The Stand-In: my life as an understudy Read online

  The Stand-In

  my life as an understudy

  ALSO BY ELIZABETH STEVENS

  unvamped

  Netherfield Prep

  the Trouble with Hate is…

  Accidentally Perfect

  Keeping Up Appearances

  Love, Lust & Friendship

  Valiant Valerie

  Being Not Good

  The Stand-In

  Popped

  No More Maybes Books

  No More Maybes

  Gray’s Blade

  Royal Misadventures

  Now Presenting

  Lady in Training

  Three of a Kind

  Some Proposal

  Royally Unprepared

  Royal Misadventures Omnibus

  I’m No Princess: The Collection (Parts 1-4)

  The Stand-In

  my life as an understudy

  Elizabeth Stevens

  Sleeping Dragon Books

  The Stand-In

  by Elizabeth Stevens

  Print ISBN: 978-1925928198

  Digital ISBN: 978-1925928181

  Cover art by: Izzie Duffield

  Copyright 2019 Elizabeth Stevens

  Worldwide Electronic & Digital Rights

  Worldwide English Language Print Rights

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned or distributed in any form, including digital and electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written consent of the Publisher, except for brief quotes for use in reviews. This book is a work of fiction. Characters, names, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  For my sister,

  You can’t have my chocolate, but you can have my kidney.

  P A K I D G E!

  Contents

  Stand-In, Stage Left

  The Ass in Assistant

  Little Drummer Boy

  The Stand-In Committee

  The Errand Girl

  Chinese Whispers

  Needy McNerdleton

  Prince Slightly Charming

  Cast the Lead

  Quicksilver and Sweetness

  Ticket to Flirt

  So not interested

  Douchebags gonna douche

  Casting a shadow

  Friends without benefits

  He’s (not) all that

  Brighter lights of infamy

  Stand-in, stand down

  An off-screen romance

  It was only a kiss

  One last bow

  I’m not gonna write you a love song

  Will the real leading lady, please stand up

  Quicksilver Songbook

  The Stand-In

  Thanks

  My Books

  About the Author

  Stand-In, Stage Left

  “Ella!” a voice called, the tightly denim-wrapped body it belonged to hurrying towards me. Lindy’s face fell as she got closer and saw me around the giant canvas in my arms. “Oh, it’s you…”

  And that was how most of the world greeted me. Full of disappointment as though they’d been expecting Narnia and only found the back of an old cupboard full of musty coats. I couldn’t blame them, personally. I’d been looking for Narnia all my life, too.

  “I’m looking for Ella.”

  That was another thing people often said to me, in much the same manner as they were affronted I even existed. But I was used to it. That was my life and, when it came to people like Lindy, I didn’t much care how little they thought of me, both in what they thought about me and the amount of time they actually spent remembering I existed.

  “I don’t know where she is,” I answered, rearranging the canvas so I didn’t drop it. Damn thing was big and awkward if not particularly heavy. “I thought you had last lesson with her?”

  Lindy flicked her plait over her shoulder as though she were heavily flirting with someone. I did a quick scan of the hallways, but it could have been any of the guys pushing through the throng of students. Certainly none of them seemed to be flirting back and I hid a smirk.

  “Well we need to get to the committee meeting, or all her plans with be for nothing,” Lindy sighed, like it must have been my fault for locking my fair princess of a sister up in the tower. I had no idea what said plans were and I was happy to keep it that way. “We’re going to be late!” Lindy stamped her foot.

  I nodded, not really sure what Lindy expected me to do about it. Ella ran on Ella time and not even an adoring crowd waiting on her was going to make her run to anyone else’s schedule. “Okay. Sure. Well you two have fun with that.”

  I made to move past her as I hefted the canvas, but Lindy stepped in front of me with a bored expression. “Can’t you, like, call her or something?”

  I mentally rolled my eyes and managed not to drop the canvas on her head. “You’ll have better luck getting through to her, I’m sure.”

  Lindy looked around like she was about to do something really dirty – like, you know, talk to me some more – and I huffed, deciding to save her the bother.

  “I’m sure you’re fast approaching your quota for being seen with a nobody for the day, so why don’t you run along and I’ll see if I can find Ella?” I asked, making myself sound chipper and helpful like the good secretary I was.

  Lindy gave me a grimace I expected was supposed to pass for a smile on that face and flounced away, her skirt bobbing dangerously close to flashing her arse. I hurriedly looked away before it became a train wreck I wouldn’t be able to look away from.

  I hoisted the canvas back up and pulled my phone out of my pocket with my other hand, hoping I could keep hold of everything. Just as I was sure I had a handle on everything, my bag slid off my shoulder and almost took my phone with it.

  “There you are!” someone else called and I looked over, feeling rather frazzled. But the paint-splattered face that matched that familiar voice made me smile. And this time when they got closer, they didn’t pout like I’d ruined Christmas. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you. I told you I’d help with that!” Rica chastised.

