya butties or owt inside of ya."

"Ma," Abigail called as they entered their small town. "Can you stop here?"

"But Ah'm gonnae do supper," she replied as the car slowed. "Yer not to be out all night."

"Yeah," Abigail replied and looked behind her as her ex-boyfriend crossed the road; he had not seen their car drive past. "I just want to tell 'im how I did." Shona sighed and watched as her daughter left the vehicle, promising to be home within the hour. "Simon," she shouted down the street, and the teenage boy turned to see his ex-girlfriend standing in the light rain, buttoning up her coat. "Simon!"