Blow My House Down

Chapter 9

Annie, Cecily, and I followed Schneider to wherever he was taking us to conduct our improv lessons and help Annie memorize her lines. I leaned toward Annie and whispered, "What went on in there? Ya know, with you and Mike?"

"I don't know." she answered, sighing and chewing on her bottom lip. "Michael is just so... distracting."

"Ohhh..." I mumbled in sarcastic tone, resisting the urge to laugh for her sake. "Well, I guess he's pretty cute, but I don't understand Annie. You don't seem to be the girl who's into the fairytales and the happily ever afters." I said, studying her. She could be, but she doesn't seem to be. Then again, I've never been a good judge of character.

"I never used to be." she replied quietly, turning to face Schneider, signalling that was the end of our discussion.

He handed Cecily and I newly-revised scripts. "Ladies, listen up. Today we're starting off with improv and acting skills. Usually James Frawley is in charge of this department, but he's busy helping the boys. So it'll just be me and the three of you. Annie, I want you to read some sample lines. Kat and Cecily, I want you to bounce off her and improvise, okay?" Schneider explained.

I smirked. This should be fun.

"Nice day we're having, don't cha think?" Annie read, using a false, very high-pitched cheery voice. Cecily snorted and Schneider shot her a glare.

"Sure is!" I said, quite monotonously.

"Perk up, Kat!" Schneider exclaimed, nodding encouragingly. When he looked back down at the script, I glared daggers at him. If only looks could kill...

"I rather wish the sun wasn't so bright though. My skin's so fair I turn as red as a lobster!" Annie admonished, pretending to squint at an imagined sun. I'll admit, she could be a great actress if she wasn't being so over-dramatic.

"Well, Annie, dear - there's this rather lovely thing called sunblock." Cecily smiled sarcastically, patting our friend on the back. "I'm sure it would help your complexion nicely."

Schneider nodded approvingly. "Oh, if only the sun burned through Rafelson's skin - he would shrivel up and that would keep his mouth shut." I sighed in longing. Schneider raised his eyebrows in alarm, but said nothing.

"Why, Kat! That's such a terrible thing to say!" Annie chided, flicking my ear. I flinched and stuck my tongue out at her.

"Well, if she didn't say it, her fist would." Cecily replied, rolling her eyes at my violence. "And if hers didn't, then it would be Mike's. The cycle would never end."

"Oh, why'd you two have to go and spoil the day?" Annie whined, fake glaring at the both of us, but it seemed real enough to me.

"According to you, it already was spoiled since you said you would be a lobster by the end of it." I retorted, sitting down on a beach chair prop. "Guess you lose." However, by the time I was fully situated, it completely collapsed under me. I fell with an 'oof' and Cecily yelped. "Oh, my! Well, dolls, I didn't quite expect that, how about you?"

Annie chuckled behind her hand while Schneider helped me up. "Sorry, Kathleen. I should have told you they were only props." He scratched the back of his neck.

I brushed myself off and shrugged. "Eh, I've felt worse. It's a good thing Rafelson wasn't in here - he would say we were even. Because, according to him, fake beach chairs cost more and are of more value than a guitar."

"It's a good thing Rafelson wasn't in here because you insulted him, K!" Annie reminded me. "You would have been out of that door without pay before you could even curse him out. He would have fired you!"