Chapter Nineteen: Platypus

Chapter Nineteen: Platypus

*Lilah's POV*

I tell myself that I don't want to hate Lena or Jared or anyone else in the world. I can't help but feel this kind of longing to be Lena right now. She has everyone's attention. Every single one of the boys, including Jared who's beyond gay, is completely lost in Lena World. It kind of diminishes my self-confidence in myself. I feel incomparable to her. 

"Thank you so much," Lena says from the stage. She brings a hand to cover her eyes so that she can see out into the audience. When she raises her hand, her already short and revealing shirt rises up, showing more of her body beneath it. I roll my eyes and cross my arms in misery as the boys whisper amongst themselves at how hot she is. 

"I think she should get the part," Harry whispers immediately.

"Agreed."

"Hell yes, she is drop dead gorgeous," Louis adds in. Harry and he slap hands. I'm only glad that they're whispering quietly enough that Lena can't hear them. 

"Do we have any more auditions?" Zayn asks. His eyes meet mine briefly and my stomach flutters. He's kept his mouth shut about how attractive Lena is. That's got to be some kind of sign. 

"Not that I know of. Plus, don't you think she basically nailed the audition?" Harry asks. His mind is definitely set on having Lena play the lead role. 

I want to disappear into the red cushioned seat. They act like I'm not even in the same hearing area as them. I start thinking up appropriate ways to sneak off without them finding out. I don't really have enough patience to sit beside them quietly as they debate Lena's attraction scale. I'm just about to slip out of my seat when Thomas grabs my arm suddenly. 

"Hold on, we still have one more audition. Lilah still has to show us what she's got," Thomas says and I feel all the color drain from my face. Whatever confidence I had had about auditioning is completely gone. 

"You're auditioning?" Zayn asks incredulously as if he can't imagine I'd want any part in the whole acting business. 

I feel my offense side start up. "Why not?" I ask back. I take my arm away from Thomas and stand up confidently. "I might as well right? It doesn't hurt to try," I mutter. My eyes meet Jared's and he winks at me. It's him telling me to blow them away. I intend to do so. 

"Well alright then. Good luck," Louis says to me. His voice lacks confidence in me and I feel a little more than annoyed. It's like they believe in Lena's acting more than mine. It drives me crazy because she isn't even an actress. She doesn't act at all. 

"Thanks," I say and start heading towards the stage. "You've got this. I've got this," I reassure myself as I walk up the couple of stairs off to the side of the stage. I head towards center stage, the lights suddenly feeling way too hot and bright. 

"Please state your name and what you'll be doing," Thomas calls out from the crowd. Are they farther back than I thought? Do I have to talk louder than normal? 

My heart is suddenly beating at a quicker pace. These lights are way too hot and bright. I need them to turn them down. 

"Delilah?" Jared yells out, snapping me out of my sudden stage fright. 

I've got to pull through this. I've got to show them what I am capable of. I shut my eyes for a brief second and focus on breathing. When I open my eyes, I am ready.

"My name is Delilah McKinley and I will be auditioning with Metamorphosis from Dog Sees God," I say in a clear voice. I make sure to project to the back of the room. I keep my chin up and I start my monologue. "Metamorphosis." 

**Liam's POV**

My mind is not in the auditions. I'm merely occupying a chair in the theater beside One Direction and Jared and Thomas. I am physically present, but my mind is everywhere but in this room.

Danielle had texted me earlier to let me know of her arrival tomorrow. Now while I'm completely on the edge of her coming here, I find myself missing her with every piece of my being. We had been together for the longest time. I don't really know what to do without her. 

I feel kind of lost.

There's a whispered debate between the boys and I only tune in a bit to catch the end. Delilah will be making her way onstage and auditioning as well. I hadn't seen this coming and by the sounds of the lads, neither have they. Maybe this will be slightly intriguing. 

Lena, Delilah's friend that had just auditioned, gets off stage and leaves the building. Outside are the rest of the girls that had come in to audition. They've been told to wait for results as they will be announced immediately following the final auditioner. 

"Please state your name and what you'll be doing." I lean forward to look at the curly haired boy named Thomas. He has a notebook in his lap and a pencil ready. This guy has things on check. 

"What's wrong with her?" Louis whispers to Harry. I direct my attention back towards the stage. 

Delilah has her eyes shut. Poor girl is probably on the verge of puking her guts out. This takes me by complete shock though because I had watched her act. She's a brilliant actress. 

"Delilah?!" Jared calls out.