  She shook her head at me with an exasperated sigh and grabbed the other end of the canvas before I dropped it as well. I gave my best friend a thankful smile and reached down for my bag. As I hoisted it on my shoulder, I hit Ella’s number.

  “What’s up?” Rica asked, already amused by my predicament.

  “The harpy is required by her minion, I just have to–”

  “Where are you?” my older sister snapped. No ‘hello’ or ‘how are you, fair sister’, just outrage I hadn’t followed whatever order I was supposed to have read in her mind.

  “Ella, hey!” I laughed awkwardly into the phone.

  “Thank God. I’ve been trying to get hold of you all day,” she scoffed. I pulled the phone away from my ear; no missed calls or texts…

  “How? Telepathy?” I mumbled, shaking my head at Rica’s questioning look.

  By the time I put the phone back, Ella was ranting. “…busy, so you need to go in my place.”

  “Sorry. What?” I asked.

  She grunted in annoyance. “I am busy,” she enunciated loudly and slowly, like I was a foreign exchange student. “You have to go to the Formal Committee meeting for me.”

  “Uh, can I ask why?”

  Rica made more questioning gestures at me and I shrugged.

  Ella grunted again. “El
ijah Sweet is taking me to the formal and I need someone to make sure Milly stays away from him.”

  “Does…Elijah Sweet know this…?” I asked slowly as though talking to a very large idiot. In fairness, I was.

  “Oh my God! Can’t you just do this one thing for me?” she cried. “It’s in the Willis Theatre, okay?”

  I rolled my eyes at Rica. “Sure. Keep Milly away from him. Although if he’s already taking you, what does it matter?”

  “He hasn’t asked yet, duh. So talk me up and make sure he does.”

  Uh, no thank you!

  But, no wasn’t an option here…

  “Uh, great–”

  I pulled the phone away and looked at it. In true Ella form, she’d hung up on me without even waiting for me to answer because she just expected I’d do what I was told. Again in fairness, I was going to.

  “What did she want now?” Rica asked as I took hold of the other side of the canvas and we frog-marched to the art rooms.

  “Apparently I’m required at the Formal Committee meeting to make sure Milly keeps away from Elijah Sweet.”

  “Why?”

  “Because he’s asking Ella to the formal, don’t you know?” I asked her like it was obvious, duh.

  Rica snorted. “And does Elijah Sweet know this?” she asked, wanting to know as badly as I did.

  I shrugged. “I would expect not.”

  “And you’re on guard detail?”

  “Wooing detail. He is apparently yet to ask.”

  Rica looked at me knowingly and I could see her fighting a smile. “Because that’s going to go well for you.”

  I gave her my most withering glare. “Thank you. I’m aware.”

  “Well, good luck with that.”

  “Oh, shut up.”

  “Girl, I love you. But talking to boys is not your strong suit…”

  I huffed a piece of hair out of my eyes. “Just in case I hadn’t noticed…”

  “How are you feeling?” She barely contained her snort.

  I hardened my glare at her and wished some people didn’t know me so well. “Fine right now. Thanks so much for your concern.”

  A smile tugged at her lips, but she kept the laughter at bay at least. “What time’s the meeting?”

  I shrugged again as we wrestled into the art room. “Don’t know. Now I assume. Lindy was panicking about being late.”

  “Sure the ho wasn’t talking about her period?”

  I sniggered. “Uh, I don’t even want to begin to contemplate that, so…hopefully not.”

  Rica took the canvas from me and set it up on her easel. “Thanks for getting this for me. You should have waited though.”

  “Eh, I wasn’t doing anything.” I looked at my phone for the time. “I’d best get to this meeting then. I’ll see you Monday.”

  She shook her head, but smiled fondly. “Why do you always do what people say?”

  “Says the girl who now has her new canvas.” I waved my hands at it like the girl who gets the letters on ‘Wheel of Fortune’.

  Rica tried to frown, but failed. “I’m serious, Gin.”

  I nodded, my gaze roving across the classroom at the various pieces of art; sculptures, paintings, pottery, all sorts of things I didn’t even know the names for. “You know why.”

  “Because life goes quicker that way,” she intoned in what was supposed to be a mockery of me.

  “It does,” I laughed at her half-arsed attempt at an insult. “I’m just waiting for those neon lights, Rica. Eighteen. Freedom. No more understudy. I can live my own life.”

  “Yeah, except you won’t know how after spending eighteen years being a carbon copy of her majesty.” Rica meant well, but the conversation was always the same.

  “I’ve got my list. I’ve got my plan. Less than twelve months and I’ll be the star of my own life.”

  Rica hugged me. “Well, I already think you’re a star.”

  I snorted. “Sure. The star of the understudy programme.”

  Rica shook her head with a laugh and pushed me towards the door. “Go, be the stand-in, and woo that handsome prince for the petty princess.”

  “I think you mean pretty princess.”

  Rica scoffed. “I think you know I don’t.”

  I grinned and hurried out, jogging through the emptying hallways until I got to the theatre. I pushed my way in and saw there were a whole bunch of kids already milling around and there were chairs on the stage. I jogged up the centre aisle, watching Milly as she was sorting something on a table to the side and talking animatedly with Brenda.

