The Heartthrob Won't Leave

Chapter Six (New Chapters)

SLAM!

She let out a squeak of startlement, shooting up from the desk she had been laying on. A burst of laughter came from her side, one she recognized well. Stella smiled, her books down on the desk next to her.

"Such a drama queen! It was just my textbook slamming on your desk" she sat down in the matching chair to the desk beside Blake. "You know, if you'd stop zoning out, people wouldn't think you were so unapproachable" Blake glanced down at her reddened hands of fists, partially concealed with the baggy arms of her oversized hoodie. But, as Stella sat there, pulling out her stuff for class and opening her binder to prepare for the next lecture, Blake couldn't help but just hold her eyes on the beautiful young girl, wondering, if everyone had a secret, what was Stella hiding?

After class, when the bell rang and they were packing up their books was when Stella grabbed her arm before she left through the classroom door. Blake glanced back, kind of surprised with her books between her arms.

"Are you free Saturday?" she asked, making Blake tighten suddenly at the question.

"Why?" Blake responded, curious

"Well, Jack asked me to go to his soccer game and I was wondering if you wanted to go" Blake raised her eyebrows slightly. She remembered Jack, he was a boy they had met a few months ago wandering around the public rec center. He seemed nice, but he barely spoke a word to her, it was more staring at Stella in her tight shorts and high-cut t-shirt, asking her question after question and pleading almost pathetically for her number. Blake knew it wasn't the first time, nor would it be the last that she had to be privy to these boys flocking to her for reasons of sexual conquest, nor would it be the last time Stella allowed them in with open arms despite having a boyfriend she neither respected nor appreciated. When would these boys stop allowing themselves to get played?! And when would Stella stop being the one to strong them along seemingly for her own amusement with no respect for the fact that they were human beings with feelings that could very easily be shattered under a hammer she loved to wield.

"And Damon asked to come to his house afterward" with that, they walked down the hall towards their lockers

"Who the heck is Damon?" Blake asked. Stella smiled, letting out a small laugh at her words.

"You'll have to come to find out" she responded, shutting her locker and walking back down the hall. Blake just watched her go for a few moments before turning back to her locker and continuing the search for her book for English amongst the organized clutter. Not only was she going to spend time with other boys when she was already taken, but seeing more than one on a single outing. Somehow, it just made Blake sick to her stomach. She closed her eyes, trying to remember when Stella wasn't like this, when she was like any other child on the playground, screaming with laughter with her beautiful brown hair in childish pigtails. Going down the slide, playing tag across the monkey bars, and swinging so high that she felt she'd almost collide with a cloud. It reminded her distinctly of a moment they were flying through the air on the swings next to one another, young Blake with her ripped, dirty clothes and scratched-up glasses. And Stella a girl that had befriended her despite the other kids spreading rumors that she was a secret witch with her raggedy, oversized clothing and messy hair. She could still see that kid, raising her hand to the sky, trying to grab at the clouds ahead.

"Stella," the young girl smiled at her friend, "You always try and grab the sky when we are on the swings, why do you do it?" young Blake asked. Her eyes were down, almost as if waiting to be scolded for asking anything at all.

"Because the sky is everything" the young girl kept her eyes on her friend "Everyone stares at it with awe and happiness!" she yelled, as they swung higher together "I want to be the sky! I want everyone to look at me!" Young Blake couldn't help but smile and watch her friend as she continued to swing as hard as she could, trying so hard with her hand stretched as far as her small body could muster without falling off the swing. Trying so hard to be the sky. "Blake" her name was whispered in her ear, making her mind drift back to sudden reality. Mikayla was beside her, looking rather amused at her seemingly clueless demeanor.

"Where am I?"

"Drama class, sorry to disturb, but I had a feeling you'd want to be focussed for this" Mikayla responded as they sat on the floor of the classroom, gesturing to Mrs. Jame writing across the whiteboard with a black erasable marker.

"Since the semester started-" she spoke, turning to face the group of students on the floor at her feet, revealing the word she had written on the board had Blake's stomach dropping. Casting. 

"You guys have created a wonderful play. And for the first time, I've been given permission to allow you guys to perform that play in front of friends and family instead of picking one out!" Mrs. Jame looked so happy, it almost made Blake feel bad for feeling the opposite. "The play will be brought to life on the last day of classes this semester!" the class suddenly started cheering, especially the drama kids. Of course, it was their passion. But, for Blake, she was only forced into this class in order to cover the credits she needed to graduate. In fact, plays were a bit of a touchy subject for her to begin with. It reminded her of her father, before her mother had died she remembered he loved theatre. One of the few lucid memories of her spending time with her father was when they went to the local theatre house and saw one together. She didn't remember what it was called, or how it ended, only the smiling face of her father as he stared ahead in fascination at the movement across the stage. She swallowed slightly, feeling a little nauseous in her stomach.

"But first, we must pick the people behind the scenes!-" her heart started pounding "Who doesn't want a role in the play?" Blake's hand shot up so fast she thought she might have gotten whiplash. For Blake, the thought of performing made her body start to shake in complete fear. She imagined getting it all wrong, being forced off the stage in udder humiliation as they screamed curses, threw items as she cried. "Ok, and who would be interested in becoming the director" Blake pulled her hand down quickly, noticing one raise beside her. She turned her head, not surprised to see Stella with her hand up. Stella glanced back, looking quizzical.

"You don't want to be a director?" Stella asked quietly, leaning in slightly towards Blake.

"No, I'm not good at ordering people around, you know that" she responded quickly.

"Come on Blake" Stella pleaded, grabbing at her arm with her free hand. To Blake, Stella's actions made no sense, wouldn't placing Blake as competition lessen the chances of Stella being picked herself, not that Blake thought she was much of a competitor. She wondered what exactly Stella was trying to accomplish? Maybe she just wanted Blake to take a shot in the dark, take a risk, and maybe it would be seen through. But, she did wonder for a few moments before the thought abruptly left. Was Stella doing this because she wanted the chance to beat Blake at something she knew she would win? Humiliate her? But, that was preposterous, right? Stella was supposed to be her best friend, wasn't she? A best friend wouldn't do something like that to someone they cared about, right?