She opens her eyes and I see determination written across her features. "My name is Delilah McKinley and I will be auditioning with Metamorphosis from Dog Sees God." I have never heard of anything remotely close to that play, but Jared gives a satisfying oooh.

"Here we go," Thomas mutters. There's something tinted in his voice, but I can't figure out what it is exactly. Awe? Affection? Disgust?

"Metamorphosis." Delilah's chin is tilted up and she stares above our heads. "Transformation. Evolution. Change. Evolution. Change. CHANGING EVOLUTION!" Her voice is powerful and summons goosebumps down my arms. Her hands are out by her side and her face is set like stone. 

"Oh shit," Louis gasps in awe. He leans forward in his seat. "Now that is how you command my attention." 

"I am a teenage caterpillar. I know of these things, for soon, I'll spin a cocoon and from the silk-like craft that I will create, a beautiful creature will emerge," her voice is soft, delicate. She pauses before bringing her fists down fast to her side. "NO! NOT a butterfly!" God the power in her delivery is stunning. "For butterflies are a dime a dozen. Destined to flit about for a day or so, then DROP DEAD! Or have it's wings ripped off by a demented child! Or have it's body pinned to a piece of cheap frame core and hung in a cheap frame in the bathroom of an elderly woman who REEKS of preparation H and vicks-vapor rub." Delilah takes in a deep breath and I find myself breathing with her. Her words hit hard as she grows high and higher into demanding yell. 

"God, look at my arms," Louis says and holds out his arms in front of him.

"Same," Zayn whispers. 

"This will not be my fate. This cannot be...my fate," Delilah whispers in a way that is still loud enough for us to hear. She brings her hands to her chest, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I will become a platypus." 

"Platypus?!" It's like an echo of the lads all saying the same thing. Even I find myself questioning her monologue. Why does she want to be a platypus?

"Shhhh!" Jared shushes us, his hand slapping at the air towards us. We all shut up immediately.

"It is not impossible. It's just never been done before," Delilah's voice rings stronger again. She steps forward and looks outwards with all the hope in the world written across her face. "If I stay in my cacoon longer, I'll change from a butterfly to a swallow, a swallow to a duck, a duck to a platypus! It is not impossible!  It's all just a matter of time! And time I have. I will wait to become a platypus," Delilah pauses and I swear her eyes meet mine. "I will be an extraordinary creature." Her words hit me in the face like a brick wall. Every hair on my body stands up. 

I jump to my feet along with the other lads by my side. My hands clap against eachother at a furious speed. I've never felt so enlightened by theater in my life. 

"Holy shit," I whisper under my breath in awe.

"Holy shit is right," Louis mutters back. He shakes his head and keeps clapping. "Holy shit."

"Thank you," Delilah calls out from the stage, a wide smile spread across her face. 

We take our seats again. I feel like I've just run a marathon. My body is lit up with adrenaline. I'm so blown away. That was beautiful. Pure beauty. 

"Thank you Delilah. Could you go wait outside with the other girls as we discuss your performance?" Thomas calls out in a formal tone. 

"Okay!" She calls out and gives us a small wave as she heads out the door. I sit back in my seat and stare open-mouthed at the spot she had been standing in. Holy. Shit. 

"Now that, gentleman...and Jared, is Delilah McKinley," Thomas says rather proudly. Jared punches his shoulder playfully. They're both smiling deliriously at us. They must see the shock on our faces. 

"I've never been more...holy shit." Louis is obviously in complete shock. Delilah would find that to be a high-priced compliment. Especially since he's part of One Direction and he had been an actor as well. He has more experience in this field than any of the other members do. 

"Yeah, she tends to do that to people," Jared says rather smugly. But no one tries to even argue with him. We've all witnessed the same thing. 

"Alright, so what's our decision?" Harry takes the upper hand to start up the real purpose of this whole thing: find an actress for our movie.

"Well personally, I think we all know that Delilah is more than capable of the part," Louis jumps in right away. 

"Agreed," I add.

"But Lena, I have a good feeling about her," Harry states. 

"You just want to sleep with her, Harold," Louis chuckles.

"Hey! PG people." We all laugh at Jared. He says some interesting things. 

"Okay, we need to make a decision. All the girls are waiting outside. Let's just take a vote."

"Well that's sensible."

"Thank you, Harry," Niall says and smiles at the green-eyed British boy. I wonder who has greener eyes: Harry or Delilah.

"So are we're all agreed that Delilah and Lena are the most obvious choices?" Jared takes over. We all nod. He gets up and sits on the rail to face us. "Alright, so who votes Lena?" Harry and Niall immediately raise their hands. "And Delilah?" Louis and I raise our hands proudly. 