  I dropped my bag at the base of the stage and went to pull myself up. But a hand popped over the edge and I found a guy with a green splash at the front of his almost black hair grinning down at me. His smile lit up his nut brown eyes and I told myself that, yes he might have been quite cute, but it was still possible to not make a fool of myself.

  “Need a hand?” he asked and I was fairly sure I recognised him, but my brain seemed to not know where from for a moment.

  “Uh, thanks…” I smiled, pleased I managed two words without word vomit.

  He grabbed my hand and helped haul me up.

  “You know, they have these nifty things called stairs. They make scaling great heights much easier,” he said in wonder once I had both feet on the floor again and had managed not to fall over.

  I nodded, looking down so he wouldn’t see me blushing. “Oh, hey. I’ve heard of those. But me and new-fangled technology just don’t get on.”

  He snickered. “I’m Govi.”

  I blinked as I looked up at him, then realised why I recognised him. This may have been a fortuitous meeting after all. “Chloe.”

  He scrubbed his hand along his chin. “What’re you in Winters for, Clo?” he asked, looking me up and down. “I don’t reckon we have any classes together.”

  “No, that’d be because she’s not supposed to be here,” Lindy said, stalking over and glaring at me.

  I gave her a sour smile. “Ella sent me on the mission.” I tapped the side of my nose as though that would make any sense to Lindy. Amazingly, it seemed to.

  Lindy went from being scary bitch monster to acting like my best friend faster than I assume a Mustang goes from zero to one hundred. “Oh, of course. I forgot,” she tittered, grabbing hold of my arm and grinning maniacally at Govi.

  I looked down at my arm as though I’d suddenly lost feeling in it or it no longer belonged to me. I sort of wished either of those situations was true… “Uh, yeah. Good…”

  “So you know each other?” Lindy asked, still staring right at Govi.

  “Sure. This is Chloe. We go way back,” Govi answered, giving me a smile.

  I smirked, but looked down to hide it.

  “Can we sit down and get on with it please?” Milly called, exasperated.

  I yanked my arm out of Lindy’s grasp – it took a while, she had a grip like a limpet – and headed for a random seat. Lindy dropped into the one next to me, crossing her legs and sticking out her meagre chest like all the boys must be watching.

  “Right. Thanks for coming…” Milly paused, “everyone who actually turned up. I know it’s…” She petered off and I looked up to find her staring at me. “You’re not Ella.” She was caught in some unholy mix of surprised and put-out.

  I nodded and swallowed. “No. Uh, she sent me to stand-in because she couldn’t make it…” I replied, looking firmly at Milly and no one else.

  Milly looked at me with interest, like I was a jar of Ella’s secrets and Milly was going to find them out one by one and use it to crush her. Did it make me a terrible sister to say I was okay with that?

  “Okay…?” She waited for my name.

  “Chloe,” Govi offered.

  Milly’s gaze flickered between me and Govi. “Chloe Cowan?” she asked and I nodded. “How unfortunate.” Then I was dismissed as she looked down at her clipboard. “Okay. So, like I was sa
ying–” She paused again. “Eli, nice of you to finally join us,” Milly drawled, clearly trying to impress him with how unimpressed she was with him.

  My heart felt like it stopped in my chest and I looked up sharply as Elijah Sweet walked out of the wings, grinning like he knew he’d just wet every pair of pants in the room.

  “Sorry, Mil. I got here soon as I could,” he replied, suave as always.

  I was in the same room as Elijah Sweet and I had no idea what to do. Lindy elbowing me wasn’t helping either.

  Like, yes, Lindy. Thank you. I have eyes!

  And those eyes were not about to miss Elijah Sweet. I didn’t imagine there were many eyes that missed Elijah Sweet.

  Elijah was the hottest guy in school, hands down. He had dark blond hair cut so it fell endearingly into his eyes, which were this amazing contrast of a light honey colour and framed by dark lashes. He had a face so beautiful it would make the Madonna weep, and the voice of a damned angel. And no, that’s not just hyperbole; the guy sung like a Greek god and was as sinful as they came. He was born to be a rockstar and well on his way to becoming one on the world stage with his band Quicksilver.

  I was embarrassed to say that I – like, most likely, the whole school – had a huge crush on him. It was a good thing I’d never had a chance to speak to him because every time I saw him smile, my brain melted into this little giggly puddle that was useless for anything. It was disgusting really, but I had no control over it. I knew he was the worst sort of guy – arrogant, conceited, smarmy, arrogant, a player, shallow, did I mention arrogant? – but my eyes refused to believe that a guy with that much gorgeous smoulder could be such a twat.

  You see now why my wooing him for Ella was going to go so terribly well and why I wouldn’t have been surprised had Rica laughed in my face.

  Well, I suppose she had in the end…

  I snuck a look at Elijah as he dropped into the chair next to Govi, giving the Quicksilver drummer a fist-bump and a smile. At least I might have an in with Govi; I seemed to be able to put two words together in front of him.