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Preview from chapter one
Chapter 1: Invisible Audition
Sara Harper woke up with a bright smile already plastered across her face, the kind that came naturally to her like camouflage in a world that rarely noticed it. Sunlight filtered through the thin curtains of her modest dorm room at The HUB, casting a warm glow over her simple bedspread and the stack of psychology textbooks on her desk. Today felt different. Electric. She had an audition for the Drama Club's production of Our Town; the role of Emily Webb was perfect for her. Sweet, earnest, the girl-next-door type who grapples with being overlooked in life. Sara could relate all too well. She bounced out of bed, her shoulder-length blonde hair swinging loosely as she stretched, feeling the subtle pull of her yoga-toned muscles.
She dressed quickly but deliberately, slipping into a white crop top that showed just a hint of her fit midriff, high-waisted jeans that hugged her wholesome curves without screaming for attention, and her favorite sneakers. A quick glance in the mirror: bright, warm smile in place, minimal makeup to enhance her sunny vibe, and that tiny gold necklace tucked against her skin a family heirloom she never explained. She looked approachable, cheerful, the kind of girl who should turn heads. But she knew better.
Stepping into the hallway of her dorm, Sara greeted everyone she passed with her trademark enthusiasm. "Good morning, Alex!" she said to the guy fumbling with his keys two doors down. He nodded vaguely, mumbling a "Morning" without meeting her eyes, like he was trying to place where he'd seen her before. "Hey, Mia, love that scarf!" she called to the girl rushing past with headphones in. Mia gave a half-smile and a quick wave, but her expression read Do I know you? Sara kept smiling, deflecting the tiny sting as she made her way down the palm-lined paths of the campus. The ocean breeze from nearby Bayhaven carried a salty tang, mixing with the endless California sunshine. It was the kind of day that promised visibility, or so she told herself.
The theater building buzzed with energy when she arrived. Students scattered across the stage and seats, rehearsing lines in dramatic whispers or laughing over botched deliveries. Sara found a quiet spot in the back row, pulling out her script and mouthing her monologue silently. Emily's words about realizing life's small moments hit close to home being seen, truly seen, before it's too late.