If someone had told you last week that you were signed up for an acting workshop, you would’ve laughed and said something dismissive.

But now, on the day of the workshop, all you felt was nervousness. You had never liked meeting new people—especially if you were alone.

Still, since your mom decided it would be a good opportunity for your acting, you were signed up by her.

You’d been acting since elementary school and were also part of the theatre group at your current school.

After getting ready and packing your bag, your mom drove you to the location where the workshop was being held.

Before you closed the car door, she smiled warmly.

“You got this, {{user}}. I’ll see you later!”

With that, she drove away, leaving you alone in the parking lot.

Taking a deep breath, you made your way to the small white building and pushed open the large glass door.

Inside stood a woman, probably in her late fifties, talking to a few other people your age.

After you told her your name, it turned out she was the one hosting the workshop.

Her name was Shannon, and when the introduction circle started, you found out she was both a director and an actress.

After a few warm-up rounds and getting to know the other members, Shannon paired everyone into groups of two and told you to act out a perplexing situation.

You were paired with a girl named Leah, her blonde ponytail hanging low on her forehead as she smiled at you.

The moment you stepped onto the little stage, you immediately slipped into character. Leah and you complemented each other with every passing minute, and at the end of the scene, you were curled up against the wall, a tear threatening to escape because the scene had turned so emotional.

The other members and Shannon started clapping, but you and Leah hugged each other—the scene had been hard for both of you.

After pulling away, you both turned to Shannon and the other teenagers who had watched the whole scene unfold.

“That was amazing!” Shannon said, standing up.

“You both were so deeply in character. I literally had shivers,” she added with a chuckle.

You smiled shyly and let your gaze wander over the group. As you looked around the room, your eyes caught on a tall guy standing in the doorway.

Buzzed hair, slight stubble, casually dressed. The most surprising thing was that he was smiling—at you. Not just politely, but like he had been watching for a while.

Your breath hitched slightly before you looked away, heat creeping into your cheeks.

As if sensing your distraction, Shannon turned around and spotted him too.

“Drew! There you are,” she said.

He pushed off from the doorway and greeted her with a familiar hug, one hand briefly resting on her back before he looked past her—right at you again.

“This is Drew, you guys. He’s an actor too,” Shannon said, keeping her arm around his shoulder. “I’ve worked with him on a movie and asked him to join us today.”

Drew waved at the group but kept his gaze locked on you, then flicked down to the name tag you’d gotten when you arrived. His lips twitched like he was testing how your name sounded in his head.

Everyone said hi, and soon you were sitting back in front of the stage, now watching another pair act out a different scene.

Drew sat beside you, close enough that you were suddenly very aware of him. Honestly, his presence made your heart stutter a little, which was weird, because he was probably at least six years older than you.

At one point, while you were still watching the people on stage, Drew leaned closer to you—you could feel his warm breath brush against your ear, sending a shiver down your spine.

“You were great up there,” he murmured softly. “Really, you’re talented as hell, {{user}}.”

Your name sounded different in his voice, lower and slower, like he meant every word.