"She's proven herself to me," Louis says as we put our hands back down. 

Jared sighs and puts a hand under his chin. "Zayn and Thomas, you didn't vote." 

"What? I get to vote?" 

"Yes, Thomas," Jared says like he's asking if air is meant to be breathed in. 

"Oh, okay." Thomas looks down at the papers of girls who had just auditioned. "I vote for Lena," he says quietly. I look at him confused. I could have sworn he was supporting Delilah during that entire monologue. I thought he would be the first to say she deserved it. 

"Really?" Jared catches himself and how rude he sounds. "I mean, okay. You have voted for Lena. What's your vote, Zayn?" We all turn towards the dark haired boy. 

"Well," Zayn runs a hand down his face. "Delilah. Definitely Delilah," he says. 

"That brings it to a tie," Jared frowns and steps down from the rail. 

"Sounds like callbacks," Thomas states. 

"Callbacks?" Niall beats me to the question. 

Louis sighs in defeat and sits back in his chair. "It's not a confirmed spot. We're basically telling them that they are good enough, but not quite yet." I still find it shocking that Louis knows this much about the theatrical world. 

"Well, in that case, I think it would be pointless to only have Lilah and Lena on the callback list." Jared moves back to his seat and props his feet up on the rail. "I say, we invite back ten girls that stand out enough. Give them Hell Week and then choose afterwards." 

"I think that sounds like a good plan." I stand up and lean against the rail because my butt has started aching from sitting too long. I'm used to being up constantly, not seated in a chair for hours on end. 

"Now we have to think up eight more girls," Louis says and joins me on the rail. "I still think Lilah should get it," he mutters to me quietly as the other boys start leafing through resumes and headshots of the girls who auditioned. 

I nod. "Well, she's bound to get it. She has the talent." I get chills just thinking back to her performance. Brilliant. Just brilliant. 

"Agreed." Louis bumps my shoulder affectionately. I smile at the older boy. For once, we are in complete agreement towards girls. We know talent when we see it. 

And Delilah contains that talent. 

"Done," Thomas says and gets to his feet. I notice a stack of papers on the seat he was previously occupying and then a small stack in his hand. The ones he's holding must be the girls who have been invited back. 

"I'll open the door and let them all back in." Jared bounds off towards the door, practically skipping his way there. I chuckle at how much he reminds me of Niall at the mere mention of food. 

We all sit back down as the girls file in and back onstage. They all stand in a line together. It reminds me of my days at X-Factor and how we were forced to stand in lines for decision making. It's a weird thought to be the one actually telling people who made it in and who didn't.

"We have decided that ten girls have received callbacks. You were all good in what you have delivered today, however, there are a few of you that have stood out the most. When your name is called, please step forward." The girls onstage immediately start squealing and holding each other's hands. 

"Here, read this one." Louis hands me a resume paper with the name Julia Tin printed neatly at the top. Thomas has distributed names for us to read. I just have to wait my turn. I frown at Julia's picture. I'd rather be looking down into the green eyes of Delilah. 

"Anna Sherlock," Thomas announces. A blonde I vaguely remember as decent screams and steps forward. Already she's ugly crying. Her face contorted and violent tears rushing down her face. I worry that she might pass out. 

"Dani Grigori." A brunette in a hoodie steps forward. She smiles but doesn't start screaming like the blonde. I like her calm aura. 

"Bridget Phils"

"Maura Bennet." 

Louis nudges me. "Julia Tin," I say automatically. An Asian steps forward proudly. 

"Arianne Price."

"Lena Wiliams." Delilah bites her lip as her friend steps forward. 

"Kara Mendoza."

"Melody Manson." 

"AND DELILAH MCKINLEY!" I yell out before anyone else can. Her face transforms to complete joy as she steps forward. One of the lads scold me but I don't care. I had to say her name. 

"Congratulations girls, you have all made it through to callbacks," Jared says and the girls all squeal. "Please report to this theater tomorrow morning at nine. Welcome to Hell Week."

Hell Week. 

This should be interesting. 

**A/N** I've got to do some editing to this fanfic. I've kind of mixed up some details about the characters... LOL. I'll get it straightened out. 

Anyways, please vote and comment what you think (:

P.S. Since you should know I'm involved in theater, I had actually performed "Metamorphasis." I did the play Dog Sees God and played CBs Sister. So, I just love the monologue...and the play XD LOL

Awkward way out...

Stay Great,

Kathleen :3