Unscripted - Nicole Kronzer Page 0,20

low voice startled me, and I whipped around.

Three guys who looked about my age in matching navy blue T-shirts and khaki cargo shorts smiled back at me.

“Sorry,” two of them said.

“We didn’t mean to scare you,” the one in front continued. He had a warm grin and dark brown skin and big brown eyes for days.

“It’s—I’m fine,” I stammered, both because of the surprise, and how cute he was. “Just—I, uh—”

“Are you lost?” A white guy behind him popped out. The sun glinted off his braces and his red hair.

“No, I’m—sorry. Um. I’m just thinking. You startled me. You’re . . . Boy Scouts? There’s a camp nearby, right?”

They nodded. The redhead stepped off the narrow path. “Are you sure you’re not lost?”

The cute guy smiled. “Don’t listen to Murph. He’s trying for his orienteering merit badge—”

“And I’m this close!” he exclaimed, holding up two fingers an inch apart.

“He’s not that close,” the cute guy whispered loudly.

My laugh felt different here than it did back at auditions. Freer.

“I’m Zelda,” I said. “I’m . . . uh, at improv camp.”

They nodded. “We gathered that,” Murph said. “You being a girl and all.”

I blinked.

“We’re Boy Scouts,” he continued. “No girls. Well, except the nurse. And we know her.”

“Of course!” I exclaimed. Geez. How stupid was I?

“I’m Jesse,” the cute guy said. “That’s Ernest Murphy.” He pointed at the redhead. “We call him Murph.”

“Because naming a kid ‘Ernest’ is cruel and unusual punishment,” Murph said, rolling his eyes.

“I have a great-uncle named Ernest,” I countered.

“Is he a hundred years old?”

“Well—”

“Case closed.”

Jesse and I caught each other’s eyes and grinned.

Murph pointed behind him. “This last guy doesn’t matter, so—”

“Hey!” the third guy exclaimed.

Everyone laughed again.

“Ricky.” A dark-haired guy with olive skin and glasses reached out and shook my hand. “Sorry.” He pointed at the dirt on his hand and tried to wipe it off on his Boy Scout–issued shorts.

“Always picking up rocks, that one.” Jesse chuckled.

“And putting them in my backpack!” Murph complained.

Ricky just smiled.

“You’re off on a hike?” I asked.

“We take this hike over lunch most days,” Jesse said, tugging at his backpack straps.

“Gets us out of lunch duty,” Murph added.

“Smart,” I said. “I love hiking.”

“Join us some time,” Jesse offered. He caught my eyes again and held them.

“Really?” I blurted. “Is that allowed?”

The others nodded.

“Of course. Two hours up, lunch, one back.” Jesse grinned. “You’re welcome any time.”

“That’s awesome!” I said. Suddenly, I didn’t feel so cold anymore. “I don’t know what the rehearsal schedule is going to be yet, but I’d love a good hike if I’m free . . . It’s . . . nice to meet you.”

“You, too.” Murph reached out and high-fived me. “And, uh, improv camp is back that way,” he pointed.

“Thank you,” I said solemnly, “I feel very oriented now.”

“Doesn’t count,” Jesse called over his shoulder as they hiked on.

“It does!” Murph protested. “Ricky?”

Ricky unzipped the side pouch of Murph’s backpack and inserted a rock.

“Ricky!”

Their boots thumped on the path, and their voices faded away. The birds and the breeze replaced them. I stared up into the trees.

It’s just improv, I told myself. It’s not brain surgery . . . or orienteering. I smiled. You can do this.

My name was second from the top. On the Varsity list. With Ben as my coach.

“See? I told you. I knew you’d make it!” Hanna exclaimed, leading me away from the bulletin board in the Main Lodge. “What did I say? I mean, I’m funny, but you? You’re really funny.”

I was still speechless.

“That one flub was nothing compared to the rest of your morning,” Sirena assured me, joining us as we pulled further away from the mob of people crowding the lists. “Right, Emily?”

But Emily was close to tears. “We’re not together,” she said to Sirena.

My eyes widened at her reaction. I mean, I knew everything was a little bit harder for Emily, but still—she was going to cry because she and Sirena weren’t on the same team?

But Sirena was clearly very used to all of Emily’s big feelings. She took her hands. “Hey,” she said.

Emily looked at her shoes.

“Hey,” Sirena said gently. Emily’s eyes met hers. “We’re both on JV.” Sirena smiled. “I bet we’ll practice together sometimes. And you’ve got Hanna.”

“Yeah, you do,” Hanna said. “And as I have well established by now, I am a very nice person.” Hanna flung an arm around Emily’s shoulders, but with Emily so much shorter than her, it was more like Hanna’s armpit resting on Emily’s head. “We’re the Elsas,