Rehearsals With You ✓

Chapter Fifteen: 'Tis just a hobby.

"I flunked it, Triss," I told Triss. We were walking towards the Drama Club room, walking amongst the crowd of teenagers who were either a)slouching or b)can't get out of school fast enough. 

"Now, now. The test results haven't even been out yet," she consoled me.

I gripped the straps of my school bag. "I'm gonna fail Social Studies," I said before I pushed open the door. The moment I saw Kira being the good club president checking in on those who arrived before us, the script came to mind.

I told Triss about it but she said I'll have to ask Kira. So Kira and I need to talk.

"Kira!" I greeted and waved at her after Triss and I put down our bags on an empty chair. I walked over to where she was talking to Diana, a tall, dark-haired girl who got Hazel, and gave her a smile as well. I faced Kira whose Japanese origin is evident in her looks. She had this almond-eyes that makes her irises disappear when she smiles. It's so cute, honestly. Her skin was smooth and white and she looked so good in the school uniform. It didn't help that the girl was so nice and friendly. If I were to crush on a girl, it would be on Kira.

"What is it, April. Do you need something?" Kira asked kindly after she ended the conversation with Diana.

"I have a question," I started. "You see. I got to this part on the script where–"

"Where Chrisanta and Armand kisses?"

"Yes!" I exclaimed. "So you're aware of my . . . opposition to that certain part?"

"More than aware, actually. Everyone knows how you and Grey despise each other. I almost didn't believe Mr. Martin when he told the news to me."

"Yeah, what was he thinking?" I blurted. Why would Mr. Martin entrust Grey with such a huge role as the leading male? Why not give him drudgery work or something, like maybe props and costumes or be a part of the technical team? Not that it's drudgery at all or that it's unimportant, why can't Mr. Martin just punish us separately? Parents, teachers and students are gonna watch during the High School Day, Grey's a recipe for disaster or at least, that's what I think. No one else seem to mind and the only hesitance they show is the fact that Grey and I are gonna have to work together.

"So what was your question?" She asked and we both took a sit at a chair at back of the room. The door led directly in the front where a small platform was located. The walls were painted beige, behind us were a bunch of costumes, props and art supplies and directly in front of a window in front was a piano. We weren't doing a musical but there will definitely be music for effects there.

"We don't have to actually kiss, right?"

Kira gave me a smile and I don't like the looks of it. "You'll have to ask Ms. Wilde."

"But . . . but she's a hopeless romantic," I whispered-yelled. It's a known fact but my tone would suggest I didn't like anything about it right now. "When is she coming anyway?"

"Oh, she'll be here soon," Kira answered. "Now if you'll excuse me–"

"Wait!" I grabbed her wrist when she stood up. "You're the club president. Aren't you in charge too? Can you not, I don't know, have the final say?" I asked hopefully.

Kira chuckled, I removed my hand and slouched on my seat. I knew what she was gonna say. "No, April. I'm just a student and Ms. Wilde is the teacher. She gets to decided what's final."

"Alright-y." I pouted my lower lip. Honestly, things are not looking good. On the other hand, I'm sure Grey would protest about it too! I mean, if the involved participants are against it, then they can't force us, right?

When Ms. Wilde arrived, she gathered us all in a circle on the floor. I don't know why she didn't let us have the seats, she just made us push them all on the walls. We were not rehearsing, at least, not officially. We were just gonna read our part so we could familiarize ourselves to who's playing who and be on-board with each other's acting style. Ms. Wilde said that it was for when we have our first rehearsals, we won't be walking on tip-toes around each other.

I sat (legs stretched courtesy of my wounded knees) beside Triss who, reluctantly, accepted Ms. Wilde's pin-pointing that she play the narrator 'cause they haven't found any. "I don't want to be on stage," she complained in a low voice beside. I couldn't give assure her because my role required me to be the talking-spotlight of the freakin' show. I was fine with a side-character. I'm not that desperate to have an acting career. 'Tis just a hobby.

When I was done with my line, I whispered, "You'll do fine, Triss, I promise. You have the voice of a story-teller," I convinced her with a . . . convincing voice.

"I still don't want to be on stage." I rolled my eyes then read my part. When I told Ms. Wilde about the kiss, she said and I quote, 'It's gonna be just a smack, April. No need to fret and besides, we can't let the students go smoochie in front of their parents, right?' My expression was all blank. Acting, dramatics, threatics . . . I know Ms. Wilde knows that sometimes it requires you to do something you wouldn't normally do, (say, kiss your enemy?) but I just really – to a level that reaches the sky –  really do not want to kiss Grey.

"Sorry, I'm late." The door opened to reveal a late Grey. 

"You're late, Mr. Collins. Care to explain?" Ms. Wilde, all short red hair and small figure in a white dress, and who by the way, is the only person on a chair, asked. 

"Uh, coach held me back. He's still not happy about me missing practices for a few weeks," he answered. How could I have forgotten? The football team was always practicing, Parker's part of it, it means there's a chance that . . . Grey might get sloppy with his game, right? If he wasn't practicing as much, right?

I almost grinned at that. I know I shouldn't be too happy about, school spirit and all, but it's Grey we're talking about. I wouldn't miss the chance to see him humiliated for anything in the world.

"Sit down beside Ms. Stewart then." My head snapped at her. 

"What?" I burst and everyone looked at me. I winced. "Why does he have to sit beside me?" I asked, meekly this time.

Ms. Wilde freakin' rolled her eyes before smiling sweetly. I know that smile. She's done it before. "Mr. Martin put you two here together so you could learn to get along. I'm just following his directions," she answered too innocently. I would've narrowed my eyes at her if she wasn't a teacher 'cause I knew it was more than that. Like I said, she's done it before and I succeeded everytime but not with us, okay. She's playing matchmaker.

The reading resumed as Grey, in all his darn handsome glory, sat beside me.

"So . . . " I almost yelped but managed to hold myself when Grey's voice flowed beside my ear. Someone else was reading and everyone's attention was on them. Not Grey freakin' Collins, of course. I concentrated harder on the paper I'm holding and ignored him. "I read this and there was this part that you and I . . . kiss?" I could hear the teasing in his tone, sense the smirk on his face.

My head snapped to him and it was big mistake. He's face was close and I was suddenly back in the closet with him. Our bodies pressed together and if one of use just moved forward a little bit, we could be kissing.

I saw his gaze flicker to my lips and my eyes widened. I snapped my head back so fast I think I broke it. "Ouch . . ." I massaged it. "Shut it, Grey. It's not gonna happen."

I sensed him lean back. "Hm, a shame . . ."

I know he meant for me to hear that but I, for the love of everything holy, couldn't fathom what it meant.

~•~

Author's Note:

Okay, I don't know anything about theatres and school play. I did a little research but I feel like it's not enough so to those that are knowledgeable about it, correct me if I write something wrong. I'm mostly going with what I saw from our school, little pointers from Google and my unreliable inkling.

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