As we enter the cafeteria, I look at our fixed table finding for my friends. Everyone is here. Everyone includes Harry unlike other days. I know he has stopped having lunch with us because me being there. I feel humiliated everytime this thought passes my mind. It might not be this way but it feels and looks like it. I don't even know what the problem is.
Me and Rachel walk to the table with happiness plastered on my face but it stays no longer after seeing Harry getting up from the table, seeing us coming.
Rachel settles down besides chase and I just stand a few steps away from the table looking at Harry. Harry talks something in James's ear and starts leaving. The moment he passes by me, I stop him by his arm and make him turn around me.
"Harry have I done something wrong?" I say with tears almost flooding in my eyes. My heart holds onto it. "Are you holding on to things I did in the back?"
"What are you talking about?" He speaks and it feels like I'm listening his voice after a decade.
"Why do you keep avoiding-" before I completing my sentence I realise what I'm doing. I'm being upset and worried about someone trying to avoid me. I'm not going to be the one to beg for not doing that to me. He wants to stay away from me? Alright. "Nothing"
I leave his arm, exhale in aggression and walk to our table knowing Harry is still trying to study what I was going to say and is still staring at me with a wrinkle on his forehead. I soon blending into them by paying attention to Olive's jokes. I laugh my stress out forgetting what I was just worried about.
Yes I'm still upset about Harry trying to avoiding me but I'm not going to act like it and show him how I'm just tensed about this like I got no other problems in my life. I think I'm going to participate in the play to distract myself from Harry and get engaged into my "own stuff".
"What about you, Alena?" James brings me out of my thoughts.
"Yeah? What?-I'm sorry I was thinking about something" I bite my lower lip.
"Oh. I was asking if you would like to stay back after school and watch today's practice soccer match"
"What practice match?"
"Coach Peterson is really up for the inter-school soccer match" "He is making us have matches amongst us for practice" "Are you coming? Everyone else is" He explains.
"Oh" "I'm so sorry, I have to report at the auditorium after school for drama club. The inter school play competition you know?"
"Jesus you are participating? Don't. You are going to lose and then you'll be roaming around with your head down all semester" Olive interrupted.
"I told her" Rachel started shaking her head.
"And you don't know there's-"
"I think you should participate" Chase cuts off James and keeps his hamburger down after taking a bite.
I raise my eyebrows at the only person appreciating me participating in the play. "And why do you think so?" I question.
"I just do" he passes a quick smile at me before standing up and walking to the trash can.
I look at Rachel asking for an explain of Chase's intentions but she shrugs saying she has no idea.
***
I start thinking about the play and the competition while walking towards the auditorium. My mind is also stuck on how Chase cut off James and was positive about me taking part in the play. I shake my head and push the huge auditorium room door and walk in.
There were barely 10 people in the room. I look around and find some familiar faces from the class. Jason is there. My eyes widen at the sight of one familiar face I think I have problem with. Austin. What is he doing here? I start getting anxious. Everyone is just sitting in a circle on the stage including Mrs. Williams. Fuck I'm late.
"There's Alena. C'mon fast. We've started the discussion" Jason yells.
After Austin notices me entrance, Me and Austin exchange glares-more like annoyed seeing each other type of glares.
I instantly rush to the stage and ask a student to scoot away and make some place for me to sit. Thank god I'm not wearing skinny jeans today. I end up sitting exactly in front of Austin and besides Jason.
"So now that Miss. Wilson is here, it makes the team of eight nine now" Mrs. William announces.
I noticed there are only 3 girls and rest are boys.
"I assume you all know about the competition and it's rules. We as usual have to do a original play, which brings us to the first thing to start with is the story and it's script" "You are eight people with one play organiser and manager" "Miss. Kayla Dawson will be organising this skit as she has been doing this always" "Now. About the script. I have two submissions of the stories from which I'll be finalising one and inform you accordingly" "We will then conduct the auditions and see who is getting what role" "Everything Clear?"
"Yes Ma'am" everyone speaks in uni-sound except Austin who just rolls his eyes.
"Great!" "Next and last thing. Y'all have to stay back everyday until the competition day. Is that alright?" Mrs. William asks in a tone as if she just wants to have a positive answer.
We all again shout the same words.
"Good!" "Try convincing your friends or other students to join this play because we will of course need more people" "I'll end the announcements here and y'all can leave" "Meet me here tomorrow for the audition Purpose" "Clear?"
"Yessss ma'aaaaammm!"
That was quick. I think I can catch the soccer match. It must not have started yet. I immediately grab my bag and start leaving after Mrs. William disperses us all.
"Alena Wilson" A voice containing mischief stops me and I turn to it knowing who it is.
"Austin Keller" I pass him a fake smile.
"Didn't expect I'd see you here" he walks to me with a smirk.
"What a coincidence. Same" "Ugh I hate thinking same as you!" I make the 'eww' face.
He scoffs and stares at my face for second thinking of something. "Your friends didn't warn you about me being here?"
"Why do you think we even talk about you?" "We don't even care" I speak slowly in a teasing tune.
He scoffs again looking in a random direction and rolls his eyes. He then slowly brings his face close to mine, expressions turning into serious ones and glues his furious looking eyes with mine. "You should be afraid of me, Alena. You should be scared of me exposing your story because it can profit very well..........for the school?" He speaks in a low but haunting tone.
The second he finishes, horror starts filling in my eyes and my chest starts getting heavy and heavier.
"I have two submissions of the stories from which I'll be finalising one"
Maybe the neighbor two classes can hear my loud heartbeats. Yes I am that fucked up right now.
"See you tomorrow, A" he smirks on my face and leaves the frozen and terrified me behind.
______
A/N: I strictly apologise for not updating all these days. I've being suffering with a mental illness called 'no inspiration therefore I wanna procrastinate it' but I'm back with tons of inspo and I'm gonna update regularly. Love love
