of that time to get the callbacks done.
Rhonda yawned. “Good thing the kids know the calls come late.”
“True.” Katy sorted through the audition forms spread out in front of her.
“Okay, we’ve taken care of callbacks for three of the lead parts.”
“Annie…”
“Kelsy Bouchey has a big edge so far.”
“Oliver Warbucks…”
Katy grinned. “I still like Tim Reed, but we’ve got four other teens coming back.”
46
FORGIVEN
“And Miss Hannigan…”
Katy checked her master sheet. “Bailey Flanigan and five other girls.”
“Right.”
“Now let’s look at the orphans. That’s going to take the longest time. Choosing the right fourteen little girls oughta be a trick. And I’m pretty sure I want to add Kyle Lanham.”
“Yeah.” Rhonda gave a tired laugh and leaned her elbow on the table. “Have you thought about my job? I have to teach ‘em to dance.”
They both giggled, and Katy pulled the next audition sheet closer. As she did, from somewhere near the front door a voice called out, “Katy Hart!”
She looked up and just as quickly she wanted to crawl under the table. It was Stanley Gaelic, the rock-paper-scissors guy. She whispered to Rhonda, “look who…”
Rhonda was quietly laughing too hard to talk. She pointed to the restrooms near the back of the caf. “I…” She stood up. Her face was red now. “I have to go.”
Stanley walked up and looked at Rhonda. “Oh, hey, Randy. How’s it going?”
Rhonda didn’t correct him. She simply gave him a quick wave and headed off, leaving Katy alone.
“Katy, imagine meeting you here.” Stanley slipped into the booth across from her. “This is a hot spot for RPSers. I bet you didn’t know that.”
“I didn’t.” Katy glanced down at the audition sheets. She had no time for this, but she had the feeling Stanley wouldn’t give up easily. She anchored her elbows on the table and smiled at him. “Are you meeting someone?”
Stanley surveyed the caf. “Just checking if any of the guys are here.” He grinned and shrugged. “They’re not. Looks like it’s just you and me.”
47
KAREN KINGSBURY
“And Rhonda.” Katy looked him straight in the eyes. “Remember?”
“Who?” His expression was blank; then he lit up and pointed back toward the restroom. “Randy?”
“Rhonda.”
Stanley bopped himself in the forehead. “I hate it when I do that.” He frowned, and for a moment she thought he might hit himself again. “An RPSer has to be an expert at memorizing details. I can’t believe I forgot her name.”
“It’s not a big deal.” Katy tapped the papers on the table and flipped her cell phone open. “Well… I gotta make calls.”
“Is that what you’re doing?” Stanley reached across the table and thumbed through the stack of papers. “Have you called my sister yet?”
Katy narrowed her eyes. Now he was getting on her nerves. “Look, Stanley, I really have to—”
At that moment, Rhonda approached and slid into the booth next to Katy. “So—”
she looked more composed than before— “what did I miss?”
“Not much.” For a second, Katy tried to send Rhonda a signal that it was no time to encourage Stanley to stick around. But Rhonda missed it completely.
Stanley took the chance to jump in. “I’m glad you’re both here.” He raised his eyebrows at Rhonda. “Which one of you wants to challenge me?” He bounced a few times, his excitement spilling into his tone. “You know.., at rock-paper-scissors.” A slight chuckle came from him. “So I can show you my stuff.”
“Well, Manly Stanley.” Katy glanced at Rhonda and then pulled up her sweater sleeves. Anything to get rid of him. “I think I’ll give it a try.”
“All right.” Stanley gave a confident nod. “You know how it goes, right?” He held his left hand out, palm up. Then with his right hand he made a fist and hit his open hand three times. On the fourth he opened two fingers, making the scissors
Rhonda yawned. “Good thing the kids know the calls come late.”
“True.” Katy sorted through the audition forms spread out in front of her.
“Okay, we’ve taken care of callbacks for three of the lead parts.”
“Annie…”
“Kelsy Bouchey has a big edge so far.”
“Oliver Warbucks…”
Katy grinned. “I still like Tim Reed, but we’ve got four other teens coming back.”
46
FORGIVEN
“And Miss Hannigan…”
Katy checked her master sheet. “Bailey Flanigan and five other girls.”
“Right.”
“Now let’s look at the orphans. That’s going to take the longest time. Choosing the right fourteen little girls oughta be a trick. And I’m pretty sure I want to add Kyle Lanham.”
“Yeah.” Rhonda gave a tired laugh and leaned her elbow on the table. “Have you thought about my job? I have to teach ‘em to dance.”
They both giggled, and Katy pulled the next audition sheet closer. As she did, from somewhere near the front door a voice called out, “Katy Hart!”
She looked up and just as quickly she wanted to crawl under the table. It was Stanley Gaelic, the rock-paper-scissors guy. She whispered to Rhonda, “look who…”
Rhonda was quietly laughing too hard to talk. She pointed to the restrooms near the back of the caf. “I…” She stood up. Her face was red now. “I have to go.”
Stanley walked up and looked at Rhonda. “Oh, hey, Randy. How’s it going?”
Rhonda didn’t correct him. She simply gave him a quick wave and headed off, leaving Katy alone.
“Katy, imagine meeting you here.” Stanley slipped into the booth across from her. “This is a hot spot for RPSers. I bet you didn’t know that.”
“I didn’t.” Katy glanced down at the audition sheets. She had no time for this, but she had the feeling Stanley wouldn’t give up easily. She anchored her elbows on the table and smiled at him. “Are you meeting someone?”
Stanley surveyed the caf. “Just checking if any of the guys are here.” He grinned and shrugged. “They’re not. Looks like it’s just you and me.”
47
KAREN KINGSBURY
“And Rhonda.” Katy looked him straight in the eyes. “Remember?”
“Who?” His expression was blank; then he lit up and pointed back toward the restroom. “Randy?”
“Rhonda.”
Stanley bopped himself in the forehead. “I hate it when I do that.” He frowned, and for a moment she thought he might hit himself again. “An RPSer has to be an expert at memorizing details. I can’t believe I forgot her name.”
“It’s not a big deal.” Katy tapped the papers on the table and flipped her cell phone open. “Well… I gotta make calls.”
“Is that what you’re doing?” Stanley reached across the table and thumbed through the stack of papers. “Have you called my sister yet?”
Katy narrowed her eyes. Now he was getting on her nerves. “Look, Stanley, I really have to—”
At that moment, Rhonda approached and slid into the booth next to Katy. “So—”
she looked more composed than before— “what did I miss?”
“Not much.” For a second, Katy tried to send Rhonda a signal that it was no time to encourage Stanley to stick around. But Rhonda missed it completely.
Stanley took the chance to jump in. “I’m glad you’re both here.” He raised his eyebrows at Rhonda. “Which one of you wants to challenge me?” He bounced a few times, his excitement spilling into his tone. “You know.., at rock-paper-scissors.” A slight chuckle came from him. “So I can show you my stuff.”
“Well, Manly Stanley.” Katy glanced at Rhonda and then pulled up her sweater sleeves. Anything to get rid of him. “I think I’ll give it a try.”
“All right.” Stanley gave a confident nod. “You know how it goes, right?” He held his left hand out, palm up. Then with his right hand he made a fist and hit his open hand three times. On the fourth he opened two fingers, making the scissors
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